Good luck to Russia!

The #Russian artistic #gymnastics team competes later today in team final at #olympics2016.  Good luck!

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Russian MAG win first team medal in sixteen years

It was an amazing moment.  Sadly my camera work, never the best, suffered under the strain of emotion.  I was hoping for bronze and never expected silver.  Belyavski was the real captain of this team, his desire to win so evident throughout, Nagorny its beating heart, Stretovich the cool head.  Kuksenkov and Ablyazin the engine and accelerator.

The pictures are poor, taken in a hurry on my iPad.  But they capture the true passion of the moment.  Molodyets, boys.

Men's gymnastics is the best sport in the world.  And Russia, with a little more work on high bar, and more precision on floor, could soon be the best gymnasts in the world.

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WAG quals - results - and a reflection on Russia's need for revolutionary progress

See https://live.fig-gymnastics.com/schedule.php?idevent=6405 for the full information

The leaders in the main events in Olympic order are USA, Biles, Biles, Kocian, Biles, Biles.  American gymnasts fill the first three spots AA, the first spot on vault, two of the top three on bars, and the top two in beam and floor respectively.  The Soviet Union was never as dominant as this - nor was the scoring as inflated.  Like the USSR, America deserves its success in general, but the bars scoring in particular has raised some eyebrows.  I am reminded of the 1972 Olympics when the Soviet Union took almost all the gold - but then again in one, bars, the winner was East Germany's Karin Janz.  Even in those days a slight sense of reality pervaded the scoring.

Still though, USA's dominance is unquestionable.  Biles' vaulting and tumbling took my breath away.  America has found its style of gymnastics victory and made it the style of gymnastics globally.  Only the Netherlands has attempted to impose its own sense of direction on the sport's identity.  It has, so far, made little more than a slight dent in the face of gymnastics as a sporting cultural form, but at least the ambition and imagination is there.  Russia could do well to examine the thinking behind what this small country has achieved.  Surely, with all their heritage of technical excellence and innovation, sprinkled with a flair for the individual and artistic, Russia could create a new paradigm for gymnastics that combines the elegance of the past with the athleticism of the new contemporary acrobatic gymnastics.  In MAG, we see this in the work of Belyavsky and, for me, Stretovich, but the thinking needs to extend beyond the individual gymnast into the global planning of every gymnast's training right across Russia from toddler to champion, and into the competition strategy and programming of the best elite gymnasts.

Yes, the only answer is for our Russians to compete here with dignity, then to go home and think again.  The gymnasts do not lack ambition or talent, but the coaching needs an overhaul.  Russia needs to lead, not follow, in the sport of gymnastics and its coaches need to speak and live the rhetoric of winning ways if they are to succeed.  Strategy and direction needs a total rethink.  Change has to be in the air if Russia is to refresh and find its winning identity in women's gymnastics once more.  Russia's coaches have proved remarkably effective in envisioning and implementing radical change in many different countries around the world - see what Alexandrov did for Brazil, Zaglada for Britain, and that's just a beginning! - now it is time to do the same, only better, for their own country.

I'll write more about this after the Games.  In the meantime, congratulations to Aliya, Seda, Angelina, Maria and Dasha, and good luck for tomorrow's final!

I'll post images of the key results below, but you will find them easier to read at the link above.

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Mustering up that musty magic

Moments after qualifying for the team, AA and UB finals, Aliya gave a short interview to Elena Vaitsekhovskaya for Sports Express.  The accompanying pictures tell as much as the words.

Asked about her fall from beam, Aliya said, 'I have forgotten about it already.  There is no point in remembering it.'

'It was very hard waiting for the competition to begin; I could only just bear it.  Every morning, I wake up with the same thought, wanting it all to be over as quickly as possible,' said Aliya.

Asked about her bars performance, where she scored the highest of all to date, Aliya said, 'Can I tell you a secret?  It was me who did it!'

     Team captain, consoling a disappointed Angelina Melnikova

    The life of a champion is essentially a solitary one, when it comes to the hard moments of competition.

    Seda Tutkhalyan is the top Russian qualifier in the AA

Source - Sports Express.ru

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Don't panic

Although they have tested my sanity to its limits, team Russia is OK.  Seda and Aliya will have qualified to AA finals, Daria and Aliya to UB, Maria to vault.  I assume they have qualified to team finals.  They'll do better in finals now they have outed their natural, deeply held Russian need to test their emotional limits.  Seda, 'Little Tiger' to her family, showed her value as a fighter, finishing first so far in the AA standings.  The Olympics are her metier, and mistakes or not, she will only grow stronger.  Then again, we are less than halfway through quals.

Angelina has had a hard day today, but she will finish these Games a better gymnast than she started, believe me.  Support the girls and remember they are only human.  They are also, quite remarkably, less than a point behind the leading Chinese team - who have been loudly touted as possible contenders for gold.  I don't expect that Russia will fight the USA for gold on Tuesday, but I do think they will be ready to do their best.  

And who knows what change will come after the Games ... new head coaches perhaps?  Whatever happens, I see a great future for Seda and Angelina, and Dasha if she wants - hey, for Aliya and Maria too, if they decide they want it - as they lead the Russian team into the next quad. 

Follow interim scores here - https://live.fig-gymnastics.com/schedule.php?idevent=6405

I am going to buy a bottle of something strong to relax my Russian nerves.  I love the team, but four seasons in one day are really a little bit too much for me ...

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MAG quals results - Russia in third!

For the sake of comprehensiveness, here are the scores from yesterday - 

Team

http://sportgymrus.ru/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/komanda.pdf

AA - http://sportgymrus.ru/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/mnogobor-e.pdf

Congratulations to all the gymnasts. And good luck in the final!

More stunning photographs by Oleg Naumov for the RGF can be found at RRG's Facebook page.

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WAG qualifications - some links

The Russian women step forward today to begin the defence of their team silver medal from the last Olympics, and to try to qualify to as many finals as possible.

I am not going to try to second guess the BBC's online, red button and other coverage today - it seems we just have to scrabble to find out where the best coverage is.  The BBC is giving us wall to wall coverage of what matters, the action, and we are very lucky to have them even if it does annoy tidy-minded old me that there is no trustworthy definitive guide to what, where and when.  We'll manage.  The root guide is here - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live-guide. After that, it is a question of channel hopping.  Everything will be online if not on the TV.

Start lists are here - http://sportgymrus.ru/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Startlist-s1-zhenshhiny-.pdf or you can visit RRG's Facebook page to view them.

Here are the lists of the subdivisions, and starting orders - 

Rio start times for each subdivision are - 

Sub 1 - 09.45

Sub 2 - 11.30

Sub 3 - 14.30

Sub 4 - 17.30

Sub 5 - 20.30

I can't find a separate listing on the BBC website for a broadcast of subdivision 2.  Judging by the timings, I am guessing that this means that coverage of subdivisions 1 and 2 will be continuous.

You can follow live scoring at the FIG website, always hoping that it works.  https://live.fig-gymnastics.com/schedule.php?idevent=6405

Good luck to all the gymnasts!  

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BBC broadcast schedule today - Olympic gymnastics - times and channels for all three subs

I have been trying to track down a definitive online guide to the BBC gymnastics coverage but so far haven't succeeded.  This is probably my fault - I cannot imagine that the BBC could possibly be so completely dunderheaded as not to publish one.  I am going out later to do some errands and will try to buy a copy of the Radio Times.  If I can find out any broadcast details there, I will share them with you, assuming that my typewriter works and there are enough pigeons available to deliver paper copies to you all.

In the meantime, the great news is that our generally wonderful BBC will be giving us complete, advertisement-free coverage of the competition, with great commentary from the inimitable pair, Craig Heap and Christine Still.  Beth Tweddle will also be guesting.  We'll miss Mitch Fenner an awful lot, but still we are in good hand - and I'll be hearing his voice all the time anyway, in my self-commentary.  The first coverage of the first subdivision (Japan, Brazil, Korea, Netherlands) will be - I think - exclusively online.  I found it by trawling the BBC sport app on my iPad.  It begins at 14.20 BST.  

Subdivision 2 (GB, France, USA, Germany) will be on BBC Red Button 1 at 18.25

Subdivision 3 (UKR, SUI, RUS, China) will be on BBC Red Button 2 at 22.30

At least, that is what I have been able to find out, please check your local broadcast schedules.

You can find a competition schedule for today, links to start lists (in the comments) etc at http://rewritingrussiangymnastics.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/mag-quals-schedule-starting-order-links.html?m=1 

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MAG quals - schedule, starting order, links

The RGF has a useful page where you can access some of the key information- but I haven't been able to find start lists yet.  Please post a link if you find them; I am posting here all the likely sites.  

RGF- http://sportgymrus.ru/competitions/olimpijskie-igry-2016/

FIG - Live scoring - https://live.fig-gymnastics.com/schedule.php?idevent=6405

FIG - Event details - Event details - https://live.fig-gymnastics.com/event_detail.php?idevent=6405

Rio 2016 - full event schedule - https://www.rio2016.com/en/artistic-gymnastics

If you are in the UK or can receive the BBC, they are promising not to miss one minute of action, including 24 online channels as well as the usual terrestrial and red button channels.  But I haven't been able to find a complete online guide to the broadcast schedule as yet.  Again, if you manage to find the right link then please post in the comments.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/36908117

Well, here at least is a guide to those competing and in which subdivision.  The times of each sub, Rio time, are 

Sub 1 - 10.30

Sub 2 - 14.30

Sub 3 - 18.30

It is the opening ceremony tonight!  In London, TV coverage begins at 23.40 local time.  

Good luck to all the competitors!  

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Breaking news - Stretovich in, Ignatyev out

Valentina Rodionenko earlier today confirmed that Ivan Stretovich will take the place of Nikita Ignatyev on the main Russian gymnastics team.  19 year old Stretovich, from Novosibirsk, Siberia, is Russian Cup champion on the pommel horse and high bar.  His first major senior competition was the 2014 World Championships where he performed on pommels only.  Stretovich was originally selected as a reserve and the decision to bring him onto the main team was based on his superior performance quality compared to Ignatyev, according to Rodionenko.

For the women, the news is that Angelina Melnikova is recovering well from the hamstring injury she aggravated at one of the final control competitions at Round Lake.  Valentina says that she is back to training her full routines again.  

Sources - MAG - http://rsport.ru/rio2016_gymnastics/20160802/1011352078.html

WAG - http://rsport.ru/rio2016_gymnastics/20160802/1011409100.html

New - video of the girls training, Aliya doing turns on floor; little interviews with Mustafina (I don't think she really appreciated the microphone), Paseka (giggling as usual) and Melnikova - https://youtu.be/ga6c2uWy8ig

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Viktoria Komova - I need six months' rest, and will then decide ...

Viktoria has spoken to Championat.com's Ksenia Viselinoi about the results of her visit to the clinic in Munich.

'It turns out I have a stress fracture in my fifth vertebra.  The doctors said that six months without exercise is the only way for the injury to heal.  I hope that everything will be OK, but if I cannot recover, then I will have to retire.  I decided not to go to Rio, but I will be at home with my friends, cheering the team on.'  

Source - http://www.championat.com/olympic/news-2535098-komova-polgoda-bez-trenirovok---edinstvennyj-sposob-zalechit-travmu.html

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IOC panel of three to make final decision on Russia's participation in Olympics

At 4 o'clock this morning BST, the IOC Executive Board made an announcement to the effect that three individuals appointed by them will have a final say on which Russian athletes can compete at the Rio Olympic Games.

'Participation of Russian athletes in Rio

The EB decided to delegate the final decision on the acceptance of entries of Russian athletes to a Review Panel composed of three IOC Executive Board Members: Ugur Erdener, Claudia Bokel and Juan Antonio Samaranch.  The Review Panel is due to make a final decision in the coming days.'

RRG's take on this

This latest, very last minute twist in the controversy surrounding Russia's participation in the Games, suggests that the IOC has a degree of concern over the likely consistency of decisions taken by the sports' governing bodies to whom they delegated decision making only a few days ago.   It is difficult to see how an appointed panel of three individuals will have time to consider the data presented on so many different athletes, but presumably the IOC has felt it needs to confirm at least a veneer of responsibility.  The ongoing uncertainty can only be destabilising for Russia's athletes as they attempt to prepare mentally for the competition ahead.  While the scale of Russia's wrongdoing in sport is considered by many to be collosal, this is very hard on individual clean athlete.

Never before has sport been so political on the global scale.  Past political influence on sport has resulted in Olympic boycotts, protests and the exclusion of whole countries from competition.  The difference now is that the IOC is imposing sports measures that could be considered to be directly political.  While much focus rests on the question of individual athletes' participation in the Games, the wider picture is that the IOC has taken emergency measures (19th July announcement) to prevent Russia's staging of sporting events:

'The IOC will not organise or give patronage to any sports event or meeting in Russia. This includes plans for the European Games 2019 organised by the European Olympic Committees (EOC).'

'Because of the detailed references to the manipulation of samples during the Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014 the IOC asks all International Olympic Winter Sports Federations to freeze their preparations for major events in Russia, such as World Championships, World Cups or other major international competitions under their responsibility, and to actively look for alternative organisers.'

Such sanctions could be considered to be large scale economic penalties against the Russian Federation.  Russia's tourism strategy is linked to its staging of sporting events and involves billions of roubles invested in new stadiums and infrastructure.  Its plans to develop its tourism industry and visitor economy rests in part on the staging of such mega events as the European Games.  The country's economic development and potential will be hit by these IOC sanctions if carried through.

Meanwhile, the Russian voice and feeling against the IOC is growing.  President Vladimir Putin (27th July) could be considered to be leveraging Russia's indignation at the IOC's actions to create stronger emotional support for his leadership amongst his country's citizens and to create a smokescreen to mask his country's wrongdoing.

Summary of President Putin's 27th July statement

Reuters also produced a 29th July report on President's Putin's ideas of the the Olympic ban as a political plot.

Athletes, politicians and members of the public have spoken out against the IOC measures and there seems to be little understanding amongst Russians as to the reasons for them.  In gymnastics, Russian head coach Valentina Rodionenko has volunteered the opinion that WADA's investigation into Russian sport, and the resulting sanctions, is a result of global political distaste for Russia's military involvement in Ukraine and Crimea.  Andrei Rodionenko has kept the argument closer to the sporting home, pointing out that WADA has too much power.  He believes that Russian has been unfairly treated:

'Russian lawyers and representatives who went to the CAS hearing weren�t really heard, no one cared what they had to say, everything was already decided before the hearing'

Russian athletics has staged its own local competition for its excluded athletes, prompting outbursts from high profile athletes such as Elena Isinbayeva:

'We ran into such injustice when they took away the Olympic Games from us, but, as I said yesterday, it will only make us stronger'

This theme of growing strength in the face of adversity is echoed from within the gymnastics community as Valentina Rodionenko and Aliya Mustafina point out collective and individual motivation that develops from such adversity.

'We are going to fight, because Russian people only get stronger facing hardship' (Valentina Rodionenko)

'I would be personally hurt if the entire Russian team were banned, and would want to see the faces of those who did it.  But I will not be broken; I would be more hurt for our young girls who have not yet participated in the Olympics.  They are like children for me.  I remember how I prepared for my first Olympics, what I felt and the hopes I had.' (Aliya Mustafina)

Russian defiance against the sporting measures is hardening as time passes, and the Russian public voice is beginning to link the Olympics with what they see as other high profile 'smears' against their state such as email hacking. 71% of Russians think that WADA's evidence of state-sponsored doping is not convincing; 55% think that the accusations are groundless and are part of a 'political hit job' against Russia; 83% disapprove of Russia's banning from the Games.  Commentators blame state TV, the main political fodder of the wider public, for fuelling the Russian population's misunderstandings about the doping controversy.   There is the suggestion that Cold War is more active now than it was during the time of the Soviet Union.

It also seems likely that Russia's concept of sports medicine is different to that held by many of us in the West - or is it?  No other sports system has come under such close scrutiny.  Skating coach Rafael Aratunyan has spoken of a different culture of drug use in Russian sport.  Aliya Mustafina has said quite openly that she was 'given' meldonium from the age of ten.  The drug was legal at the time, but legality does not tell the whole story of the ethical and sporting assumptions involved in this action.

A valid criticism of the way that WADA and the IOC have handled Russia's affairs is their sole focus on Russia to the exclusion of other countries.  Russian state interference in sport is characterised as undesirable, but then all governments use sport to an extent in their PR, tourism and social policy.  Orchestrating widespread cheating is taking things too far, but without full and equal investigation, who can say what goes on elsewhere?  Given the limitations of WADA's research and methodology, the weakness of the IOC response to it, and the highly politicised, Putin-fuelled coverage given to it by the Russian media, it is hardly surprising that Russia considers the actions to be strongly biassed against them and the sanctions to be disproportionate in severity.  We too, in the West, should remember that our perceptions and understanding are influenced by our own biasses, prejudices and media and that there are always (at least) two sides to every situation.

The artistic gymnastics competition gets underway next Saturday, on the morning following the Olympics opening ceremony.  Russia's artistic gymnastics team will therefore be amongst the first to be vetted by the IOC's panel of three.  Hopefully, if the team are not logging into their social media or watching the TV they will be unaware of this final, last minute hurdle imposed by the IOC.  On the face of it, the IOC should merely be rubber stamping the existing cleared athletes, but it remains to be seen how they will see the case of Natalia Kapitonova, Russia's 16 year old reserve who has little in the way of a competitive record (Russian champion on uneven bars and two World Cup competitions, but was she tested?).  If things go the wrong way, as Aliya Mustafina said, I wouldn't like to be the person who tells this innocent young girl that she has been sanctioned for the wrongdoings of others.  Russia would be sure to use her case as an example of the gross injustice of the blanket bans imposed by the IOC and we could see her face plastered all over the newspapers.  Many gymnastics commentators have questioned the position of Nikolai Kuksenkov, Russia's MAG team captain who tested positive for traces of meldonium earlier this year, but following investigations WADA cleared him of any suspicion.  RRG therefore considers that Kuksenkov's case is clearcut and that he will be competing in Rio.

So when Kuksenkov leads the Russian team out into the arena he will be amongst the first Russian athletes to be seen at the Games.  Both MAG and WAG teams will be under intense scrutiny like never before.  Whether this pressure does fire the teams to produce the best performances of which they are capable will not be seen until next week.  But it's certain that, once again, gymnastics will headline at the Olympics and Russia will be a huge part of the narrative, for better or for worse.  As they are all clean athletes, I would like to wish them the very best of luck.

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Mustafina Interview 2 of 2 : 'I will only perform under the Russian flag'

Argumentyi i Fakti interview with Aliya Mustafina
Translated by Marina Vulis

�I have no fear�, says Aliya Mustafina.  �My father [Farhat Mustafin, the bronze medallist in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 1976 Olympics] took me to my first gymnastics class.  In his opinion children need to do sports, and he saw gymnastics as useful for my general development.  He had no goals � just to let us practice.�

It did not end with �just practice� � she became the World Champion at 16, but then had an ACL injury the next year (2011) at the Europeans.  Even just returning to gymnastics is a feat; then she came back to win four medals at the 2012 Olympics.

Aliya Mustafina � That injury.  I do not know why I was ashamed � so many people were watching me and I could not even walk.  My parents!  They saw everything on TV (the coach had to carry her from the podium).  Of course I was aware that anything could happen in gymnastics, but I did not believe it would happen to me.  Then it happened.

Roman Ivanov � Did they tell you that you would have to retire?

Not directly.  No one would dare.  But there were speculations that very few could come back after such an injury.  However, I paid no attention to that, set a goal of coming back, and pursued that as a goal. 

Are you afraid it could happen again?

No

Why?

If I could survive it once, then I could do the same a second time around.  It is not a good idea to be constantly afraid of injuries.  Nothing good will come of this.

So they say �Mustafina is made of iron� for a reason

I am normal, made from the same stuff as others, but honestly I do not like to talk about myself.

A while ago you used to avoid the press

How would I explain this.  I am a very shy person, and do not like personal questions.  True, over the years I have learned how to react better.

How does the Aliya Mustafina who won medals in London 2012 differ from the one who is now preparing for Rio?

The other Aliya was only 17 years old.  You know the saying, �everything is easy and simple for small, short kids�?   As you grow older, it is physically harder; but on the other hand, age brings experience.  It means a lot.

Is it hard to prepare in the current atmosphere surrounding the entire Russian team for the Olympics?

I try to avoid the news and the internet.  My job is to work to the very end, to do my thing and whatever happens, happens. 

Unlike you, the track and field athletes will not be participating in the Olympics.

What is happening to our sports is awful.  Probably somewhere, they have given a reason for this but why do innocent people have to suffer because of a few others?  Can you imagine the feelings of the people who were honestly preparing for the Olympics?

You said that you would not perform under the white IOC flag in the case of a blanket ban, right?

Yes, I only want to perform under the Russian flag.  This is my choice, and I do not condemn the choices of others, even though I do not think it is right.

Does gymnastics have a problem with banned substances?

I personally never came across any.

You didn�t even use the �infamous� meldonium?

When I was ten years old, they gave it to everyone, then they stopped.  I honestly still do not get what it is and how it helps.  In fact, our team doctor prescribes all medications for the gymnasts, and he carefully checks for forbidden ingredients.  He is responsible for all medications and I trust him.

The other unpleasant part of sport is subjective judging.  Have you come across this?

In our sport, everything depends on the judges, especially when talking about hundredths of a point.  Sometimes the Difficulty score isn�t counted in its entirety � but what are you going to do?  You won�t cry, right?  Just make sure in your performance that you will give no reason for that.

They often call you the team leader, do you consider yourself to be so?

We have a normal team, there is no need to �pull rank� on anyone, everyone knows what to do and they hardly need a leader

But what is needed?  What would you like to change in gymnastics?

The biggest problem is that too few children are doing gymnastics, so there are not many gymnasts to select from.  Other countries have a bigger reserve.  We need to address this. 

Do you think that your success comes from your genes?

A combination of good genetics and a desire to succeed and work, work, work. 

How long do you spend in the gym?

At the moment on average, about seven and a half hours each day.  It�s not enough anyway.  I have been practically living at �Round Lake� for the last five years.  I only visit Moscow at weekends to see my parents and my sister, to unwind.  Sometimes, I am so tired I do not have enough energy for a trip to Moscow. 

�I�m tired of it all�.  You have probably had these thoughts

A few years ago, I realised I had to stop training for a while, listen to myself and decide what I wanted to do.  Fatigue had built up after the London Olympics.  I had practically never rested.  You know, we usually only rest when we are sick, but then we are hardly ever sick.  Finally, I reached the limit of my moral strength.  I skipped gym for about one and a half months, stayed at home with my family.  I was just living, everything became easier.  Eventually, I came back to Round Lake.

So you can�t imagine life without gymnastics?

Why not?  But a little bit later.

Nevertheless, you decided to get a sports education

After high school.  I studied economics at the Oil and Natural Gas University until I realised that I could not combine this type of education with gymnastics training.  I transferred to the University of Physical Culture, Youth and Tourism.  It is simple; for now, my major is coaching, although I have not decided if this will be my occupation.  I will probably need to take another degree.

So what would you like to do in the future?

(Smiling) Be a mum.

Would you bring your daughter to artistic gymnastics?

No, to rhythmic.  It is beautiful.  And artistic gymnastics has me (laughing).

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Mustafina - Interview 1 of 2 'Skipping the Olympics would not break me'

Picture of Aliya Mustafina courtesy of Aliya on Instagram

RSport interview with Ildra Samdinov

Translation by Marina Vulis

Interview took place before the IOC decision to allow Russian gymnasts to compete at the Rio Olympics, on the 22nd July 2016

'Skipping the Olympics will not break me, but I would be hurting for the young girls'

How would you assess your readiness for the Olympics?

Everything is going well.  Not everything is ideal, but at the moment it doesn't have to be.  The most important thing is that I have practiced enough routines.  My programme is ready, and there is enough time before the Olympics to polish up the nuances.  Anyone can make mistakes, but at the Olympics I will demonstrate the best that can be squeezed out of me. 

Are there any problems for the Russian team in terms of Olympics preparation?

Everything is going well. We certainly feel the support of our bank VTB, and we have no problems.

You tried the AA in Russia Cup, but skipped the event finals

I did not participate in the final because I had to meet with a doctor [from the treatment clinic in Germany] who came to see me in Moscow.  I would say I am approaching my peak.

Mustafina stated that she reached her goals at the Russia Cup

You had some problems on uneven bars, related to the new supplier of the equipment.  Have you got used to them?

Yes, at the beginning it was hard to get used to and to work with the stiffness of the bars, but now there are no more problems.

Quite serioiusly, do the apparatus from different suppliers differ that much?

It is like comparing a soft armchair to a stool.  This is what happens on bars.

Are you going to perform on a �stool�?

I can�t say that the new bars are uncomfortable, it�s just that you need to get used to them.

What is your main goal at the Olympics?

To help the team.  I am certainly not thinking of a gold medal

Gymnast Mustafina is so unique, no other team has such a gymnast � Lidia Ivanova

You won�t be upset with silver and bronze?

I will only be upset if I cannot help the team, nothing else will upset me.

Is it easy to be Russian team captain?  Your team also has Angelina Melnikova, Seda Tutkhalyan, Daria Spiridonova and Maria Paseka.  What is your assessment of the team?

You could say that it is the optimal team.  There are no other solutions taking into account the possible available gymnasts.

How serious was it to lose Afanasyeva just before the Olympics?

Ksyush always had a good floor exercise and could seriously help us on this apparatus.  It will be more difficult without her in the team competition.

Does the time difference play a big role for you?

I never really think much about it, and adjust quickly.

As the most experienced team member, do you feel additional responsibility at the Games?

I am used to being captain.  It�s easy for me and the girls are used to it.

How is it to be the gymnastics team captain?

It�s not difficult.  If I see problems, I can always help and give advice.  To an extent, I play the role of a coach.  After all, we only have two coaches for the team on the floor with us, and it is hard for them to manage everything.

Is 16 year old Angelina Melnikova nervous before her first Olympics?

I believe in Gelya, she will have no problems.  She is a smart girl with the character of a fighter, and a good programme.

67 �clean� Russian track and field athletes are not allowed to compete at the Games.  What is your reaction?

I do not think this is a fair decision.  They should put themselves in the athletes� places.  The guys were honestly preparing for the Olympics, training hard, working through pain, and then someone tells them �you are not going�.  The world lacks kind people.

This Sunday, the IOC will decide on whether the entire Russian team can be allowed to compete at the Olympics.  If they decide �no�, how serious a blow would it be for you?

I would be personally hurt if the entire Russian team were banned, and would want to see the faces of those who did it.  But I will not be broken; I would be more hurt for our young girls who have not yet participated in the Olympics.  They are like children for me.  I remember how I prepared for my first Olympics, what I felt and the hopes I had. 

Natasha Kapitonova is 16 years old and knows nothing about politics and doping � she just works.  Will someone tell her �You will not participate at the Olympics�?.  That�s a hard blow at her age.

If you miss the Olympics, will you consider continuing in sport?

I do not know, but I will be very upset.  I will get away from everything and make a decision after some cooling off time.  However, I hope everything will work out OK and we will go to the Olympics anyway.

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