Just before the two competitions that are supposed to be qualifying stages for the Worlds team – Universiade and the Russian Cup – Valentina Rodionenko announced the preliminary teams for the Worlds:
“So far it seems this way: Eremina and Melnikova in all-around, Ilyankova – bars and beam, and Paseka – vault. ”
“Spiridonova and Paseka went to the Universiade, they will not compete at the Russian Cup, but for them [to make the Worlds team] there will be a test competition during the training camp and how they will compete at the Universiade [will be taken into account]. Whether Spiridonova will do her routine with which she won the 2015 Worlds. If she does it, she’ll have a chance to fight for a place on the Worlds team, but her chances aren’t great. Ilyankova already has a higher difficulty, she has a very strong routine on bars.”
“We need to try out the young girls while planning for the 2020 Olympics. Paseka has a chance, too, because right now we don’t have a vaulter that would equal her. Right now she’s in the running to make the Worlds team to compete on vault.”
“Regarding the guys, Belyavskiy and Dalaloyan are slated to do the all-around at Worlds, but everything will be decided at the Russian Cup. We are also discussing the option of Nikita Ignatyev. Nagornyy and Abliazin will compete on their three apparatuses: rings, vault, and floor. These people are surely going [to Worlds], the question is who will compete on which apparatus. God help there will be no injuries.”
“Kuksenkov doesn’t have a chance to be on this Worlds team right now. First, he’s making changes to his program, and also the younger guys are getting close. We’ll see. It’s going to be hard. This guy is priceless for the team because of his personality. Time will tell. We don’t have anything like “you will be on the team and he won’t”, everyone has to compete for their place.”
