There is something about this team I like ... Not that I think they are likely to win masses of medals or anything. Something more than that. It's a very balanced team, each gymnast brings something unique to the table both gymnastically and in terms of personality. And, more than in London, I feel a cohesive team spirit, perhaps it comes from the cross-generational make up of the team, from Mustafina's leadership? For me, they have a sense of calm purpose.
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The Russian Gymnastics Federation has a lovely picture gallery of the girls training post quals. There are some striking images, more for their atmosphere than technical brilliance. My IPad is loaded with copies of them, but there are too many to post here; do visit the website and take some time to look at the album in its entirety - (www.sportgymrus.ru). In the meantime, in as far as I am capable of choosing highlights, here are a few of them.
Aliya Mustafina's coach, Raisa Ganina from CSKA Moscow
Kharenkova 's coach, Olga Sagina from Rostov on Don
National beam coach, Marina Bulashenko, advises Alla Sosnitskaya
National tumbling and vault coach, Vasily Ivanov