Valentina Rodionenco "None of the athletes who pass to Azerbaijan will be competitive as our boys and girls"

     Since the departure of Russian gymnasts to Azerbaijan, it seems that the wind of change also stroke the winner of "Hope of Russia" competition Marina Nekrasov, who was recently added to the WOG team of Azerbaijan, raising the number of gymnasts who left Russian to four. 

     Russia sport agency "All Sport" special correspondent Maria Vorobevoy spoke with Russian head coach Valentina Rodionenco about this trend and of the gymnasts chances in their new adoptive country.

   "Let's talk about Anna Pavlova - Rodionenco said to Valentine - 26 years old athlete and for the past 6 years, she didn't show any improvement to her routines. Even so, with all her routines she sometimes comes better than others. Of course, we haven't interfere with this transition, Anna is no longer a member of the Russian team. But I want to say one thing even if she will compete on the European Championship for Azerbaijan it's unlikely to have results over this change. Her simple routines are simply not enough to enter to such international competitions and also they will not guarantee high places. If we talk about Yulia Inshina, I do very much doubt that she will compete for Azerbaijan. First of all, she has put a terrible weight which is simple unacceptable in this sport. Secondly, she has problems with her lumbar spine. Therefore it's pretty unlikely that Inshina will compete for Azerbaijan. You see, all the gymnasts that are currently not included in the Russian national team, are looking for a chance like this and I can understand them. Maybe they want to purse a career, perhaps it is a way for them to earn experience or medals. Others are offering and they are happy to go, and time will tell what will happen. Azerbaijan is not producing gymnasts, they only have the national team. I can certainly say that none of the gymnasts that passed to Azerbaijan will be competitive as a boys and girls in international competitions"

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Anna Pavlova "Azerbaijan has invited me to compete for the 2015 Baku European Championship"

On her latest interview given for allsportinfo.ru, Anna Pavlova spoke abut her decision to compete for Azerbaijan and her carrier. 

In this article we will try to translate her interview the best we can. The interview was taken by the sport information correspondent of allsportinfo.ru Nicholas Pastukhov. 

Anna, when and how you choose to compete for Azerbaijan? 

- I receive an offer from the Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation which interested me. Back in August, during the Russian Cup in Penza, I had a conversation with the leaders of our Federation, which agreed to let me go and we filed a enquiry on the International Gymnastics Federation. FIG approved my transition. I certainty wanted to get the approval of the country for which I compete therefore head coach Valentina Rodionenco and Valentina Nikanorova Russian Federation vice president approved my transition.

- Did the Azerbaijan offer interested you financially?

First of all, the opportunity of competing in the intentional tournaments interested me more. For a long time the Russian team didn't give me this opportunity, regardless of the results that I showed during the national competitions.
- Have you receive proposals from other countries?

A couple of years ago there was some proposals to compete for Uzbekistan, but there was nothing official. And I wasn't ready to accept them. I was still hoping that the Russian team was after all, counting on me. I wanted to compete for the country in which I was born. But now my priorities have changed. My dream is to prove to everyone that I still can have results on the international competitions. Azerbaijan has invite me for a specific purpose - to compete in the European Championship that will take place in Baku in 2015. Azerbaijan wants dignity in that competition and I want to return in the international arena. Here our interests converged. About the financial side is really to early too say. In Azerbaijan, as in Russia, you are paid on the result, for the medals. No medals - no money.

- Along with your transition to Azerbaijan, other gymnasts followed you there, Konstantin Pluzhnikov - member of the 2008 Olympics team and World Championship silver medallist with the Russian team Yulia Inshina. 

Yes like me these athletes, were no longer neccesary for our team, so they went to find happiness in Azerbaijan. 

- Will you continue to train with your mother Natalia Pavlova?

My mother will be the head couch of the women gymnastics team and of course I will train with her. The other gymnasts are also training with their coaches. We are training in Russia since Azerbaijan can't provide us with proper gym halls. Before us, there were no women gymnastics in this country. 

- So, you and Inshina are the founders of the women gymnastics in Azerbaijan?

It seems that way. 

- Does someone else have plans of changing nationalities?

There is another girl - Maria Nekrasov. She never cough the team, so her transition won't be a problem. But there are no more transitions planned. Russian Federation is not happy with such mass exodus.  

- Your contract with the Azerbaijan Federation last till 2015?
We have a verbal agreement with the Federation but without specifics time frames. If I will have results, I will stay on the team. If  I will not, we will negotiate as such.

- How do you see your career after 2015?
After the 2015 Europeans and 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, will be just a year, and of course If I will be healthy, I would like to continue my career.

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Valentina Rodionenco "The departure of Pavlova and Inshina will have no impact on the Russian national team"

             After today news about the changing the nationalities of Anna Pavlova and Yulia Inshina, Russian national team head coach Valentina Rodionenco stated for for ITAR-TASS that she doesn't consider this departure a team problem. 

              "We need to start with the fact that no one ever leaves the Russian national team to play for another country. Pavlova is no longer a member of the national team. The Russian team does no longer need her services, so she is entitled to play for another country. We have immediately gave our consent. On the other hand, Inshina decision is questionable, and not about the fact that she will go there. She's overweight and she also has back problems. Every country needs gymnasts that are able to compete. [...]. I don't think that these gymnasts are loss. Anyone that in needed on the Russian team will not go anywhere. Maybe will leave those who will not integrate in the national team and whom are looking for a place in which they can compete."

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Anna Pavlova and Yulia Inshina will compete for Azerbaijan

On the latest news from the International Gymnastics Federation, made public today, we found out that among the gymnasts who changed their nationality are also two Russian gymnasts. Veteran Anna Pavlova and her much younger team mate Yulia Inshina decided to change their nationalities to be able to compete for Azerbaijan.

Veteran Anna Pavlova (26) competed on two Olympics Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008. In Athens she won 2 bronze medals with the Russian team and on Vault final. Besides her Olympic medals she also has 4 bronze and 4 silver medals in European and World Championships. It's a good thing and admirable too that at her age she still wants to compete.

Yulia Inshina who turned 18 this year has only one international medal, a silver with the Russian team in 2011 Tokyo World Championship. Even if she was a alternate for the team that went to Tokyo, Yulia was placed on the team after Maria Paseka got injured. Yulia contributed with her beam performance on the team second place.

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