Russian Cup 2016: Event Finals

The Periscope streams we had were terrible and mostly focusing on the men, so I can't really write much about the event finals. Click read more for my short recap of the events.

But more importantly, Andrei Rodionenko announced the Olympic team (yes, again, this the 100th team probably) after the event finals, and it's currently:

• Aliya Mustafina
• Angelina Melnikova
• Maria Paseka
• Daria Spiridonova
• Seda Tutkhalyan
• Alts: Kapitonova, Afanasyeva, Akhaimova

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Here are the event final medalists: 

Vault

1. Maria Paseka 14.867     

2. Seda Tutkhalyan 14.734

3. Tatiana Nabieva 14.234 

Uneven Bars

1. Natalia Kapitonova 15.333  

2. Angelina Melnikova 15.033

3. Daria Spiridonova 14.933    

Balance Beam

1. Angelina Melnikova 15.400

2. Seda Tutkhalyan 13.967      

3. Evgenia Shelgunova 13.867

Floor Exercise

1. Lilia Akhaimova 14.367      

2. Natalia Kapitonova 13.867  

3. Angelina Melnikova 13.733

Russian Cup 2016: A Better Day

I actually wrote this yesterday right after the competition and then forgot to publish it, whoops. So that's why I keep using today and yesterday wrong. Forgive me.
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Today was the Day 2 of all around, with yesterday's scores coming back to haunt everyone. Good thing everyone had equally bad day yesterday, and equally good day today (except for Aliya), so no one suffered too much from yesterday's disaster.

We also got an explanation to that uneven bars fiasco yesterday. Apparently the team has changed their equipment to a new brand and model to match the equipment in Rio (Gymnova if I remember correctly). This particular UB set not only differed from their usual set, but was not "broken in" and had a different fool to it because of that. At least that's what they're saying. I'd think the girls were used to adapting fast to new equipment, but maybe this brand is just very different. Hopefully they get used to it before leaving for Rio. Today most of the girls actually hit their routines, but Aliya was still having difficulties. Since she's the most experienced gymnast, you'd think that it was the other was around, but since she also has nothing to prove, she just didn't want to keep fighting when it didn't feel right. Hopefully it's that instead of those old nagging injuries presenting themselves.

And one more thing about yesterday. If you were wondering like me why most of the national team showed up to a team competition wearing whatever they wanted, I have no answer to that. But I can say that their respective teams were deducted for it on their scores, oops. :D So let's thank Natalia Kapitonova for following the dress code and not costing for her team because of it.

But onto today's competition. Melka owned it, as expected of her. I really wasn't a fan of her when she was a junior, but she's blossomed into a beautiful gymnast and excellent all arounder, how could I not like her. Princess Tut had an impressive performance too for a silver medal and Aliya climbed up from her 5th spot to third. That needed to happen. Shelgie was right at her heels....

1: Angelina Melnikova 117.150 (57.625/59.525) 

2. Seda Tutkhalyan      116.150 (57.075/59.075)  

3. Aliya Mustafina   112.800 (54.900/57.900)      

Russian Cup 2016: Enjoy the Disaster

The Olympics are coming and it's time to show your best, what you're capable of, what you've been working on since you were 5. Or not, if you're Team Russia. There were falls and 12s everywhere, and nearly everybody completely fucked up bars. Aliya got a 12 on bars! Moscow, the deepest team didn't even medal. If this was P&Gs, Marta would have committed a mass murder.

But it was not the P&Gs. It was the Russian Cup, historically a bad event, so let's just enjoy the disaster that only Russian gymnastics can bring. They're so bad it's good.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to give a shoutout to Romania. It's nationals and Lari has a concussion and Cata is getting rehydrated in the hospital because of a violent stomach flu. Wow. At least the Russians made it to the meet before combustion.