![]() ![]() Now, as she competes at the Russian Cup this week, she finds herself in what might be the final push of her career. Listunova, Urazova and Melikova combined for six medals and a Tokyo quota spot at the event. Melnikova has already teamed up with newcomers, competing with the duo at the European Championships in Basel, Switzerland in April. “In life, seeing, for example, some big waves, I will jump and scream, and show my joy. “Sometimes, it is difficult for me to contain my emotions,” she said. Melnikova knows what it’s like to feel that stress in competition, showing her emotions during the ups and downs of her career: tears in Rio and again after missing out on a medal in 2018, then her signature mini claps of joy when she reached the all-around podium in 2019. So, yes, I feel a little responsibility for them - to calm them down and not create any extra stress in team competitions.” I was really scared to go out on the gymnastics podium,” she said. “There is such responsibility because the girls are very small, and I remember myself at 16 years old. The Russians have the talent to contend for multiple medals at the Olympics in reigning European all-around champion Viktoria Listunova and world junior uneven bars champion Vladislava Urazova.īut they’ll need Melnikova to lead the way with her experience. With the recent retirement of Mustafina, Melnikova finds herself the sole Olympic veteran. Russia will also need her to play a completely different role in Tokyo. Now, I feel like a completely different person.” Before Rio, the whole responsibility was on the coach and the coach only saw me and said how much and what I needed to do. I will first sit down and think whether I really need it. ![]() “In 2017, I tried to do everything whatever the cost,” Melnikova admits. “Thanks to my experience, I already began to definitely know how I need to prepare, how much is needed to be done. “Two years ago, I changed very much in terms of my gymnastics,” she says. Melnikova has transformed her gymnastics since Rio, winning three medals at the most recent World Championships in 2019 including all-around and floor exercise bronze. But the conclusion is one: 'Don't be afraid.'”Īngelina Melnikova: I feel a 'completely different person' compared to Rio A transformation and a new role Right now, there will probably be a different kind of atmosphere and setting. “Of course, I felt uncomfortable because I had never performed with so many viewers before,” she continued, “Now, there won't be as many people in Tokyo. There were these stands, which almost reached up to the sky, all of them filled with people,” recalled Melnikova in an exclusive interview with. “I remember when I came into the gym in Rio during the qualification stage - I went into the gym and I lifted my eyes up. That experience is on her mind as the 20-year-old prepares for her second trip to the Games this summer at the Tokyo Olympics. She was the third best Russian in the all-around standings, behind Olympic bars champion Aliya Mustafina and 2014 Youth Olympic champ Seda Tutkhalyan, and missed the final due to a rule only allowing two per country in each final. She entered Rio with high hopes, but an injury a week before leaving for Brazil and major errors on the balance beam and floor exercise during qualifying left her on the outside looking in. She won the Russian Championships and Russian Cup and was the only woman on her team to compete in the all-around at the European Championships. The World Championships resumes on Friday morning with the Men's All-Around Final, where a new champion will be crowned as 2019 winner Nikita Nagornyy misses out.Five years ago, Russian gymnast Angelina Melnik ova was making a splash in her first senior season. The 21-year-old's compatriot Vladislava Urazova placed fourth and missed out on the bronze medal by nearly a whole mark, while Great Britain duo Ruby Stacey and Georgie-Mae Fenton placed 15th and 17th respectively. ![]() Melnikova - who claimed bronze in the All-Around at the 2019 World Championships and at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics - took the world title following a stellar final performance on floor, nailing her full-twisting double straight back somersault as she now looks ahead to all four apparatus finals. In the absence of celebrated names such as Simone Biles and Sunisa Lee, Melnikova took her first-ever gold medal at the World Championships with a total score of 56.632 ahead of US duo Leanne Wong (56.340) and Kayla di Cello (54.566). Angelina Melnikova of the Russian Federation scooped the gold medal in the Women's All-Around Final in the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan. ![]()
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