Alexander Balandin in today's rings final
Russia has adopted a pragmatic strategy in its battle to seize back the initiative in European gymnastics, and only time will tell if its success is sustainable. Recognising that today's gymnastics rewards specialist performance more than all around gifts, Russia has opted to exploit certain uniquely gifted individuals to provide the 'shock' events which former head coach Leonid Arkayev identifies as vital to championships winning performances. At the Olympics two years ago head coach Rodionenko was anxious to make it clear that gymnasts would need to compete on more then one apparatus to make it into the team. Here, all of the team's individual gold medals came from event specialists. Two gold medals (team and rings) depended on the talents of a one-eventer, Balandin.
Thus has Russia maximised its scoring potential at these Championships. A new balance has been found : the light, agile frames of Kuksenkov, Belyavski and Ignatyev provide the all around base of a team topped off by the outrageously strong and fit Ablyazin, whose exercises on floor, rings and vault are eye-wateringly difficult. Alexander Balandin's rings routine is original and beautiful.
The powerful Denis Ablyazin on floor
Russia still has to address its weakness on high bar and to develop more depth on pommel horse and parallel bars. The team missed 2013 European High Bar Champion Emin Garibov, who is currently recovering from surgery to both shoulders. Alfosov acknowledged that Belyavski's silver medal on parallel bars recognised the gymnast's developing confidence and great preparation there. On pommels, work is underway. Kuksenkov, a pommels finalist today, mentioned that he is preparing a 7.1 SV on the apparatus, and only failed to have it credited thanks to some errors.
But in general, the team went from strength to strength from qualifications to finals. A clear difference was the consistency of the team. On the last day the gymnasts showed barely a single error - a significant improvement in attitude and stamina over recent years. Although Kuksenkov admitted to feeling rather tired today, attributing a lack of sleep to his excitement over last night's Champions League football match ('I was sick for Real', he said, 'and very pleased for the goal at the 93rd minute') Balandin said that he 'went for broke' on this final day of competition, seeing no reason to hold back. Kuksenkov added that he is still rehabbing his ankle injury and will contribute to the team at this autumn's World Championships before returning to all around competition next year.
In the end, the golden result in Sofia was well deserved. One gymnast - the brilliant Ablyazin - may have earned more gold than the rest, but his efforts were only possible because of the support of the team, coaches and gymnasts included. Work will doubtless now continue on post-competition rehab and preparation for Worlds. Competition to make the Russian team will be fierce and no doubt the results of this summer's Russia Cup will be taken into account. It will be interesting to see if Russia can assert its claim to leadership at world level this autumn.
In the junior event finals this morning Britain's Nile Wilson put on his own personal show, eclipsing Russia's youngsters and promoting comparisons to the great Scherbo, who dominated similarly at the 1992 Olympics. For Russia, only the ambitious Nikita Nagorny could show his best work, on vault, where he won the gold medal. At present, the up and coming British are overpowering Russia's young, and with Nile Wilson acceding to England's senior team for the Commonwealth Games, the British team looks likely to remain resilient and fresh. Whatever happens, it will be an intriguing fight.
You can access the full results of today's competition at http://www.longinestiming.com/Competition?id=00000D0001FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF&sport=GA&year=2014
Sources -
Alfosov http://rsport.ru/artist_gym/20140525/748238208.html
Kuksenkov http://rsport.ru/artist_gym/20140525/748243126.html
Balandin http://www.sovsport.ru/news/text-item/713989
Ablyazin http://rsport.ru/artist_gym/20140525/748225962.html
Rewriting Russian Gymnastics articles on Ablyazin
An interview with his Mum - http://rewritingrussiangymnastics.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/mama-dont-cry-olympic-medallist-denis.html
Certainly a good day once again for both Russia and Britain. The past two weeks have shown the current domination of these two nations who have between them won 44 (GB 24, Russia 20) of the medals awarded at this year's European championships. The Romanian women and Ukranian men seem to be their only challengers at present.
ReplyDeleteHi Queen Elizabeth! Kukenkov's 7.1 PH routine was credited today! I was shocked!
ReplyDeleteYes, it was ... Poor execution score though.
DeleteA slight glitch with the translation perhaps?
I'm really happy for both Russia and Ukraine. Good job to both teams!
DeleteQuestion for Queen Elizabeth: Do you think that the Ukrainian gymnastics program has preserved the artistry of the Soviet program?
Emma that's a really interesting question and not one I can answer properly in a comment. There are two sides to the question. 1 relates to the programme now, WAG and MAG. Obviously WAG has degraded almost completely because of funding while MAG still thrives. 2 relates to the principle of artistic legacy. Soviet gymnastics wasn't just about artistry, there is a technical legacy also. Much of what the Soviets did provided a foundation for what the sport is today. Theoreticians, for example Newton, talk of the process by which cultural forms, including sport, evolve. Much of what is inherent in the sport today is Soviet in origin, not just the local programmes. sometimes this is recognisable as artistry, at other times it may be less obvious. And of course other influences ebb and flow within the sport. In men's gymnastics there are clear schools or styles of gymnastics from the zen-like grace of the Japanese to the rather risky and powerful acrobatics of the Chinese. The Russian/Soviet style is cool and graceful but a also embraces innovation eg Ablyazin's extreme floor. WAG has become homogenised. The Code is over prescriptive and the judges are incapable of rewarding different styles, hence there is a lack of variety in the routine composition and in skills development, as well as in the dance aspect which has become very formulaic.
DeleteNeedless to say the Ukrainian women aren't preserving much of anything at all given their results in recent years.
DeleteHi Queen E - I have been checking back now and again hoping for positive news regarding the recovery of the WAG team, have their been any updates on the recoveries of Grishina and Komova - or updates on Mustafina's ankle, Afan's foot and Paseka's back?
ReplyDeleteGrishina will soon be back in training depending in her recovery, and hopes to participate in the selection process for Worlds. Otherwise, no official news. Aliya Mustafina is in Tel Aviv on holiday. Don't think she has even been to Munich. Denis Ablyazin has been to Munich but I do not know the reason why. He and Semyonova are with Aliya in Israel.
DeleteIt's great to hear Grishina could be back this year! I'm still concerned about Mustafina's ankle, I hope it means that it should improve with rest?
DeleteI hope so too.
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