On Friday, the 22nd European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships starts on the carpet of the Moscow universal sports complex Druzhba.
However, its beginning does not look as peaceful as a year ago, when Russia hosted a similar tournament for the first time. Moscow received the current competition unexpectedly. The Inspection Commission of the European Union of Gymnastics has revealed that Portuguese Portimio is not ready for the championship and, mindful of the successful experience of the Russians, invited them to hold this tournament again.
In 2005, European leadership passed quietly - no complaints about the conditions of the tournament were addressed to the organizers. At the same time, before they could start, the competition was attacked by a hail of critical remarks that came from the camp of the Ukrainian team.
The head coach of the team, Albina Deryugina, was indignant at the conditions of the championship: “There is no room for choreography! All teams simply do not have enough space in the warm-up room, we conduct training in cramped conditions! The hotel we were accommodated in is an hour's drive from the room, and we simply don’t have time to get into traffic jams. Many teams, like ours, are dissatisfied with the hotel itself: the living conditions are disgusting ”
According to the mentor of the Ukrainian team, the owners are dishonest and behave on the sports front. Deryugina is confident that the Russians will influence the judging. From time immemorial in rhythmic gymnastics, representatives of the Slavic countries compete literally on the verge of a foul, and the home championship factor may allow Russian gymnasts to receive the favor of the referees.
However, claims to refereeing are not new, especially from the Ukrainian side. Ukrainian gymnasts were also outraged at the European Championships in 2005. Then Natalia Godunko and Anna Bessonova felt that they did not receive well-deserved medals due to the “blindness” of the judges.
This time, the best gymnast of Ukraine, the bronze medalist of the 2004 Olympics, Anna Bessonova, will not take part in the championship. True, not in protest, but because of a recent operation.
Thus, the only strong foreign rival of the Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva retired.
As for the Russian team, then Alina Kabaeva simply has no competitors. Her opponent in recent years - Irina Chashchina - last year announced her retirement. Now, a Russian gymnast with unrealized potential draws ice pirouettes in a popular television show together with the bronze medalist of the Olympics, Ukrainian figure skater Ruslan Goncharov.
\ And, finally, the most experienced Russian gymnast Olga Kapranova was also sent to the spectator stands. According to the head coach of the national team, Irina Viner, she slammed the door in her face at the six-time world champion completely consciously. And before the European Championships in Moscow, she rightly made a choice in favor of Alina Kabaeva and debutant Vera Sesina.
Learning about such a decision of the coach, many began to say that by removing Kapranova, she was trying to clear the way for her beloved gymnast. The long century on the carpet of Kabaeva is so unusual for rhythmic gymnastics that it gives rise to such rumors.
Irina Viner fights off such opinions as “slander”, saying that the only criterion for selection in the team is sportswear. Wiener made exactly the same unusual decision at first glance a year ago, having deleted Kabaev herself from the list of participants. In 2005, the form of the leader of the Russian team did not withstand any criticism. And therefore, the eminent athlete was deprived of the opportunity to speak in front of a home audience.
This time, the Olympic champion who sweated at the training camp in Novogorsk has every chance to add the sixth European champion title to her collection.
In addition to the title of the absolute champion of the continent, girls will play medals in four exercises.
For the first time, the tournament will be accompanied by junior competitions. They will determine the hostesses of five sets of awards in the team championship and individual types of all-around.
A record was set in this age group - representatives of 33 federations were on the application list, which is the highest indicator for the last ten years of junior competitions.
In a completely different way, their teams will compete. Five gymnasts will perform two exercises, the results of which will determine the strongest team. The owners of the championship title - the Russians - will not be easy to keep it, because this time the team will appear in a new composition. But then it will include two Olympic champions: Olesya Belugina and Elena Poselina.