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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.

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    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.

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

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  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

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  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?

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

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

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  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?

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  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.

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  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."


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  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.

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  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)))

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  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

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  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

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

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  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/

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  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

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

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  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

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  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?

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  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.

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    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.

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    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

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  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/

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  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

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  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

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  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/

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  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

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  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.

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  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

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