Skip to main content

Russia - back to training



Valentina Rodionenko reports that the men's team is in full training at Lake Krugloye. Denis Ablyazin hasn't needed a break and is training 'at full strength' - (and if you subscribe to his Instagram account you will see him practising routines on p bars and high bar). David Belyavski joined training a little late, as he has been abroad on his honeymoon.

Maria Paseka is returning to training on the 4th December after taking treatment for a back injury. Rodionenko says that Aliya Mustafina is excused training for the time being - Liubov Baladzhaeva helped with the translation here.  Apparently the gymnasts, as salaried athletes, cannot just take time off without permission from the Federation.  I understand that this means no change to Aliya's competitive status, ie she will not be training or competing for the time being, until such time as she gets bored and decides she wants to make a comeback!  From her Instagram account, Aliya is currently suffering from a cold and has adopted a ginger kitten :-). Husband Alexei, an international bobsleigh athlete, is in Canada for a competition.

The picture is courtesy of the gymnastics group at vk.com, and seems to be the current WAG team, minus Maria Paseka and with some of the personal coaches.  I'd be grateful for some help in identifying who all the people are.

Clockwise from back left - ? Sergei Denisovich, Angelina Melnikova, Marina Bulashenko, ?, Vera Kiryashova, Tatiana Fomkina, ? Daria Spiridonova, Seda Tutkhalyan.
Front row, l to r - Marina Ulyankina, ?, ?, ?Maria? Perebinisova, Elena Eremina, ?, Anastasia Ilyankova, Daria Skrypnik, Evgeniya Shelgunova, Lilia Akhaimova.

Comments

  1. Is Viktoriia Komova still recovering? Welcome back to blogging.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. Yes as far as I am aware Komova is still in recovery. No idea as to the timing - or degree of certainty - of a possible return to competition.
      I personally am looking forward to seeing how the first year seniors + Melnikova, Tutkhalyan, Spiridonova and Paseka perform next year, and whether there will be any changes to the coaching arrangements.

      Delete
    2. Wikipedia says she continued training in September of this year. Wikipedia is sometimes wrong though

      Delete
  2. Welcome back QE, it's good to hear from you again. I hope all is well

    I can't really help with the coaches but the gymnasts are Angelina Simakova, Valeria Saifulina and Viktoria Gorbatova

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hello, long time no see!! From Uruguay, a little country in South America, I have to confess I have missed your blogging. Doubts referring to this post. First, did Ablyazin not need a break with his shoulder injury?; second, was not Komova retired?

    ReplyDelete
  4. So good that you are back! Hope all is well.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Now that Aliya is gone, will one of these athletes be able to take her place?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Welcome back. You were missed. I would like to hear your opinion on the new seniors. Who amongst them are you most excited about?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Technically Aliya isn't gone, she's taking a break. Melnikova could take over the role of team leader given time, I could see her by 2018 having the experience and maturity needed to be the defacto team leader assuming Aliya comes back to form in the years after that.

    ReplyDelete
  8. You made me ponder and....I don't see Aliya's warrior spirit in Melnikova.

    I don't mean to break anyone's heart, but while deciding to get married, Aliya said this November 3rd:


    "I want to graduate, to become a mother and raise children. And my childhood dream – to go to the moon. I'm tired of the gym and I want to relax. If I miss the gym then I'll come back. I'm thinking about how to do something for the development of gymnastics, rather than coaching."


    ReplyDelete
  9. True, but I don't see anyone for a long time having the warrior spirit of Mustafina, it's very rare any gymnast in any nation has that. Mustafina is/was best in the world in terms of fighting through and having the spirit needed to basically carry a team on her back, not even Aly Raisman who has been an amazing team captain can claim to have all the qualities that Mustafina has. Basically, I don't think they'll get another Mustafina anytime soon. But right now, Melnikova is their next best option. She's young which is great for learning how to take on the role, now has a good amount of experience, is generally consistent and is a high scoring all around gymnast. All that combined with her dedication to her training makes her a great option for the team leader role. A second year senior isn't a great option for team leader, but Aly was forced into that position in 2011 and that didn't effect the USA at all, even though Russia doesn't have the same competitiveness that the Americans do.The only others that can really go into next year that can threaten that position is Paseka, who's too injury prone to really be a stable team captain and Tutkhalyan who spends most of her time falling (although I really hope her good Olympic performance will present a shift despite her lackluster past few meets) and doesn't have the demeanor or security to be a team captain. Nobody is perfect or can come close to replacing Mustafina, but Melnikova is their best bet. As to Mustafinas plans for the future, I'm not surprised she's ready to move on; I think she has been since 2014, when she first expressed interests in what she would do when she was finished. My prediction is that Mustafina will see what state the team is in during 2018, when worlds and euros are both team competitions and most of the Olympic contenders around the world are present, both juniors and seniors. If Mustafina isn't satisfied with the teams state, she will attempt a comeback. That is my prediction.

    ReplyDelete
  10. New Aliya Mustafina interview, after she visited her favorite soccer club match( she's FC Spartak Moscow fan :) It's so cool that now she can relax and enjoy life https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LK7WXJYBQyU P.S. Aliya are beautiful as usual, but also so happy like little girl)))

    ReplyDelete
  11. Rodionenko tells to press today that in january Paseka will travel to Germany and doctors will decide well she or will not need a surgery on her back. Paseka herself don't want surgery also she want's to take medical treatment in Moscow. Rodionova say also that Paseka may skip ECh2017 due to back problems, but will be able to compete at WCh 2017:/ http://rsport.ru/artist_gym/20161214/1113738318.html

    ReplyDelete
  12. Today news about Pasekas future in gymnastics by herself. It's kind of shocking, her health problems http://rsport.ru/artist_gym/20161219/1113967567.html

    ReplyDelete
  13. my dream team for next quad: Komova, Melnikova, Eremina, Zubova, & Akhaimova.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Today Aliya was at russia tv on interview, and she said that she will try Tokyo 2020 , coz she knows how cool these games can be! Also she's so lovely when she speaks about her hubby Alexey))) it was a big interview and you can watch it here( start at 11:20) http://www.cn.ru/tv/telecast/84152544/84501691/

    ReplyDelete
  15. Part about Tokyo 2020 from Aliya is here in the text version :) https://www.championat.com/other/news-2673898-mustafina-nedavno-prishlo-ponimanie-chto-vse-moi-trenirovki-proshli-ne-zrja.html

    ReplyDelete
  16. New Aliya interview about Tokyo plans and life of a married women:) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SB92LqIOsw

    ReplyDelete
  17. First interview in new year from Valentino Rodionenko about team russia plans etc in 2017 season, some interesting facts about Garibov (he is now team coach and retired from competitions) , also she don't mentioned Komova at all( bad omen tbh) and Spiridonova now is not in favor ( like Grishina after London). Some interesting words about Mustafina and her future as national team coordinator(but after Tokyo Olympic games) http://sport-inside.org/?p=12152

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anyone know what happened with Alla Sosnitskaya? I know she was injured, but there's not been any mention of her again. Has she retired?

    ReplyDelete
  19. It will get harder for Russia to remain in medal contention due to the recent doping scandal. We will see how it goes and if Russian team is allowed to participate in further international competitions.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jennifer, could you please elaborate and explain what you consider to be the connection between artistic gymnastics and the recent doping scandals? What information do you have?
      Thank you.

      Delete
    2. Well, I don't have any facts as of now, only rumors. But it seems very realistic that russian gymnasts will experience difficulties in connection with the bad doping environment in Russia

      Delete
  20. Valentina says that they are happy for Aliya's pregnancy, but baby will be born in June and that Mustafina will be back to full trainings at Round Lake in the end of these year :/ http://www.sport-express.ru/artistic-gymnastics/news/gimnastka-mustafina-i-bobsleist-zaycev-zhdut-rebenka-1085584/

    ReplyDelete
  21. ROC made a documentary about Aliya and Alexey love story, and i swear they are so in love ))) Aliya looks so happy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bKZFfS4cgM

    ReplyDelete
  22. Summary or translation in english for Aliya & Alexey documental miveo from ROC culd be faund here :) http://israeligymnerd.blogspot.ru/2017/01/documentary-about-aliya-and-aleksey.html?spref=tw

    ReplyDelete
  23. Photo album from today's training and it's fun, coz you can see absence of Stolyar, Bulashenko and Zelikson as team coaches, but they bring back Larisa Ushakova as bb coach and Andrianov like ub/ trampoline specialist http://sportgymrus.ru/photos/vizit-prezidenta-fig-morinari-vatanabe-ministra-sporta-pavla-kolobkova-i-glavy-fsgr-vasiliya-titova-na-bazu-ozero-krugloe-foto-e-mihajlovoj/

    ReplyDelete
  24. Aliya & Alexey wedding movie can be seen here :) I'm so happy that Aliya found her king , now she's looking so happy and relaxed, bqz she deserved that big chunk of love :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAMbOmAYyLo

    ReplyDelete
  25. Full list of russia national team 2017 can be found here http://minsport.gov.ru/2017/doc/SportGimnastika_sp2017.pdf P.S. Interesting coaching changes: Larisa Ushakova( now back on Round Lake as BB coach(she was in Alexandrov 2009-2012 team bb coach), Bulasenko fired); Sergei Andrianov the new UB coach and Stolya are demoted to junior team ub coach; Emin Garibov and Elena Zamolodchikova NT coaches for the juniors; also Zelikson not in list for NT coach.... Hyray! Also Komova now is listed only in reserv team :/ and Afan is in first team.

    ReplyDelete
  26. latest komova new from her father, she be back to trainings as soon as possible, but she still fells the pain and it will be not at rouns lake but in Voronez http://www.moe-online.ru/news/view/357248.html

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Valentina Rodionenko on Alexandrov's dismissal - Lupita translates

76 year old Valentina Rodionenko.  Picture courtesy of the RGF . Read below Lupita's translation of what Valentina Rodionenko had to say yesterday evening about the current staff changes at Russian Gymnastics, from Sovietski Sport . Valentina Rodionenko : Alexandrov stays as coach to Mustafina. Therefore, he is not allowed to be a national coach! Head coach Valentina Rodionenko commented on Alexander Alexandrov’s dismissal specially for “Sovietski Sport”.   - Alexandrov hasn’t been fired. You don’t need to make up things like that. We have been assigning the duties. When we dismissed Leonid Arkaev, it was decided that the team’s coach doesn’t have the right to be a personal coach at the same time. Alexander Sergueievich combined both functions, but it was against the rule. Now we have eliminated this. - In an interview with “Sovietski Sport”, Alexander Alexandrovich said that he had been blamed for working poorly. Do you personally think that he d...

Elena Produnova - interview

The gymnastics group at VK.com has published an interview with 2000 Olympian, Elena Produnova.  Thanks for their permission to provide an edit of it here. People will remember Elena in particular for two reasons: her original vault that no one else has been able to emulate; and her own special brand of powerful  acrobatics, energetic temperament and musical flow, a heady mixture that today's gymnasts find impossible to match. Recently there have been some photographs of Elena working in a gym.  Although she has always said that she wouldn't have a coaching career, it seems that now she is a coach at a gym in Nalchik,  a town in the very south of the Russian Federation, in the foothills of the Caucasian mountains, in the republic of Kabardino-Balkaria.   The first question, tell us how you ended up in Nalchik? - Nalchik came up at the right time, in terms of my life circumstances.  Through my previous work I had a very good friend - head of the sports depart...

Aliya Mustafina - new interview

Aliya in her new Olympic Games outfit.  The teams were kitted out at the Bosco Olympic centre in Moscow last week 'Europeans went quite well, for me personally and for the team.  There were no big blunders or falls and we were able to show a good result.  If we continue to work in the same way as we approach the Olympics, everything will be fine ... Although of course we will need to do a little more in Rio.  For the Olympic Games, everything will be right. 'My knee [Aliya suffered a torn meniscus for which she had surgery last November] is all right, there are no problems with it, I am not worried. 'We will try to fight for first place. But we will be happy with any medals . As usual, our main rivals will be the teams of America, China and the UK. 'It will now be very, very difficult to fight Simone Biles [in the AA] because she has a very large D score. In general, in the individual competition, my goal is just to perform well. The most important thing in the Olymp...