Gymnastics Nostalgia: Underrated, underdiscussed, or you left us too soon gymnasts

[MaryClare]

That's what it was. I remember Kuznetsova being upset in 2000.
I also remember around that time discussion on OOBN and the American Gymnast message boards of Arkayev taking his own gymnasts for financial benefit because Russia was the extreme favorite to win even with just Khorkina, Produnova, Zamo, and Lobaznyuk. They used the previos three only at Europeans. I was under the impression that Arkayev figured he would drop Chepeleva's and Kolesnikova's scores anyway. The only one dropped in team finals was Chepeleva's floor score.

Crazy how Russia had all those mistakes/falls and still almost won. Only .206 from gold is insane.

Given how injured Produnova was, it was a big gamble to assume you could drop the scores of 2 gymnasts. Kuznetsova was often discussed, but equally controversial was the omission of Ekaterina Privalova who finished 6th AA at the Russia Cup.

 

[Matilda23]

Was Yulia Korostelyova still competing in 2000?

 

[MaryClare]

Was Yulia Korostelyova still competing in 2000?

Yes she competed at the Russia cup that year

 

[KristyJ]

By summer 2000, Kovalyova was back in form and had a very good showing at the Russia cup (4th AA maybe) however she wasn’t considered for the Olympic team because domestically she failed a doping test. I’m not sure what happened after that, she was competing until 2002 but never regained that level.
There were also a lot of coaching changes. She left her coaches in Novgorod for a while to be personally coached by Arkaev. I think around 1999. By 2000 she was back with them and they turned things around.
She competed successfully for a few years in aerobics. She’s married to Nikolai Kryukov iirc and they have 3 sons

I did not know about the doping situation. That's terribly unfortunate. Do we know what substance?

 

[Sasha]

By summer 2000, Kovalyova was back in form and had a very good showing at the Russia cup (4th AA maybe) however she wasn’t considered for the Olympic team because domestically she failed a doping test. I’m not sure what happened after that, she was competing until 2002 but never regained that level.
There were also a lot of coaching changes. She left her coaches in Novgorod for a while to be personally coached by Arkaev. I think around 1999. By 2000 she was back with them and they turned things around.
She competed successfully for a few years in aerobics. She’s married to Nikolai Kryukov iirc and they have 3 sons

The bit about doping rings a faint bell, actually. Thank you!

 

[MaryClare]

I did not know about the doping situation. That's terribly unfortunate. Do we know what substance?

I don’t know

 

[Matilda23]

Think it was a diuretic. Does anyone else remember

 

[Concorde]

I'd have a healthy Uzelac replace Sheehan and do beam instead of Kupets.

While Kupets may not have competed some of the big skills that Uzelac did, she still had plenty of difficulty in 2002 including a mount series of round off layout stepout + back handspring stepout + layout stepout and an original switch leap + gainered layout + one-armed back handspring combination. Also, the choreography and work between the elements were superior to what Uzelac showed. In particular, note the back walkover to stag split handstand to low beam work and the cabrioles into her mixed series.

Video from Qualifications of 2002 Worlds:



Unfortunately, Kupets fell on the mount series, but on Day 2 of Nationals she hit a great routine that could have challenged for a medal, including gold.

 

[Concorde]

More 2000 Russia Cup Details from InternationalGymnast:

2000 Russia Cup - Prelim Rankings

1. Produnova (38.537)
2. Khorkina (38.437) / Debuted Khorkina II vault and Ricna on bars
3. Lobaznyuk (38.425)
4. Zamolodchikova (38.212)
5. Kovalyova and Dolgopolova (37.875)
7. Kuznetsova (37.387)
8. Kolesnikova (37.187)
9. Chepeleva (36.825)
10. Privalova (36.362)

2000 Russia Cup - A Second 'Preliminary' Session that served as Qualifications for Event Finals

1. Khorkina (38.887)
2. Zamolodchikova (38.375) / Vaulted Amanar
3. Lobaznyuk (37.887) / Fell on beam
4. Dolgopolova (37.837)
5. Kovalyova (37. 612)
6. Produnova (37.55) / Mistakes on vault and floor
7. Kuznetsova (37.412)
8. Kolesnikova (37.262)
9. Privalova (37.037)
10. Chepeleva (36.437)

2000 Russia Cup - AA Finals

1. Khorkina: 9.537 / 9.85 / 9.9 / 9.775 = (39.062)
2. Produnova: 9.55 / 9.775 / 9.85 / 9.8 = (38.975)
3. Zamolodchikova: 9.65 / 9.525 / 9.625 / 9.475 = (38.275)
4. Dolgopolova: 9.512 / 9.5 / 9.625 / 9.6 = (38.237)
5. Lobaznyuk: 9.362 / 9.525 / 9.2 / 9.675 = (37.762) / Low landing on vault, Fall on Arabian
6. Privalova: 9.35 / 9.375 / 9.725 / 9.275 = (37.725)
7. Kuznetsova: 9.0 / 9.45 / 9.625 / 9.475 = (37.55)
8. Kovalyova: 9.587 / 8.8 / 9.575 / 9.575 = (37.537) / Fell on bars
9. Kolesnikova: 9.437 / 9.525 / 9.65 / 8.625 = (37.327) / Fell on floor
10. Chepeleva: 9.462 / 8.525 / 9.25 / 9.475 = (36.712)

2000 Russia Cup - Event Finals

Vault:
1. Lobaznyuk : 9.612
2. Produnova : 9.562
3. Zamolodchikova : 9.462 / Fell on Amanar
4. Kovalyova : 9.337
5. Khorkina : 9.325 / Khorkina II and piked Cuervo vaults
6. Dolgopolova : 9.3 / Lopez and layout barani, received wrong vault deduction
7. Privalova : 9.1
8. Kolesnikova : 8.862

Uneven Bars:
1. Khorkina : 9.75
2. Produnova : 9.625
3. Kolesnikova : 9.55
4. Dolgopolova : 9.5
5. Zamolodchikova : 9.35
6. Yezhova : 9.35
7. Lobaznyuk : 9.3
8. Kuznetsova : 9.275

Balance Beam:
1. Produnova : 9.65
2. Kovalyova : 9.6
3. Kolesnikova : 9.525
4. Khorkina : 9.5
5. Privalova : 9.45
6. Zamolodchikova : 9.425
7. Yezhova : 9.1
8. Almiyeva : 7.775

Floor Exercise:
1. Lobaznyuk : 9.775
2. Zamolodchikova : 9.675
3. Dolgopolova : 9.675
4. Khorkina : 9.65 / Only credited with a 9.8 SV
5. Kuznetsova : 9.625
6. Privalova : 9.3
7. Kekkonen : 9.275
8. Chepeleva : 8.575

 

[Onyxrose81]

I remember her first senior Nationals in 2002 and it just felt so bizarre that she had been competing for so long and that we had been talking about her for so many years. I predicted Postell to be the higher-performing of the two when they were little, though, and of course Postell did win a World BB title making a team that Uzelac missed due to injury, but neither of them did anywhere near as well as I thought they would back in the early aughts.

Postell was on the 2003 Worlds team but unfortunately got sick and by 2004 she was sick of Marta and retired from elite. She could have went on to do better things but she was done with USAG. I wasn’t really a huge fan of Uzelac, talented as she was but you could see the burnout coming.

 

[L_R]

I was so dissapointed we never got to see more of this gymnast

 

[Matilda23]

I remember an interview where one of the coaches said she had an inclination for plumpness. She injured her wrist or hand on vault at this comp, maybe that was career ending.