Russia’s gymnasts, Olympic team champions in 2021, will not be allowed to defend their titles this year. The IOC has banned them from the Paris Olympic Games because of their state’s engagement in war with Ukraine. Sadly, none of the gymnasts qualified for neutral participation in international competition thanks to the structure of the sport of gymnastics in Russia.
The BRICS Games were organised by Russia without the endorsement of the FIG. They were the gymnasts’ first international competition since 2022 and will probably be their only competition this year. The competitive field wasn’t very strong. But the Games gave us a chance to see how Russia’s gymnasts are faring.
These Games were an opportunity for Russia’s young competitors to make their mark. Of the 2021 Olympic team, only Angelina Melnikova was present. The remaining gymnasts here were relative newcomers with no senior international experience. The exception is Elena Gerasimova, a 20 year old beam specialist who competed as an individual in Tokyo, but didn’t medal with the team. There are some new names and faces for you to remember.
AA champion Leila showed what a fierce competitor she is. She says that her favourite thing about gymnastics is how she has to overcome her own fear. As a young gymnast, she remembers being in awe of the senior gymnasts. ‘O-o-o! Aliya Mustafina! Do you train here?’ she said on encountering the world and Olympic champion at the national training centre. Her nervousness soon disappeared and soon the senior girls were offering the young ones help and advice.
The overall standard amongst the Russian women wasn’t bad. Melnikova would have won if she had been closer to her best, but even so there’s a cluster of youngsters ready to take over when the right time comes. There is no single gymnast doing anything outstanding at present, but the scores are holding up for now. The trademarks of Russian gymnastics remain - excellent basics, good bars work and expressive floor work. If there is a weak point, it’s difficulty, especially on vault and floor. Beam was interesting to watch. Still, the team missed the precision and grace of Urazova and the power and expression of Listunova. We don’t know if or when they will return.
The men’s competition showed a gap in Russia’s succession planning. The Olympians weren’t up to their usual standard.
There were a few bright spots though. 39 year old Vladislav Polyashov won gold on pommel horse and silver on parallel bars. His routines were some of the most entertaining in the Games as his coach, Anatoly Vassilyev, ‘lived’ Slava’s routines with him. It was heartwarming to see Russia’s reserve from the last Olympics do so well.
All three Olympians are great family men. David Belyavski has a five year old daughter, Alyssa, and Nikita Nagornyi has a one year old toddler, Mark, with his wife Daria Spiridonova. David didn’t do well at these Games, and seemed underprepared. There was a high degree of uncertainty as to which of the gymnasts would compete, right up until a few days before the competition. David says that he will watch the Olympics on TV and that he expects Britain and the USA to fight for bronze. At his age, his body isn’t as strong as it was and he may be approaching the end of his career. He didn’t make it to any finals here.
Nagorny withdrew from the AA competition but managed to take the gold on vault. He isn’t concentrating on his gymnastics training and says that this may be the end of his career. Nikita has publicly shown his affiliation to the Russian government and military. He enjoys his meetings with President Putin. As a Russian who circulates in the higher echelons of Russian society he has to be patriotic, and doesn’t seem to have time for sport any longer.
The coaches were particularly sorry to lose the FX title which they had hoped Nagorny would deliver to them. Valentina Rodionenko later said the obvious: without the motivation of international competition, it’s difficult for the senior men in particular to keep training at the highest level. It seems to me that the women do better, perhaps because they are younger and don’t have families yet, and also because the peer groups teenage girls enjoy provide healthy social engagement and enjoyment.
Daniel Marinov was easily the strongest gymnast here, despite suffering some painful injuries in recent months. His parallel bars were beautiful and earned him the gold medal, and he also won gold AA, silver on vault and high bar, and bronze on rings. He is the top Russian right now. In addition to his medal he received five small tigers, the mascot of the Games; he kept one of them for himself, but gifted the others to his girlfriend, to commentator Lidia Ivanova, one to his coach Maria Borisovna, and another to his grandmother, for her dacha. Marinov is a hardworking and respectful gymnast who deserves his medals.
Russia won all five of the gold medals in WAG, and five out of the seven in MAG. Where they didn’t win gold, they won silver. Four different girls won gold, and four different men won gold in MAG. Because of the IOC sanctions, no gymnast who was qualified to the Olympics competed here. Türkiye was the only country with a qualified Olympic team who risked sending a single athlete. Belarus won some medals, both MAG and WAG, but their team is blocked from the Olympics too. It wasn’t a very strong competition and I’m not sure how the Russian gymnasts felt about it overall.
Russia, a leading nation in our beautiful sport, is isolated and can no longer take part in building the sport as it has done for so many decades. This is a direct result of the war that Russia is currently pursuing. I hope that the state of Russia will soon withdraw its troops from Ukraine and allow people to live normal lives again, including in international sport. May we all find peace and normality as soon as possible.
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All photos courtesy of the Russian Gymnastics Federation Visit my website at www.rewritingrussiangymnastics.blogspot.com Subscribe to the Rewriting Russian Gymnastics page on Facebook Follow my X account - RussianGymnast Find my publications listing on my LinkedIn profile - Elizabeth Booth