World Gymnastics Championships 2015 - Russian team news

Denis Ablyazin - coach Sergei Starkin confirms that his preparations are going well

Keep your eyes peeled over the coming days and weeks for news of the Russian team.  Offical nominative registrations were published by the FIG over a week ago, but it is almost inevitable that there will be some changes to the team line-ups. Sources close to the Russian team hint that this year it may be their men's team, and in particular specialist Denis Ablyazin, who has the best chance of shining on the podium in Glasgow.  And personal coach, Sergei Starkin, has indirectly confirmed that Aliya Mustafina may well not participate in this month's World Championships, the latest turn in a long round of statement-and-counter-statements made by the Russian team about their Olympic star.

As usual there remain significant question marks over the readiness of the women's team.  Journalist Natalia Kalugina visited Lake Krugloye yesterday and her reports indicate that there is still room - and time - for improvements to be made.  The gymnastics expert picked out Daria Spiridonova as Russia's leading all arounder at this moment in time, and praised Ksenia Afanasyeva for her floor work, although she was not training yesterday because of a high fever.  Maria Paseka is 'as reliable as a tank'.  But there are no miracle improvements - Komova's beam work is still hesitant, the team as a whole remains weak on floor, and is prone to falls. Under the circumstances the Worlds draw, which has the Russians finishing on beam in qualifications, is considered rather unfavourable.

Olympic Champion Aliya Mustafina's status for these Worlds still remains uncertain.  In an interview published today, coach Sergei Starkin explained that Aliya will resume full training AFTER the World Championships.  This strongly suggests that Aliya isn't ready for Worlds, therefore, but Starkin goes on to explain that Rio remains the gymnast's main goal, albeit with some changes.  'Slight adjustments will be made to Aliya's plans and objectives, perhaps with the emphasis on the team', he said, adding that she would train all around.  But really, Russia's depth issues mean that much of the strain still rests on the heads of the veterans from London.  'After the Games, Aliya was really unbearably tired', he added. 

Evgeniya Shelgunova at the recent Sidharulidze tournament

Few certainties therefore surround Aliya Mustafina as a gymnast at this particular moment in time.  The Egorovskye Kourier (Egorov, a small town outside Moscow, is Aliya's birthplace) has published a chronology of media announcements and counter-announcements regarding her participation in Worlds.  You can follow this story as it unfurled here, here, here and here, and you will see why the author entitled his article 'Drama in big-time sport'.  His main point is that the contradictory nature of much of this fast-changing story makes it difficult to know exactly what to believe.  Is it really possible that Aliya was plainly not preparing for Worlds one day, but 'ready to grit her teeth' the next?, he asks.  This isn't so much news about gymnastics, as news about news.

Certainly the main protagonists are not speaking with one voice.  And it continues - to bring things right up to date, Starkin's polite and slightly obtuse discussion of Aliya's future plans adds authority to the idea of a gymnast who isn't really ready to compete despite what the team management have been saying.  The idea that she is choosing not to be in Glasgow isn't tragic, worrying or upsetting - after Aliya's long career she should be able to choose her competitions.  Uncertainty is the nature of competitive gymnastics. But Russia's rushed attempts to satisfy media demand for information may have painted an unfavourable picture, and this is an unnecessary distraction when the team is preparing for Worlds. 

It's all the same in practice though - we still don't know anything but, probably, Mustafina won't be at Worlds. Evgeniya Shelgunova's name did not appear on the official nominative registrations published last month - but she is training with the team in Lake Krugloye and, according to Natalia Kalugina, doing quite well.  Perhaps she will travel to Glasgow instead of Mustafina.

Starkin's picture of Ablyazin's training for Glasgow is somewhat more optimistic than Kalugina's reports of the Russian women.  He confirms that he is satisfied that Denis has now stabilised his performance of the Yang vault and has overcome the adverse effects of a long-term shoulder injury for which he was treated in Germany shortly after the European Championships.  Ablyazin will therefore compete rings in Glasgow.

In Lake Krugloye, and at Starkin's home gym, the Burtasy School of Gymnastics in Penza, a new floor has been installed that is the same make as the one that will be used in Glasgow and Rio.  Starkin seems less than happy with this new floor, which he says doesn't give the same flight and rebound as others - he says he 'doesn't know of any gymnast who wouldn't complain about that'.  Apparently the floor mat is of a different make to the other apparatus chosen for Rio.  Practice on this mat will be vital preparation for the Olympics.