Original Link: http://sport.ru.msn.com/other/article-50092.html
Translated by Alyona

This preview of the Moscow Grand-Prix tells about first strength examination in Rhythmic Gymnastics before the Olympic Games in London, about tough selection for the Youth Olympics in Singapore and about the hot news of this sport.

February 19, 2010
These days when everyone speaks about the misfortune of the Russian National Olympic team, the citizens and guests of Moscow have a very good chance to get some positive emotions. On February 19-21, Moscow will host Grand-Prix in Rhythmic Gymnastics, which is going to be first strength examination before London Olympics in 2012. According to the President of the Russian RG Federation Irina Viner, Russian National Team in Rhythmic Gymnastic will present its strongest gymnasts – Olympic champion Evgenia
Kanaeva, Daria Kondakova, Daria Dmitrieva and Yana Lukonina. Viner says that gymnasts from 30 different countries will come to Moscow.

This competition will be held for the thirteenth time and it always evokes a great interest. Many correspondents have visited press-conference at the training center Novogorsk. The biggest attraction is of course the Olympic Champion and 8-time World Champion Evgenia Kanaeva.

“To be honest, at the moment I am not 100% ready”, says Zhenya, “But I will be fine to the beginning of the competition. I want to show my new routines. It is impossible to make everything perfect at once. Now I train practically all day long.”

Prima of the World’s Rhythmic Gymnastics, who got this “title” from Alina Kabaeva after winning the Olympic Games in Beijing, added that she treats all the competitions equally seriously. Evgenia thinks that there will be several gymnasts on the Moscow Grand-Prix who can get the medals – all the four Russians as well as gymnasts from Belorussia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan…

The intrigue of this Grand-Prix is also that all the gymnasts are going to show their new routines. Moreover, Russian gymnasts are preparing new gala numbers, which will be shown at the Gala night. One of the numbers is dedicated to Ludmila Zikina, the other one – to the great American singer Michael Jackson. ”

For Russian juniors the Moscow Grand-Prix will be a selection start for the Youth Olympics, which is going to be held for the first time in 2010 in Singapore. There are four candidates in the team. Among them there is National Champion Alexandra Merkulova,
Valeria Tkachenko, Anastasia Nazarenko and Natalia Bulycheva. However, Galina Adel hasn’t lost her chances to go to Singapore either.

“For us as well as for FIG, the Youth Olympic Games will be one of the main competitions of year 2010”, says Irina Viner, – Competition will decide everything – the one who wins will take part in the Olympics. In this matter the most important thing is the result, and personal likings or disliking do not matter when it concerns the national team. It’s a pity that we can choose only between the girls who were born in 1995. We have wonderful gymnasts of 1996 and younger; in general the upcoming generation is very strong”.

Viner said that all the senior Russian Gymnasts are going to show absolutely new programs in all events. They will try the new routines in Moscow for the first time. She said that FIG has approved of the offer of Russia to include junior program to the World Cup. The rules will be changed a little; particularly there will be points for originality.

Irina Viner says, “We managed to assert those 29 elements, which were going to be excluded from the Rhythmic Gymnastics because of being “harmful”. Is weight lifting or pole vaulting less harmful?  Russian gymnasts win not because they can do these elements. Each one and a half minute program of our gymnasts is a mini theatrical play, accompanied by precise skills. We have wonderful professionals who put their soles into creating new routines – Honored Trainer of Russian Federation Irina Zenovka and a trainer from Bulgaria Lucia Demitrova”.

Irina Viner is an experienced specialist herself, who perfectly knows that in today’s sport one cannot rest on his laurels for it is an impermissible luxury. Rivals are not sleeping, they are always improving. There are strong gymnasts in Ukraine, Belorussia and other countries. We cannot remain at the same place either.

The President of the Russian RG Federation said that Rhythmic Gymnastics is constantly developing. In the future, some new apparatus will appear in RG and there will be also combination of couples and trios. They also plan to involve male gymnasts to groups, couple and trios. “I am all for it and I’ve been dreaming about it for a long time”, says Irina
Viner.

So Grand-Prix in Moscow is about to start. All the three days of competition promise to be very exciting. At the very end of the competition on Sunday there will be a traditional Gala Show with participation of the best gymnasts from different countries. In the beginning of April we will see one more tournament in Russia– World Cup in Saint-Petersburg.