Nine-time Olympic gymnastics champion Larisa Latynina told Sportbox.ru's correspondent about the first results of the World Championships, frequent injuries in the women's and men's team and the problems and need for a psychologist in the team.
Was bronze success or failure for the current women's team?
'Mustafina pulled the team into third place. Unfortunately, we don't have any athletes who could take the place of the leader, Mustafina. In recent years, periodically, there are stars, but they are injured or ill.
Recently I read an interview with Andrei Rodionenko, in which he says that the coaches can not be responsible for the girls' injury - that the recovery and treatment of athletes was the responsibility of physicians. I believe that it is fundamentally wrong position. The women mainly get injured in training. Usually an attentive coach will see in advance that an athlete is tired or that she has some problems. Therefore, it seems to me that such a large number of injuries is the result of including errors in the preparation. I did not go to "Round Lake" and did not see how the guys and girls were preparing for the Championships, so I can only judge by what I see as a result.
I do not know if they work with psychologists. I think it also would benefit from the preparation.'
You have won an Olympic gold medal, and without the help of psychologists.
'For us the personal coach carried out the role of the psychologist. He knows his athletes best. It is important for the coach to work closely with the gymnast as her personal coach.'
Source : http://news.sportbox.ru/Vidy_sporta/gimnastika/spbnews_NI487824_Larisa-Latinina-Komandu-vitaschila-Mustafina