"I'm having a rest after the European championships," laughs Ksenia Semenova. "Of course I must go to training, but only short sessions. Maybe I will go to the cinema."
At Europeans, you won three medals. How would you rate your performance?
"About a four. I know I did well, but I'm not completely happy. I could have done a lot better in beam finals. Despite the bronze in floor, I'm not absolutely happy with that either. But the bar final turned out well in the end!"
Nevertheless, you had to concede the UB title to Beth Tweddle...
"Yes, and we competed against each other last year also, at Europeans. Then she made errors, and I won the final. But here, Tweddle's difficulty score was two-tenths above mine. That's a lot. Both of us executed our routines well, but it was the difficulty score that made the difference."
Tweddle is seven years you senior, and more powerful. Does this give her an advantage?
"I don't know. It could work either way. Results come to those of all ages, no matter how many times you have competed. I didn't feel any disadvantage because of my age."
This year you began to train all-around. Has this weakened your favourite event, uneven bars?
"I wouldn't say so; they are at the same level as before. Basically, I trained all-around now, and earlier, but now I am improving the apparatuses that are not as good - vault and floor. I'm still training as much as I did before the Olympics, but it is organised differently.
Was it your decision to train all-around?
"My coaches decided, but I'm happy to do it."
You know that the last European all-around champion we had was Svetlana Khorkina, seven years ago?
"Yes. I know Sveta, and we sometimes communicate. No, she doesn't give me any special advice, just chatting."
Do you like Khorkina's style?
"Yes, but also Tweddle, and Romanians Steliana Nistor and Sandra Izbasa."
Was it hard to begin training again after the Olympics?
"[can't understand] but then I began to train as before. It seems to me that I am now taking gymnastics more seriously."
What relationship do you have with the new senior trainer, Alexander Alexandrov?
"His appointment hasn't changed anything for me. I work with my trainer, Marina Nazarovoj, as before. Alexander Sergeevich, of course, watches our training, and sometimes advises or helps."
How is it possible to combine gymnastics with study?
"Somehow it is possible *laughs*. Teachers work with us at Round Lake, in between training, and I also do homework. I don't know what I want to do after school. I haven't thought about it yet."
Showing posts with label 2009 european championships. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2009 european championships. Show all posts
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Russian coaches on Semenova and Afanasyeva's victory
OK this is really hard to make sense of, but here's what I can understand:
Ksenia Semenova, from near Moscow, became the all-around European champion. In second place was her friend - Ksenia Afanasyeva. They both train with Marina Nazarovoj.
It seems that even Marina Nazarovoj has not taken in what has happened. She is completely exhausted, hardly speaking.
The girls have not simply won. They have done much more than is possible. They have not only won the European championships, they shown the absolute result under the regulations - only two gymnasts per country. One took the gold, the other - silver!
Valentina Rodionenko's state trainer cries: "How many humiliations were there after the Olympic games! And there will be no magic wands - there will be times of victory, but not before times of defeat. [something about Alexandrov] He (Alexandrov) has created a miracle - which the Russian gymnasts have never managed - not to be confused with the Soviets.
Semenova began with bars. She fell in qualifications, so we simplified a combination. It was not a case of reproaches, but of tactics. In the all-around it is not necessary to have full difficulty to win. She got a good score - 14.925. Then she came to the beam. I'm not sure, but it seemed that the hall was dead silent while Semenova performed. She made a few errors, but very small ones. 14.8, and she was comfortably in the lead. After her bar routine, Afanasyeva was in second.
Many, last year, have considered that Semenova has acted on her best pieces. But they have not seen the new routines? of the new champion. Ksenia loves her floor routine (I think) and in Bryansk had a leotard to show the routine more brightly, but also in a feminine way. (Argh, translation muddly. sorry.) However, that leotard did not come under the regulations (I wonder what it was!!) so she could not wear it at the European championships. After floor Semenova had 43.95. And it was almost quiet. Her vault - all she had to do was land it accurately. No more than that.
Afanasyeva had fallen on beam to take the score of 13.575. But the lead she had gained in the first half of the competition allowed her to stay in second.
And then there was the last rotation. Semenova vaulted near the start. 14.225 - and she was unbeatable! In some minutes the winner of the silver medal was known. With Afanasyeva's finishing performance, "unique, the most complicated and extraordinarily expressive," as one of our colleagues from a gymmedia site put it, her floor exercise put her up to 57.6.
And we have burst into tears and have burst out laughing...
Ksenia Semenova, from near Moscow, became the all-around European champion. In second place was her friend - Ksenia Afanasyeva. They both train with Marina Nazarovoj.
It seems that even Marina Nazarovoj has not taken in what has happened. She is completely exhausted, hardly speaking.
The girls have not simply won. They have done much more than is possible. They have not only won the European championships, they shown the absolute result under the regulations - only two gymnasts per country. One took the gold, the other - silver!
Valentina Rodionenko's state trainer cries: "How many humiliations were there after the Olympic games! And there will be no magic wands - there will be times of victory, but not before times of defeat. [something about Alexandrov] He (Alexandrov) has created a miracle - which the Russian gymnasts have never managed - not to be confused with the Soviets.
Semenova began with bars. She fell in qualifications, so we simplified a combination. It was not a case of reproaches, but of tactics. In the all-around it is not necessary to have full difficulty to win. She got a good score - 14.925. Then she came to the beam. I'm not sure, but it seemed that the hall was dead silent while Semenova performed. She made a few errors, but very small ones. 14.8, and she was comfortably in the lead. After her bar routine, Afanasyeva was in second.
Many, last year, have considered that Semenova has acted on her best pieces. But they have not seen the new routines? of the new champion. Ksenia loves her floor routine (I think) and in Bryansk had a leotard to show the routine more brightly, but also in a feminine way. (Argh, translation muddly. sorry.) However, that leotard did not come under the regulations (I wonder what it was!!) so she could not wear it at the European championships. After floor Semenova had 43.95. And it was almost quiet. Her vault - all she had to do was land it accurately. No more than that.
Afanasyeva had fallen on beam to take the score of 13.575. But the lead she had gained in the first half of the competition allowed her to stay in second.
And then there was the last rotation. Semenova vaulted near the start. 14.225 - and she was unbeatable! In some minutes the winner of the silver medal was known. With Afanasyeva's finishing performance, "unique, the most complicated and extraordinarily expressive," as one of our colleagues from a gymmedia site put it, her floor exercise put her up to 57.6.
And we have burst into tears and have burst out laughing...
Valentina Rodionenko on Euro qualifications
Who will compete in the All-Around? According to regulations, only two gymnasts per country may compete.
"Kristina has a badly injured ankle. So we will put Afanasyeva in instead of her."
In your opinion, how likely is it that Ksenia Semenova will win?
"More than likely. The most important thing is not to waver. Tomorrow it begins again at zero. And it will be necesary to win again."
Will Semenova perform to standard on bars? Will today's fall affect her?
"I very much hope that Ksenia will recover from the fall, though it will be difficult. It is a new, complicated routine (?), and it causes problems. And there is strong competition: Beth Tweddle from England, in excellent form!"
(BTW: if Ksenia had not fallen, she would have a higher UB score than Beth by about a couple of tenths.)
"Kristina has a badly injured ankle. So we will put Afanasyeva in instead of her."
In your opinion, how likely is it that Ksenia Semenova will win?
"More than likely. The most important thing is not to waver. Tomorrow it begins again at zero. And it will be necesary to win again."
Will Semenova perform to standard on bars? Will today's fall affect her?
"I very much hope that Ksenia will recover from the fall, though it will be difficult. It is a new, complicated routine (?), and it causes problems. And there is strong competition: Beth Tweddle from England, in excellent form!"
(BTW: if Ksenia had not fallen, she would have a higher UB score than Beth by about a couple of tenths.)
SEMENOVA EUROPEAN AA CHAMPION!!!!!!!!
And Afanasyeva got put in because Goryunova was injured and came in second behind her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Third was Ariella Kaeslin.
On the men's side, Yuri Ryazanov (Russia) was 3rd:D; Fabian Hambüchen first and Daniel Keatings from GBR second.
Third was Ariella Kaeslin.
On the men's side, Yuri Ryazanov (Russia) was 3rd:D; Fabian Hambüchen first and Daniel Keatings from GBR second.
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