Random Russia sh*t

[Puffin]

Must be heaven to have so much gymnastics on. And I like the soft toy pasty things they have.

I thought they were emojis at first .......

 

[Indy]

They look like happy little pirozhky keychains. And they're adorable

 

[hmmmm]

If you are willing to share, I'm curious about the development program for Russian gymnasts. Core values, competition structure/ requirements etc... I generally understand the US system, the UK can be confusing.

It would be interesting to compare. Is there any sort of recreational or lower tier competitive gymnastics?

 

[MaryClare]

If you are willing to share, I'm curious about the development program for Russian gymnasts. Core values, competition structure/ requirements etc... I generally understand the US system, the UK can be confusing.

It would be interesting to compare. Is there any sort of recreational or lower tier competitive gymnastics?

Sure, give me a couple of days. It’s quite complicated and I’m not sure I fully understand it all myself

 

[MaryClare]

Angelina Melnikova has been competing in the Bundesliga for Chemnitz, Karina Schönmaier’s club. Apparently Schönmaier is half Russian. Her coaches are Russian too.

It is quite mad really when you think of it. Which other program would allow their “Crown Jewels” to compete pretty much full difficulty, at a German league meet, travelling alone without personal coaches or national team coaches?!

 

[Sasha]

Does the program have the power to stop her if it wanted to?

The part about her travelling and competing without her personal coaches doesn't seem overly mad to me, given her age and experience. Is that naive of me?

 

[MaryClare]

Does the program have the power to stop her if it wanted to?

The part about her travelling and competing without her personal coaches doesn't seem overly mad to me, given her age and experience. Is that naive of me?

Yes they can stop her, they fund her. I didn’t mean that she needs supervision from someone, more that she’s training and performing without her regular coaches there to guide. It not unusual for like a show or gala. But those are not situations whereby she’s competing full difficulty.

Anyway, today she met up with Kim Bui, Eli Seitz and her new baby for coffee

 

[barbara_dewey]

Earlier in the week, the RGF announced the death of 1968 Olympic champion Olga Karaseva

Eva was a lovely gymnast.

 

[barbara_dewey]

If you are emotionally ready for it, here is another Russian junior to break your heart. Third generation national team member Aleksandra Andrianova is the granddaughter of Nikolai and Lubov. Her father Sergei was once a junior national team member himself. He is not her primary coach, since he is on the national team staff as Aliya Mustafina’s assistant. I believe she turns senior in 2027.

Sorry, i don’t know the credit for the video, a colleague sent it via TG

Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears.

 

[RedBirdie]

And doesn't Melnikova have stress fractures or something in her leg? I'm just gobsmacked she's allowed to not only go to Germany for this, but do so on an injured leg.

 

[MaryClare]

Here is a recruitment poster for a children’s sports school. December to February is usually tryout/audition season for September intake at sports and vocational schools.
For very in demand schools like the top ballet schools, there are several rounds of auditions. But artistic gymnastics is not so over subscribed and most of them will have space for all the children who pass the physical abilities test. However some schools will reject children for their physical attributes or those of their parents. Nikita Nagorny was famously turned away because his parents took him to his physical testing day and they are both tall. The next year he tried again, but his petite grandmother accompanied him and he got in!

 

[MaryClare]

Next week is the Voronin Cup here in Moscow. It’s not confirmed yet who is competing but I am told that Listunova plans to.

Edit to add: Listunova has confirmed her participation

 

[MaryClare]

Bondarenko kids at the Andrianov banner. Maria, Alexei junior and Marfa

 

[Sasha]

Oh my god, there are baby Bondarenkos now!! So cute. God I'm old.

 

[MaryClare]

Oh my god, there are baby Bondarenkos now!! So cute. God I'm old.

Maria must be 13/14 now as she competed at the national youth championships a couple of weeks ago and came 6th. Little Alexei is being trained by his father, who posts some really fascinating videos about early gymnastics development. He’s only 5, but his form and technique on basic skills are absolutely perfect. It’s such a contrast to the many social media videos of 5 year olds chucking things on tumble tracks

 

[MaryClare]

Russia, or officially AIN2 delegation. Plus Lyubov Andrianova from the FIG. Poor Milana, I guess part of going to junior worlds is learning to bring a dress with you for the party! Her coach, Ludmilla Manko is genuinely the tiniest fully grown adult I’ve ever seen in real life. She’s literally the exact size of her 15 year old gymnast. Except she’s 40 with kids.

Anyway, I wanted to share the translation of the post, since I think it conveys very well just how many different roles are involved in the preparation of just 1 gymnast and the very Soviet ethos of collective achievement that remains in Russian sports today.


The World Championships for Juniors concluded today. The result: three gold medals. Unlike the World Championships for Seniors, where there were six men and four women, there were two here. One can only imagine what it was like on the podium, what feelings they experienced training and competing for the first time at such a high-level competition. But they weren't alone. Their coaches, Alexander Alekseevich Safoshkin and Konstantin Sergeevich Pluzhnikov, were always by their side. They both have competed in European, World, and Olympic Championships. They know firsthand what it feels like to step onto the podium and can find the right words of encouragement.
Also nearby were doctor Igor Vladimirovich Golubev and Alexandra Aleksandrovna Semenova. Their help in recovering from the competitions was essential and crucial. The head of the delegation and Milana's personal coach, Lyudmila Gennadyevna Manko, supported Milana. Head coach Dmitry Valerievich Andreev was always by her side. Judges: Ekaterina Sergeevna Privalova and Dmitry Vasilievich Paramonov. FIG Technical Committee member Lyubov Viktorovna Andrianova. Thank you so much for your work!