Dmitri Lankin was put on the Russian Worlds team to replace injured Mukhammadzhon Iakubov. Lankin missed most of the 2021 season due to an injury but has recovered from his surgery and was ready to compete at Worlds. However, according to Valentina Rodionenko, he tore his Achilles in training:
“Lankin got injured, he tore his Achilles at a practice. This week, he had a surgery, everything was sewn together. But I think he’ll be out of commission for half a year. We put Iakubov on the list for Worlds again instead of him. Iakubov had ankle issues and we were afraid it was serious. But a meticulous check-up showed that it was just a bruise, so we decided to put him back on the team. This young gymnast is improving well, he’s showing very good vaults. Iakubov is one of our hopes for the next Olympics in Paris.”
Rodionenko also talked about Maria Paseka’s comeback:
“Paseka has already started training. Right now, she’s training at CSKA, but she constantly sends us videos of her training, shows us her vaults. She seems fine. She will only come to Round Lake for the next camp which will start on October 20th. Masha wants it a lot and everything will depend only on her. If she’ll do difficult vaults and recover her decent bars routine, then she’ll be able to fight for the right to compete at the European and World Championships next year. The most important thing is for her to keep the motivation with which she’s training now. And, no less important, not to get injured.”
CSKA gym in Vatutinki is where the members of the reserve team or gymnasts recovering from injuries often train when they are not invited to Round Lake, because the facilities at the gym are better than at their home gyms. For example, right now, Paseka is training together with Uliana Perebinosova and Aleksandra Shchekoldina.
Photo: Russian Artistic Gymnastics Federation
