Gymternet Weekly: Gymnastics loses a legend, Berki retires, Coach Mustafina (February 1 – 7, 2021)
It’s never a dull week around the gymternet! Here’s our weekly roundup of news, videos, and more from your favorite gymnasts!
Click here to read the previous edition of Gymternet Weekly.
P.S. Have a news item or video you think should be considered for “Gymternet Weekly”? Email a link to [email protected]!
Top headlines from this post
Dianne Durham, the first black U.S. all-around champion and a trailblazer for black gymnasts around the world, passed away on Thursday at the age of 52.
Hungarian gymnastics star and pommel horse specialist Krisztián Berki announced his retirement from the sport late last week at the age of 35.
Aliya Mustafina is now Coach Mustafina! That’s right, the two-time, reigning Olympic uneven bars champion has assumed a new role as head coach of the Russian junior national team.
1.
Gymnastics loses a legend
Dianne Durham, the first black U.S. all-around champion and a trailblazer for black gymnasts around the world, has passed away at the age of 52.
Although the exact cause of death is unknown, Durham’s husband, Tom Drahozal, shared on Durham’s Facebook on Monday, February 1, saying, “Please keep Dianne in your thoughts and prayers. Dianne is critically ill right now and the next few days are very important.”
On Thursday afternoon, Drahozal shared the following update: “Dianne Durham the love of my life passed away today. She stuck a triple full over the gates of heaven and was awarded with the biggest prize ever. She will be in heaven for eternity. I miss her, but know that she will be my guardian angel. Her sister Alice and I were by her side when she passed away peacefully. I love you with all my heart Dianne and will honor your memory for the rest of my life.”
Click here to read the full story.
2.
Bye bye Berki: 2012 Olympic champion, pommel horse artist retires
2012 Olympic champion, 3-time World champion, and 6-time European champion Krisztián Berki (HUN) announced his retirement late last week at the age of 35.
The pommel horse specialist, who had been competing on the international level since the early 2000s, shared the news on social media, saying, “Thank you so much to everyone for standing by me during this more than 30 years. I feel that I have no reason to be ashamed, my career has been very complete despite the injuries, and perhaps it is no exaggeration to say: I wish such a career to every athlete. I can’t be grateful enough to István Kovács, my coach, who knew all my vibes, knows when and what I need. Without him, I’m not sure I could have achieve what I did.”
While Berki is stepping away from competing, he’s not leaving the world of gymnastics completely. At his retirement press conference, it was also announced that the star has been appointed as Sports Director of the Hungarian Gymnastics Federation.
3.
That’s Coach Mustafina to you
While Russian star Aliya Mustafina hasn’t explicitly announced her retirement from the sport, a new role is just the latest in signs that she’s hung up her grips for good.
This past week, Mustafina was announced as the acting head coach of the Russian junior women’s national team, according to Valentina Rodionenko, less than a month after it was revealed that the two-time Olympic uneven bars champion had begun working as a coach with the juniors.
Mustafina replaces former coach Evgeny Grebyonkin in the role.
Per Rodionenko in an article translated by Gymnovosti, the Russian gymnastics federation is not yet able to appoint her as the official head coach due to lack of experience, so she will be the “acting” head coach this year.
While Mustafina has yet to announce her competitive retirement, she hasn’t competed since early 2019.
4.
Riley McCusker reveals what she eats in a day while training for the Tokyo Olympics
Riley McCusker is a World champion, National Team member since 2016, future Florida Gator, and 2020 Olympic contender, so it’s easy to see how average people, or even fellow gymnasts, might be interested in her keys to success!
Recently, the 19-year-old has been giving fans a peek into her daily life on TikTok, and while she definitely enjoys a viral dance or two (often with her fellow U.S. teammates), she also shares videos of cleaning (#productivity) and even takes her followers through what she eats in a day as an elite gymnast.
Click here for the details.
5.
2021 World Cup news: Stuttgart cancelled, Doha to be held without fans
As Tokyo draws near, the 2021 World Cup circuit is gearing up to begin where 2020 left off, and with that, countries are having make decisions on how they can host their assigned events, if at all.
After trying to find a different location to host the second in the All-Around World Cup series, the German gymnastics federation and International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) announced that the Stuttgart World Cup, originally set for March 20-21, is now officially cancelled.
In addition, the final stage of the Individual Apparatus World Cup series, the Doha World Cup, will now be held “behind closed doors,” per the Local Organizing Committee (LOC). This means that, when the event is held at the Aspire Dome from March 10-13, no fans will be in attendance.
Click here for the latest FIG event cancellations due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Tweets and things
Competition clips: Vote for Pedro!
Training clips: ‘Craving some authentic Japanese food…’
This week’s training clips section includes 29 videos that feature Sam Mikulak (USA), Kara Eaker (USA), Georgia-Mae Fenton (GBR), MyKayla Skinner (USA), Heath Thorpe (AUS), and many more national and international athletes!
