Anna Rizatdinova was the bronze medallist in Rhythmic Gymnastics in Rio Olympic Games in 2016. Anna commented in a recent interview her point of view on the winner at the 2020 Olympics, Linoy Ashram fron Israel. “I was third, but Yana Kudryatseva made a mistake with clubs”.
Linoy Ashram (ISR)
“I agree that Yana had more difficult in her routines, but everyone had 10 points – the initial amount. I could only scored these 10 points with turns. Kudryavtseva did incredible things with the ball. Her ball control is unique. I admit that when it’s great, then it’s great. But she made a mistake and, nevertheless, she was in second place. If I made a mistake – God forbid, dropped a ribbon, a ball – there would be no talk of any bronze – it would be 6-7th place at best”
Rizatdinova gave an interview to the Ostrov YouTube channel.
Anna Rizatdinova (UKR)
Yana Kudryavtseva, also commented about this interview:
“I always respect all the gymnast and I have never said anything negative about them. But this time, I did not understand these words towards me. Anna Rizatdinova thinks that I didn’t deserve a second place in Rio Olympics 2016 due to my mistake in clubs. Well, the real price for me were my fans, audience. I am very proud of my position in Rio. My advice: accept your defeats.”
Silver Olympic Medallist, World and European Champion, Yana Kudryavtseva, announces her retirement because of her leg injury.
Irina Viner-Usmanova, president of Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation also confirms that Kudryavtseva is about to retire.
“Yana is injured since last year and she is still in pain. Last year, she underwent surgery, but now, she can’t resist this pain anymore. We are deeply sad because she is very young, she is such a beauty in terms of gymnnastics.”
After Olympic Games in Rio, Yana Kudryavsteva was advised to visit her orthopaedic surgeon again. Surgeons decided that Yana needed surgery once again.
On the other hand, it is still not clear if Olympic Champion, Margarita Mamun will continue her gymnastics career.
“I would like to continue and compete in Tokyo Olympic Games 2020, but there’s a long way to go.”
Rhythmic Gymnastics is a very emotive sport: isnt’t it? Gymnasts are rivals but they are also best friends. We all even can see the good relationship between coaches and their gymnast such as Amina Zaripova and Margarita Mamun, Ireesha Blohina and Anna Rizatdinova or Aleksandra Soldatova and Anna Dyachenko-Shumilova.
An example of friends are rivals are Yana Kudryavtseva and Margarita Mamun. They are happy for each other no matter what.
Yana Kudryavtseva (RUS) and Margarita Mamun (RUS)
Amina Zaripova was one of the top gymnasts from Russia on 90’s. And now, she is coach of an Olympic Champion. Amina support Rita since she was a junior gymnast. She is always really sweet with her gymnasts.
Margarita Mamun (RUS) and Amina Zaripova
Anastasiya Serdyukova (UZB) and Sevar Karimova
Daria Svatkovskaya (RUS) and her mum (and coach) Oksana Skaldina
Carolina Rodríguez (ESP) and Ruth Fernández
Almudena Cid and Natalia García (ESP)
Anna Rizatdinova (UKR) and Ireesha Blohina
Russian twins Dina and Arina Averina always support each other . We can say they are almost the whole day, even in competitions, together.
Russian Group 2011 iconic leotard, that reminds Valentino’s roses
Leotard is a skin-tight one-piece garment that covers the torso but leaves the legs wore by gymnasts. Some of them are also covering legs and they are called “unitards”. Leotards designers can find their inspiration on fashion runways. Here are some examples:
Margarita Mamun
Olympic Champion, Margarita Mamun, wore a leotard that was clear an inspiration of Versace’s Runway gown that was also seen in supermodels such as Gigi Hadid.
Russian team gymnast, Karina Kuznetsova wore a leotard inspired in Valentino’s original gown. This leotard was worn as its first time by Margarita Mamun.
Yana Kudryavtseva loves fashion and that can be also seen on her leotards. Yana wore all her new 2016 season leotards during Baltic Hoop 2016. Her ball leotard was an inspiration on an iconic design by Dior Couture.
Margarita Mamun
Photo by Enrico Della Valle
Margarita Mamun’sbutterflies leotard was a leotard adaptation from Jean Louis Sabaji SS 2013 Ready To Wear collection.
Another case in point is this beautiful leotard inspired in Elie Saab’s Couture 2013 gown, wore by Margarita Mamun
Yana Kudryavtseva wearing an inspired leotard on Elie Saab’s SS 2014 Runway Gown
World Champion and Silver Medal at Olympic Games in Rio 2016, Yana Kudryavtseva talked to Russian Magazine Men’s Health about her successful sports career.
The question is, who could beat Kudryavtseva’s victories? She seems to be unbeaten, since Yana is 11 times European Champion (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016) and 13 times World Champion (2013, 2014, 2015). She is also Longines Elegance Ambassador.
In 2013, you became the youngest World Champion in Rhythmic Gymnastics. How can you motivate yourself for all these years?
I can say sportsmen life sometimes become really hard. My motivation consists of thinking about competitions to show as much as I can do.
Which is your favorite apparatus?
My favorite one is ball. But that doesn’t mean that ball routines are easy at all.
Your routines use classical music such as Mozart, Rachmaninov and Sibelius but, which is your favorite kind of music?
It depends on my mood but I like something femenine and melancholic.
After Olympic Games were all over, what did you dream about?
I have already got my silver medal and I dreamed that something is yet to come.
Eight-time World Champion in Rhythmic Gymnastics, Yana Kudryavtseva, skips Grand Prix Series this week because of her final exams at school. Her aim is to join St. Petersburg University of Physical Education.
At the end of the week, her exams are about Russian Language (28th of May) and Mathematics (1st of June).
“Yana is studying in the morning and training during the evening” – says her coach Elena Karpushenko – “I am afraid she is missing a lot of competitions for the preparation of European Games, but Yana is fit, and trains very hard”
Kudryavtseva skipped for this reason World Cup in Tashkent last week. Her goal is to compete at European games in Baku, in June.
These are the very first “European Games” in history, which are going to be held every 4 years. Rhythmic Gymnastics is scheduled from 17th to 21st of June. On the other hand, Margarita Mamun, Alexandra Soldatova and Veronika Polyakova are attending Berlin Grand Prix this weekend in Germany.
Since 2013, when she became a national team gymnast, Yana Kudryavtseva won almost everything: European Champion All Around in Baku 2014, World Champion, European team Champion and a bunch of tournaments and Grand Prix Series.
“I wouldn’t actually say that my main goal is to win: I just want to perform a good competition and listen to the advices of my coach. I need to work hard and train smart: there’s no other secret to become the winner. When I am not leading the competition, it makes me work harder”
“I find competitions easier than training. Even if the competition is not going very well for me, nature helps me do my best. When I am not leading the competition for the first moment it is even easier for me, because it makes me work harder”
“I find competitions easier than training”
“I remember that long time ago I was training and spinning the ball on a finger. My coach, Elena Karpushenko found it interesting and said I should work on this movement, because it could become my signature element”
Yana’s “spinning ball element” became really famous. Viktoriya, Yana’s mother also talked about her daughter:
“She is very kind and stubborn at the same time which I think is great for sports. She has also a competitive nature. I could say she is an angel with iron wings”
“My name is Yana Kudryavtseva. I am 16 – the youngest ever World Champion in Rhythmic Gymnastics. I was born in Moscow, in Russia. I got into Rhythmic gymnastics when I was 4 years old. My father – he was an Olympic Champion in swimming. He knew my coach and she suggested I look into gymnastics.
“I am the youngest ever World Champion in R.G.”
At first he was reluctant as he knew how hard it would be, but eventually he let me do the training to improve my flexibility, body posture and body shape.
As it turn out, Rhythmic Gymnastics is become my entire life.
I perform with ball, ribbon, clubs and hoop. Rhythmic gymnastics is a beautiful, femenine sport . Each apparatus is difficult to master , so you have to train hard no matter how tired you are. Until I have perfected everything my coach tells me to do I am not allowed to leave the gym.
“Each apparatus is difficult to master, you have to train hard no matter how tired you are”
I train 5 to 6 hours a day. One of my nicknames is “Crystal Statuette” im most famous for spinning the ball on my finger.
When you are on the victory podium you are a queen, but when you come down from it you are nobody, you cannot be proud of yourself.
But when I perform I feel something very special, something the audience can never feel, im uplifted.”
“Mi nombre es Yana Kudryavtseva. Tengo 16 años, y soy la campeona más jóven del mundo de gimnasia rítmica. Nací en Moscú, Rusia. Comencé a practicar Gimnasia Ritmica cuando tenía cuatro años de edad. Mi padre fue un campeón olímpico de natación. Él conocía a mi entrenadora y ella le sugirió que empezara a practicar gimnasia.
“Comencé a practicar gimnasia a los 4 años”
Al principio él estaba reacio ya que sabía lo duro que podría ser este deporte. Pero de vez en cuando, él me dejaba entrenar para mejorar mi flexibilidad y las posturas que puede adaptar el cuerpo.
“Mi elemento más famoso es hacer girar la pelota sobre un dedo”
Compito con pelota, cinta, mazas y aro. La Gimnasia Ritmica es un deporte muy bonito y femenino. Es muy difícil de llegar a manejar con maestría cada aparato, por ello hay que entrenar muy duro, no importa lo cansada que llegues a estar. Hasta que no haya completado y perfeccionado todo lo que diga mi entrenadora, no me es permitido abandonar el gimnasio. Entreno de cinco a seis horas al día. Uno de mis apodos es “la estatua de cristal”. Mi elemento más famoso es hacer girar la pelota sobre un dedo.
Cuando estás en el pódium te sientes una reina, pero cuando no lo consigues y bajas de la posición de pódium, no te sientes nada, no puedes estar orgullosa de ti misma.
Pero cuando actúo y compito siento algo muy especial, algo que el público nunca podría sentir, me siento muy satisfecha”
Rhythmic Gymnastics Info 