Air signs: Russian national trampoline team returns to world championships

This weekend, on July 5-6, Coimbra, Portugal, will host the Trampoline World Cup, which includes 11 Russians (who will compete in a neutral status after the decision to return to the international stage), including participant of the 2024 Olympics Angela Bladtseva. We are evaluating the medal prospects and the main goals of our athletes for the season with the long-term coach of the Russian national team Nikolai Makarov.

In the spring, our new enlarged gymnastics federation became the main newsmaker when it came out with a decision to boycott international competitions in response to decisions on neutral status of Russians. A few weeks have passed, and our athletes are still going abroad. The World Cup in Portugal will be the first international start for our athletes after the 2024 Games.

"We can't say that the team has reached optimal shape, but they are approaching their peak," Nikolai Makarov, coach of the Russian national trampoline team, told Izvestia. — Everything was shown in training, it remains to do the same in competitions. We went to Portugal expecting good results. This tournament is taking place on the eve of our Spartakiad, so we are preparing for it and for the World Cup. We don't know how other countries are preparing, it was the offseason, and the World Cup is still a long way off. But we are waiting for something good. We're pricing it out, so to speak. I know that all the strongest teams will arrive in Portugal. Everyone wants to look at each other and assess their level.

The World Cup is the main tournament for the Russian national team this year, Makarov stressed. It will be held in Madrid in November. Before that, the World Cup stages are scheduled in Portugal (July 5-6), Germany (September 20-21), Bulgaria (September 27-28) and France (October 3-5).

— Many people are now preparing for the World Games, in which we do not have access, — Nikolai Makarov continued. — There's an acrobatic track, a mini-trampoline and synchronized trampoline jumping. We qualified for the 2023 World Cup, which we were unable to participate in. Well, it's okay, we'll get over it. So for us, the main tournament will definitely be the World Cup. It is important to perform successfully at all stages of the World Cup, to take prizes in the final standings. It is important for us to prepare for the next Olympics.

Makarov also stressed that trampolinists have no problems obtaining a neutral status.

"We received it a long time ago, someone last year, someone this winter," Nikolai Makarov said. — We hope for changes in the near future, that now more athletes will receive a neutral status, and we will bring a team to the World Championships. As for the decision to apply for international competitions, Sports Minister Mikhail Vladimirovich Degtyarev said that it was necessary to participate. We follow the instructions. Well, this is our desire, of course — we need to start entering the international arena. In general, we have not changed our decision to participate, and our attitude towards boycotts has always been negative. I just hope that all the provisions on neutral status will change soon, because people need to really look at things and really evaluate neutrality or its absence. To make this conversation go on, and not like last year. The Federation and its leadership are working very hard on this, and I think there will be some news in July.

The mentor of our trampolinists also commented on the departure of the long-term head coach of our gymnasts, Andrei Rodionenko. Dmitry Andreev took his place.

— Andreev is a professional, has been in gymnastics for a long time, was one of the members of the technical committee of the international federation, a specialist of the highest level, — the specialist emphasized. — Of course, Andrey Fedorovich [Rodionenko] was and remains an outstanding person. But I think they've found a very good replacement for him. Dmitry should be able to handle it. He has understanding and ambitions, and most importantly, knowledge.

11 Russian athletes will compete in Portugal. These are Maxim Didenko, Danila Kasimov, Kirill Kozlov, Sofia Alyaeva, Angela Bladtseva (all trampolining), Sergey Finichenko, Arina Kalyandra, Alexandra Lyamina (all acrobatic track), Mikhail Yuryev, Mikhail Zalomin and Galina Begim (all double mini-trump).