Ignatyev, Belyavski, Lezhankin - three Siberians at the top of the tree. Courtesy RGF
Men's gymnastics is so much better than the women's these days. Impressed as I was by Ablyazin's talent, I know there will be two or three who can contend with him when it comes to World Championships, and the very genuine close competition this Russian team will enjoy in Sofia this spring will be a real highlight of the sporting year for me, and only made better in the autumn when the teams have to face the might of Japan and China as well as tussle with Britain and Germany.
The Russian men's team cannot claim to have the gold in the bag for next month's Europeans - others will have much to say. Without team captain Emin Garibov the team is somewhat weakened, and Nikolai Kuksenkov too is injured and below top capacity. However, am I right in thinking that there is an observable if slow improvement in the results and morale at each competition? Russia is having to work hard to stay even with other European countries such as Britain, and it could be pressing them to better and better things as their fierce young talent matures.
I'll never forget last year, watching the men's all around in the Olympiski stadium on the big screen, with Led Zeppelin music playing loud on the PA system. Belyavski was going through his usual dramatic preparations for his last piece, pommel horse. Couch Gymnast's Brigid came up to me for a chat, and it took me a minute or two to drop out of my reverie. It had felt a bit like an out of body experience, watching Europe's best gymnasts perform death defying acts to some of the best avant-garde rock music there is. Today on the livestream, the musical selection was less abstract, relying heavily on 1990s hits including Macarena. But the gymnastics was almost as good, even if my 54 year old eyes struggled to make out who that was performing in the distance. The RGF could learn a lot from British Gymnastics about how to livestream.
There is a lightness in MAG that doesn't seem to be there in the women's sport - perhaps the longer span of a gymnast's career and the relatively better opportunities offered by specialist involvement make the competitors and coaches a bit more philosophical. There also seems to be a greater sense of adventure - innovation on every piece. If the WAG judges have destroyed every last ounce of aesthetic in the women's sport, the MAG judges have encouraged a new perspective on artistry and virtuosity in the men's. You just don't get the same feeling of 'gymnastics-by-numbers', the gymnasts seem willing to take risks and try new things and the execution seems to get better, not worse.
Just my opinion. What do you think!? Should I have declined that glass of vodka with dinner?
The results below show a few newish names - and a lot of problems for the team selectors!
Results of today's all around : http://www.sportgymrus.ru/Admin/GetFile.ashx?get=1&id=44946
1. David Belyavski. 89.899
2. Nikita Ignatyev. 87.933
3. Nikita Lezhankin. 86.166
Start lists for Sunday's event finals http://www.sportgymrus.ru/Admin/GetFile.ashx?get=1&id=44951
Floor
1. Denis Ablyazin. 15.2
2. David Belyavski. 15.1
3. Nikita Ignatyev. 15
Pommel horse
1. Mattvei Petrov. 15.8
2. David Belyavski. 15,6
3. Andrei Perevoznikov. 15.3
Rings
1. Denis Ablyazin. 16
2. Alexander Balandin. 15.9
3. Nikolai Kuksenkov 15.333
4. Pavel Pavlov. 15.2
Vault
1. Denis Ablyazin. 15.25
2. Roman Suetin. 14.8
3. Vladislav Kozin. 14.5
P Bars
1. Nikolai Kuksenkov. 15.2
2. Alexander Balandin. 15.166
3. Andrei Cherkasov. 15.033
4. David Belyavski. 15
High Bar
1. Nikita Ignatyev. 15
2. Nikolai Kuksenkov. 14.8
3. Igor Pakhomenko. 14.7
4. David Belyavski. 14.666
I will publish team qualification results as and when they become available
Video subdivision 1 http://youtu.be/ejSjI1qycfQ
Video sub 2. http://youtu.be/_m8afDiyhCE