Adrian McArdle pointed me to this cute - but impressive - video of Elena Zamolodchikova, aged 13 or 14, competing in South Africa in 1996. Four years later, she would be a double Olympic champion, on vault and floor.
What an incredible, if occasionally somewhat erratic, competitor she was. My first view of Super Zamo was in a junior team competition in 1995 in Guildford, in the south east of England. Her team mates included the peerless Elena Produnova, and the great Russian promise of that time, Evgenia Kuznetsova.
Elena Zamolodchikova was then a tiny scrap of a thing, every cubic millimetre packed with dynamic energy. She competed only vault but charged the gymnastics hall with electricity. I'll never forget that fierce, reckless sprint towards to the vault. She possessed energy, motivation and skill at a time when Russia's gymnasts were powerful, innovative and fearless, a thunderbolt of sheer grace. She impressed me in a way I will never forget. This video reminds me also of how Zamolodchikova had a legitimate shot at the 2000 Olympics All Around title - such originality and difficulty on all four pieces, at such a tender age.
In the later years of Elena's competitive career, I asked somebody 'in the know' why Elena kept being selected for World Championships, despite an obvious downturn in her form. 'Because she trains the best', came the reply. She was a phenomenally hardworking gymnast who was dedicated to her team. Russia needs more of her ilk today.
Ksenia Afanasyeva
Ksenia has been back in action, performing at a display in Mexico (the Gala de Estrellas). She is still recovering from her ankle surgery earlier this year but as ever looks to be in good shape. She performed this interesting beam routine there.
Back home in Moscow, Ksenia is enjoying some well deserved time with her pet cat. I cannot resist posting these photographs, which appear on her personal VK.com site.
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Gymnastics and cats - the best mix ...
What an incredible, if occasionally somewhat erratic, competitor she was. My first view of Super Zamo was in a junior team competition in 1995 in Guildford, in the south east of England. Her team mates included the peerless Elena Produnova, and the great Russian promise of that time, Evgenia Kuznetsova.
Elena Zamolodchikova was then a tiny scrap of a thing, every cubic millimetre packed with dynamic energy. She competed only vault but charged the gymnastics hall with electricity. I'll never forget that fierce, reckless sprint towards to the vault. She possessed energy, motivation and skill at a time when Russia's gymnasts were powerful, innovative and fearless, a thunderbolt of sheer grace. She impressed me in a way I will never forget. This video reminds me also of how Zamolodchikova had a legitimate shot at the 2000 Olympics All Around title - such originality and difficulty on all four pieces, at such a tender age.
In the later years of Elena's competitive career, I asked somebody 'in the know' why Elena kept being selected for World Championships, despite an obvious downturn in her form. 'Because she trains the best', came the reply. She was a phenomenally hardworking gymnast who was dedicated to her team. Russia needs more of her ilk today.
Ksenia Afanasyeva
Ksenia has been back in action, performing at a display in Mexico (the Gala de Estrellas). She is still recovering from her ankle surgery earlier this year but as ever looks to be in good shape. She performed this interesting beam routine there.
Back home in Moscow, Ksenia is enjoying some well deserved time with her pet cat. I cannot resist posting these photographs, which appear on her personal VK.com site.
