Who's the best? Guest post from coach Jim Holt

Jim Holt, men's head coach in Scotland, commented rather usefully on my post of 9 April regarding three dimensions of the nature of human movement, which I will partially summarise below.  Jim has now added to this with a video exercise in judgement ... please join in the conversation by adding your comments! 

At root, if we think of gymnastics as �human motion� and we recognize that even the various pieces of apparatus have evolved over a somewhat random development, regardless of the nature of the apparatus, if we agree that gymnastics is (and its rules evaluate or compare some measures of ) �human movement�, then the 3 (and only 3!) aspect of same that are measured are :

1 (THE fundamental one) � economy of line or movement
2 Complexity of movement
3 One�s ability to overcome the forces of time and/or gravity (a subset of time in this context).

1    Economy : a straight arm felge handstand is better than a bent arm, not because it is more difficult, although it is, but because it has a better line (i.e. fewer angles � a layout is better than a pike is better than a tuck because of the same principle).
 
 2    Complexity: double double back salto is better IN PRINCIPLE than a full-in which is better than a double � which is better than a single � not because they are harder, but because axiomatically due to our second principle
 
3   A 10 second cross (or high high back salto on floor) is better than a 3 second cross/low flip because we can measure principle #3. 
 
... 
 
Now, to a specific � �elegance� and the �aesthetic� underlie everything about principle #1, economy of line or motion � my personal objection to gymnastics as it has evolved in the 21st century is the blind worship (or less inflammatorily put) belief that �additive complexity� is the direction that gymnastics should go �

Elegance is elegance because it implicitly illustrates a harmony and efficiency in a movement (any movement) that inelegance does not � a Ferrari idling is more elegant than a Hyundai idling, not because it has a higher top-end speed, but because its combination of form and function make it more harmonious, efficient � et al.

Who has the best exercise/elements here? What's the best and WHY?




Or this guy?



Maybe this guy?



Everybody knows this guy



So what do you see? Which is the best? (Not every skill on the best routine is the best, by the way ...). Now the important question ... WHY is it the best?

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'We cannot afford to prepare gymnasts for one competition'

Anastasia Grishina - a 'butterfly for a day'?

Valentina Rodionenko here provides clarification of some of the points made in yesterday's interviews. In a more measured account than her Allsport interview which is summarised as part of yesterday's blog post, she emphasises the need to retain and develop gymnasts on the WAG team and says there is a new, smiling, face of the team management, with greater collaboration between personal and lead coaches.









Key points are :

There is a new atmosphere in the Russian team since London, under new head coach Evgeny Grebenkin.  Everything is OK: everyone is friendly, works hard, there is no shouting and generally 'good human relations'.

 'Perhaps because we have worked abroad for a long time, we have never had any desire to humiliate or offend anybody.  We do not use such methods.'

Evgeny Grebenkin has brought the personal trainers into the centre of the team, rather than working on the sidelines as previously.  It is implicit in what Rodionenko says that the personal trainers were alienated from their gymnasts under the old system, leading to a loss of strength in depth on the team.  There were only four adult girls in the ranks of the team in the lead up to the Olympic Games, and she laments the fact that Nabieva (amongst others) was not available for the Olympic Games (Nabieva is now recovering and preparing for the Universiade).  'I can think of many more names, which have disappeared. It's wrong.' 

'We cannot spend so much money to have the girls make only one start.'  

So now the team is going to try harder to keep gymnasts, and to return gymnasts who had been removed.  She mentions Katya Kramarenko as a 'gorgeous, beautiful' gymnast who is preparing for the Universiade, and says it is important that the team works with all the gymnasts, not just the six who will eventually go to the Olympics

When asked how the team coaching changes might have affected Aliya Mustafina, Valentina replies that it is the head coach's job to organise the training process, and in this sense Aliya's situation has not changed.  On bars she is working with Evgeny Grebenkin, on beam with Raisa Ganina (whom Mustafina has worked with since 1993 [shome mishtake shirley - ed]).  [In yesterday's interview, Valentina had suggested that there was a rift between Mustafina and Alexandrov and that Alexandrov now mainly oversees Mustafina's training work.]  Mustafina went with the team to Spain after the Olympics - was told to relax, but said that if she stopped she might find it difficult to return to work.  She has now restored her beam routine but has yet to get to grips with upgrades to her vault.  On bars she 'has no equal'.  Anastasia Grishina has restored her programme to its previous level, but has made no improvements and they have yet to draw any conclusions about her and are very worried about her performance at the Europeans as she is not in the condition they would like.  She still thinks Anastasia is a very promising gymnast, but she changed her coach at the advice of her mother and is working with Viktor and Irina Razumovsky who have recently returned from Japan.  We will have to wait and see.Evgeniya Shelgunova was originally reserve for the European Championships on grounds of her third placed finish all around at Russian Championships.  Grishina had finished in second place there, but since then the gymnasts' readiness has changed, and Shelgunova now has the edge over Grishina.  Rodionenko says they cannot change the team selections as the decisions are made on 'sporting principles'. 


They have added some new gymnasts to the team.  Coming onto the senior formation alongside Shelgunova is Alla Sosnitskaya, who will perform at the World Cup in Portugal.  They have also recently held five selections over ten days at Lake Krugloye for girls born 2000, and have selected eight for training with the national junior team. 

Ksenia Afanasyeva, active since 2007

Valentina stresses that the older girls on the team train more conscientiously, without the need to force or persuade them, in particular Ksenia Afanasyeva whom the team is now hoping will continue till the Rio Olympics.  'Even Aliya now has a mature approach to work' says Valentina.  She says she hopes that this will lead to long term (not short term) results.  They were surprised when Afanasyeva said that she wanted to prepare an Amanar vault, but that Afanasyeva's technique - and her attitude - is very good.  They do not, however, know if she is ready to perform the vault at Europeans.

'It is important to keep Ksenia Afanasyeva to the next Olympics.  She will be 24 years in Rio ... Aliya will turn 22 in 2016.  We believe that there are young talented girls, and it is important to preserve them and bring them to a level where they begin to show a conscious effort, and are more than butterflies for a day'.

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Dementyeva out - Shelgunova in - Grishina off form - Pre-Europeans news and information

Viktoria Komova at a press conference yesterday.  Courtesy RGF

WAG and MAG European Championships for individuals begins one week from today at the Olympiski Stadium in Moscow, Russia, and the Russian Gymnastics Federation has been busy arranging press conferences and interviews to promote the competition and the chances of the Russian gymnasts.  You will be able to read below details of both the men's and women's team composition, as well as some links to important documents.  

A news report today suggests that Grishina's competitive readiness may be in doubt. At the same time, youngster Evgeniya Shelgunova, a favourite of head coaches Rodionenko, has recently been elevated to reserve over the injured Dementyeva, and Valentina Rodionenko has been talking up the veteran Afanasyeva's chances of competing in the all around final.  Yet again it is an uncertain situation for the Russians.

You will find the latest version of the nominative registrations here, though these lists are currently out of date: we know for example that Sandra Izsbasa will not be competing for Romania, meaning the country's entire effort will rest on the shoulders of Larissa Iordache and Diana Bulimar.  Amongst the Russians, the confirmed team now includes Evgeniya Shelgunova as reserve instead of the unfortunate Anna Dementyeva, who is injured.  It is also expected that Ksenia Afanasyeva will compete on all four apparatus in qualifications, alongside Aliya Mustafina and (?) Anastasia Grishina.  This creates competition for the two all around spots in finals, and leaves Maria Paseka as the only specialist on the four person team, competing on vault and bars.

Russia are hoping for their artistry to give them the edge at this competition.  In the context of changes to the Code of Points which Valentina Rodionenko says has more or less evened out the playing field in world gymnastics, it is certainly true that this mature team (assuming Mustafina, Afanasyeva, Grishina and Paseka) should be able to offer some of the most attractive gymnastics on offer in the world today.  It is very early in the season, however, to make any final judgement on the effect of changes to the Code.  It remains a truth that the Russian girls will have to work hard to improve their consistency and to develop the floor tumbling which Rodionenko acknowledges is less of a strength than their artistry.  Her suggestion that Afanasyeva is practicing an Amanar vault also underlines how important gymnast retention and development is to the Russian team.  Afansyeva has surprised the team with how quickly she has adapted to the demands of the new vault, but it remains unsure if she will use the skill in competition.

An update today (thank you Laerke) from Valentina Rodionenko suggests that reserve Shelgunova is on better competitive form than Grishina.  Lupita (thank you) summarises here Valentina's key points :

• Grishina is not doing her new elements
• She has recovered her old programme
• Grishina is now on worse form than she was earlier in the year at national championships
• She cannot be replaced due to the sports principle
• Coach Razumovsky says that they are adapting to the new training arrangement
• They are very concerned about her performance at the European Championships
• Grishina is currently training at home - Valentina says she wants her to return to Lake Krugloye

A question is, WHY is Valentina saying all this.  It suggests a level of uncertainty that can't be good for the Russian team in general; it would be tragic for the talented Grishina to miss out on such an important home competition, probably a career-threatening psychological injury for her and certainly a significant weakening of a team that already lacks strength in depth. 

The draw for the WAG competition is here.

The men's team faces somewhat different challenges with a multi-talented team including David Belyavski, Nikita Ignatyev, Denis Ablyazin, Emin Garibov, Alexander Balandin and Matvey Petrov.  The reserve is Dmitri Stolyarov who finished third all around at this spring's Russian Championships.  The men's competition format means that four gymnasts can compete on each apparatus out of a total of six nominated.  Competing all around will be Belyavski and Ignatyev, with Ablyazin doing floor, rings and vault, Garibov pommels, parallel bars and high bar, Balandin rings, and Petrov pommels.  The draw for the MAG competition is here.

The Russian men are on the ascendant but face fierce competition from the British and German men here. 

Finally, last night Moscow Echo hosted an interview between top gymnastics journalist Natalia Kalugina, Valentina Rodionenko and returning international Viktoria Komova.  Take a look at the video - Valentina does most of the talking.  I hope to be able to provide my readers with a summary of the main content in due course.  Viktoria is looking well, and tells us here that she intends to support her team by following them round the arena and shouting loudly, presumably using the words we all know well!  Davai, Vika!!

The work plan for the competition is here.

The MAG training schedule is here,.and the WAG training schedule here.

Competition schedule (all times are Moscow) :

Wednesday 17th April - MAG qualifications

Three sessions starting at 10.00; 14.00; 17.30

Thursday 18th April - WAG qualifications

Three sessions starting at 10.30; 14.30; 17.15

Friday 19th April - All Around Finals

MAG - 13.00; WAG 17.30

Saturday 20th April - Event Finals

13.30

Sunday 21st April - Event Finals

13.30

Full Twist blog has a directory of TV channels covering Europeans, and online streaming will be available via Eurovision.

Couch Gymnast is there and will be reporting as usual, and I will be attending the competition and will blog daily.

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Boguinskaia, Kalinina,Galiyeva and the Soviets 1989-1992

There is a very interesting discussion going on at the IG Forum currently that is full of different taste judgements and perceptions across the generations of gymnastics afficianados.  Some people prefer Boguinskaia, others Kalinina.  Many do not understand how Tatiana Groshkova failed to make a Soviet worlds team, but this was down to sheer unreliability and most seem to agree that she was a genius on the beam and floor.  Perhaps most revealing, however, is a preference for the 1992 model of Roza Galiyeva. 

Cultural taste, preference and appreciation is considered to be at least partly influenced by prior experience of or exposure to different art forms.  Thus if your main artistic reference point is a form or forms of popular culture, you will prefer that particular aesthetic and only come to enjoy different types of culture if they are presented in an accessible way taking into account your existing preferences.  In this way an individual's taste can develop and s/he can develop as a critical consumer of art.

This is a rather crude explanation of one theory regarding individual taste and distinctions made between high art and popular culture, but I think it does have some pertinence to the gymnastics scene today.  The changes going on in the sport are not just about how the gymnasts perform; it is also to do with how we as spectators respond to the sport, how the judges judge (or not) and, hence, how the sport develops.

Of course, there is significant emphasis in the code today on technical difficulty in the routines.  This is one of the things that makes discussions of artistic gymnastics across generations so interesting, as younger generations emphasise the technical content while many of the old crusties like me prefer to consider the overall performances.  I posted this on the forum :

Boguinskaia was to many the greatest artistic gymnast. While to modern eyes her routines do not appear technically difficult the overall difficulty level of her work was far greater than that presented by most gymnasts of any era. Her routines were composed to make the best balance between line, expression, rhythm, variety of shape in the context of gymnastic and acrobatic elements. Even her bars routine was 'choreographed' to give a sense of changing form. Her quality of movement remains unrivalled on all four apparatus.

Most gymnasts competing today could not perform like Boguinskaia with a million years of weight training or hitting their double turns on floor with slide rule accuracy. They could not land their excessively aggressive tumbles accurately enough to express their non existent choreographic theme or story. I am digressing. Kalinina was a nice gymnast, light and quick and with some impressive technical difficulty. She was an excellent artistic gymnast in every sense of the expression.

Galiyeva was work in progress in 1992. She had the technical aspects down, had good form and execution. She was a good competitor. She just wasn't the full package. I can however understand why many people today might appreciate her work as her qualities match or even exceed those of many world beating gymnasts in competition today.

It really got me to thinking how limited we are in our consideration of 'difficulty' today, considering it to embrace individual gymnastic and acrobatic elements that have to be performed in a particular way to be credited.   I fall into this trap as well, not surprising as it is an approach embedded in the Code that so many gym fans, judges and officials tend to consider as sacred as a religious text.  Gymnasts infuse their routines with masses of difficult elements and  there is a tendency to believe that this makes their gymnastics the best ever performed.  Yet gymnasts of any era are merely responding to a Code.  Today's Code produces many gymnasts like Galiyeva - frequently not as good - tumblers who can respond well to competition conditions - but not the full package.

It is easy to suggest that the work of Boguinskaia is less difficult than the work of, say for argument's sake, Russian junior Maria Kharenkova - because she clearly has fewer elements in her optional exercises.  But it is the manner of performance and the quality of movement that lends difficulty to Boguinskaia's work.  In those olden days gymnasts presented routines rather than assemblages of difficulty.  It meant gymnasts could establish a theme or expressive metier throughout the work.  Coaches, gymnasts and choreographers constructed original creative expressions rather than responding to the Code as if they were ordering lunch from an overly prescriptive menu.

We should also not forget that the sport was differently structured in those days, requiring the presentation of compulsory exercises that would expose any deficiencies in basic training with striking clarity.   This meant that the gymnasts had to prepare not one, but two sets of routines for presentation at the major competitions.  There were few, if any, opportunities for these gymnasts to present themselves as specialists on one or two apparatus.  They all had to be all arounders.  Their overall difficulty level was in effect far greater than that of any gymnasts performing today.

(I think it is rather telling to consider what would happen to the ranking lists of recent competitions had compulsories been a requirement.  What would any one of the current World or Olympic champions look like performing stripped down exercises with a minimum of acrobatic or gymnastic content and an emphasis on line, expression and rhythm?)

I'll leave you to consider this and provide you with some stimulus in the shape of video recordings of the work of Boguinskaia, Kalinina and Galiyeva.  Please do comment. I have selected the floor routines as I know this is what you will enjoy most but my argument pertains to all four apparatus. I have also selected routines as close in time as possible to the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. This is a bit unfair to Boguinskaia, who wasn't at her peak there. She was herself outplayed by the greater difficulty of Tatiana Gutsu. The progression of acrobatic difficulty goes back a long way. But what I shall, rather simplisticaly, describe as artistry shines through, evergreen.

Natalia Kalinina Optional Floor 1991



Roza Galiyeva Floor Exercise 1992 Olympic Games



Svetlana Boguinskaia Floor Exercise 1992 Olympic Games



Natalia Kalinina Compulsory Floor 1991



Roza Galiyeva Compulsory Floor 1992



Svetlana Boguinskaia Compulsory Floor 1992

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Denis Ablyazin - ready to fight in Moscow

Denis Ablyazin.  Picture courtesy of Moskva Sportivnaya

Denis Ablyazin, fast rising star of Russian - and world - gymnastics, spoke to Moskva Sportivnaya on Wednesday and addresses his recovery from injury, future prospects, life at Lake Krugloye and the forthcoming Moscow European Championships.  The following is a brief summary of key points.

Denis sold his car awarded as a prize after his silver medal winning performances in London, and bought a lovely apartment in his hometown, Penza, instead.  He does not want to live in Moscow as it is too hectic there.

His injury was a broken heel suffered when he missed a pit landing and hit his foot on concrete.  In gymnastics, he says it is considered better to break a bone than tear a ligament.  While he was in plaster, he could do conditioning work, and the benefits can be seen in his work on rings, where he has added a strength element.   He is not quite ready to vault at his previous level, but says that in general his new programme is well underway.

He expects competition at Europeans to be very fierce � not just from the Russians, but all over.  It is a benefit that the competition will take place in Moscow, as the gymnasts will be familiar with the facilities, and also hopefully there will be lots of fans � although Denis says he is usually oblivious to their support as he is concentrating on his work! 

He used to work all around, but can no longer do so as a consequence of hand injuries which make it difficult for him to do pommel horse (he had fractures in both hands, one in childhood, and the other practicing on the bar).

Competition is fierce on the Russian team as it rebalances following the departure of Anton Golotsutksov.  Denis mentions  Mikhail Kudashov as a possible future champion, and also emphasises the strength of Nikolai Kuksenkov as an all round gymnast.  Denis plans to work as a coach in future, perhaps specializing on vault and acrobatics, but much may change before he gets to that point.

He responds to a question regarding living conditions at Round Lake � which as a junior were difficult, he says it was �impossible to live a normal life�.  However, now things are much more comfortable, there is entertainment, the gymnasts can meet with friends, take a �coffee with chocolate� and generally lead a good life.  He says the team is very close knit, like a family. 

As far as equipment is concerned, they know that they will always have the most up to date models available to work on at Lake Krugloye.  As soon as they know whose equipment will be used at a major competition, it will be delivered there and the gymnasts will begin work on it.

In future, says Denis, there will be �serious competition� as the younger generation, the youth team, make their way up to the senior ranks.

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Voronezh School of Gymnastics - Viktoria Komova's home gym - refurbished

The Shtukman School of Gymnastics, Voronezh.  Courtesy bloknot-voronezh.ru

The local infrastructure of Russian gymnastics supports the mass base of participation necessary to develop future champions.  The quality of buildings and equipment, coach training and the like all influence how well future champions will be able to train, and whether young gymnasts want to participate at all.  Russia's sporting investment did not hold up during the post Soviet years when funding priorities and social attitudes to elite sport changed.  2000 Olympic vaulting champion Elena Zamolodchikova did not have a full length vaulting run available at her local gym where she had trained since childhood.

Even at central level money was short.  I well remember a television documentary from the late 1990s that showed national training centre Lake Krugloye in a significant state of delapidation.  Leonid Arkayev, national coach from 1976 to 2006 said that he could secure moneys from the local Moscow government.  You can see the eventual effect of this in the Moscow-centricity of team selections during the late 90s and early 2000s.

Recent improvements at the national training centre have been significant, based on moneys coming from both central government and sponsors VTB (the second largest bank in Russia who make much publicity out of their involvement with Olympic sports).  But Krugloye will only have gymnasts to train in future thanks to the efforts of the regions.  Over past years this blog has featured details of the improvements going on in the Russian regions designed to support and enhance participation.  For example, in Ksenia Afanasyeva's hometown, Tula, a new gym opened.  The Siberian men's team is now one of the best in the Russian Federation.

The latest news is about Voronezh School of Gymnastics, opened in 1968 by legendary Soviet coach Yuri Shtukman, once coach to Liubov Burda, and mentor to the iconic coach Vladislav Rotstorotsky (Ludmilla Tourischeva, Natalia Shaposhnikova, Natalia Yurchenko).  It is not a very beautiful looking building, particularly with all the scaffolding around it, but about 350 young gymnasts train there.  Voronezh of course is home to World and Olympic silver medallist all around, Viktoria Komova, whose home gym this is. I do recall her commenting at one point that in the small gym where she used to practice there was not all the equipment needed, and that sometimes it was more than uncomfortably cold.  In this news story we read that gymnasts are currently training in a rented room, without all apparatus available to them.

This is a temporary measure, while refurbishment of the old school takes place.  All will be ready on the 1 August, all being well.  There has been an 800 million Rouble (roughly �1.6m) improvement including overhaul of the sanitation, water supply, roof, walls, ventilation, heating the lighting.  All the windows are in the process of being replaced, and they are refacing the granite. 

I wonder if the funding for this comes on the back of Viktoria's successes? There is no clear indication of who is funding it - often a mix of central and local money with some sponsorship thrown in.

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Balakovo boys look to the future

Pictures courtesy of Balokovomedia

All over Russia youngsters are learning gymnastics, and Balakovomedia reports the results of a competition between boys from the local Sports School, born 2004-2006. Remember the names of the winners : (2004 born) Andrei Romanov, Vladislav Bardasov, Ivan Filippov; (2005 born) Alexander Ganshin, Artem Davidyuk, Dmitri Emin (2006 born) Kirill Penkov, Alexander Klimov, Linar Shpyapnikov. 

Balokovo is a small town with a population of slightly less than 200,000.  It is located in Saratov Oblast, roughly 500 miles south east of Moscow. 

All of the competitors - a total of just 33 young boys - have many twists and turns ahead in their lives.  Whether they continue with gymnastics at all is up to them, but they are already doing a lot of work and learning valuable lessons.

Their efforts ultimately contribute to Russia's attempts to build a mass base from which they can draw their senior teams of the future.  Good luck to them all!

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Dementyeva reserve for Europeans, Kuksenkov ineligible - Valentina Rodionenko

Russian Olympian Maria Paseka will be competing on vault in Moscow

Valentina Rodionenko has confirmed Maria Paseka, Aliya Mustafina, Anastasia Grishina and Ksenia Afanasyeva as the core team for Moscow's European Championships, beginning 17th April. Anna Dementyeva is the reserve. The men's team is to be confirmed.

Nikolai Kuksenkov is definitely ineligible for European Championships as his nationality has yet to be validated. Valentina Rodionenko says that they hope to have everything fixed in time for him to participate in this summer's Universiade in Kazan.

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Day trip to Round Lake - Natalia Kalugina reports

Denis Ablyazin, highlight of journalist Natalia Kalugina's recent trip to Lake Krugloye.  This picture comes from a gallery at Russian Gymnastics' sponsors VTB website - go there to see both awesome and adorable pictures of the gymnasts.

Natalia Kalugina made a day trip to the Russian national training centre, Lake Krugloye, in the last few days, and reported the following on her Facebook account.  With thanks to Natalia for permission to translate and publish these highlights here, and to Vladimir Zaglada for the link.

A trip to Lake Krugloye. 

Ablyazin is training the most difficult floor routine in the world with a D score of 7.1 that can go up to 7.3 for the World Championships! He is training with great energy.  On floor, his double twisting double somersault makes his double front piked look easy!  Denis hasn�t upgraded his vault. He intends to do it for the World Championships.

This is the most important thing I saw today at Lake Krugloye.

Something important as well: Matvei Petrov, pommel horse specialist, has returned after surgery with a good pommel horse routine. Petrov can be one of the three best gymnasts on this event at European level.

Nikolai Kuksenkov is adapting to the team. He is not training difficult elements so far. His heroic performance at the London Olympics is having consequences for Nikolai. He was treated with injections, here he is recovering rather than training, as the men�s head coach Valeri Alfosov said. At the Moscow European Championships Kuksenkov will not compete not due to his recovery, but because his Russian passport is not ready.

Well, I liked the men�s gym a lot.

Concerning the girls, the only Olympian I saw was Masha Paseka. Mustafina was in Kiev to compete at the Stella Zakharova Cup, Afanasyeva was on leave for personal reasons, Komova is recovering, I didn�t ask about Grishina. Masha is in good form for this time of the season. She is working hard. She will perform her Olympic vaults.

It was pleasant to see how well Katia Kramarenko is training. She has very good bars. Yet, more important, she has overcome her fear of vault. I want to remind those who might have forgotten: At the Stuttgart 2007 World Championships, Katia balked on her vault attempt during the team final, causing the team to lose the silver medal (and probably, the gold medal), and putting qualification for the Beijing Olympics at risk. The girl was so upset that she was afraid of vault. She is overcoming it! Little by little. Everybody is helping. On Friday she was working with Andrei Rodionenko. She is not afraid any more.

I saw the new-comers to the team: Shelgunova, Rodionova and Sosnitskaya. Shelgunova and Sosnitskaya are very good workers, patient. They lack brightness - that differentiates a champion from a good gymnast. Rodionova is very nice, when she doesn�t cry. You cannot judge from a single training session. The three of them are too young to assess them.

 

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