| |
Straight from the Horse’s Mouth, Part 2
26 March 2010, 4:54
How are gymnasts across the globe preparing for the 2010 Worlds, and what are
their dreams, intentions and expectations? We are keeping an eye on the various
teams’ and individual gymnasts’ preparations for Rotterdam. Watch this space for
frequent updates…
Dutch gymnast Yuri
van Gelder:
In July 2009, Yuri van Gelder made headlines for all the wrong reasons when news
broke that he had tested positive for cocaine at the 2009 Dutch Nationals. The
story got even bigger when the rings specialist was revealed to have been
addicted to cocaine for quite some time. In the months following the scandal,
Van Gelder lost his job with the Dutch Ministry of Defence, was suspended for a
year and spent several months in a Scottish rehab clinic.
In January of this year, the fallen star started training again -- on his own,
as his one-year suspension meant he could not work with his regular coach, Bram
van Bokhoven, or indeed any other coach affiliated with the Royal Dutch
Gymnastics Federation. Van Gelder found a way around the coaching situation,
though. On 4 March he announced that he had found himself a new coach: former
Dutch women’s head coach Boris Orlov, who coached Soviet star Olga Bicherova to
the 1981 all-round world title and helped Suzanne Harmes and Renske Endel win
world championship medals on floor and bars, respectively. Since Orlov is no
longer officially affiliated with the Dutch Gymnastics Federation, he is allowed
to help the suspended gymnast.
‘Boris is a great help to me,’ Van Gelder told Dutch TV sports show Studio Sport
on 4 March. ‘After all, he is the best, perhaps the best in the world. He’s
great on vault and floor, too, and I don’t just want to do well on rings, but on
[vault and floor], as well.’ He added in a press release: ‘It’s great that I can
use Boris’ knowledge and experience. He will help me with my training until my
suspension is over.’
Orlov is not the only one lending Van Gelder a helping hand. The town of Den
Bosch has offered the gymnast access to a gym where he can train until he is
allowed back into the Federation’s gyms. Furthermore, the former world champion
has received funding from the National Lottery which will allow him to attend an
overseas training camp soon. Thus supported, Van Gelder admits he is ‘doing OK,
under the circumstances’.
Despite his recent problems, Van Gelder still very much intends to compete in
the 2010 Worlds, held on his home turf. ‘Since my suspension ends this summer, I
can now fully focus on my comeback and on my preparations for the Rotterdam
Worlds in mid-October.’ Competing in the World Championships would mean the
world to him: ‘I’m an athlete trying to make a comeback, and I’m just dying to
return to the highest level in one fell swoop.’ (Sources: Studio Sport, 4 and 5
March; Algemeen Dagblad, 4 March 2010)
German gymnast Oksana Chusovitina:
Living legend Oksana Chusovitina recently returned to international competition
after missing the 2009 season due to a serious Achilles tendon injury and a
biceps operation. The 34-year-old veteran, who represented the Soviet Union, the
Commonwealth of Independent States and Uzbekistan before moving to Germany,
recently won the vault final at the Cottbus Turnier der Meister despite a fall
on her 1.5-twisting Tsukahara. ‘I hope this will be the last time this year I’ll
land on my backside,’ Chusovitina said after the final. She summed up her plans
for 2010 as follows: ‘I’d like to do well one last time in 2010. Maybe I’ll take
up a second event this year – beam.’
She said she wasn’t too worried about doing more harm to her body by continuing
in the sport despite being twice as old as most of her rivals. ‘After twenty
years in competitive gymnastics, I know my body really well.’ (Source: Turnier
der Meister website, 5 and 18 March 2010)
Dutch coach Gerben Wiersma about his pupil, Celine van Gerner:
Dutch junior Celine van Gerner surprised friend and foe alike when she placed
third all-round at the 2009 European Youth Olympic Festival, holding off
better-known competitors like Violetta Malikova, Raluca Haidu, Laura Svilpaite
and Natalia Kononenko. Since the EYOF, Van Gerner has quietly developed into the
Netherlands’ top all-rounder. In her first year as a senior, she easily won the
first leg of the Dutch Euro trials, as a result of which she should be a shoo-in
for the continental competition. Her coach is optimistic about her chances in
Birmingham. ‘She is good on nearly all events, so I’m expecting her to make a
few finals. Her vault still leaves a bit to be desired, but we’re working on
that.’
Not that the 2010 Europeans are supposed to be the highlight of Van Gerner’s
year. ‘The Europeans are just an intermediate stop for us. The world
championships will be held in Rotterdam in October, and they are supposed to be
the highlight of the year. They are the goal we’re working towards.’ Wiersma has analysed the difficulty values of his pupil’s routines and compared
them to other gymnasts’. Having made those D score comparisons, he believes Van
Gerner should be able to crack the top-10 in Rotterdam. ‘And don’t forget
there’s plenty of room for improvement in her [E scores]. Her vault could be
better, her bars could be a bit tidier. She’s capable of much more than she has
shown so far.’ He is adamant: ‘The world hasn’t heard the last of this young
lady. Not by a long shot.’ (Source: De Noordoostpolder, 9 March 2010)
Italian gymnast Igor Cassina:
The 2004 Olympic champion on high bar is looking forward to the Rotterdam
Worlds: ‘My objective for 2010 is to compete in the Rotterdam Worlds. Attending
this competition means a great deal to me. The 1987 Rotterdam Worlds were won by
a Russian, Dimitri Bilozerchev, who is my role model. I’d like to win a gold
medal in Rotterdam just like him, but it’s more important to me that I actually
compete. It’s a cliché, but I mean it. I’d be happy to be there, regardless of
whether myself or Epke [Zonderland]ends up winning the high bar gold.’ (Source:
GymPOWER interview, December 2009)
Australian women’s head coach Peggy Liddick:
The Australian women’s team will focus on three major events this year: the
Pacific Rim Championships, the Commonwealth Games and the World Championships.
The Pacific Rim Championships (held in Melbourne in late April, early May) will
be the Australian gymnasts’ only international competition in the next few
months, because, in Liddick’s words, ‘travel to an international event can take
up to four weeks out of the gym and really dent an athlete's training programme.’
According to national team coach Peggy Liddick, this is time that could be
better spent in the familiar surroundings of the gym, getting a programme
consolidated. ‘We sat down at the end of 2009 and provided each athlete with a
detailed report of their progress to date, where they are at, where they have to
improve, what skills they need to work on and more importantly, what is required
in order for them to get an international programme together.’ The gymnasts are
currently working on getting those ‘international programmes’ together.
According to Liddick, Australia’s brightest star of the moment, London double
silver medallist Lauren Mitchell, is currently training routines which are 90
per cent the same as the routines she did in 2009, with a few new combinations
and slight improvements to her beam and floor routines.
Liddick also indicated that 2010 might see the return of Daria Joura, who had to
sit out the 2009 season due to a serious ankle injury. Joura, a student at Perth
University, recently returned to training and hopes to make a comeback at some
point. Unfortunately, she has been all but ruled out for Rotterdam 2010.
(Source: Gymnastics Australia news update, 12 January 2010)
British Gymnastics performance director Eddie van Hoof:
Last December, British Gymnastics announced that it would not send any of its
top gymnasts to the Commonwealth Games, the prestigious four-yearly multi-sport
event for countries of the British Commonwealth, held in Delhi, India, because
its timing clashes with the Rotterdam Worlds. The Commonwealth Games are
scheduled from October 3 to 14, while the world championships start on October
16. As a result of the clashing schedules, only Britain’s second-string gymnasts
will be offered for Delhi selection, because British Gymnastics has ruled the
Rotterdam Worlds (which serve as a qualifying event for the Olympics) more
important. ‘It’s not just the travel and jet lag but the potential for tummy
bugs and diarrhoea that exists in making the trip. We just cannot afford to take
the risk when so much is at stake,’ said British Gymnastics performance director
Eddie van Hoof. Some of Britain’s top gymnasts appear to be somewhat
disappointed about the fact that there won’t be any Commonwealth glory for them,
but they understand why the decision was made. 'It’s all about qualifying
Britain, not about individual goals,’ said Olympic pommels medallist Louis
Smith. (Source: Mail Online, 9 December 2009)
To be continued...
|
|
