Aliya Mustafina
Encyclopedia
Aliya Fargatovna Mustafina , born 30 September 1994 in Yegorievsk, Russia
is a Russian
artistic gymnast. She is the 2010 All Around World Champion. She also won Gold with the Russian team at the same championships and was the 2009 Russian national champion in the all around and on the balance beam. Mustafina's younger sister Nailya Mustafina is also a Russian elite gymnast (who is a member of Russia's junior team and won the silver medal on floor exercise at the 2008 Pacific Rim Championships in San Jose
). Her father, Farhad Mustafin, was a bronze medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling
at the 1976 Olympic Games
in Montreal
. Mustafina trains at Moscow's
Central Sport Army Club (CSKA) with coaches Aleksandr Aleksandrov, Olga Sikorro and Sergei Zelikson.
won all five of those competitions. It was noted as a result of these championships that both Mustafina and Bross were likely to be a major force in Gymnastics in the years to come, a prediction that was born out by subsequent results.
Also, in 2007, Mustafina finished second in the all-around at the Gymnix International in Montreal
. She also finished second with the Russian team in the Stella Zakharova Cup.
. She was a gold medalist with the team and finished second in the all-around to team mate Tatiana Nabieva
.
Later in 2008, Mustafina competed in the Massilia Gym Cup in Marseille
, finishing second in the floor exercise and seventh in the all-around.
In July 2009, Mustafina competed in the Japan Cup in Tokyo
where the Russian team finished second. Mustafina also finished second in the all-around to China's Huang Qiushuang
. She followed this up by winning the all-around in the Russia Cup and at the Doha Gymnasiade. At the latter, she also won Gold with the Russian team and finished first on the uneven bars, on the balance beam, and in the floor exercise.
went on to take the all-around title in Mustafina's absence. This was ironic as both Mustafina and Komova are widely regarded as Russia's two best hopes for individual gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics
in London
in the female gymnastics competitions.
Mustafina quickly recovered from her injury to take part in the World Cup in Paris, where she finished second on the balance beam.
In May, Mustafina took part in her first major senior competition, the 2010 European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships
. Mustafina won the silver medal on both the uneven bars and the balance beam, as well as the gold medal with the Russian team. She also qualified for the floor final, finishing eighth.
Following the European Championships, Mustafina took part in the Japan Cup where she finished first with the Russian team and third in the all-around. She then took part in the Russian Cup where she finished first in the vault, uneven bars and floor exercise, and finished third on beam. She then competed at the Holland Invitational where she finished first with the Russian team and first in the all-around.
At the 2010 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
, Mustafina was the top qualifier for the all-around competition, and qualified to participate in all four of the event finals. She was the first gymnast to accomplish this feat since Svetlana Khorkina
in 1997. She then won gold with the Russian team (contributing most points in the process and playing the leading role - the teams win was Russia's first at the World Championships as an independent nation), and improved upon her scores in qualification to go on and win the all-around gold. When it came to the event finals, however, she seemed almost exhausted from her previous exertions and her scores fell, but despite that still succeeded in winning silver medals in the vault, on the uneven bars, and in the floor exercise. She fell on the beam to finish seventh in that final. All in all, therefore, Mustafina's five medals (two golds and three silvers) made her the most successful gymnast at the 2010 World Championships and the most successful in a world championships since Andreea Raducan
of Romania
and Khorkina at the 2001 World Championships
.
At the World Championship, Mustafina performed two new skills: on vault, a round off, half on, layout front full off, and on the uneven bars, a 1.5 twisting double back tucked somersault.
Commenting on Mustafina's win in the all-around at the World Championships, Andy Thornton from Universal Sports stated: "The story behind Aliya Mustafina's all-around gold today is that of a revived dynasty; the dominant Soviet women's team of the 1980's and early 1990's - whom many consider to represent the absolute epitome of artistic gymnastics - was dead and now reborn. In addition to leading her teammates to their country's first world title as an independent nation, Mustafina has delivered one of the great performances by a female gymnast ever - capturing the very same artistry, difficulty, and competitive composure that made her Soviet predecessors so beloved and revered. Mustafina's four-event arsenal is so well balanced it's hard to pick a favorite event to watch her on, and a win so convincing and undeniable as hers gives a satisfying sense of closure to a competition. She has established herself and her Russian teammates as the absolute gymnasts to watch over the next two years - and the gymnasts to beat."
On the 13th November 2010, Mustafina competed in the "Freddy Cup" Italian Grand Prix (in which the women competed on beam and uneven bars) where she won the balance beam competition (in which she added some new skills to her routine), beating Viktoria Komova into second place in the process. However, she missed out some elements in her uneven bars routine and ended up fourth in that competition, a competition which was won by Komova.
Mustafina next competed at the Toyota Cup in Japan in December 2010 where she was again scheduled to compete with Komova in what is now regarded as the main rivalry in women's gymnastics, ahead of what International Gymnast Magazine is calling the "anticipated all-around showdown between the two stars...at the Russian championships in March and European championships in April". However, at the last minute, Komova was switched to the Voronin Memorial event instead, but later withdrew due to injury. At the Toyota Cup, Mustafina won gold on the floor and on the vault. She also won silver on the beam, finishing second to Lauren Mitchell
.
In late December 2010, Mustafina entered the Voronin Memorial event as a surprise late entrant. She won the all-around competition and also won golds in the floor exercise and on the uneven bars.
Commenting on a highly successful 2010 in the Russian Artistic Gymnastics Federation magazine, Gimnastika, Mustafina stated: "What did I learn from the World Championships? That we can win, too! We can beat the Chinese and we can beat the Americans – there's nothing that difficult in it. We have to work and everything will be fine."
In November 2010, the following uneven bars element was named after Mustafina: Swing fwd to double salto bwd tucked with 1½ twist (540°) (Element Value = E 6.505).
. Looking out of sorts in her first event of the new season, a touch down on the floor at the end of a tumbling pass in the floor exercise ultimately cost Mustafina the gold medal (albeit losing out by just 0.068 points).
Mustafina next competed at the Bercy World Cup (French International) from the 19–20 March 2011. She competed on the beam, the uneven bars, and on the vault, winning gold in all three events. She did not compete in the floor exercise.
On the 8th April 2011, Mustafina competed at the European Championships
where she suffered an injury to her left knee during the first rotation in the all-around on the vault (on landing whilst performing a Yurchenko 2 1/2) and had to withdraw. Her compatriot, Anna Dementyeva
went on to win the all-around competition.
to her left knee. However, the magazine later retracted its report. On 9 April 2011, it was announced that Mustafina had torn her anterior cruciate ligament
(ACL) and strained her medial collateral ligament
, and will therefore miss the 2011 World Championships
. Her coach Alexander Alexandrov
stated: "She has torn cruciate ligaments in her left knee, meaning she'll definitely miss the world championships." Russian Squad Coordinator, Valentina Rodionenko, added that: "It was thought to be an injured meniscus...The diagnosis was clarified through the imaging: rupture of the left anterior cruciate ligament. Aliya spent the night in the hospital and in the morning she was allowed to return to the hotel. They put on a tight bandage so there would be no swelling, because a lot of swelling causes problems for the surgery." The injury is the same type of injury as that suffered by British gymnast and 2009 world all-around runner-up Daniel Keatings
.
Alexandrov stated that Mustafina's recovery and rehabilitation is likely to take around 6–8 months and that the focus is now on ensuring that she is ready in time for in 2012 Olympics
in London
in July 2012. Two notable examples of gymnasts who have suffered an ACL injury about a year before the Olympics and made a successful return to perform at the Olympics are Annia Hatch
and Justin Spring
. Hatch suffered a torn ACL in August 2003 (in vault training the day before the 2003 World Championships were due to start) and returned to win silver on vault and with the U.S. team at the 2004 Olympic Games
in Athens
. Spring tore his ACL in August 2007 at the Visa Championships and helped the U.S. men win the bronze at the 2008 Olympics
in Beijing
.
Alexandrov stated that the coaches did not quite understand how Mustafina had sustained her injury. He stated: "Maybe on landing one leg landed before the other and she got a twisted knee." Alexandrov also criticised the warm-up arrangements as being too short and believes that that may have been a factor behind the injury.
On 11 April 2011, arrangements were made for the surgery Mustafina required to be carried out at the sporthopaedicum Munich at the ATOS Private Clinic in Munich
by Professor Michael J. Strobel, a specialist in knee joints. It is the clinic where Boris Becker
and Oksana Chusovitina
both had knee surgery. It is also the clinic where the German national football team sends its players when they require knee surgery. Rodionenko stated that: "Aliya could have had surgery in Berlin. But local experts themselves insisted that it’s better to contact one of the clinics in Munich that specializes in knee joints." Chusovitina added that: "If she does surgery at the right place and has proper rehabilitation, trust me, she can vault. The doctor the Russians are going to operated on me. Same knee, but I had another problem. After Athens I could not vault, nor even really do anything. After eight months of looking for the cause, only this doctor figured out what was wrong. I had the surgery, and after two weeks I was walking without pain. Believe me, he’s really a professional of the highest class. For 30 years he’s been operating only on knees." Coach Alexandrov is also optimistic. He stated: "Doctors have promised that everything will be fine. It's just hard to get through the rehabilitation period, because the recovery from these surgeries is almost more important than the surgery itself. In any case, it is already clear that Mustafina will miss the world championships like she missed the European championships. But this is not so bad: before the Olympic Games there will be yet another Europeans. Getting competition experience again is so important once she has recovered."
Mustafina's surgery was first scheduled to take place on 12 April 2011. On 12 April 2011, however, it was announced that the surgery had been postponed until 13 April 2011 because she had only arrived at the clinic on the evening of 11 April 2011 (due to its distance from Munich) and the fact that she spent most of 12 April 2011 undergoing tests. Alexandrov was also quoted as saying when announcing the postponement: "By the way, according to doctors, the survey revealed that Aliya is not the most difficult case for such injuries."
Mustafina duly underwent surgery on 13 April 2011. The following day, the first bandage was changed and other postoperative measures carried out. Asked how she was feeling after the surgery, Mustafina stated that the pain in the knee was subsiding and that she was keeping in touch with her friends via her laptop and skype
, which helped her to pass the time. Mustafina returned to Russia on 16 April 2011. On 17 April 2011, Rodionenko stated: "So far so good. Last night, Aliya arrived in Moscow. Doctors said the operation went fine. Now we must wait, with four weeks of complete rest for the leg."
Mustafina returned to the ATOS Clinic on 15 May 2011 for two weeks for a post-surgery evaluation to ensure that her recovery was going as it should. She attended with Viktoria Komova (who was being evaluated to determine whether surgery was required on her injured ankle) and Komova's mother Vera Kolesnikova. A rehabilitation plan was drawn up by the clinic for Mustafina during her two-week stay and she returned to Russia on 30 May 2011.
Commenting on Mustafina's injury, Lee Ann Gschwind of Universal Sports stated: "For Mustafina, the apparent curse could prove to be a blessing. The last reigning world champion to win Olympic gold was Lilia Podkopayeva
back in 1996...It could..relieve some pre-Games pressure. The Olympics are still more than 15 months away, a relatively forgiving time frame. If all goes according to plan, Mustafina should have ample time to recover and regain her form. She could even be back for the 2012 spring season and get in some competitive routines before London. But she will also need to be mindful not to rush her comeback. What's so impressive about Mustafina, apart from her ability, is her confidence and attack. What a shame it would be to see those traits diminished in her return." Former Soviet gymnast Lidia Ivanova added: "The possibilities of modern medicine are high. In my time, a meniscus injury was a huge disaster. Now, I believe that Aliya will recover."
In an interview with Olga Yemolina from Moscow News in May 2011, Mustafina stated that while she would not be able to compete in the all-around competition at the 2011 World Championships, she still hoped to be sufficiently recovered to compete on the uneven bars and the beam at the championships. She stated: "First, I need that psychologically, so I don't lose my confidence. Second, if I can, I'll be ready. Why not?". Mustafina also confirmed that she was now doing some light training in accordance with the rehabilitation plan that has been set out for her. She said: "Yes, I am conditioning my arms and doing easy exercises on the bar. I have support on my knee and do my exercises in it. Everyone is supporting me, telling me the team needs me. But I want to get back to the podium as soon as I can". Asked whether it was odd being a spectator at gymnastics meets now, she said: "Of course it is. I really want to be out there competing. But no athlete is safe from injuries and you have to find the strength in yourself to not get absorbed by one. After what happened to me, I told myself that I could not get depressed, that I had to heal my knee and continue training"
Later in May 2011, Russian Squad Coordinator Valentina Rodionenko confirmed that Mustafina would definitely not be competing at the World Championships to avoid her being rushed back too soon. The plan instead was for her to return to competition at the 2012 Russian Championships and then for her to compete at the 2012 European Championships in Brussels
from 9–13 May 2012.
Mustafina returned to the ATOS Clinic on 15 June 2011 for further post operative evaluation. Her official website reported on 18 June 2011 that the results of the evaluation were that her recovery was going very well and that she will be returning to Russia on 22 June 2011 to begin light training.
On the 1st July 2011, Valentina Rodionenko stated that Mustafina may be able to compete as early as December 2011 in the Voronin Cup. Nevertheless, in an interview with R-Sport, Mustafina herself reaffirmed that she is still hopeful of competing on the uneven bars and on the beam at the 2011 World Championships. She stated: "Of course I’d like to return; I want to compete at world championships. There is a chance I can go and compete on two events, but we still don’t know how my leg will be and how quickly I can bring back my routines. But the most important thing for me is the Olympic Games. Even if I don’t go to Japan, that won’t be all that terrible. The main competition will be in London next summer. But if I can go [to worlds], then why not".
On the 13th July 2011, however, Alexandrov stated that there was absolutely no chance of Mustafina competing at the 2011 World Championships. He told Russian Newspaper Sport-Express that: "The German doctors recommended completely avoiding any loading whatsoever on the leg she had the operation on, because in order for the knee to recover fully, it cannot be forced at all...So, Aliya is not doing any exercises that include jumping. First the leg has to be brought back into shape and the muscle functions need to be recovered. That is pretty dreary work." Hence, Mustafina's training at present remains confined to upper body conditioning and rehabilitation on the knee that was injured.
In early September 2011, Mustafina and Alexandrov announced in an interview with TV Channel, Rossiya 2, that Mustafina would be resuming a full training schedule in December 2011. In the meantime, Blythe Lawrence reported in the Gymnastics Examiner on the 17th September 2011 that Mustafina is continuing with her upper body conditioning, with rehabilitation work on her knee, and she is now adding new skills to her repertoire which does not require the use of her injured knee, such as a Memmel turn on the beam.
, saying of her that: "I adore her elegant and beautiful performances with difficult elements. I like especially her graceful uneven bars and balance beam." Among Russian gymnasts, her main influence has been Ksenia Afanasyeva
. She said of her: "I respect her strong and beautiful gymnastics."
in London
. She recently stated that: "I think that the Olympics will coincide with the peak of my career, as long as I don't get injured. I will be almost 18 years old, have time to go through two world championships, and have much experience."
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
is a Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
artistic gymnast. She is the 2010 All Around World Champion. She also won Gold with the Russian team at the same championships and was the 2009 Russian national champion in the all around and on the balance beam. Mustafina's younger sister Nailya Mustafina is also a Russian elite gymnast (who is a member of Russia's junior team and won the silver medal on floor exercise at the 2008 Pacific Rim Championships in San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
). Her father, Farhad Mustafin, was a bronze medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling
Greco-Roman wrestling
Greco-Roman wrestling is a style of wrestling that is practised worldwide. It was contested at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and has been included in every edition of the summer Olympics held since 1908. Two wrestlers are scored for their performance in three two-minute periods, which can...
at the 1976 Olympic Games
1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. Mustafina trains at Moscow's
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
Central Sport Army Club (CSKA) with coaches Aleksandr Aleksandrov, Olga Sikorro and Sergei Zelikson.
2007
Mustafina first came to international prominence as a gymnast in what was her first major junior competition, the 2007 International Junior Competition. She won silver medals in the all-around, the uneven bars, the vault, the balance beam, and in the floor exercise. Rebecca BrossRebecca Bross
Rebecca Bross is an American artistic gymnast. She won the all-around and three events at the junior national championships in 2007. At the 2007 Pan American Games in Brazil, Bross won a team gold, individual all-around second, and the first place in floor exercise. She was a member of the U.S...
won all five of those competitions. It was noted as a result of these championships that both Mustafina and Bross were likely to be a major force in Gymnastics in the years to come, a prediction that was born out by subsequent results.
Also, in 2007, Mustafina finished second in the all-around at the Gymnix International in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. She also finished second with the Russian team in the Stella Zakharova Cup.
2008
Mustafina competed at the 2008 Junior European Gymnastics Championships in Clermont-FerrandClermont-Ferrand
Clermont-Ferrand is a city and commune of France, in the Auvergne region, with a population of 140,700 . Its metropolitan area had 409,558 inhabitants at the 1999 census. It is the prefecture of the Puy-de-Dôme department...
. She was a gold medalist with the team and finished second in the all-around to team mate Tatiana Nabieva
Tatiana Nabieva
- Junior career :She competed at the 2008 Junior European Gymnastics Championships, earning gold medals with the team, on balance beam and floor exercise. She earned a silver medal on vault and uneven bars...
.
Later in 2008, Mustafina competed in the Massilia Gym Cup in Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
, finishing second in the floor exercise and seventh in the all-around.
2009
Mustafina began the year by becoming all-around champion at the Russian national championships. She also won on the balance beam, finished second on the uneven bars, and third in the floor exercise.In July 2009, Mustafina competed in the Japan Cup in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
where the Russian team finished second. Mustafina also finished second in the all-around to China's Huang Qiushuang
Huang Qiushuang
Huang Qiushuang , born on 28 May 1992, is a Chinese gymnast. She is an individual all-arounder. For the Chinese national team, she is a key gymnast in development for the London 2012 Olympic Games.-Gymnastics career:...
. She followed this up by winning the all-around in the Russia Cup and at the Doha Gymnasiade. At the latter, she also won Gold with the Russian team and finished first on the uneven bars, on the balance beam, and in the floor exercise.
2010
In March, whilst warming up on the floor for the Russian nationals, Mustafina sustained an ankle injury. This prevented her from taking part in the national championships. Junior Viktoria KomovaViktoria Komova
Viktoria Aleksandrovna Komova was born 30 January 1995 in Voronezh, Russia. She is a Russian artistic gymnast and is the 2010 All-Around Youth Olympic Games Champion...
went on to take the all-around title in Mustafina's absence. This was ironic as both Mustafina and Komova are widely regarded as Russia's two best hopes for individual gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in the female gymnastics competitions.
Mustafina quickly recovered from her injury to take part in the World Cup in Paris, where she finished second on the balance beam.
In May, Mustafina took part in her first major senior competition, the 2010 European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships
2010 European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 28th European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships held from 28 April to 2 May 2010 in Birmingham.- Timetable :- Medal Winners :- Team :- Vault :- Uneven Bars :- Balance Beam :- Floor :- All-Around :- Vault :- Uneven Bars :...
. Mustafina won the silver medal on both the uneven bars and the balance beam, as well as the gold medal with the Russian team. She also qualified for the floor final, finishing eighth.
Following the European Championships, Mustafina took part in the Japan Cup where she finished first with the Russian team and third in the all-around. She then took part in the Russian Cup where she finished first in the vault, uneven bars and floor exercise, and finished third on beam. She then competed at the Holland Invitational where she finished first with the Russian team and first in the all-around.
At the 2010 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
2010 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 2010 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships was held at the Ahoy Rotterdam indoor sporting arena in the Netherlands from 16 to 24 October 2010. In this year's championships, there was a total of 73 participating federations with 615 gymnasts...
, Mustafina was the top qualifier for the all-around competition, and qualified to participate in all four of the event finals. She was the first gymnast to accomplish this feat since Svetlana Khorkina
Svetlana Khorkina
Svetlana Vasilyevna Khorkina is a popular Russian gymnast and seven-time Olympic medalist, who is now a deputy at the Russian State Duma. With an unprecedented nine gold, eight silver, and three bronze World Championships medals, she is one of the most successful female gymnasts of her era and has...
in 1997. She then won gold with the Russian team (contributing most points in the process and playing the leading role - the teams win was Russia's first at the World Championships as an independent nation), and improved upon her scores in qualification to go on and win the all-around gold. When it came to the event finals, however, she seemed almost exhausted from her previous exertions and her scores fell, but despite that still succeeded in winning silver medals in the vault, on the uneven bars, and in the floor exercise. She fell on the beam to finish seventh in that final. All in all, therefore, Mustafina's five medals (two golds and three silvers) made her the most successful gymnast at the 2010 World Championships and the most successful in a world championships since Andreea Raducan
Andreea Raducan
Andreea Mădălina Răducan is a retired gymnast from Bârlad, Romania.Răducan began competing in gymnastics at a young age and was training at the Romanian junior national facility by the age of 12½. As one of the standout gymnasts of the Romanian team in the late 1990s, Răducan was known for both...
of Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
and Khorkina at the 2001 World Championships
2001 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 35th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships were held in Ghent, Belgium, in 2001 at the Flanders Sports Arena. This was the first Worlds at which the 6-3-3—six athletes per team, three compete, all three scores count—format was used in team finals...
.
At the World Championship, Mustafina performed two new skills: on vault, a round off, half on, layout front full off, and on the uneven bars, a 1.5 twisting double back tucked somersault.
Commenting on Mustafina's win in the all-around at the World Championships, Andy Thornton from Universal Sports stated: "The story behind Aliya Mustafina's all-around gold today is that of a revived dynasty; the dominant Soviet women's team of the 1980's and early 1990's - whom many consider to represent the absolute epitome of artistic gymnastics - was dead and now reborn. In addition to leading her teammates to their country's first world title as an independent nation, Mustafina has delivered one of the great performances by a female gymnast ever - capturing the very same artistry, difficulty, and competitive composure that made her Soviet predecessors so beloved and revered. Mustafina's four-event arsenal is so well balanced it's hard to pick a favorite event to watch her on, and a win so convincing and undeniable as hers gives a satisfying sense of closure to a competition. She has established herself and her Russian teammates as the absolute gymnasts to watch over the next two years - and the gymnasts to beat."
On the 13th November 2010, Mustafina competed in the "Freddy Cup" Italian Grand Prix (in which the women competed on beam and uneven bars) where she won the balance beam competition (in which she added some new skills to her routine), beating Viktoria Komova into second place in the process. However, she missed out some elements in her uneven bars routine and ended up fourth in that competition, a competition which was won by Komova.
Mustafina next competed at the Toyota Cup in Japan in December 2010 where she was again scheduled to compete with Komova in what is now regarded as the main rivalry in women's gymnastics, ahead of what International Gymnast Magazine is calling the "anticipated all-around showdown between the two stars...at the Russian championships in March and European championships in April". However, at the last minute, Komova was switched to the Voronin Memorial event instead, but later withdrew due to injury. At the Toyota Cup, Mustafina won gold on the floor and on the vault. She also won silver on the beam, finishing second to Lauren Mitchell
Lauren Mitchell
Lauren Mitchell is an Australian artistic gymnast. She is the 2010 World Champion on floor and the 2009 World Championships silver medalist on balance beam and floor. Mitchell is only the second Australian woman gymnast to win medals at a World Championships, and the first to win gold...
.
In late December 2010, Mustafina entered the Voronin Memorial event as a surprise late entrant. She won the all-around competition and also won golds in the floor exercise and on the uneven bars.
Commenting on a highly successful 2010 in the Russian Artistic Gymnastics Federation magazine, Gimnastika, Mustafina stated: "What did I learn from the World Championships? That we can win, too! We can beat the Chinese and we can beat the Americans – there's nothing that difficult in it. We have to work and everything will be fine."
In November 2010, the following uneven bars element was named after Mustafina: Swing fwd to double salto bwd tucked with 1½ twist (540°) (Element Value = E 6.505).
2011
It was expected that Mustafina would begin the new gymnastics season by competing at Russian Nationals. However, she was switched to compete at the AT&T American Cup instead which took place on the 5th March 2011. Mustafina finished second in the all-around to America's Jordyn WieberJordyn Wieber
Jordyn Marie Wieber is an American artistic gymnast. She is the 2011 All-Around World Champion, the 2011 U.S. Senior National Champion and the 2011 American Cup Champion. She was also the 2008 U.S. Junior National Champion and the 2009 American Cup Champion.-Personal life:Wieber was born in...
. Looking out of sorts in her first event of the new season, a touch down on the floor at the end of a tumbling pass in the floor exercise ultimately cost Mustafina the gold medal (albeit losing out by just 0.068 points).
Mustafina next competed at the Bercy World Cup (French International) from the 19–20 March 2011. She competed on the beam, the uneven bars, and on the vault, winning gold in all three events. She did not compete in the floor exercise.
On the 8th April 2011, Mustafina competed at the European Championships
2011 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 4th Individual European Artistic Gymnastics Championships was held in Berlin, Germany from the 4th April 2011 until the 10th April 2011. The event was held at the Max-Schmeling-Halle...
where she suffered an injury to her left knee during the first rotation in the all-around on the vault (on landing whilst performing a Yurchenko 2 1/2) and had to withdraw. Her compatriot, Anna Dementyeva
Anna Dementyeva
Anna Yurievna Dementyeva born on the 28 December 1994 in Samara, Russia is a Russian artistic gymnast. She is the 2011 European all-around and beam champion, and a world gold medalist with the team.- Junior career :...
went on to win the all-around competition.
Knee injury
It was initially reported by International Gymnast Magazine that the injury Mustafina suffered at the European Championships was a meniscus tearTear of meniscus
In sports and orthopedics, a tear of a meniscus is a rupturing of one or more of the fibrocartilage strips in the knee called menisci. When doctors and patients refer to "torn cartilage" in the knee, they actually may be referring to an injury to a meniscus at the top of one of the tibiae. Menisci...
to her left knee. However, the magazine later retracted its report. On 9 April 2011, it was announced that Mustafina had torn her anterior cruciate ligament
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
(ACL) and strained her medial collateral ligament
Medial collateral ligament
The medial collateral ligament of the knee is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial side of the knee joint in humans and other primates. It is also known as the tibial collateral ligament, or abbreviated as the MCL.- Structure :It is a broad, flat, membranous band,...
, and will therefore miss the 2011 World Championships
2011 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 2011 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships were held in Tokyo, Japan, from October 7–16, 2011 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.Due to uncertainty over the nuclear situation following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, the International Federation of Gymnastics revealed it was...
. Her coach Alexander Alexandrov
Alexander Alexandrov
Alexander Alexandrov may refer to:*Aleksandr Danilovich Aleksandrov , Russian mathematician and physicist*Aleksandr Pavlovich Aleksandrov , Russian cosmonaut...
stated: "She has torn cruciate ligaments in her left knee, meaning she'll definitely miss the world championships." Russian Squad Coordinator, Valentina Rodionenko, added that: "It was thought to be an injured meniscus...The diagnosis was clarified through the imaging: rupture of the left anterior cruciate ligament. Aliya spent the night in the hospital and in the morning she was allowed to return to the hotel. They put on a tight bandage so there would be no swelling, because a lot of swelling causes problems for the surgery." The injury is the same type of injury as that suffered by British gymnast and 2009 world all-around runner-up Daniel Keatings
Daniel Keatings
Daniel Ryan Keatings is a British artistic gymnast. He trains at the Huntingdon Olympic Gymnastics Club under coach, Paul Hall alongside teammate Louis Smith....
.
Alexandrov stated that Mustafina's recovery and rehabilitation is likely to take around 6–8 months and that the focus is now on ensuring that she is ready in time for in 2012 Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in July 2012. Two notable examples of gymnasts who have suffered an ACL injury about a year before the Olympics and made a successful return to perform at the Olympics are Annia Hatch
Annia Hatch
Annia Portuondo Hatch is a Cuban-American gymnast who competed for the United States at the 2004 Olympics.Hatch began gymnastics in her native Cuba at the age of five...
and Justin Spring
Justin Spring
Justin Edward Spring is a retired American gymnast. He is a member of the bronze medal winning U.S. team at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. He was also a top gymnast in NCAA competition, where he represented the University of Illinois....
. Hatch suffered a torn ACL in August 2003 (in vault training the day before the 2003 World Championships were due to start) and returned to win silver on vault and with the U.S. team at the 2004 Olympic Games
Gymnastics at the 2004 Summer Olympics
At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, three disciplines of gymnastics were contested: artistic gymnastics , rhythmic gymnastics and trampoline...
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. Spring tore his ACL in August 2007 at the Visa Championships and helped the U.S. men win the bronze at the 2008 Olympics
Gymnastics at the 2008 Summer Olympics
At the 2008 Summer Olympics, three different gymnastics disciplines were contested: artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics and trampoline. The artistic gymnastics events were held at the Beijing National Indoor Stadium on August 9–19. The rhythmic gymnastics events were held at the Beijing...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
.
Alexandrov stated that the coaches did not quite understand how Mustafina had sustained her injury. He stated: "Maybe on landing one leg landed before the other and she got a twisted knee." Alexandrov also criticised the warm-up arrangements as being too short and believes that that may have been a factor behind the injury.
On 11 April 2011, arrangements were made for the surgery Mustafina required to be carried out at the sporthopaedicum Munich at the ATOS Private Clinic in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
by Professor Michael J. Strobel, a specialist in knee joints. It is the clinic where Boris Becker
Boris Becker
Boris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17...
and Oksana Chusovitina
Oksana Chusovitina
Oksana Aleksandrovna Chusovitina is an Olympic medalist and World Champion gymnast who has competed for Germany since 2006. She was formerly a citizen of, and a competitor for, the Soviet Union and Uzbekistan ....
both had knee surgery. It is also the clinic where the German national football team sends its players when they require knee surgery. Rodionenko stated that: "Aliya could have had surgery in Berlin. But local experts themselves insisted that it’s better to contact one of the clinics in Munich that specializes in knee joints." Chusovitina added that: "If she does surgery at the right place and has proper rehabilitation, trust me, she can vault. The doctor the Russians are going to operated on me. Same knee, but I had another problem. After Athens I could not vault, nor even really do anything. After eight months of looking for the cause, only this doctor figured out what was wrong. I had the surgery, and after two weeks I was walking without pain. Believe me, he’s really a professional of the highest class. For 30 years he’s been operating only on knees." Coach Alexandrov is also optimistic. He stated: "Doctors have promised that everything will be fine. It's just hard to get through the rehabilitation period, because the recovery from these surgeries is almost more important than the surgery itself. In any case, it is already clear that Mustafina will miss the world championships like she missed the European championships. But this is not so bad: before the Olympic Games there will be yet another Europeans. Getting competition experience again is so important once she has recovered."
Mustafina's surgery was first scheduled to take place on 12 April 2011. On 12 April 2011, however, it was announced that the surgery had been postponed until 13 April 2011 because she had only arrived at the clinic on the evening of 11 April 2011 (due to its distance from Munich) and the fact that she spent most of 12 April 2011 undergoing tests. Alexandrov was also quoted as saying when announcing the postponement: "By the way, according to doctors, the survey revealed that Aliya is not the most difficult case for such injuries."
Mustafina duly underwent surgery on 13 April 2011. The following day, the first bandage was changed and other postoperative measures carried out. Asked how she was feeling after the surgery, Mustafina stated that the pain in the knee was subsiding and that she was keeping in touch with her friends via her laptop and skype
Skype
Skype is a software application that allows users to make voice and video calls and chat over the Internet. Calls to other users within the Skype service are free, while calls to both traditional landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a fee using a debit-based user account system...
, which helped her to pass the time. Mustafina returned to Russia on 16 April 2011. On 17 April 2011, Rodionenko stated: "So far so good. Last night, Aliya arrived in Moscow. Doctors said the operation went fine. Now we must wait, with four weeks of complete rest for the leg."
Mustafina returned to the ATOS Clinic on 15 May 2011 for two weeks for a post-surgery evaluation to ensure that her recovery was going as it should. She attended with Viktoria Komova (who was being evaluated to determine whether surgery was required on her injured ankle) and Komova's mother Vera Kolesnikova. A rehabilitation plan was drawn up by the clinic for Mustafina during her two-week stay and she returned to Russia on 30 May 2011.
Commenting on Mustafina's injury, Lee Ann Gschwind of Universal Sports stated: "For Mustafina, the apparent curse could prove to be a blessing. The last reigning world champion to win Olympic gold was Lilia Podkopayeva
Lilia Podkopayeva
Lilia Alexandrivna Podkopayeva ; born August 15, 1978 in Donetsk) is a retired Ukrainian gymnast who became the 1996 Olympic all-around champion, the 1995 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships all-around champion and the 1996 European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships all-around champion...
back in 1996...It could..relieve some pre-Games pressure. The Olympics are still more than 15 months away, a relatively forgiving time frame. If all goes according to plan, Mustafina should have ample time to recover and regain her form. She could even be back for the 2012 spring season and get in some competitive routines before London. But she will also need to be mindful not to rush her comeback. What's so impressive about Mustafina, apart from her ability, is her confidence and attack. What a shame it would be to see those traits diminished in her return." Former Soviet gymnast Lidia Ivanova added: "The possibilities of modern medicine are high. In my time, a meniscus injury was a huge disaster. Now, I believe that Aliya will recover."
In an interview with Olga Yemolina from Moscow News in May 2011, Mustafina stated that while she would not be able to compete in the all-around competition at the 2011 World Championships, she still hoped to be sufficiently recovered to compete on the uneven bars and the beam at the championships. She stated: "First, I need that psychologically, so I don't lose my confidence. Second, if I can, I'll be ready. Why not?". Mustafina also confirmed that she was now doing some light training in accordance with the rehabilitation plan that has been set out for her. She said: "Yes, I am conditioning my arms and doing easy exercises on the bar. I have support on my knee and do my exercises in it. Everyone is supporting me, telling me the team needs me. But I want to get back to the podium as soon as I can". Asked whether it was odd being a spectator at gymnastics meets now, she said: "Of course it is. I really want to be out there competing. But no athlete is safe from injuries and you have to find the strength in yourself to not get absorbed by one. After what happened to me, I told myself that I could not get depressed, that I had to heal my knee and continue training"
Later in May 2011, Russian Squad Coordinator Valentina Rodionenko confirmed that Mustafina would definitely not be competing at the World Championships to avoid her being rushed back too soon. The plan instead was for her to return to competition at the 2012 Russian Championships and then for her to compete at the 2012 European Championships in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
from 9–13 May 2012.
Mustafina returned to the ATOS Clinic on 15 June 2011 for further post operative evaluation. Her official website reported on 18 June 2011 that the results of the evaluation were that her recovery was going very well and that she will be returning to Russia on 22 June 2011 to begin light training.
On the 1st July 2011, Valentina Rodionenko stated that Mustafina may be able to compete as early as December 2011 in the Voronin Cup. Nevertheless, in an interview with R-Sport, Mustafina herself reaffirmed that she is still hopeful of competing on the uneven bars and on the beam at the 2011 World Championships. She stated: "Of course I’d like to return; I want to compete at world championships. There is a chance I can go and compete on two events, but we still don’t know how my leg will be and how quickly I can bring back my routines. But the most important thing for me is the Olympic Games. Even if I don’t go to Japan, that won’t be all that terrible. The main competition will be in London next summer. But if I can go [to worlds], then why not".
On the 13th July 2011, however, Alexandrov stated that there was absolutely no chance of Mustafina competing at the 2011 World Championships. He told Russian Newspaper Sport-Express that: "The German doctors recommended completely avoiding any loading whatsoever on the leg she had the operation on, because in order for the knee to recover fully, it cannot be forced at all...So, Aliya is not doing any exercises that include jumping. First the leg has to be brought back into shape and the muscle functions need to be recovered. That is pretty dreary work." Hence, Mustafina's training at present remains confined to upper body conditioning and rehabilitation on the knee that was injured.
In early September 2011, Mustafina and Alexandrov announced in an interview with TV Channel, Rossiya 2, that Mustafina would be resuming a full training schedule in December 2011. In the meantime, Blythe Lawrence reported in the Gymnastics Examiner on the 17th September 2011 that Mustafina is continuing with her upper body conditioning, with rehabilitation work on her knee, and she is now adding new skills to her repertoire which does not require the use of her injured knee, such as a Memmel turn on the beam.
Major influences
Mustafina has said that while she respects other gymnasts, she has no idol. However, she admires 2008 all-around Olympic champion, Nastia LiukinNastia Liukin
Anastasia Valeryevna "Nastia" Liukin is a Russian-American artistic gymnast. She was the 2008 Olympic individual all-around Champion, the 2005 and 2007 World Champion on the balance beam, and the 2005 World Champion on the uneven bars...
, saying of her that: "I adore her elegant and beautiful performances with difficult elements. I like especially her graceful uneven bars and balance beam." Among Russian gymnasts, her main influence has been Ksenia Afanasyeva
Ksenia Afanasyeva
Ksenia Dmitrievna Afanasyeva is a Russian artistic gymnast. She is the 2011 World Champion in the Floor Exercise, and represented Russia at the 2008 Summer Olympics. In the 1st day of competition, Ksenia qualified in 6th for the all around, however she did not qualify because of the two per...
. She said of her: "I respect her strong and beautiful gymnastics."
Ambition
Mustafina's principal career target overall is success at the 2012 Summer Olympics2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. She recently stated that: "I think that the Olympics will coincide with the peak of my career, as long as I don't get injured. I will be almost 18 years old, have time to go through two world championships, and have much experience."
Website
On the 19th September 2011, Full Twist reported that Mustafina's official website had been taken down at the behest of the Russian Gymnastics Federation.Routines
In competition she performed:| Apparatus | Skills | D Score |
| Vault | Yurchenko 2½ and half on - layout full off | 6.5 & 6.1 |
| Uneven Bars | Glide Kip cast to handstand - Stalder full - Khorkina, kip cast to HS - Piked stalder half - Piked Jaeger, Kip cast to HS - Piked stalder full - Tkatchev - Pak to LB - Stalder half - toe on shoot to HB, Kip cast to HS - Toe on Full - Full in half out tucked (Mustafina) | 6.9 |
| Balance Beam | Double turn - turn, Arabian, Switch leap with half turn - back tuck, Switch ring leap, Aerial - Onodi - free cartwheel, Switch leap - Wolf Jump, Back handspring - Back handspring - Triple twist dismount | 6.8 |
| Floor Exercise | 3 1/2 Twist ; Double Arabian ; Triple Turn; Switch Leap 1/2; Double turn with leg at Head (Memmel); Switch leap with 1/1; 2 1/2 twist - Full twist; Triple Twist. | 6.1 |