Valentina Rodionenko talked to Team Russia website about the preparation of the senior team for the European Championships. She also talked about the team selection for Worlds and it seems that currently the five people competing at Euros plus Mustafina and Komova are the only ones being considered for Worlds.
The main goal of this competition is to test the new team, since Angelina Melnikova is the only experienced gymnast on that team:
“Four out of five gymnasts will compete at such major competition for the first time. These are young gymnasts who are, on one hand, plan on making the national team for Worlds at the end of October in Qatar and, on the other hand, are preparing for the 2020 Olympics. They only have one goal: to consistently perform new and difficult routines. If they can do it the results will follow. There will be no all-around competition at the upcoming Euros. There will only be a team competition and event finals. And there’s a new rule that doesn’t leave room for mistakes. We don’t put pressure on the young gymnasts to necessarily win. They need to do what they can in competition. If they’ll do what they are ready to, they’ll be the first”.
According to Rodionenko, Euros will be one stage of a selection for the Worlds team:
“Some of them [the gymnasts at Euros] will make the [Worlds] team anyways. There are four contenders that need to show themselves. But in addition to them, there are two experienced gymnasts waiting for Worlds. We left at home Viktoria Komova who’s not yet in the desired shape. Aliya Mustafina didn’t get into the competition shape yet either. Both will be preparing to compete in Qatar”.
Melnikova is slated to be the only gymnast to do all four events in Glasgow while the rest of the team will only do two or even one:
“[Melnikova] is the team leader, the only experienced gymnast [on the team]. Angelina will compete on all four events. The rest – on two or even one, depending on what’s going better for them. Generally, the girls are prepared for the competition. Now we’ll see how they’ll show themselves on the competition floor”.
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