Rewriting Russian Gymnastics

Olga Korbut in flight. Effortless, like a swallow. The fundamental contradiction of gymnastics is that it is a sport in which we can all participate; but which at the elite level is all but impossible for most of us.  Its fundamental principle is that it takes movement, however simple or difficult, to a level of refined and aesthetic perfectionism.  A child of 6 doing a handstand in the playground might have flat feet, an arched back, shoulders at an angle, hands pointing in different directions.  Take him or her into the gym, and you hopefully transform the movement into an object of beauty, perhaps something capable of being used as a progression.  The child's pride in achievement is clear, and the only difference to the playground is that the handstand has been coached and coaxed into a state of alignment, the health of the body sharpened to encourage strength, poise and coordination that will serve the child for life. Most of us couldn't attempt the high difficulty mov

Ksenia Afanasyeva during qualifications last Wednesday, in Montpellier.  Courtesy RGF It's way too early in the morning to be blogging, really, but unless I seize the day and get down to a bit of writing I'll never be able to update you.  I'm bang in the middle of grading season so my hours and thoughts are mostly taken up with concerns for my students at the Uni where I work full time.  But, for my blog, I will find a few quiet moments in the earliest hours of the day.  I should really be asleep, but it's that kind of London morning when the birds are tweeting and the mist is drifting gently over the gloomy skyline.  You can smell the faint tinge of vehicle emissions in the polluted air.  It aggravates my asthma.  But the promise of spring is still there, predicting a summer when perhaps I will finally find the time to make the changes I need, to find somewhere to live that doesn't make me cough and make more space and time for the writing and creativity

Politician Vladimir Gruzdev, Governor of Tula Oblast, Afanasyeva's home region, has officially congratulated the senior national team member for her outstanding performance, winning a gold medal on floor and a bronze on vault, at this weekend's European Championships. "The gold medal in the floor exercise was the result of hard work, perseverance and determination. Your countrymen are proud of your achievements! I am confident that a strong character and skill will continue to serve as collateral for your athletic success." Vladimir Gruzdev wished Ksenia health, luck and new bright victories! Tula and local coach Marina Nazarova have long been important to Russian gymnastics.  As well as Afanasyeva, Tula is also home to 2009 world bars champion and 2010 team world champion, Ksenia Semenova.  Maria Zasypkina, 2001 world team silver medallist, also trained in Tula with Nazarova.  This is an impressive track record.   The high profile victories of the Russian gymnasts in

I had to ask myself this question, this morning, after receiving a pretty nasty comment on my post about yesterday's floor final.  I usually make it a rule not to publish rude, poorly argued, unpleasant or profane comments; I went against that principle.  I trust that whoever 'wrote' that comment is highly embarrassed.  I can't imagine that she or he would speak like that to anyone in person. It is an unfortunate fact of life that the wider internet - social media - encourages the covert, cowardly bullying that is often disguised as argument and opinion on the various gym forums.  Some of the people posting there just don't know how to regulate their behaviour, and moderation can only work retrospectively.  I wish people would think before they post ... would YOU like to read something so rude?  Disagreements are allowed, and you don't have to like someone's writing style, but good manners cost nothing and are at the heart of a civilised society.  

In a Sports Express interview with Elena Vaitsekhovskaya, coach Gennadi Elfimov has confirmed that he and Komova are working together, thus confounding rumours that they had split up for good.  He says that Viktoria is preparing all around for the European Games in Baku, which will take place in June this year. You can read a full translation of the interview here - http://russiangymnasticsnerd.tumblr.com/post/116866178996/gennadiy-yelfimov-i-knew-from-the-very-beginning

It was almost a symbol of the contemporary struggle for the identity of gymnastics.  First, we saw Britain's Claudia Fragapane, completing with verve and energy the powerful tricks and tumbling that gained the diminutive gymnast the title 'Pocket Rocket'.  Next, we saw the elegant line and gravity defying artistry of the regal Ksenia Afanasyeva, graceful in both her gymnastics and her manner.   They were both compelling, but only one gymnast showed the purity and harmony that was once de rigeur in the sport, and that has frequently elevated artistic gymnastics above a form of energetic, cheerleading contortionism.  Thankfully, at least, the judges recognised the differences in what they were seeing.  Just.  Finally, as the last performer of the day, the 23 year old Afanasyeva was crowned Europe's Floor Queen once more, repeating the award she won two years ago in Moscow.  She was delighted, danced a little jig, and threw herself into the fatherly embrace of Dr Timonkin,

16 year old Maria Kharenkova with coach Olga Sagina after yesterday's all around final at the European Championships, in which Maria won a silver medal.  Maria comes from the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, and follows in the footsteps of such gymnasts as Ludmilla Tourischeva, Svetlana Grozdova, Natalia Shaposhnikova, Natalia Yurchenko and Elena Produnova who all trained at the same gym as her.  Maria said : 'I’m a little bit sorry that I lost to the Swiss gymnast [Giulia Steingrueber], but, on the other hand, I’m not terribly disappointed – after all, she is a lot more experienced and stronger than I am, and it’s my first time in the all-around'. Maria has grown physically and developed as a competitor since her last showing at the Nanning World Championships.  With her longer limbs is coming a greater grace and power in her moves.  'You can lose by mistake, but you can't win by chance', said head coach Andrei Rodionenko in an interview p

Ukraine's Oleg Verniaiev confirmed his position as Europe's leading male all around gymnast yesterday with a strong performance at the European Championships in Montpellier.  Verniaiev, who was competing with a tender ankle, is making a case for himself as a rival to reigning World and Olympic Champion Kohei Uchimura. David Belyavski performed reasonably steadily here but for a stutter on pommel horse, finding a silver medal to complement the gold medal he won in Moscow two years ago.  If the elegant gymnast from Ekaterinburg can ever finally manage to hit all six apparatus in a row, without errors, he too could fight for gold at Worlds, alongside his Ukrainian friend and competitor.  He reminds me of Soviet Valentin Mogilnyi, 1990 European Champion, whose beautiful line on the apparatus was often marred by unpredictable errors. Britain's Daniel Purvis competed wonderfully for third place.  Russia's second all arounder here, Nikolai Kuksenkov, was rather un

Lauren Cammenga translates Maria's words in this interview -  http://m.rsport.ru/artist_gym/20150415/823416826.html  "Today I wasn't too nervous, and basically all the events went well with decent results. But on beam I could have performed better. At the beginning on that event I have no nerves at all, but then when everything starts going well, close to the end I always get more nervous on combinations. Everything else was good. I'm competing in the all-around for the first time. I won't say that's it's been difficult, but then I worked on all events constantly during my preparations, so I had time to become accustomed. I understand that I have a chance to fight for medals, but all the same I just tune into doing what I need to – no better, no worse. Tomorrow we'll train a little less, because I should rest a little before the all-around final. But I'm sure I'll have enough strength." Lauren has done translations of interviews with Ksenia

Lauren Cammenga has translated this interview with Russian bars specialist and AA candidate, Daria Spiridinovs. Source:  http://m.rsport.ru/artist_gym/20150415/823419148.html "I was actually on standby for the all-around. We trained the all-around before the European Championships; I was ready. But, on the other hand, my all-around difficulty isn't very high at the moment, and it's hard to compete. Although I am trying very hard to add difficulty bit by bit on every event. But today I did everything I was capable of. Of course, I had a little bit of nerves today, but not a lot. I don't know what happened. This isn't the first time I've had that mistake on beam – I also had it at last year's European Championships. I don't understand the reason. After beam I was really disappointed, and understood that I would already be way behind the leaders. Now I just have to let it go – what happened, happened. I should qualify to the bars final, and what's more

The Russian team delivered!   Ksenia Afanasyeva and Maria Paseka to V final Daria Spiridinova and Maria Kharenkova to bars final (although it is possible that Paseka will replace Maria K in the final; it has been hinted that Paseka has upgrades to come. Maria Kharenkova to beam final Ksenia Afanasyeva and Maria Kharenkova to floor final Maria Kharenkova and Daria Spiridinova to AA final. All the girls had little errors in their qualifying routines, so there is room for improvement.  This comp will be a good test of Afanasyeva's fitness as she recuperates from injury.  Spiridinova will need to keep her nerve in Friday's AA and in the uneven bars final.  We will have a chance to see Maria in her first senior individual AA in which she is competing for a medal - this could be the firing of a leader. It is a long time since such a well balanced Russian team came to Euros.  Without Iordache and Mustafina, the international field is significantly looser here than at Worlds, but there

Picture of Ksenia Afanasyeva courtesy of Daria Skrypnik on Tumblr WAG qualifications, European #Gymnastics, begin in just over an hour at 10.30 Montpellier time.  Follow live scoring at http://www.longinestiming.com/Sport?sport=GG Alla Sosnitskaya has an ankle injury and has returned to Moscow for a check up.  Maria Paseka will replace her on vault and uneven bars while Daria Spiridinova has been scheduled to do all around. Paseka and Afanasyeva will go in the first subdivision.  Spiridinova, and Maria Kharenkova, appear in sub 3, which starts at 4.30 local (Montpelier) time (1 hr ahead of BST).  Link to the start lists is here - http://www.longinestiming.com/File/Download?id=00000E0000000100FFFFFFFFFFFFFF00 Good luck to all the gymnasts!  We will be supporting you! Alla, get well soon!

An interview by Oksana Tonkacheeva with personal coach to Russia's leading male and female gymnasts, Denis Ablyazin and Aliya Mustafina. Summary below (not word for word) - Next week we'll have the European Championships.  Denis Ablyazin will compete - but not, on this occasion, Aliya Mustafina. - It wasn't just my decision to train Aliya - it wasn't as if Aliya out of the blue knocked on my door and just asked me to work with her . There was a meeting of head coach Andrei Rodionenko, the head coach of the women's team Evgeny Grebyonkin, and Aliya's father.  Everything had to be carefully weighed up - working with an athlete like Mustafina is primarily a responsibility - I thought long and hard.  -  First, I had to explain to Aliya that there would be conditions, and that if she were not ready to fulfill them, we could not even begin.  I have had to make changes myself, not just inside the gym, but outside of it.  The  result that we are

We are all looking forward to the Championships - quals start next Wednesday.  The BBC is covering finals - here is the broadcast schedule as per their website - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/gymnastics/32173972 Friday 17 April 13.00-15.00 BST BBC2 (AA final, WAG) Friday 17 April 17.30-2015 BST Red button (AA final, MAG) Saturday 18 April 13.00-15.00 BST BBC1 (Event finals) Sunday 19 April 13.30-16.00 BST BBC2 (Event finals) Nominative registrations (list by name of all competitors) - http://www.gymnasticsresults.com/euro/2015/nomreg.pdf You will be able to follow scores at http://www.longinestiming.com/Sport?sport=GA Schedule below - (GAF - WAG; GAM - MAG) Link to official website - http://www.montpelliergym2015.fr ENJOY!  Good luck to all those who participate!

I will never forget the first time I saw the new generation of Ukraine gymnasts - Verniaiev, Radivilov and Stepko - compete alongside each other.  They reminded me of the Soviets of old, with their proud bearing and determination to be the best.  With Kuksenkov, they were arguably Europe's best MAG team - stronger, more tight knit as a team than neighbours Russia; more charisma and originality than Britain.  Ukraine's tragic loss of a team medal at the Olympics in London didn't stop Igor Radivilov winning a spirited bronze medal on the vault, and he continues to reaffirm his status here and on the rings each year.   Oleg Verniaiev, a native of Donetsk, is gradually establishing himself as the world's leading rival to Kohei Uchimura, winning gold AA at the American Cup and repeatedly confirming his ranking as the world's best parallel bars worker.  He is also, surely, that rare and elusive thing - a MAG fan favourite.   If you want proof that sport transcends world p

RRG is sad to report (via VK.com) the death on 2 April of 1993 World bronze medallist on floor, Natalia Bobrova. Born in 1978 in Novosibirsk, Natalia competed for the local Dynamo club, working there as a coach after the end of her competitive career.  She recently moved to Tel Aviv for medical care, where the experts had hoped for a remission. Natalia had been treated for stomach cancer in Novosibirsk. Natalia had won the bronze medal all around in the Russia Cup in 1993 and was Russia's first ever individual medallist in World Championships following the break up of the Soviet Union.  She will be greatly missed. Our thoughts are with her family and friends. http://youtu.be/KSRZ9fWFbfA

The Russian Junior Championships closed today with event finals in beam and floor, and the young Russians in the Master of Sport category demonstrated their fighting spirit, recording some good results and demonstrating that this generation has relative strength in depth - even though there is still a clear weakness on vault. The four event champions are -  Vault - Elena Eremina, coached by Alexander Kiryashov in St Petersburg (5.3/4.6 : 14.134) Uneven Bars -  Daria Skrypnik, who resides in Krasnodar (6.6 : 15.567) First day scores in Russian here -  http://sportgymrus.ru/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/C-III-final-v-otdel-ny-j-vidah-MS-devushki-.pdf Beam - Angelina Melnikova, from Voronezh (14.767)  http://sportgymrus.ru/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/MS.compressed.pdf Floor -  Ekaterina Sokova from Vladimir (14.633)  http://sportgymrus.ru/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/2-list-MS.pdf Melnikova, who had scored 15.6 on uneven bars in the team competition, but who fell on her layout Jaeger here, took

Russian consumer bank VTB, sponsors of Russian gymnastics, have a nice interview with Viktoria Komova on their web pages where she affirms her desire to continue competing as long as possible, and says how hard it has been overcoming the psychological and physical effects of the injury and illness that have dogged her since 1992.  There are some lovely pictures of Vika - I am showing a selection here.  The Google translate is particularly poor, but I have lifted some of the highlights.  I will link to more comprehensive translations if they become available. I hope we can see Viktoria return as an all arounder - I think that is where her strength lies. - Viktoria says she has the potential to add to her D scores, if not by half a point then at least by a few tenths.  There is a possible new connection on bars.  She mentions Kovacs flights as a possible development for women's UB - the Chinese are already doing this, but she herself is too tall to attempt it.  And she has a good 

Daria Skrypnik, Angelina Melnikova, Ekaterina Sokova - AA medallists at the Russian Junior Championships Master of Sport category. Daria scored 15.433 on bars!  See the full results here - http://sportgymrus.ru/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/S2-MS-devushki1.pdf In the Candidate Master of Sport category, Angelina Simakova won, followed by Valeria Saifulina and Varvara Zubova.  Varvara took a 14.5 on floor!  Full results -  http://sportgymrus.ru/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/S2-yuniorki-KMS.pdf Molodyets to all the young Russian gymnasts who have worked so hard!  Congratulations!