Rewriting Russian Gymnastics

The RGF has just published this half hour documentary on its YouTube channel -  http://youtu.be/x9euD-9hLdk Shot in about 2004, it charts the struggles of a young boy - Yuri Ryazanov - as he progresses in his gymnastics career, aspiring to sporting achievements of the highest level, as exemplified in this film by the gymnastics 'God' Alexei Nemov. Black and white film enhances the intense atmosphere of the training and competition hall and there are some stunning close up shots of the haunting face of young Ryazanov.  Set in a background of  social and economic trauma as Russia finds its feet in the post-Soviet years, we understand that Yuri's life is one of order and discipline compared to the somewhat distressed community he sees around him in the centre of his home town, the city of Vladimir.  Pictures of a confident Nemov in training, and on the cover of 'Men's Fitness' magazine, lead us to suppose that sport provides the possibility of a better life. If onl...

A report of 3rd December provides more information on Aliya's back treatment in Germany.  Aliya will stay in Munich for 7 to 10 days and will decide when to resume training on her return to Moscow.  It is likely that she will miss competitions as a result of the long term back injury that she aggravated at the World Cup in Stuttgart, says Valentina Rodionenko. Source : http://sport.mail.ru/news/gymnastics/20346770/

Picture of Aliya courtesy of her personal Instagram account Mustafina will skip the World Cup in Glasgow because of back problems Source: http://www.championat.com/other/news-2001037-mustafina-propustit-jetap-km-v-glazgo-iz-za-problem-so-spinoj.html Russian gymnastics coach Valentina Rodionenko has said that 2012 Olympic champion, Aliya Mustafina, will not compete at the World Cup in Glasgow due to a back injury. "Aliya withdrew from the competition in Glasgow due to serious back problems. Now we will send her back to Germany, and the injury will be treated. When doctors advised her to pay attention to her health, she replied that it would be better to put up with it and to compete through the pain. She has an inflammation of the lumbar spine. Today we were deciding what to do with Aliya - to treat her in Russia or Germany. We came to the conclusion that the second option is optimal. I think Aliya will go to Munich tomorrow. We have an agreement with local experts. She may need to...

Leonid Arkayev! WHO ELSE DOES RUSSIAN GYMNASTICS NEED? Your vote, readers!

I woke this morning to find a message from Caroline Teiler telling me about a new, English language subtitled, version of the iconic 1978 Soviet documentary 'You Are In Gymnastics', available on Youtube .  I would like to thank Caroline and Miss Lyra, the originator of this translation, for taking the time and for sharing.  I have pored over the videos of this programme, atmospheric and telling even without the words, and now this translation adds dimensions of the historic and insightful. The key 'players' you will recognise are senior national coach - Aman Shaniazov, national coach with responsibility for high level difficulty - Vladimir Zaglada, personal coach to Elena Davydova - Gennady Korshunov, Mukhina's personal coach - Mikhail Klimenko, personal coach to Shaposhnikova - Vladislav Rotstorotsky, team pianist - Evsey Vevrik and, last but certainly not least, choreographer - Emilia Sakalova.  At work on the apparatus you see the team in de...

Aliya Mustafina at a recent event to celebrate Gymnastics Day in Moscow.  Courtesy RGF. Via Sports Express : http://www.sport-express.ru/velena/reviews/50647/ This is a summary/paraphrase of the original interview. - It seems to me that you have matured greatly since ... - Rather, I have just learned to work independently, without relying on anyone.  - To be left without a coach in a sport like gymnastics, is not the simplest test for an athlete. - First it really was very hard. I could not force myself to work and for a long time was unsettled. - In a recent interview, you said: "you need to give yourself to this sport, and not perceive it as servitude and abuse". Do you think that way? - Yes. It was just a year ago. I started to train every day and thought: why do I need it? Everything hurts, everything goes wrong. This went on until I had the surgery to clean my joint. It was then that I realized a simple thing: If you want to continue to train and serve, you just have...

1988 Olympic Champion Shushunova, a power gymnast with artistry, who scored three tens in the team final in Seoul. In 2006 the Code of Points was overhauled and changed, almost beyond recognition to the public eye at least.  The maximum mark of 'ten', the symbol of perfection that was for many the brand of the sport, was lost. It was an inevitable change; a ceiling mark of any number was quite simply no longer practical.  However, the concept of the round ten did bring with it an important principle - the idea that judges were marking whole routines.   And the loss of that ceiling and of the idea of the mark as a representation of the 'whole' brought with it the possibility of skewing scores in favour of those gymnasts who attempt high levels of difficulty.   I'm fairly certain that this was an unintended consequence.  It is a consequence that makes it possible for girls with a mediocre level of gymnastics to contend for medals, provided they can bash together a...