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A22 SPORTS
Monday 29 october 2018

Mother Russian: New mom Mustafina leads Russia at worlds

By WILL GRAVES champion Morgan Hurd
AP Sports Writer finished fifth and current
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Aliya world team member Riley
Mustafina understands McCusker came in ninth.
she didn’t have to come An inability to obtain U.S.
back. Nobody would have citizenship forced Alek-
blamed the Russian star seeva to change course.
gymnast for calling it a ca- When Russian officials
reer after the birth of her asked her if she wanted to
child Alisa in the spring of come home, she jumped
2017. at the opportunity. On Tues-
The demands of pregnan- day, she’ll find herself com-
cy and motherhood typi- peting as a Russian against
cally don’t play nice with several American women
the demands of being a she thought would one day
world-class gymnast, par- be her teammates.
ticularly one as decorated She’s not too worried about
as Mustafina, a seven-time it getting awkward.
Olympic medalist and 2010 “I’ve talked to some of the
world all-around champi- girls like over social media
on. That’s one of the rea- and stuff and they’re all
sons the 24-year-old was nice and supportive, both
intent on doing it anyway. the Russians and the Ameri-
Her message: You shouldn’t Russia’s Aliia Mustafina performs on the floor during qualifying sessions for the Gymnastics World cans, so I think we’ll be
have to choose between Chamionships at the Aspire Dome in Doha, Qatar, Sunday, Oct. 28, 2018. fine,” Alekseeva said.
two loves. Associated Press China’s national team
“When you become a and occasionally spectac- after finishing fifth at the points behind the Ameri- coach is Liang Chow,
mother, your life doesn’t ularly — as Mustafina. 2016 Olympics, failed to cans. Such is the domi- who helped 2012 Olympic
end,” Mustafina said Sun- Anchoring the Russians on make the eight-team final. nance the U.S. has over champion Gabby Doug-
day after guiding a young uneven bars, floor exercise “I’m very happy,” Musta- the rest of the world at las and four-time Olympic
Russian team to second and balance beam, Mus- fina said. “I was missing the the moment that the gap medalist Shawn Johnson
place in qualifying at the tafina restored a bit of or- emotions, the equipment, between first and second soar to glory. The hiring was
2018 world championships. der to qualifying on a day the girls, everything.” (8.932) was greater than a homecoming of sorts for
“If there’s a thing you can the Canadians rose to a It showed. Sixteen months the gap between Rus- Chow, who competed in-
do that gives you pleasure, surprising fourth, while Brit- removed from bringing sia and 12th-place Italy ternationally for China be-
you do it.” Particularly if you ain, considered an emerg- Alisa into the world, Musta- (8.667). While the Ameri- fore moving to the U.S. and
can do it as dramatically — ing power two years ago fina was back in her famil- cans, reigning Olympic starting a wildly success-
iar spot as the foundation champions, are heavy fa- ful gym in Iowa. Chow’s
around which the Russian vorites to continue a win- challenge is reviving a pro-
team is built. She’s helping ning streak that dates back gram that while still elite
18-year-old Angelina Mel- to the 2011 world cham- has slipped over the last
nikova, 16-year-olds Irina pionships, there is a mad decade. “You know, after
Alekseeva and Angelina scramble behind them. 2008, their performances
Simakova, and 21-year-old It’s a mix that now includes are going down,” Chow
Lilia Akhaimova find their Canada. A year after Ellie said. “I think it’s good for
footing on the world stage. Black finished second in me to help out a little bit.”
“She’ll kind of lead ev- the all-around on home turf Valeri Liukin is trying to do
erybody, tell everybody, in Montreal, the Canadians the same for Brazil, which
‘Calm down, it’s OK,’” said surged past Japan, Brazil, offered him a job not long
Alekseeva, who earned a France and Germany to after he stepped down as
spot in the all-around final crack the top four. the U.S. national team co-
after being 12th in qualify- “We’ve had a lot of girls ordinator in January, less
ing. “Sometimes we’ll be working really hard doing than 18 months after being
doing routines and she’ll a great job of pushing the hired as Martha Karolyi’s re-
just be talking about it. She limits of Canadian gymnas- placement.
knows we’re new, but she’s tics,” Black said. “So now Liukin, the father of 2008
done it so many times.” we’re having a bigger pool Olympic champion Nas-
Not too many, however, to choose from and I think tia Liukin, declined to talk
that the novelty has worn that’s great for our team.” about if he had second
off. If anything, becoming Some teams have taken on thoughts about his decision
a parent helped Mustafina a decidedly American fla- to step away. On Tuesday
realize how deeply she and vor in hopes of making in- night, he’ll lead the Brazil-
a sport she’s helped de- roads on the United States’ ians onto the floor against
fine have become so inter- dominance. an American powerhouse
twined. Alekseeva was born in Mos- he helped developed.
“It’s my passion and it cow but moved to the U.S. “It’s very different,” Liukin
makes me feel better all when she was in elementa- said. “It feels very weird to
the time,” Mustafina said. ry school, training in Dallas. me, too. It’s not easy. But
Russia edged ahead of She was a rising star as a ju- like I said, I love the sport of
China for second in qualify- nior, winning the all-around gymnastics. This is my life.
ing, though its team score title at U.S. Classic in 2016, No matter what happens, I
of 165.497 was nearly nine a meet in which 2017 world will do this.”q