17th September - from Gymmedia .
According to Yelena Vitrichenko,
Ukraine's athletes are following the football Champions League despite
pre-Olympic tension: "Even at the world's most important sporting event, we haven't forgotten to cheer for our
football stars who play for Dinamo Kiev," said Yelena, who like European champion Alexander Beresh is a keen
football fan."Unfortunately, we didn't have much to cheer about at their last match," she regrets. Vitrichenko's face
can be seen on billboards all over the Ukrainian capital- she is featured in an add for Samsung which claims "We
win together!".
Ekaterina Serebryanskaya, the Olympic
Champion in Atlanta 96, became a mother on the 28th August. Her son, Eugeniy, is whole 4 kg and
700 g and 58 cms and that is curious with a mother RG champion.The father is Igor Voronov.
The mother and the son are fine.
It seems like Asel Moustafina
gained some weight and fell
out of favor with Irina Viner prior to the '99 world championships. She attempted
a return to her native Kazakhstan to try for their world team but failed to make
it. Consequently she retired.
At the Grand Prix of Moscow 2000 a great gift has been offered to the crowd :
Amina Zaripova, who has been several times
a world champion in the past years has lighten the grand Prix show. At age 25, she is still
performing great and work to the Irina Viner's side as a coach.
F.I.G. imposed sanctions on judges who demonstrated an unfair behaviour at the European
Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Saragozza 2000, giving low scores to Elena Vitrichenko.
In fact during the selections she placed 19th after a perfect execution of her routines.
The crowd was ashamed. So Elena refused to compete for the All Around Finals. After this
unbelievable event, all the 32 judges are not allowed to be a judge at the Olympic Games.
6 judges will be suspended for one year: Irina Derjugina (UKR), Natalja Stepanowa (BLR), Gabriele
Stummer (AUT), Galina Marjina (LAT), Ursula Sohlenkamp (GER) und Natalja Lashtsinkaja
(RUS).Furthermore, they cannot go to the judge course in Rome which will not allow them to renew
their judging licence which means that they will be further suspended, for more than one year. The
punishment is done according to the analysis of the video tapes.
Additionally, here are the names of the other guilty judges who are not allowed to judge in Sydney. Fig
has suspended their accreditations and cancelled their tickets to Sydney:
They are: Sdenka Sovova (Czech Republic),Efi Pantazidu (Greece),Lisa Black (Great Britain),
Teri Toivanen (Finland),Marina Piazza (Italy),Jolanda Sap (Netherlands),Adriana Stujinska (Poland).
You can find more news on Gymmedia
Teodora Alexandrova will not compete
at the Olympics because of a serious injury to her leg. It's a great pity because Teo is one
of the most origynal gymnasts in hystory.
Magdalena Brzerska has given birth to a beautirul young baby Girl
named Caprice, on the 22nd June. The polish born former gymnast said "She is beatiful, just Beatiful"
- thanks Jonathan Wright for the info
Susanna Marchesi , the Italian RSG champion, was on
the TV show "7 x 1" on Rai 1 on the 3rd August. She won the game although she didn't manage
to earn the money. On the 6th July there was Noemi Iezzi (3rd at the Nationals) and on
the 10th August Laura Zacchilli (2nd).
Elena Vitrichenko
was in Senigallia, Italy, on the 13th June
to do an exhibition
at the Palasport because her mother is a friend of the coach of the local team.
According to the last nº of "Gym Stars" travelled to the Osaka Worlds
with the Greece delegation, and she is now the national coach.