Aliya Mustafina - competitive status has been veiled in mystery. Photograph is by leading Russian photographer, Sergei Bermeniev
The mist surrounding Aliya Mustafina's official competitive status lifted just a little this afternoon as head coach Valentina Rodionenko first announced one set of names for the forthcoming World Championships, then added another to the roster. 'Yesterday, Mustafina decided to clench her teeth and prepare for Worlds, despite her back pain. We know her condition and cannot force her to train ... We will take seven gymnasts to Glasgow', said Rodionenko. Later, Andrei Rodionenko added that ten gymnasts will join a training camp tomorrow at Round Lake to prepare for Worlds - and participate in final selection. Names are given below.
We will have to look for Mustafina's own words to provide the definitive account of her miraculous return, and of course the only team that will matter is the team that marches out into the arena in October! But if Aliya eventually says she will be ready ... she will be ready. We don't know the context and the perameters, let alone the background to all this, but if it turns out to be true, the big questions will be -
- Will Aliya compete all around?
- How will her selection sway the chances of other gymnasts on the team?
- How will her presence impact the results of the team as a whole? We know of her as a fantastic team captain who can be a stabilising and inspirational influence on the gymnasts.
- How ready will she be to face the strong competition from overseas, in particular the gymnasts from the USA, Romania and China?
- Has Mustafina's position been one of indecision, defiance, self protection - or part of a wily master plan devised by the national coaches to secure a seventh berth for the team? It could simply be a matter of a painful back - but we all want to know more than it is probably our business to know. It's only human nature to ask : what on earth is this all about?
One thing is for sure - Mustafina's charismatic presence in gymnastics is strongly missed, not just in Russian gymnastics, but internationally. We need Aliya, not just for the soft performance quality of the hyper difficult gymnastics she brings to the stage ... Not just for the fantastically creative way she and her personal coaches and choreographer find to maximise the codified value of her routines ... But also for the enigmatic charm and powerful aura she transmits. It is a relief to hear that she intends to participate - as long as she is properly healthy. We have to trust her to make that decision. From Valentina's words - 'we cannot force her to train' - it seems that this point has been made.
We can only get behind this amazing personality and give her OUR best support in the only ways we can - imagery, sound, words and lots and lots of cheers on the day. It really does make a difference - Aliya and Russia needs you as they prepare for the big fight in Rio.
Don't miss Aliya's riposte - this is still a will-she-won't-she situation -
http://rewritingrussiangymnastics.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/mustafina-riposte-i-will-decide-if-i.html?m=1
The preliminary teams Valentina Rodionenko announced are -
WAG - (AA) Tutkhalyan, Spiridonova, Kharenkova (specialists) Komova, Afanasyeva, Paseka. Valentina added that there would be a seventh athlete to be announced later, perhaps Alla Sosnitskaya or 'maybe a completely different gymnast' - :-))
MAG - (AA) Nikita Ignatyev, Nikolai Kuksenkov, David Belyavski, (specialists) Ablyazin and Nagorny. The sixth gymnast is still to be decided - Ivan Stretovich is mentioned as being in the mix, but presumably Mattvei Petrov may also have a say - and perhaps rising star Dmitri Lankin.
Andrei Rodionenko's announcement of the training teams -
WAG - Aliya Mustafina, Viktoria Komova, Ksenia Afanasyeva, Seda Tutkhalyan, Daria Spiridonova, Evgeniya Shelgunova, Maria Paseka, Maria Kharenkova, Anastasia Dmitrieva, Allla Sosnitskaia.
MAG - Denis Ablyazin, David Belyavski, Nikolai Kuksenkov, Nikita Ignatyev, Nikita Nagorny, Ivan Stretovich, Dmitry Lankin, Matvey Petrov, Alex Rostov, Vladislav Polyashov.
Sources - Valentina Rodionenko Aliya Mustafina announcement - https://sport.mail.ru/news/gymnastics/23364765/
Valentina Rodionenko announcement of prelim team - http://tass.ru/sport/2276365
Andrei Rodionenko announcement - http://www.allsportinfo.ru/index.php?id=97647
Andrei Rodionenko's training team list - http://www.allsportinfo.ru/index.php?id=97646