Five Gymnasts Who Can Define and Change Rhythmic Gymnastics Today

So, now that we discussed the gymnasts who did not make the final but one day will be very powerful, how about the ones who shine brightly in the top spots? Who are they and what could they do better?

1. Ganna Rizatdinova, Ukraine - her fierce look, long legs, ability to interpret any music, the speed of her pivots. Everything speaks of a winner and she can win this Olympics. But, as you may see on the picture, her hands are often free while the apparatus is on the floor or held in one spot. If she changed this, she would be unstoppable.

2. Margarita Mamun, Russia - Rita may not be as famous as her illustrious teammate Kudryavtseva, but she is more diverse and interesting to watch, more expressive. She should just focus and believe in herself. Physically, she is ready to take the world's gymnastics throne. Mentally, she is centimeters away.

3. Yana Kudryavtseva, Russia - a triple world champion at age 19 and a true innovator who creates new element and style, glides effortlessly on the carpet and just appears to look in control about 101% of the time. Of course she can win. My pet peeve: her leaps. Leaps are one of the most impressive and "superhero" moves in gymnastics and without them, routines just don't look as masterful to me.

4. Son Yeon- Jae - incapable of making a move that fails to look elegant in a classical ballet sense, Son has the most beautiful arm and head movements in the world. She is very clean and stable during most events and performs with real joy.  On this first picture, she looks as though she is a bit surprised the ball is there. This is what can change for the better: like Rizatdinova, she could add more risk and apparatus difficulty.

5. Neviana Vladinova, Bulgaria - so refreshing to see a gymnast who does not remind you of anyone else but herself; with a truly original style including very innovative moves such as elements from break-dancing in her routines, she is both statuesque and fragile, and strong and dynamic. Poised to make grand contributions to the future of our favorite sport, Neviana can work on her pirouettes and the overall fluidity of going from one element to another. It will take time, but she has made a giant leap into world class quality and has brought a lot of excitement to the Rio audience. I tried to capture the moment of her coach kissing her when the Olympic rings suddenly showed up on my screen, so here are Brani and Nevi in the sparkle of great success!

5 Gymnasts (from 4 Continents!) Who Did Not Make the Final

1. The beautiful Nicole Ruprecht from Austria - She has very clean lines, strong pirouettes, good apparatus work. We have seen Nicole in top 10, but this time she did not make the final. Best of luck and her wonderful Bulgarian coach, Luchia!

2. Danielle Prince from Austalia -  Danielle has advanced a lot and  is no doubt, Australia's strongest rhythmic gymnast of all times. Australia has a powerful tradition in artistic gymnastic and I hope that with Danielle's influence, rhythmic will become more popular there as well.

3. Kaho Minagawa from Japan -  Flexible, strong, elegant, always smiling, frequently positioned in top 10. This time she did not make the final, but if she keeps competing, she will be quite a threat at the Worlds, to everyone in top 10.

4. Elyane Boal from Cape Verde - the only African in the competition, she performed with a lot of joy and showed potential. The audience enjoyed her vibrant personality. She should continue to do her best and inspire other African girls to take up this sport.

5. Varvara Filiou, the diva from Greece -  Born to a Bulgarian mother and a Greek father, coached in Russia by a Russian coach. Varvara is everyone's favorite because she is dramatic, flirty, original and a natural born dancer. As a gymnast, she has the potential to perform many difficult elements a lot more cleanly than she did this time. Still a delight to watch!

Oksana Chusovitina: A Vault Takes Seconds, A Legend Lasts Forever

Here she is, ready as always. I have pulled some of her Olympic vaults. I am waiting for the 2016 final with amazement!





Chusovitina in 1992:


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In 1996:


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In 2000:


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In 2004:


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In 2008:


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In 2012:


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In 2016:

ТHE VAULT FINAL IS COMING ON AUGUST 14!

Salome in Full Attack Position for an Olympic Medal

Does Salome Pazhava have a chance to win a medal in Rio? I wish she did!

Her ball routine is one of the most innovative this season, but she has performed all four routines cleanly in most, if not all, recents competition. She has already shown off her style with hoop and clubs as well. If she has a "weak spot," I would say it is ribbon technique, but Salome has definitely earned her spot among the best gymnasts in the world. 

Currently, all of her routines have enough difficulty and expression for her to reach high and try to measure up to Son from Korea, Staniouta from Belarus and Rizatdinova from the Ukraine. I would say she looks much stronger and definitely more exciting to watch than Moustafaeva from France and Rivkin from Israel. She is also in far better shape than the second representative of Belarus, Halkina.

I love her focus, her stamina, her intensity, her unapologetically athletic and powerful style.  Her leotards and music were very well chosen to tell no ordinary fairy tale of a graceful princess, but a story of warrior and dragons. That,  a plot of flying mythical creatures and valiant heroes, is just what I picture when I watch her perform.

Neviana Vladinova Dreams of Rio

Neviana Vladinova has quickly become one of the most interesting and most promising gymnasts on the Bulgarian team. My impression of her is that she works very hard to improve and that she is able to show her strengths with very original routines. We have a lot of time until the Rio Olympics but I felt very happy to read in an recent intereview that Neviana's goal is to participate! I think acknowledging one's dreams and goals definitely means one has made the first step in the process of achieving them.I wish Neviana the best of health and can't wait to enjoy her gymnastics. The photos below, courtesy of Dimo Dimov, demonstrate her expressive and sophisticated style. I find them very inspiring because they look as though she is flying, while her feet remain on the ground, a harmony of emotion and confident control.