Gorgeous Mamun Keeps Making Mistakes...

...but I still like her, especially her jumps!

I think it is difficult to observe how a formidable competitor, such as Yana Kudryavtseva, keeps improving. I think Rita Mamun gets nervous at competitions now because she knows that, even if she does not make mistakes, Yana is still very likely to get a higher score. If we want to outplay Yana, Rita and her coach Amina Zaripova have to somehow outsmart her. Performing in a stable and consistent manner will not be enough. They need to find something Yana doesn't have and show case it.

Would you agree?

Also, how many of the fans like this leopard print? I have developped conflicting emotions about this choice of print. I used to like it on Ulyana Trofimova but I am not sure it is such a great match for Rita.

Anyway, thanks to my dear and wonderful friend Dimo Dimov, I got hold of these absolutely stunning pictures. Enjoy:

Take The 90s Gymnastics Quiz and Win a Gift

Crazy Fan's 90s Rhythmic Gymnastics Quiz

If you lived in the 1990s, a glorious gymnastics decade, I dare you to take this quiz.The person, who gets all correct answers first will receive a free Crazy Fan gift in the mail. Please take the quiz and send me a screenshot of your score at grashkina@gmail.com. Good luck!

1. In the early 90s, which gymnast won her first all around European title with 4 perfect 10.000s?
Oksana Kostina Maria Petrova Alexandra Timoshenko Bianka Panova
2. Which gymnast shared an all around European title with Alexandra Timoshenko?
Oksana Skaldina Dimitrinka Todorova Yulia Baitcheva None of the above
3. In 1993, this gymnast had to miss the World Championship in Alicante due to an ankle injury
Elena Vitrichenko Olga Gontar Amina Zaripova Larissa Lukyanenko
4. Who was the 1993 junior European champion?
Olga Gontar Diana Popova Yanina Batyrchina Ekaterina Serebryanskaya
5. When and where did Natalya Lipkovskaya become world champion with hoop?
1996 in Budapest 1998 in Seville 1997 in Berlin She was never a champion with hoop
6. Which Spanish gymnast won gold in Alicante?
Carolina Pascual Almudena Cid Tostado Alba Caride Costas Carmen Acedo
7. At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, which gymnast received a deduction because her zipper opened?
Diana Popova Irina Deleanu Oksana Skaldina Maria Petrova
8. What apparatus did Ekaterina Serebryanskaya drop when she became the 1996 Olympic Champion?
Ribbon Clubs Rope She did not drop
9. Which 90s Ukrainian gymnast was known for her long and flexible feet?
Tatiana Popova Elena Shamatulskaya Elena Vitrichenko Tamara Erofeeva
10. When did Alina Kabaeva become European champion for the first time?
1998 2000 1997 1996

Rebecca, Ronit and Jazzy Dominate U.S. Championship

The United States Championship in rhythmic gymnastics took place in Louisville this week. I have to admit I had looked into going there and watching these wonderful gymnasts live, especially Jazzy Kerber, who I have only watched online.

Here are some results:

Hoop
1 Rebecca Sereda 16.450
2 Jazzy Kerber 16.200
3 Ronit Shamuilov 15.600

Ball
1 Rebecca Sereda 16.950
2 Ronit Shamuilov 16.050
3 Cindy Lu 15.900

Clubs
1 Jazzy Kerber 16.050
2 Gabrielle Lowenstein 15.700
2 Serena Lu 15.700

Ribbon
1 Ronit Shamuilov 15.800
2 Rebecca Sereda 15.550
3 Jazzy Kerber 15.350

These look like pretty high scores for Rebecca, who has already proven herself at the international level as well. I think Jazzy and Ronit should be getting over 16.5 as well since they have lots of difficulty. I don't know how cleanly they performed, though.

Well, I could not go to Kentucky but I still have some awesome photos of Rebecca and Ronit that my sunshine Alex took from an event in Boston.