Throwback Thursday: Gymnix 10 Years Ago

L'International Gymnix has been held every year for more than 20 years, so it's natural that the meet has had some very reputable gymnasts as contestants. For Russian gymnasts in particular, the meet has often given us international debuts of their most promising juniors. The 2008 Gymnix 10 years ago was no exception, we saw 12-year-old Anastasia Grishina and 11-year-old Nailya Mustafina, the Queen's little sister, at the top of the podium. Nastia obviously went on to have a semi-successful (but considering her talent, still disappointing) senior career, but Nailya broke her leg while still a junior and never recovered to compete at her old level.

I might be the only one who finds watching old videos of absolutely dreadful quality even slightly entertaining, but here you go anyway. It's a bit comforting to see that even Grishy had a rough time, so clearly there's hope for the rest of them too. Although, no matter how many mistakes Grishy made, she still looked nothing short of exceptional with the way she carried herself. And Nailya... Such a talent at only 11. I remember many people thought she was more promising than Aliya. I think she was younger and had more difficulty and skills, but lacked Aliya's finesse. Time would have shown, but it wasn't to be.

Nailya:

Grishy: