Angelina Melnikova confirmed her position as Russia's leading AA gymnast today at the Russia Cup in Penza, taking gold over the two days of competition, ahead of her close colleague Seda Tutkhalyan, and Olympic champion from 2012, Aliya Mustafina. Mustafina surprised by once again falling from her best piece, uneven bars.
'Russia Cup is primarily a step in my preparations for Rio', said Mustafina. 'As a competition, it isn't that important - I needed to try out my AA as I have not competed or trained it for a long time, including trying out my vault. I met all of my goals, every apparatus went well today, apart from bars. My failure there is because we have only just begun working on a new set of bars that will be used in the Olympic Games. There hasn't been enough time for me to get used to the way they feel, the spring and the grip. In Rio they will be the same, but there is still time!' Rodionenko later added that Aliya had done more than expected and could have been given a bye at this final, but that the gymnast insisted on competing,
Coach Rodionenko was delighted to see Seda Tutkhalyan compete at her best in Penza. 'She is beginning to show the necessary accuracy', she said, 'she has made up what she previously lacked, and improved from yesterday to today. I think she is maturing into a high level gymnast.'
Russian national champion, and now Russia Cup champion Angelina Melnikova, said that she was much less nervous here than she had been in the Spring Champiinships, which had been her first senior start. She said that she still had work to do on all her apparatus.
The Russia Cup is a qualifier for the Russian team training for the Olympic Games. EF will take place on Saturday and Sunday, and the MAG AA tomorrow, after which we will be informed of who has made the final training teams for both men and women.
Melnikova interview - http://rsport.ru/artist_gym/20160630/966112941.html
Full results (cumulative of two days) - http://sportgymrus.ru/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/mnogobor-e-zhenshhtny-final-summa-2-h-dnej.pdf
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