Russia Falls Off The Podium

Shock. I am still in utter shock over Russia not medalling. There's always a certain amount of pessimism that comes with being a Russian gymnastics fan but I can't agree with any who's said they saw yesterday's results coming. I didn't. Russia posted a strong qualifications score with multiple points differentiating them from top qualifiers, USA, and third place, Britain. Was ever there such a comfy little position in second? The coaches spoke about not having any pretensions for gold, they spoke about the need for the girls to simply duplicate the quality of their training, they spoke about pacing for Rio, they spoke about feeling no pressure, they spoke, and they spoke, and they spoke. And it all sounded right, and as far as the weekend's qualifications went, Russia was backing up its words with results. 

So how can I even begin to describe my state of shock when this team came to ruins once it mattered most?

China and USA did a fantastic job correcting their qualifications mistakes and from the start of the competition, I could see their nerves had gone to steel. Watching USA perform today was like London 2.0: similar red leos in a similar pink stadium filled with adoring British fans, and that same overpowering determination to hit 12 solid routines and never let up. Impressive clutch performances from Fierce Five members Douglas and Raisman had me looking around in confusion for Maroney and Kyla. But if today's team final was indeed London 2.0, then I should've known I would be crying for Russia by the end of the night! 

It started on bars, when Paseka failed to max out the connections in her routine and instead delivered a 6.1 bars set. Her cautious tone on bars set the pace for the next two competitors and made equalizing with USA (after vault rotation) a little less likely. But if Vika and Daria could perform excellently, then Russia would go into the third rotation trailing USA by  two to three tenths maximum,a great boost to a team that can edge USA on beam if they hit. But the reality is, Vika and Daria failed in a big way. Daria looked very nervous after Paseka's routine and performed a cautious, devalued UB set of 6.5. She had good swing but looked like the sooner she could get off bars and pass the pressure, the better; her handstands came up very short and the pirouettes were noticeably late. With Russia now several tenths down from their qualifying total, it was left up to Vika to try to deliver a blow to American morale. Unfortunately, the pressure of the moment was too much for her and she peeled off the high bar after struggling to maintain handstand position on her full. She seemed surprised, confused, and looked a little defeated. However, she regrouped to finish the set with superb form and a big hop forward on a deep dismount. 

        

To be routed on your best event and then watch your competitors, supposedly not good at bars, absolutely kill it must have been unnerving, and the girls weren't in the talking mood as they rotated single file to the next apparatus. Can I just skip the third rotation? I don't wanna talk about it cuz this is where Russia lost silver, and then another two falls later, they lost bronze. They had everything in their arsenal to get a medal tonight, but this team literally fell off the podium when they fell off beam. Their falls were all so stupid: Seda nailed everything but sat down the dismount(!), Kharenkova got to the last skill in her routine, an L turn, before touching the beam (only.5 deduction) then decided to simply come off altogether (1.0 point), and Vika fell because...peer pressure? Lol, she absolutely could've saved that arabian; in slow motion replay, we see she's not aligned with the beam but she's not so far over it either, and as her first foot clawed to grasp the beam her second foot just dawdles right above the beam, is about to land on the beam, then suddenly she throws her foot over the side and is completely off. I  think the last fall was completely mental, spurred by demoralized team spirit. Oh, and there was no Aliya to pep talk them through the tense moments so they appeared extra deflated. Three falls and a rejected enquiry followed Russia to the floor rotation.

I don't think the girls realized how doomed they were by then. Competing next to powerhouse USA probably didn't make them look across the hall, or at the numbers on the jumbo screen, to realize GBR was heading to their best event, vault. Team Russia cannot produce the floor routines to hold off another country's vault scores. But again, I don't think they realized just what was truly happening. Up until the very last floor routine, they were happy and showing smiles for the camera. As soon as Afan's 14.5 (down from quals) appeared, I saw Afan's smile, and the rest of the team's, go to hell. Mama Afan looked upset, while the rest of the girls began pacing despondently. Russia didn't expect China to improve their VT/FX so drastically since last year, and knew they were in trouble when Afan's score only brought them to second place with a dodgy 171.964. I think that's when the crowd, and the girls, realized an opportunity might be in the making. USA was guaranteed gold, even if they fell five times, and GBR needed to count a fall on vault if Russia was to have a saving grace. It didn't happen; both teams finished their events strongly and the crowd was erupting every minute between a hit American floor then a hit British vault. The atmosphere was electric. While other teams were hugging and cheering and crying, the Russians stood in a line and quietly waited to be escorted backstage. Every girl was in her own head. 

If consolation had been offered it would've been impossible to graciously receive in a situation that wasn't just tragic but very upsetting to each of them. 


         

I am very disappointed in the official party line the team has taken after the final. Valentina has already gone on to blame the judges for home bias, as if high 14's and 15's on solid DTY's are unheard of. She doesn't seem to get the point: even if we humored her and declared GBR to be overscored in the last rotation, why should a top country like Russia put themselves in a position to be overtaken in that manner, in the first place? Viktoria Komova further provoked people by obnoxiously declaring that GBR and CHN won their medals thanks to luck. Really? China always had the difficulty to overtake Russia; they just failed to do so in quals thanks to 1 million falls. Perhaps someone should enlighten the poor child that it is possible to get redemption from a bad qualifications. And as for Britain, I believe Paseka said it best after becoming European champion: they earned their luck. Vika also made this disparaging comment: "We're not strong enough on our own but pump us up full of hormones & steroids like American & we'll find enough strength." You actually are strong enough on your own, Vika, but you must condition for more than five minutes to realize that. And while I hate the idea of body shaming girls point blank, I find the insinuation of cheating with drug enhancement adds an extra layer of disgust to the typical complaints about girls with muscles. However, we must realize that Vika is not Team Russia, nor does she represent the average Russian gym fan. She was roundly condemned on VK by her fans for these words, many telling her to own up to her actions, take responsibility, and be a good sportswoman. Put into context with how gracious the Americans have been regarding her comeback, it is extra disheartening to see such a poor display of respect. Vika being a brat is nothing new but I thought she had grown past these types of comments. It seems not, and it makes cheering for her harder. She has "apologized' but I leave it up to you to decide whether 'I have no proof [of my statements]' is an apology. 

In other news, Aliya Mustafina has spoken some words on the situation, which I will post later today. In the meantime, she is currently flying home and will have knee surgery immediately. Maybe after TF the coaches were like 'Aliya, you need to get better NOW.' I'm sad she won't be around for EF's. 

Full results here

Some videos: 

gifs courtesy of sparklesandchalk.tumblr