Very inspirational coach for the Uzbekistan girls. Words of wisdom and lots of hugs and kisses. We were very impressed watching from the front of the stands. Her name is Svetlana KUZNETSOVA. I am starting to like the Uzbek girls a lot. Everytime the girls finished the routines Svetlana would be at the steps ready to give them a huge hug. One of the girls fell on the vault and started tearing, Svetlana quickly put a stop to it, wiped her eyes, whispered words of encouragement and the girl hit her second vault! They are(right to left):Botagos BOYATANOVA, Saida BOBOEVA, Anastasya DZYUNDZYAK, Aleksandra GORDEEVA, and Svetlana BAKHRIDINOVA. Very nice dark green leotards as well.
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So we went for lunch instead and were walking back towards the Stadium, when lo and behold! THE UZBEKISTAN TEAM!!! Heading right towards us in the opposite direction!! All five girls following Mrs K and two blue hospitality girls with them. Excitement!!! We smiled at them and as they passed I asked if I could take a group photo of them. Svetlana readily agreed and started getting everyone in line and then INSISTED WE JOIN IN THE GROUP PHOTO!!! Arrggghhhh!!!!!!!!!! Like I wistfully said afterwards, "I've never been asked to join a group photo before." Svetlana got a blue hospitality girl to take the photo for us. So we became honorary members of the Uzbek team (I wish!).
I AM AN UZBEK CONVERT! Screammmmmmmmm! Svetlana and her Uzbek girls!
Cheap thrills - waving the Cape Town flag. Many delegates from candidate nations were there in Malley giving support to their respective cities' bid for the 2004 Olympics. The Cape Towners' caps (very nicely black and gold embossed) and t-shirts and lots of flag-waving were unmissable. There's also a moose from the Stockholm bid and their folks in their orange t-shirts.
World Trampolining Champions gave an exhibition performace. The Russian girls pair were champs in 1994 and 1996, while the French men's pair won in 1996. After their wonderful performance it was announced that trampolining is will be an Olympic sport in the year 2000. That was the first time they and us heard it and they were delighted, hugging each other.
Mrs K and girls came to watch the Uzbeks boys, Blue Boy (Andrei MARKELOV) and Green Boy (Ildar VALEEV) in their mixed group in the evening subdivision after the IOC Opening Ceremony. They have potential but are very young. In a few years time, if they keep up their training, they'll be quite good.
Sharing the same rotation were a gruesome twosome comic duo from Saudi Arabia. They were sadly out of their league here in Lausanne. A friend said, "You don't want to be unkind, but your eyes are drawn to them like a bad car accident!" The only thing the couple got above 6 was at the vault, a 7.7. They scored a spectacular all time low of 3.672 on the high bar. I believe the high bar routine was approximately giant, giant, giant, endo, inverted giant, giant, giant, double tuck (dismount). All with bent knees and arms. The floor passes were layout, tuck, layout-punch front, layout-punch front (again). But it was jolly brave of them to participate. All for the experience, hey?