Yesterday, Russian WAG team compete in qualifications at the World Championships. They started on beam, where only two gymnasts performed, and both received relatively low scores, although everyone was judged quite harshly on the beam in the first two subdivisions. Currently, Elena Eremina is second on beam, but she likely won’t have a EF spot, as there are three more subdivisions to come.
Rodionenko told R-Sport that while she was happy with vault and bars results, beam left her wondering. She claims that the screen first flashed a 14.4 score for Eremina which was then changed to 13.2:
“… what happened on beam… I’m still not able to understand why they changed Eremina’s score – they first showed 14.4 and then changed it to 13.2. This is utter nonsense. Everyone saw it [the score], it was already posted on the screen. We can only bewail the judging here, but, of course, we gave them a reason [to take deductions].”
The incorrect score on the screen was likely a technical mistake, a similar issue happened in the all-around final in Cluj. But somehow Rodionenko sees these issues as a part of the conspiracy against Russian gymnasts.
“We gave a reason [to take deductions] on beam, on floor. Especially Melnikova. The only thing that can excuse her is that she twisted her ankle a week ago. Seems like she’s protecting it, even though she says she’s ok. But, nevertheless, the girls rehabilited themselves on the last apparatuses, they did everything they know how to do. No doubts that no one equals them on bars. I believe they’ll stay the leaders after the tomorrow subdivisions as well.”
She also told to TASS:
“Melnikova won the floor final in Romania at the European Championships in spring, but here she fell twice. We’re only glad she’ll be in the all-around final with Lena Eremina. Maria Paseka showed her routine and so far she has the best result in the all-around. Let’s hope that she’ll be able to compose herself as well in the final.”
According to Rodionenko, bad podium training might have played a role in the unsuccessful performance in the qualifications, especially the fact that they were given very little time to get used to the apparatuses:
“Still, the podium training went horribly, we were given little time. But everyone was in the same conditions. Of course, we need to draw our conclusions from this. And if the conditions and the rules are so strict, we need to prepare for it. Our consolation is that these are young girls, for Eremina it’s only the first Worlds. Everything’s fine.”
