Coach Olga Minigalina talks about an unusual training session during the Christmas training camp in Valdai

Coach Olga Minigalina talked about the features of an unusual training session with a ball for gymnasts, which she conducted during the Christmas training camp in Valdai.

"We decided to diversify our training: to combine apparatus training with ground training and general physical training. We took balls, since this is still a difficult type and requires a lot of painstaking basic work. Raise your arms and legs above the floor, the ring with both, try to take the ball from your legs, lower yourself above the floor and put it in your legs, take the starting position. Ready? Arms and legs above the floor. Slowly, and one. We paid special attention to getting extra muscles on the inner thighs and groin area, which will help us perform the elements that the girls have acquired according to the new FIG rules better. The ball also helped us strengthen our back, legs, and feet. We all somehow got together and got involved in the work. The children helped us, and during the training we improved the exercises and tasks, everyone included something new in this training,” Olga said.

Olga also shared how the training camp is going in general.

"The training camp is going well, in excellent conditions. We are training, recovering after a short break, getting into shape and preparing for the new season according to the new rules," she said.

The Christmas training camp for athletes runs January 3 to 16.