While it was expected of Russian women’s team to take silver in the team final at Worlds and they did just that, Valentina Rodionenko is not happy with the results because the U. S. team won by almost 9 points. She said to TASS that such difference is unacceptable:
“Our gymnasts managed to achieve their main goal – to get into the top-3 and to qualify to the Olympics. However, we have no right to lose to the Americans by such a margin, even with this team”.
The Russian team is somewhat depleted in the sense that Elena Eremina and Maria Paseka are currently recovering from injuries while three gymnasts on the current team were relatively inexperienced. In addition, the team made certain mistakes that could have been avoided. However, the routines and the difficulties of the American gymnasts were known in advance since USAG broadcasted both the selection camp and the podium training. So, it is not clear why Rodionenko expected a much smaller margin and how exactly that smaller margin should have been achieved.
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Exactly. Did she expect it to be neck and neck.