Russia Names Their 2016 Euro Team

Ksenia Afanasyeva Photo by Jeni Hull Aliya Mustafina, Angelina Melnikova, Ksenia Afanasyeva and Maria Paseka have secured a spot on the...

Ksenia Afanasyeva
Photo by Jeni Hull

Aliya Mustafina, Angelina Melnikova, Ksenia Afanasyeva and Maria Paseka have secured a spot on the 2016 Russian European team. Their selection was based on their performances at the Russian championships.

The fifth spot will most likely go to Viktoria Komova who is currently receiving treatment for back pain. Nevertheless, if Komova was not ready to compete at the European championships, either World and European bars champion Daria Spiridonova or 2014 Youth Olympic all around champion Seda Tutkhaylan will take her place.

Head coach Valentina Rodionenko stated that Tutkhalyan might not be chosen to compete due to her inconsistency which Rodionenko saw as dangerous for the team.

This will be Angelina Melnikova's first major international competition as a senior. Afanasyeva and Paseka will go as the reigning European champions on floor and vault respectively. 

Written by Gigi Farid.