After saying to the media that Russian WAG national team is having issues, Valentina Rodionenko continued the criticism and, as usual, found new favorites. She said to TASS that some gymnasts born in 2004 are very likely to make the Russian Olympic team next year. While she did not provide specific names, she likely meant Vladislava Urazova and Elena Gerasimova who were on the gold-winning team at the Junior World Championships. In addition, Urazova won silver in the all-around, gold on bars and bronze on vault, while Gerasimova won gold on beam and bronze on floor. Both gymnasts took part in the three-week-long training camp in Japan with the senior team right after Junior Worlds.
Rodionenko told TASS:
“We’ve been having problems on the women’s team since the World Championships in Qatar. I’ll remind you that we didn’t win a single individual medal there. And there’s no reason to be happy now either. We’ll be bringing the young ones up to the level. We have gymnasts born in 2004, they’re showing a completely different kind of gymnastics. And we’re ready to take them to the Tokyo Olympics. Young gymnasts might make up half of the team there.”
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I completely forgot that the Russian women didn’t win a single individual medal at last year’s World Championships… in my head Mustafina won a medal on bars & Melnikova won a medal on floor, haha!
I completely forgot that the Russian women didn’t win a single World Championship individual medal! In my head Mustafina won a medal on bars & Melnikova won a medal on floor, haha. Oops!