The multiple world champion explained the uniqueness of the competition in the federal territory of Sirius.
At the new Academy of Rhythmic Gymnastics in Sochi starts a unique tournament Sky Grace, which is attended by 18 athletes from 14 countries. The project is unusual in that the girls perform on it not according to generally accepted international rules, but according to experimental ones, which make it possible for the most talented gymnasts to reveal themselves better. The features of the current regulations were explained by the judge and multiple world champion Vera Sesina.
— What are the rules at the Sky Grace this year?
— This year, as a year ago, we assume unlimited complexity of the body. Gymnasts can show more elements. But there are peculiarities in each type — jumping rope is based on jumping. There should be an equal number of all body elements in the hoop. In the ball, we gave the opportunity to make a choice — gymnasts can include in the exercise those elements that they succeed best. The clubs mostly turned out to have elements for equilibrium, for balance. The tape should be based on rotations and pirouettes.
According to international rules, you can perform only nine elements and perform them in all exercises in the same way. This does not allow you to make the performance spectacular. When gymnasts come out on the carpet, everyone understands who will do what. All the elements wander from one exercise to another. At the Sky Grace the judges and the audience expect something new. We have already seen the preliminary programs of some athletes — they may have 15-20 elements in their exercises. They are different in different types. They also did not restrict anyone on the subject. We tried to invite high-level gymnasts. We will observe a very interesting program both in terms of the number of throws and their quality. The best athletes participate.
We decided to revive the exercise with a rope
— Why did you decide to include an exercise with a rope in the competition?
— Skipping rope is a very interesting subject. Unfortunately, he is leaving the international rules — he has already left the seniors program. We offered to return this look, because it is interesting both to gymnasts and to the audience, who have long been unaccustomed to this subject. It will be spectacular. We don't even take it with young athletes anymore, the skipping rope remains only in group exercises. Many have even forgotten what certain elements look like. We decided to revive this view.
— Is it difficult to prepare an exercise with a skipping rope for those who have never worked with it for a long time?
— Of course, the gymnasts have already prepared the exercises, we have partially seen them. It's better to ask them about the complexity. I think this kind will be inferior to all the others, because the girls train exercises with a hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon every day, perform with them once or twice a week. And they didn't take a jump rope for 5-7 years. It will be difficult to perform the same complex saturation program as with other species. It is interesting for us to see how gymnasts will cope with a new look for them.
— The rules at the Sky Grace are very different from those that exist at the Russian and international level. How difficult are they for girls?
— Unlike international rules, you need to show more skills here. Those who are not able to do this will simply show fewer elements. Their chances of winning will decrease. As for the Russian rules, they have changed a lot in the direction of complication over the past six months. Perhaps the impetus for this last year was just given by the rules of Sky Grace. Russian gymnasts have been performing under complicated regulations for some time. But here they should show the number of certain elements that we talked about earlier. There is no such thing in the Russian rules. You can make an unlimited number of elements there, but they can all be the same. Therefore, the gymnasts had to significantly alter their programs. Everyone will perform in almost the same conditions.
There is no limit to perfection
— Is it possible to assume that such rules will be integrated into all competitions in the future?
— I think we should strive for this. Athletes, especially of a high level, are in some ways a little better, a little stronger than the rest. Here, slightly different physical abilities should be revealed. If a 7-8-year-old child can cope with the international rules for nine elements for adults and seven for juniors, then this is not the limit of perfection. In the same athletics, they run faster and faster every time, for an ordinary person this time is simply unattainable. And if everyone can cope with international rules, then what is the leadership of the first numbers?
— Then we can compare this situation with figure skating, where some try to perform elements of ultra-si.
— Yes, only a few, the best ones can master these elements. We should strive for the same. Now at the Sky Grace we have increased the cost of those elements that are inaccessible to the bulk of those engaged. And vice versa, they lowered the cost of those that all children can perform.
— With increasing complexity, the number of errors also increases.
— The number of mistakes is growing, but I think that gymnasts of the level that will perform at our competitions will cope with such a program. I hope we won't see mistakes that are understandable to most viewers. And there will be cool, spectacular programs, something to strive for.
— Do the viewers really understand these rules?
— There will be clear comments in the TV broadcasts so that viewers, even those who are far from gymnastics, understand what the advantage of this or that athlete is, where they made mistakes, and so on. Maybe the problem with modern gymnastics is that when viewers see an assessment, they sometimes don't understand why it is like this, why gymnasts who make big mistakes become leaders, and those who perform perfectly lose. Because of this, there is confusion. Therefore, comments should be objective, accessible to those people who are not very close to gymnastics.
Source: Sport-Express.