Rewriting Russian Gymnastics

Alan Owen has posted a good translation of a St Petersburg Vedemosti interview with Tatiana Nabieva at Tatiana Nabieva Online .  It is a nice insight into the life and attitudes of this rapidly maturing champion - well worth a read. Picture by permission of the Russian Gymnastics Federation

Don't forget to keep checking I-G.tv , - this interactive website on Russian gymnastics is continually updating itself with competition reports and the like.  There is the recent addition of a profile of 1980s legend Natalia Laschenova, including a commentary from coach Vladimir Zaglada putting Natalia's achievements into the context of overall achievement by Soviet gymnasts of that era, and a nice reference to her choreography. If you scroll down from the Russian language version, you can read the article in its original English language.

Viktoria Komova, born on the 30th January 1995, is already one of the world's leading gymnasts.  Her coach, Gennady Elfimov, is instantly recognisable as the fatherly, protective figure who literally stands by Viktoria through all of her competitive efforts.  Just after the Tokyo World Championships, Gennady gave the following interview with RIA Novosti, which Lupita has translated for your enjoyment! “Viktoria’s not weaker than Mustafina”.                                                     Viktoria with coach Gennady Elfimov at a pre-Worlds control competition -        Tell me, what made Viktoria perform so well in Japan? Well, there no hidden secrets behind this success, in princi...

  Picture of Anna, by permission of the Russian Gymnastics Federation . Anna Dementyeva is a name that many overlook when considering possibilities for next year's Russian Olympics team.  This quiet, but feisty, gymnast is recognised by national team coach Alexander Alexandrov as the hardest worker on the Russian team.  Fans appreciate Anna for her balletic power and precision.  Dementyeva was an indispensable part of last year's Russian team gold medal at the Rotterdam World Championships.  She anchored the team with a confident performance on beam, and set the scene on floor with a routine that was unrivalled for its expression, line and amplitude.  Despite a below par competition at the Tokyo World Championships this autumn, Anna is also amongst the most decorated gymnasts on the Russian team, as reigning Russian, Russia Cup and European all around champion.  Anna, born on the 28th December 1994, trains with her coach Elena Zhiganova in her home...

Full results for this competition can be found at the DTB Cup website and below, if you have a magnifying glass.  I promise, one day, to work out how to do screen captures better. Russia did rather well, taking both the men's and women's team titles.  In the all around, Yulia Inshina took the bronze medal, while Emin Garibov finished 5th for the men.  I like the new generation of Russian men who compete with great motivation, energy and lightness of foot.  The women's all around results linked to videos are also available at Full Twist . I'm delighted to see the Russian women's team do so well, even if things didn't go completely to plan ... very, very sorry that Aliya couldn't compete as expected - she did look upset - but some uncertainty is the nature of recovery from such a difficult injury and it's best to follow doctor's orders in order to be ready for the big fight in London next summer! All three team members - Polyan, Belokobylskay...

Yulia Belokobylskaya and her coach, Nadezhda Dolgoshina.  There is something quite exquisite about watching Yulia Belokobylskaya in competition. A quiet determination to execute her skills with accuracy, certainly, but something extra ... beneath the conscientious attitude of a developing sports professional, I sense an emotional depth to her performances. Perhaps this is expressed best by Yulia herself : 'I dream too much'. Keep on dreaming, Yulia! Still only 15 years old (born 14th December 1995), Yulia's mature performances at this year's European and World Championships belied her tender years. Earning a bronze medal in the floor event final in Berlin this spring was her first major international achievement, and she contributed strongly to the Russian team's silver medal at this October's World Championships. Now Yulia is rewarded with an opportunity to compete at this weekend's DTB Cup in the all around competition. This could count as her ma...