Mustafina: It’s wiser for me to miss Euros and start preparing for European Games

Yesterday, Valentina Rodionenko announced that Aliya Mustafina is no longer in contention for the European Championships. The gymnast explained her decision to R-Sport, saying that she did not want to compete in four competitions in a row and would rather focus on upgrades right now. In addition, taking a break from competing will allow her to train in Penza for a while where she can live right by the gym and take her daughter with her, while in Moscow, she normally either has to stay at Round Lake away from Alisa or train in local gyms that are still not close to home and lack sufficient training conditions. Mustafina is the defending European Games champion and, since Russia had already qualified two non-nominative spots to the 2019 Games, she does not need to go to Euros to qualify.

Mustafina said:

“After the Russian Championships, the head coach and I sat down and discussed everything and made the joint decision that it would be wiser for me to skip the European Championships and start preparing for the European Games. I didn’t put a goal for myself to reach the peak form by the Russian Championships, I was just training according to the set plan. After the nationals, we had two World Cups in Stuttgart and Birmingham. If I went to Poland for the European Championships, this would be my fourth competition and it’s too much of a load.

Right now, during the time between camps, I’m going to Penza with my daughter. I will continue training there and, perhaps, will learn some new elements in order to upgrade my routines, first of all, on bars. Penza is very convenient in terms of training, there is no need to commute. If I stayed in Moscow, it would be much harder to find a place to train. The fact that I’m missing the European Championships does not mean that I started treating work less seriously. It’s just that my short-term plans and goals have changed a bit.”

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4 Comments

  • I dont know much about the European Games; from the sound of it, they have more precedence than euro championship?? Regardless of the order of importance, i think this is a smart decision for her & it will give Simakova more experience. Not only us this wise for Mustafina personally, but professionally, too. She doesnt need to compete; she is risking injury, fatigue, burnout. Preparing for worlds and Tokyo should be her priority. At 1st, i was disappointed when she wasnt initially on the team; however, after Valentina added her after Birmingham, i started thinking it was not wise. Physically. Anyway, the Queen made the right decision of courae!!! Bravo her highness. We all want to see her in Stuttgart and Tokyo at ths top of her game!

    • European Games are a new competition, so, at the moment, it’s less prestigious in gymnastics than European Championships

  • “If I stayed in Moscow, it would be much harder to find a place to train.” I’m confused. Don’t most of the girls just live at Round Lake pretty much year round so they always have somewhere to train?

    • They are. But at Round Lake, she would have to live without her daughter, while in Penza, her daughter stays with her. Plus, her coaches are from Penza.

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