Category: Olympics

Germany looking good for Rio

Lauren Hopkins:

This team not only has the ability to qualify to finals, but they actually have the potential to challenge for the bronze medal.

If you do the math, their averages this season currently place them around fourth behind the United States, China, and Russia. But with Germany looking stronger than ever right now, that bronze medal is well within their reach, especially if they are able to take advantage of mistakes from another program. Great Britain made it happen to win bronze over Russia last year, but Germany is definitely one of the favorites to sneak in next month. …

Germany’s Strongest Olympic Team Ever

The team competition in Rio will be far more competitive than in London, I think. With 12-up, 12-count there could be surprises. 🙂

Germany

Afan retires

Leading Russian gymnast since 2007, Ksenia Afanasyeva has retired from gymnastics for medical reasons, reports Alexei Fililov from R Sport.

Valentina Rodionenko explained that Ksenia has a serious kidney illness. She is in hospital and will take not just days but weeks to recover. …

Ksenia Afanasyeva takes retirement

Afan

… Ksenia Afanasyeva competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2012 Summer Olympics. She is the 2011 World Floor champion, the 2013 and 2015 European Floor champion, and the 2013 Universiade Vault and Floor champion. …

Evgeniya Shelgunova, 18, will replace Afanasyeva as the traveling alternate for a team that includes Aliya Mustafina, Angelina Melnikova, Seda Tutkhalyan, Daria Spiridonova, and Maria Paseka. Natalia Kapitonova and Lilia Akhaimova are the non-traveling alternates. …

RRG

Of course we must wait until Sunday to find out if the IOC will allow Russian gymnasts to compete in Rio. 😦

Simone on Sports Illustrated

Simone in white

Nadia’s 1st Olympic perfect 10

Exactly 40 years since she performed the first ‘Perfect 10’, Laureus Academy Member Nadia Comaneci has reflected on her historic Olympic success and looked ahead to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. …

Around the Rings

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Hop? What hop? 🙂

As a young man I declined the chance to attend those Games. In retrospect, a BIG mistake.

(via papaliukin)

Russian gymnasts should NOT be banned from Rio

Whilst FIG fully supports the IOC’s policy of “Zero Tolerance in Doping”, it strongly feels that not all Russian athletes of all sports should be banned and found guilty for actions in other sports and federations.

Artistic Gymnastics, Rhythmic Gymnastics and Trampoline athletes cannot be judged based on other sports. …

FIG raises serious concerns about possible blanket ban on Russian athletes

Rewriting Russian Gymnastics has been closely following this story – No Russia for Rio? – WADA/McLaren report set to recommend blanket ban

The good news?

IOC Executive Board member blasts USADA and CCES for calling for blanket Rio 2016 ban on Russian athletes in leaked letter

For the record, the Olympic boycotts of 1980 and 1984 were also terribly unfair to completely innocent athletes.

Mustafina