Media links - results of this weekend's competitions

The Russian girls have been busy - and very successful - this weekend! All seven gymnasts from the national team (including reserve Anna Myzdrikova) are scheduled to compete by the end of this month.

Massilia Cup

The wonderful TATIANA NABIEVA competed alongside her team mates KSENIA SEMENOVA and KSENIA AFANASYEVA in Marseille this weekend at the Massilia Cup, and achieved gold medals in the team, all around, bars and vault events. Tanya also took the bronze on balance beam. KSENIA AFANASYEVA took gold medal on floor and silver on beam behind France's Aurelie Malaussena. A fuller report can be found at The Gymnastics Examiner.

The Italian Grand Prix

World Champion ALIYA MUSTAFINA competed here alongside Youth Olympic Champion VIKTORIA KOMOVA. Aliya won beam and came fourth on bars, while Viktoria took the gold on bars and silver on beam. Full results, and a video of Aliya's performance on beam can be found at Aliya's official website.

DTB Cup

Promising young ANNA DEMENTIEVA competed this weekend in Stuttgart alongside World Student Games veteran IRINA SAZONOVA. Anna had a few mistakes, but performed well to compete in each final in this, perhaps the most serious competition of this weekend. She collected bronze medals on bars and beam as well as a silver medal on the floor exercises. This competition was noteable for Lauren Mitchell's top level performance but I believe Anna should also feel pleased to have medalled across three apparatus in one of her first senior competitions. Full results can be found on the IG website.

Oh and I should perhaps add that Russians won the gold and silver medals in the Rings event - congratulations to Alexander Balandin and Konstantin Pluzhnikov.

EKATERINA KURBATOVA and ANNA MYZDRIKOVA are scheduled to compete in the Glasgow Grand Prix soon.

All in all, the Russian girls are demonstrating their increasing strength in depth and one hopes this is a sign of ever improving things to come.