May 18, 2001
Sorry I haven't updated for so long. I've been having exams which will only end on the 28/5 so 'till then you'll have to bear with me. =) This will probably be my only news update until after my exams unless there's something important.

Grandma's Death
On May 1, Svetlana's grandmother on her mother's side, who she's close to, died. I offer my condolences to Svetlana and her family and hope they are all fine.

Brazil Trip
On May 24, Svetlana will be leaving Russia for the competition in Brazil.

May 4, 2001
Reply to Neil on http://guestbook.novgorod.ru/book.php3?name=khorkina
I took the whole post down so I'm sorry if you specially took the trip to read it. Hope you enjoyed my site =). Neil was wrong but I shouldn't be so cruel as to leave this on my site for ages and let him carry the stigma of this mistake forever. Ciao.

May 3, 2001
After the championships have finished, OEG went by Lobaznyuk in hospital two times in the same number of days. Elena Zamolodchikova also came to visit her friend Ekatarina every day. Today Ekatarina's swollen knee has been drained and examined thoroughly, which probably has left her feeling miserable.

In a few days OEG will ask her mother if Ekatarina is OK, or will have to be operated on.

Indications suggest the injury was only minor, and there is no need for her to retire.

Although only Anna Chepeleva is said to have retired, all the other gymnasts missing at Nationals were said to be training in their home gyms still.

Effectively however, I think one can consider Elvira Almieva, Nina Kartseva, Kseniya Kekkonen, Anna Kovalyova and Elena Produnova to be off the national team. They can perhaps compete nationally at a lower level, but I don't think we will see them again on the top flights of the international scene.

Too bad in some cases, but inevitable given the pressure from the young gymnasts and the limited means of Russian gymnastics federation.

Report By:
Edwin Koppers
OEG webmaster
Moscow, Russia

May 2, 2001
This morning OEG went over to the hospital were Ekatarina was brought to, after she sustained an injury in Russian National Championships on the horse vault, last Saturday morning.

During the first minutes we were both a little embarassed, because Ekatarina didn't expect any visitors at 12 noon, and because to me Russian hospitals are very strange places, very much unlike ours.

After a few minutes, we were more comfortable, and started talking. Ekatarina said she has no pain, has slept well, ate well, and she is able to move about on crutches. She is not yet bored by having nothing to do, and has her walkman/radio and mobile phone within reach.

Her right leg is immobilized by a rail, but she can get out of bed, go to the toilet, wash herself etc, without the help of a nurse. There have been x-rays taken, but in Russia they apparently don't tell underage patients what is wrong with them. Ekatarina couldn't explain to me what is wrong with her knee, and since her mother would come during the second round of visits, I shall try to ask her for the latest news from the medical side.

I conveyed your wished and concern to Ekatarina, with made her blush a little. She thanks you all for your concern and support.

She will leave this (specialized first aid) hospital in two days, and will either be operated on by surgeons specialized in orthopaedia, or will start her recovery in Round Lake immediately.

I'll try to keep you posted on Ekatarina's progess.

There has been some concern with me over Ekatarina's vaulting since the Olympics. She definitely has grown worse, as in all the competitions OEG attended, Ekatarina didn't do very well in vaulting. There were some false starts, runs by the horse, and generally awkward landing and often falls, like in DTB Cup, France Telecom or Cottbus. There certainly is a psychological kink in Ekatarina's mind that needs to be ironed out, IMO, and other trainers acknowledged my worries. Ekatarina herself told me she isn't afraid of the vault, but I didn't expect her to answer otherwise either.

Let's hope she will be well soon, get over it, and is able to shine in the coming Goodwill Games and World Championships.

She is a great kid, a superb gymnast, and a wonderful person I am glad to be acquainted with.

Elena Zamolodchikova will almost certainly compete in coming EuroMasters, and will then be training in Moscow until the Russian team goes to Greece for their summer training stage. She must also pass some exams in St Petersburg during spring, and will try to start with her driving lessons too.
Elena has set her sights on either Universiade or Goodwill Games, as Golden Medals from these
competitions still fail in her collection. She is very content over her latest results and her gymnastics program in general, and can now train indepedently from the other gymnasts to her own timetable and schedule.

Report By:
Edwin Koppers
OEG webmaster
Moscow, Russia