Veteran Katya Kramarenko is working on an individual programme of training following her hospitalisation with pancreatitis earlier this year.
Ekaterina Kramarenko is still recovering from the serious illness she suffered earlier this year. There is still a long way to go, judging by Natalia's reaction, but she says that if every gymnast showed as much commitment as Katya, nobody would be able to beat the Russians!
Tanya Nabiyeva is at camp, and Natalia had a short chat with her. Tanya is preparing for the Russia Cup, and was invited to train at Krugloye as the team needed her. She doesn't know if it was necessarily the right thing, but time will tell. Tanya is very much enjoying working as a coach (back home in St Petersburg). For both Katya and Tanya, the results of the Russia Cup will help decide the next steps.
As ever there is a problem with strength in depth; the quality of the work that gymnasts are producing is good, but there are simply too few gymnasts on the national team. Afanasyeva is still in recovery and has only just started back at her training again. Komova and Mustafina have both been treated and are recovered (although a separate interview with Komova, kindly translated by Nico Jackson on Gymfever, reveals that Komova has experienced some frustration in getting back her first combination on bars, and has only just begun training beam in the last days. Since all national team members need at least two events to qualify for Worlds, it is hard to be optimistic about her prospects for Nanning). Shelgunova is still being treated for an injury. All the rest of the team are OK, apart from a few of the usual aches and pains. (Natalia does not mention Anastasia Grishina, and my understanding is that Nastia is still recovering at home.)
There is little prospect of a solution to this problem during this Olympic cycle. A discussion with head WAG coach Evgeny Grebyonkin suggests there are problems with the systems of bonuses paid to coaches, and the criteria to qualify as a Master of Sport.
There is an update on the men. Natalia saw Kuksenkov, Ablyazin, Belyavski and Petrov in training, and alongside them juniors Ivan Stretovich and Artur Dalolyan, who will progress to senior level next year. Emin Garibov, who is recovering from a shoulder injury, will target a return to competition in 2015.
In other news, Nico (alias Papa Liukin) has started a much needed blog on men's gymnastics, entitled The Liukin. It is recommended reading! Nico has a post on the men's roster for the Russia Cup here : http://theliukin.wordpress.com/2014/08/02/russian-cup-roster-other-goodies/ The competition begins on the 26th August.