Bars coach Evgeny Grebenkin appointed as Russian WAG Head coach/Rodionenko makes a statement

Evgeny Grebenkin.  Courtesy RGF

Sovietski Sport has now announced that the council of the Russian Gymnastics Federation has appointed bars coach Evgeny Grebenkin as head coach of the WAG team.

Valentina Rodionenko made the following statement :

"On Monday took place the Coaches� board of the national team. The decision was made to relieve Alexander Alexandrov of his duties as head coach of the Russian team.

 

This decision was made because he is Aliya Mustafina�s personal coach. He�ll remain Aliya�s personal coach. He�ll be replaced by Yevgeny Anatolevich Grebenkin. We cannot have someone as head coach and as personal coach.  [Aleksandrov] bet on his pupil. We put up with this during a certain time. Then all the coaches� group rebelled. The medals are the result of a group�s work. Nobody understands why this is associated to a single individual. Gymnastics is not like athletics, where technique is taught by one coach and then the athlete runs. We have four events and each event has a specialist. The head coach has to organize work. Not to teach, because this is done by other people, but to organize. And the organization failed, - said Valentina Rodionenko."

44 year old Grebenkin from Volzhski has been the specialist bars coach for the Russian team this quad, and led the Russian team to a position of prominence on this apparatus, where they rival the Chinese for number one spot.  I very much hope he can make a success of his newly expanded responsibilities and bring Russia to a similar point in the all around and team stakes.

With thanks to Lupita for the link, and the rapid translation!!