* PREVIEW: Worlds in the Russian Loness Den

... impressive
Russian dominance

Nobody doubts that the impressive dominance of the Russian school of gymnastics, which takes the world's best places in the elite Rhythmic Gymnastics since years ago almost without rivals, will continue at these years World Championships in their home town Moscow.
After the Bulgarian era at the beginning of the nineties (Maria Petrova), followed by the success of the Ukrainians (Elena Vitrichenko, Ekaterina Serebrianskaya), only the incomparable Anna Bessonova (UKR, in 2007) could avoid the Russian victory in the Olympic discipline, the all around competition

* The coverages from Moscow are supporte by * SPIETH Gymnastics
* GYMmedia editor: Esther Teijeira

Alina Kabaeva used to win for years...

Russian win at home expected

Since 1999 Alina Kabaeva ( three times), and one time each Olga Kapranova and Evgenia Kanaeva, also the current champion, have won the all around competition, as well as most of all medals in the apparatus finals for the leading nation. This season their former strongest rivals from the Ukraine have shown some weakness and lost terrain in the international level after the retirement of Anna Bessonova, world champion 2007 and one of the most beloved gymnast of the last years.
Right now this sport is completely dominated by the Russian with their headcoach Irina Viner, who has been able to get the best conditions for high level results in this sport through her knowledge and coaching, as well as with a big financial support.

Anna Bessonova - the beautiful and elegant Ukrainian World Champion 2007

The "rest" must feel satisfied if they get any of the remaining medals, mostly with the bronze colour, because only two gymnasts per country are allowed to enter the finals and gold and silver usually go to Russia in all events and there's usually almost no chance to beat them even if they make small mistakes.

Except when any of these top girls misses a World Cup or Grand Prix event the others get their chance. And for this non-Russian "rest" we are talking also about a little group of gymnasts, like Melitina Staniouta and Liubov Charkashyna from Belarus, Alina Maksimenko - and maybe again Nataliya Godunko, two times Olympic diploma in 2004 and 2008 who returned to the big competition for these year´s Worlds - both from the Ukraine, Aliya Garaeva from Azerbaijan.

Evgenia Kanaeva - used to the taste of gold

* Also the 'The Voice of RUSSIA promoted these Worlds!

Silviya Miteva, from the past leading gymnastic's nation Bulgaria, Anna Alyabyeva from Kazakhstan or the Israeli Irina Risenzon, maybe.

All the athletes of the "rest of the gymnastics' world" know this and right now it's a big success when Caroline Weber, the best gymnast from Austria or Joanna Mitrosz from Poland or any other Non-Eastern European get a place among the top ten in the all-around, enter in any apparatus final or even get a spot in the nearness of the medals' places.
We can clearly say that the leadership in the Olympiyski Indoor Arena of Moscow will be taken, with almost certain security, by the Russian girls, represented at the team competition with five times title defender, Evgenia Kanaeva, the last years' vicechampion, Daria Kondakova, Daria Dmitrieva and Yana Lukonina.

Some facts about the groups' competition - ... as an introduction
the three time European Champion from this spring in Bremen, the Russian group:
* V I D E O:

Also here in Moscow the Russian group is the number one candidate for gold if they show steady and clean exercises. At least they will fight for a medal's place with their strongest rivals at the moment, Italy and Belarus.
It will be very interesting to see how the Chinese group developped after getting silver at the Olympic Games in 2008 and not showing up at international events since then with the National team. Also the German group, who placed fourth at European Championships this year beating such important groups as Bulgaria and Spain, wants to enter at least the apparatus finals and fight together with the others for a good result.

Next weekend we await an interesting all-around on Saturday where all participating groups show two exercises, one with 5 hoops and the other with 2 ropes and 3 ribbons, and the one with the highest points will be proclaimed World Champion. On Sunday only the best eight groups fight for the medals at the apparatus finals and at both events we shouldn´t forget that even if it seems quite clear who will place in the medal ranks, the competition is only finished after the last apparatus catch and the following smile of relief of the five girls in the ending position - or with tears -what we don´t hope.

That's what the hosting Russian girls and all the others still have in front of them.