Viktoria Komova performs on bars in the team event earlier this week
An announcement, made by Valentina Rodionenko earlier:
Mustafina, Komova, Sosnitskaya, Spiridonova and Kharenkova will perform at the European Championships in artistic gymnastics. According to the results of the Russian Championships in Penza, a decision has been made as to who will compete May 12-18 in Sofia (Bulgaria).
"As a result of the Russian championship, we finally decided on the composition of the national team at the European Championships" - said Valentina Rodionenko. "We decided not to ask Ksenia Afanasyeva to perform there. In addition, Anastasia Grishina has an injury - a suspected partial cruciate ligament rupture. The rest are available to compete."
"At the European Championships the athletes who compete will have proven themselves in the championships of Russia. Aliya Mustafina is certainly number one. Viktoria Komova, did not compete on all apparatus. Young athletes Alla Sosnitskaya, Daria Spiridonova and Maria Kharenkova will each have their own job to do."
It is early days to announce the team yet - expect there to be changes.
Via VK.com Artistic Gymnastics Team Russia group
Via http://www.allsportinfo.ru/index.php?id=82193
I am a little surprised they didn't opt for a third DTY, but this is still a pretty solid team for Euros.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure Komova will have one. Her FTY looked incredibly easy for her.
DeleteI am certain they are hoping for Komova to get her DTY back. There is not much point taking Afan if she can only do VT seriously and not FX. Similarly, Paseka has proven she is only usable on VT right not, so no point taking her either. A 5 person team doesn't leave room for that many specialists and Russia doesn't have enough high-scoring AA-ers at the moment.
DeleteI think Paseka proved that she's not even useful on vault. The Olympic bronze-medalist was beaten by Alla Sosnitskaya! Unfortunately the vault final overall wasn't spectacular. Quite disappointing really.
DeletePaseka put up the highest vault score for a single vault of anyone in qualifications, but yes she still hasn't proven to be consistent. Her DTY score dropped each day of competition, so I see the risk in taking her.
DeleteBased on Vault EF results from competitions so far in 2014, Paseka would be 6th in the world and 4th in Europe (Sosnitskaya is 5th and and 3rd). It's not a terrible result this early in the season, but again it doesn't really help team Russia much.
Yeah, Russia has been low on decent vaulters for quite awhile. They now seem to have decent UB and BB workers but the major hole is VT. Kharenkova would be so much more useful if she could learn a DTY. I don't expect Amanars from Russia at this stage but to have difficulty fielding 3 DTYs is shocking. Just imagine the 2010 days when Russia was fielding 2 Amanars and the US had none! I really think Sosnitskaya could upgrade her Lopez to a Mustafina.. strange that her half-on technique is better than her regular Yurchenko
DeleteWhat is the timescale for Grishina's recovery?
ReplyDeleteWe will have to be patient and wait for more information if and when it comes through.
DeleteWell, that's the best team right now. Paseka needs to step up big time. Afan getting the rest to fully recover. I hope the young girls can do well. I guess Aliya will be doing all-around and the others will do specific apparatuses
ReplyDeleteIt will be difficult for them to beat Iordache. Mustafina should lose weight to compete her routine on bars and do all the acro on floor.
ReplyDeleteIordache needs to figure out how to hit in a major competition. Potential to win means nothing, and Iordache doesn't exactly have baskets-full of hardware. Mustafina is a much cooler competitor.
DeleteAs shown last year at both Worlds and Euros, Mustafina can easily beat Iordache with mediocre routines. Iordache has a high scoring potential, but I can't remember that last time she did an A A without falling. Euros last year perhaps? Her vault is even with Musty, Musty is AT LEAST a full point better on bars, their beam is even, yes Iordache has higher difficulty but if she even stays on, she has major wobbles, and Iordaches floor is only a few tenths higher at best. Mustafina does not need to lose weight in order to improve. She is coming back from a large amount of time off, and we all know that even a week off can be detrimental to one's gymnastics. All she needs to do is regain some stamina and clean up her routines. Which she has plenty of time for.
DeleteI loved Mustafina´s routine floor in last World (Antwerp). The BB and UB were amazing too, of course. I will not never take my chances against Alyia Mustafina. She is a lioness. :) Alya had bad days in Russian Championship, because Grishina´s injury. She had seemed devastated with her friend´s injury. I hope she will upgrade her D score´s routines in Sofia, but I agree she must loose weight for her best health..
DeleteRien, she needs to burn the fat and tone the muscles. All the Russians have grown and this is a problem when they don't get use to their new height and weight so the best here is to get in shape.
DeleteI agree too. Alya is my favorite gymnast, but she really needs to burn fat and tone her muscles. All american gymnasts who have grown have best shape for competing, because they have the carefull to tone muscles and loose weight, (as Alicia Sacramone). I think all russians must do the same. It is a real problem for grown russians: a better shape.
DeleteYou are mistaking weight and strength. I agree she needs to tone up and lose fat, but that has nothing to do with weight. Muscle weighs more than fat so in order for her to lose weight, she would be losing muscle. She needs to gain muscle and increase her stamina, neither of which has to do with weight.
ReplyDeleteRien, you're right. Excuse me if I did not express my ideas clearly. I have not practiced the English language properly. She needs to gain muscle, increase her stamina. She must loose fat. I think if Alyia could gain and tone up muscles would be good for their injuries. She would gain more stability in her movements. :) I hope I have made myself clear now.
DeleteAlthough Mustafina is an amazing gymnast, I'm still hoping Komova wins a world or olympic AA one day. Against the Americans, from what I've seen, she has the best shot. Her Acrobatics on beam are preformed even better than the Americans and her bar routine is exactly as good as it used too be.
ReplyDeleteThe problem they always have in Russia is the transition between juniors and seniors. Nabieva was very promising. And what happened? Injuries, injuries and more injuries. Overweight, as well, which is dangerous for injuries.
ReplyDeleteCurrently, the juniors should have a good vault, in order to build on that when they turn seniors. This is not the case in Russia. The US juniors are amazing on vault.