'Our gymnasts will stand proud, even if they have to miss Rio' - Natalia Kalugina

It has been a busy day in the press, and, I expect, a busy day at Lake Krugloye, where both teams are putting the finishing touches to their routines for Rio.  Can we spend some time thinking about how they must be feeling at this uncertain time?  Is there anything readers of RRG can do to support our teams?  If you have any imagery, video, memes or even just words of support, please post links to them in the comments and I will disseminate them through my various social media channels.  (You might find it easier to post pictures and video on the RRG Facebook page.)  Some will reach the gymnasts, and I am certain that your support will help them.  

Let me say, right away, I believe in our gymnasts 100%.  I do not for one moment think that any of them has done anything to deserve the doubt and innuendo that has been cast on them today.  In my opinion, the IOC will throw out the WADA recommendations as unfair and unworkable.  In the meantime, our gymnasts - I cannot speak informedly about any other sport - will have been carrying a double load.  Imagine working for most of your life to justify your place on one of the best teams in the world, only to be told, seven days before your departure, that you might or might not be travelling - and you haven't even done anything wrong. How unfair for these athletes to be tainted in such a manner.

Throughout the day, the situation has developed.  I have been posting regular updates on my Twitter account.  Just to round up, it has become clear that the IOC is unhappy that the McLaren Report has essentially been 'leaked' before the findings have even been officially released.  Pat Hickey, President of the European Olympic Committee, has released a statement.  She says that she is 'shocked and concerned' about the release of the wording of a letter calling for a widespread ban of Russia.   She continues, 

"My concern is that there seems to have been an attempt to agree an outcome before any evidence has been presented. Such interference and calls ahead of the McLaren Report publication are totally against internationally recognised fair legal process and may have completely undermined the integrity and therefore the credibility of this important report. 

Secondly, I have checked with the chairperson of The EOC Athletes Commission and he has not been consulted about the request in the Scott e-mail for European signatories. Yet I note from her email that three European NADOS 'amongst others' have been approached to sign. It is clear that only athletes and organisations known to support a ban of the Russian Olympic Team have been contacted.

Finally I have to question on what authority the USA and Canadian Anti-Doping agencies prepared their letter and what mandate they have to lead an international call for a ban of another nation in the Olympic family. 

Whilst I fully understand and share international concerns over the recent doping allegations, we cannot allow any individuals or groups to interfere or damage the integrity of fair and due legal process."

Hockey legend and former Sports Minister, Viacheslav Fetisov

Former Russian Minister of Sport, Slava Fetisov has said categorically that the IOC will not ban Russia without clear evidence.  His is a reassuring voice in a maelstrom of uncertainty; furthermore, readers of RRG will recognise him as related by marriage to the Rodionenkos, and I think we should feel glad that gymnastics has such a powerful ally.  He goes on to explain that the Olympics are a wholly different situation to other, smaller, events and that the IOC cannot take such drastic measures without resorting to the full processes of international law and arbitration.  If there is no evidence against athletes, then they will have nothing to fear.

Fetisov has also done his own bit of lobbying, criticising Sports Minister Mutko's management of relations with WADA, including his failure to support Fetisov's proposed WADA Presidency bid in 2008.  He also points the finger at flawed athlete preparation and medical support in the Russian sports system.  You can watch Mr Fetisov's athlete testimonial on the Youtube channel for WADA.

Most personally for all of us, Natalia Kalugina has visited Round Lake and describes the difficult, potentially sad position that the gymnasts find themselves in.  In a sometimes very emotional article,
she explains how difficult it is for the gymnasts to motivate themselves in such a doubtful scenario.  During a day's model training for the Games, international judge and former Olympian Liubov Burda-Andrianova said,

'I do not know how WADA can consider Aliya Mustafina or Seda Tutkhalyan to be guilty!  I know how much these girls are doing, preparing for the Olympic Games, I know how they work, but I do not know how they are guilty ...'

Tomorrow, there will be model training and final selection of the Russian team will take place.  Elsewhere, the findings of the McLaren Report will be published, and their implications chewed over internationally by bureaucrats, politicians and the media.  On the 20th of July the names of those gymnasts chosen to represent Russia will be made public at a special reception held by the ROC, and on the 24th July the teams will travel to Rio.

Kalugina says that the coaches are in a gloomy state of mind; they asked her not to speak of the potential for a ban, because otherwise, how will they motivate the team?  In whispering voices, though, the girls approached Natalia, asking 'is it true?'.  She had to reply 'yes'.  So the girls are participating in model training, knowing that it's nothing like the real competition, and that now the real competition may not take place.

It won't be the first time that teams have competed under the strain of political pressure, however, says Kalugina.  Liubov Burda-Andrianova was a member of the 1968 Olympic team, at a Games that took place at a hugely controversial time, with political fallout from the Soviet Union's annexation of Czechoslovakia, and Czech champion Vera Caslavaska beating Zinaida Voronina and Natalia Kuchinskaya to gold in the all around.  Despite all the brouhaha, the team (including Larissa Petrik, Olga Karaseva and Liudmilla Tourischeva) still managed to finish in first position.

'For some reason, I feel that this team will also stand proud.  They will do so, even if they have to miss the Rio Olympics', says Kalugina.

I understand why Natalia is writing this article; it's important that we support the teams at this difficult time.  Even though it seems unlikely that the IOC will ban Russia at this late stage, it can't be easy for Russian athletes to know what is going on and still to continue as normal.  Let's all support our team at this time; we know that they are clean and that as none of the gymnasts has ever tested positive, any sanctions would be extremely unfair.  Please all think positive thoughts and do what you can to support them.  

Note - I am assuming that you have read my post earlier today - you will need to, to understand the background - http://rewritingrussiangymnastics.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/our-gymnasts-will-stand-proud-even-if.html

BREAKING NEWS - ROC President Alexander Zhukov has written in a letter to WADA head Craig Reedy that he is 'extremely disappointed' that USADA and CCES (the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport) has put the IOC under such pressure to take such a decision.  

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World Gymnastics Championships 2015 - Russian team news

Denis Ablyazin - coach Sergei Starkin confirms that his preparations are going well

Keep your eyes peeled over the coming days and weeks for news of the Russian team.  Offical nominative registrations were published by the FIG over a week ago, but it is almost inevitable that there will be some changes to the team line-ups. Sources close to the Russian team hint that this year it may be their men's team, and in particular specialist Denis Ablyazin, who has the best chance of shining on the podium in Glasgow.  And personal coach, Sergei Starkin, has indirectly confirmed that Aliya Mustafina may well not participate in this month's World Championships, the latest turn in a long round of statement-and-counter-statements made by the Russian team about their Olympic star.

As usual there remain significant question marks over the readiness of the women's team.  Journalist Natalia Kalugina visited Lake Krugloye yesterday and her reports indicate that there is still room - and time - for improvements to be made.  The gymnastics expert picked out Daria Spiridonova as Russia's leading all arounder at this moment in time, and praised Ksenia Afanasyeva for her floor work, although she was not training yesterday because of a high fever.  Maria Paseka is 'as reliable as a tank'.  But there are no miracle improvements - Komova's beam work is still hesitant, the team as a whole remains weak on floor, and is prone to falls. Under the circumstances the Worlds draw, which has the Russians finishing on beam in qualifications, is considered rather unfavourable.

Olympic Champion Aliya Mustafina's status for these Worlds still remains uncertain.  In an interview published today, coach Sergei Starkin explained that Aliya will resume full training AFTER the World Championships.  This strongly suggests that Aliya isn't ready for Worlds, therefore, but Starkin goes on to explain that Rio remains the gymnast's main goal, albeit with some changes.  'Slight adjustments will be made to Aliya's plans and objectives, perhaps with the emphasis on the team', he said, adding that she would train all around.  But really, Russia's depth issues mean that much of the strain still rests on the heads of the veterans from London.  'After the Games, Aliya was really unbearably tired', he added. 

Evgeniya Shelgunova at the recent Sidharulidze tournament

Few certainties therefore surround Aliya Mustafina as a gymnast at this particular moment in time.  The Egorovskye Kourier (Egorov, a small town outside Moscow, is Aliya's birthplace) has published a chronology of media announcements and counter-announcements regarding her participation in Worlds.  You can follow this story as it unfurled here, here, here and here, and you will see why the author entitled his article 'Drama in big-time sport'.  His main point is that the contradictory nature of much of this fast-changing story makes it difficult to know exactly what to believe.  Is it really possible that Aliya was plainly not preparing for Worlds one day, but 'ready to grit her teeth' the next?, he asks.  This isn't so much news about gymnastics, as news about news.

Certainly the main protagonists are not speaking with one voice.  And it continues - to bring things right up to date, Starkin's polite and slightly obtuse discussion of Aliya's future plans adds authority to the idea of a gymnast who isn't really ready to compete despite what the team management have been saying.  The idea that she is choosing not to be in Glasgow isn't tragic, worrying or upsetting - after Aliya's long career she should be able to choose her competitions.  Uncertainty is the nature of competitive gymnastics. But Russia's rushed attempts to satisfy media demand for information may have painted an unfavourable picture, and this is an unnecessary distraction when the team is preparing for Worlds. 

It's all the same in practice though - we still don't know anything but, probably, Mustafina won't be at Worlds. Evgeniya Shelgunova's name did not appear on the official nominative registrations published last month - but she is training with the team in Lake Krugloye and, according to Natalia Kalugina, doing quite well.  Perhaps she will travel to Glasgow instead of Mustafina.

Starkin's picture of Ablyazin's training for Glasgow is somewhat more optimistic than Kalugina's reports of the Russian women.  He confirms that he is satisfied that Denis has now stabilised his performance of the Yang vault and has overcome the adverse effects of a long-term shoulder injury for which he was treated in Germany shortly after the European Championships.  Ablyazin will therefore compete rings in Glasgow.

In Lake Krugloye, and at Starkin's home gym, the Burtasy School of Gymnastics in Penza, a new floor has been installed that is the same make as the one that will be used in Glasgow and Rio.  Starkin seems less than happy with this new floor, which he says doesn't give the same flight and rebound as others - he says he 'doesn't know of any gymnast who wouldn't complain about that'.  Apparently the floor mat is of a different make to the other apparatus chosen for Rio.  Practice on this mat will be vital preparation for the Olympics.

Denis's psychological preparations are going well, and Starkin suggests that he has overcome some of the nerves that gave him problems earlier in his career.  Apparently he was unwell during the Russia Cup and his coach even suggesting withdrawing from the second day of event finals.  Denis, however, would hear nothing of this (and went on to win vault!).

The team will travel to Glasgow on the 17th October, and the final test to determine who will travel will take place on the 14th October.  Watch out over at the Russian Gymnastics Federation's website - they often have a press day at around this time of year, and there may be a photo gallery upcoming.

Russia's nominative registrations for the Glagow World Championships (23rd October - 1st November) are currently

MAG

Denis Ablyazin
David Belyavski
Nikita Ignatyev
Nikolai Kuksenkov
Nikita Nagorny
Ivan Stretovich
Alexei Rostov

WAG

Ksenia Afanasyeva
Viktoria Komova
Maria Paseka
Seda Tutkhalyan
Maria Kharenkova
Daria Spiridonova
Aliya Mustafina

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