Evgenyi Grebyonkin : 'it would be risky to show our whole strategy in the first year of the Olympic cycle'

All Sport has an excellent interview with Russian WAG head coach Evgenyi Grebyonkin, which I am summarising here with help from Lupita.  Grebyonkin reveals some of the planned competitions for the girls, along wth some intriguing teasers hinting at secret upgrades.  But, as Lupita points out, it is almost as interesting to consider who Grebyonkin does NOT mention here, in particular Anastasia Grishina and junior Maria Kharenkova, but also the two Yulias, Inshina and Belokobylskaya.  

Grebyonkin says that after her qualification fall on bars at Europeans, Afansyeva is now trying out hand grips.  But she will not compete on bars at this summer's Universiade in Kazan.

Russian national artistic gymnastics is currently running a training camp at Ozero Krugloye. Maria Vorobyeva spoke to head coach of the women's national team of Russia Yevgeny Grebyonkin.

'This training camp will last 20 days' said Grebyonkin, 'We now have three athletes preparing for the  Alexander Dityatin Cup [ed - normally held around 20 May in Dityatin's hometown of St Petersburg] -Tatiana Nabiyeva, Ekaterina Kramarenko and a third gymnast yet to be decided - it depends on the decision of a personal trainer. Also here are three girls from the youth team.  On May 16, they will travel to a tournament in Switzerland [ed - the Lugano Cup] - the winner of the Junior Russian Championships in the all-around, Maria Bondareva, silver medalist at the 2012 European uneven bars Victoria Kuzmina, and Russian junior beam champion Anastasia Dmitrieva.  Young gymnasts born in 1997 - Alla Sosnitskaya, Evgeniya Shelgunova, Anna Rodionova, Ekaterina Baturina - will perform at the World Cup in Portugal on June 10. We want to see how the girls will look a big podium.'

Who is training with the Russian team? 

'Aliya Mustafina, Ksenia Afanasyeva, Maria Paseka, Anna Dementieva, Tatiana Nabiyeva, Katya Kramarenko, Evgeniya Shelgunova, Anna Rodionova, Alla Sosnitskaya, Ekaterina Baturina, Olga Bikmurzina.'

Why isn't Russian floor silver medalist Kristina Goryunova there? 

'Kristina is now with the youth team in Sochi - she is recovering from surgery, but she will remain until the end of the camp.'

How are the leaders of the team - Aliya Mustafina, Ksenia Afanasyeva, Mary Paseka? 

'The personal trainers are planning the gymnasts' training loads. This camp is of a preparatory nature - learning new skills, and recovery. Afanasyeva is trying to get used to hand grips - after her fall on the uneven bars at the European Championships. We managed to persuade Ksyusha of this "in her old age".  She is already doing all of her elements! She is still worried about it, but has agreed to try.  It will be difficult for her to be ready in time for the Universiade, so she won't compete on bars there, but will be ready in time for the World Championships.'

Which athletes will  participate in the Universiade? 

'It's a mystery (smiles).  We are currently training ten girls, and I do not want to single anyone out. All are prepared and understand who has more chances, who has less.  It is clear that the top three contenders are Mustafina, Afanasyeva and Paseka.  But Paseka is open to question - she has only two apparatus. 
  
At the Universiade there will be a slightly different schedule ... At the recent European Championships the important thing was the individual medals - and all the girls finished the tournament with prizes. In Kazan there is a team competition, and we need to consider who will benefit the team.'

How important is the Universiade in the general post-Olympic competition schedule? Why aren't the leading Russian gymnasts resting, like most of their major rivals?  You could even say they have increased their number of starts.

Viktoria Komova is working towards the World Championships this autumn

'Vika Komova is preparing for the World Championships.  She was given the opportunity in January to work with her personal trainer on an individual schedule, to restore her power, and learn new elements. The other girls said they wanted to compete at the Universiade, which will take place here in Russia. When, in September, I spoke with Ksenia Afanasyeva, she said she wanted to help her country at the Universiade. Then she decided to compete at the European Championships and the World Championships. I understand that it is hard for the girls to bear such a burden, but we have no other leaders. And if the girls themselves want to - why not?  

With Mustafina in Kazan, it will be a doubly honourable act!  After the Olympics the whole world is really at rest, only a few work. But in other countries there is a second tier, and we do not have it. But before the 2016 Olympics we have time, we will get on with our work quietly.  There is a new, good girl on the team - Polina Fedorova from Cheboksary.'

You said that the girls are learning new things. Hence, their combinations will become more complicated? 

Mustafina is said to be reinvigorating her bars exercise

'I cannot answer this question - do not want our competitors to know.  But, for example, Mustafina is adding new elements on uneven bars.  After the changes to the the rules her start value is much lower, dropped by half a point.  Before, we led on bars, but now we are at the same level. Aliya learned new elements in the last Olympic cycle, and has now decided to refresh them.

Afanasyeva is also learning more, and currently has the highest SV in the world on the floor exercise. But I'll tell you a secret, it does not stop there, and there is even more to come. Let's see what happens at the World Championship!  Let's keep it secret. It's risky to show our whole strategy in the first year of the Olympic cycle. During the last Olympic cycle we showed our hand too soon and by the final year there were four girls who had SVs of over 7 on the uneven bars.  Here we need a different strategy.'
 
What are the next steps in training for the team?

'Next, we will gather on June 2, and work for exactly one month at Round Lake, travelling to Kazan on July 2.'


Ed : Kharenkova was recently seen in a video of the national junior team in training at Sochi, wearing a hand brace which, along with her absence from recent competition, has led to speculation that she may be injured.