• Opinions

• General statements

• Execution

• Difficulty

• Artistry

From the interview of Albina Deruigina, 2001 : Changes in the programm are , as it is known, each 4 years. Sometimes they are good and sometimes not very. Now rhythmic gymnastics is just upside down! Now gymnasts have to have tree times more elements than in the past years and the time of the routine didn't change! It is said that it isn't necessary to have lots of difficulty in the routine, but why did they take 10 combinations then? They should have taken 5-7 combination, maximum 8 and to add points with the difficult. For example, the difficulty of the elements if 0.5, then for two such elements gymnast will recieve a points.But if she can't do such difficulty, she should take3-4 elements easier and to have the same points. And how the gymnast should be with the music, she can't be artistic! She doesn't even have time to turn the head. Surely, the best gymnasts should be up to date, but there aren't many! Yerofeeva, Bessonova and some more gymnasts, but there are thousands of the gymnasts that can't follow the new rules! That's why coaches, not only in Ukraine, send complains to FIG to change the rules, but we haven't recieved answer yet.

From the interview of Irina Deruigina, 2002 : My opinion is that we can't bent from side to side. It was a revolution when these rules came. And they had to do small steps to them. We can't change the gymnasts in one day, they need to do more graceful, more beautiful and female elements. Why do they do a circus out of the gymnastics, which was earlier loved for its beauty? Earlier gymnasts worked greatly with apparatus and it was liked by everybody. And it was always stated in the rules that work with apparatus is the main. Everything has changed since last year...How many elements look simply ridiculous because girls don't have enough physical strength. Girls need to do male elements, male leaps, but they are not as strong as them. We coped with this programm, I don't critisise it, we did it. We try to do something. It was really very difficult last year, now we got used a little bit and I can create something unusual, but for me, as a coach, it is not interesting

Irina Leparskaya 2002 : I risk to repeat myself, but I think that the main disadvantage of the new novations is that we have lost rhythm. We have to put 10 combinations of 3 elements somewhere in 1 and a half minutes, there is no place to show the character of a gymnast, no place for choreography originalities. There are much more physical pressure and so we have more injuries. If to speak about the positive, from my point of view, changes, rhythmic gymnastics became much more like a sport than earlier. Nowadays both specialists and spectators can understand the criterias of the scores more. However, as a professional judge, I can say that the subjectiveness hasn't disappeared. So there are lots of oppourtinities for judge to change their scores. But, I'll repeat, the work of the judges became much more clear and exact. As well as this, gymnasts and coaches had to create new elements, interesting combinations, which they never thought about earlier. So our gymnastics horizont got wider and it's a big step forwards. But still it would be great to bring some some artistry and expression back, to have some more dance elements.

Elena Vitrichenko, 2001  I like gymnastics nowadays. Yes, the compositions became much more difficult and girls have to train more, but there isn't anything bad. Figure skating is very graceful kind of sport, but it always develops in the way of making the compositions more difficult. I think that gymnasts have more ways to "grow up" now. Earlier it was very easy for the next gymnasts to have 5 points difficulty and so there were too many 10's. Nowadays gymnasts has to perform something really fantastic to have a score near the maximum. By the way, Eugeniy Pluschenko in the figure skating has amazing difficulty, but he is very artistic to/ If to name the names. on Deruigina Cup, the most I liked the compositions of Alina Kabaeva, Irina Tschaschina, Anya Bessonova and Lesya Tkachenko.

Tamara Yerofeeva, 2001 : I don't agree with those people, who think that new rules were created only for Alina Kabaeva. Now the routines are much more difficult, it's more interesting for the spectators, so I think, it was right to change the rules

Anna Bessonova, 2002 :  I worked a lot, but still I couldn't understand the way. It wasn't comfortable, the composition seemed to be impossible to do, if to speak shortly, bad feelings. But as it is said, the gods burn pots. Now I take the changes quite normally, like I worked under them for a long time

Ekaterina Serebrianskaya , 2001:  If to be true, I don't understand new rules as well. I think that suggested changes in COP were made so that RG became a popular sport. However, I hope that the popularity didn't go down. The wish to do our kind of sport better and more spectacular will lead to the non-variety. Learnt to the end, easily guessed routines will come to the first place before the main thing in rhythmic gymnastics - plastic, grace, expression, fantasy. I was recently watching competition and I actually caught myself on thought that I am bored. Everything is repeated, almost every new routine is just a repeat of a previous one.

Elena Tkachenko, 2002 : When new rules of 2001 came, I was shocked. I thought that in 1 and a half minutes it's impossible to do so many difficult elements. At first we could do nothing, but then I got used and managed to do all the difficulties. New rules came because the time came as well. Rhythmic Gymnastics develops very fast. I won't be surprised if in some years a new original apparatus will be created. Even now the level of international competitions is very high. It is because rhythmic gymnastics gets more and more popularity in the world. 

Irina Viner, 2001 : Rhythmic Gymnastcs is not a football. And we do not gather so many spectators as figure skating. That's why it's difficult to find sponsors. And the matter is that rhythmic gymnastics didn't have any interesting things for a while. There was no risk! Something between folk dances and ballet. I wanted to risk just because I wanted my gymnasts to improve. All the risky elements weren't counted. Now we have that. And I won't allow anyone to reduce the difficulty. I did huge work to make this rules real. If Alina Kabaeva can do them, why anyone else can?

Alina Kabaeva, 2001 : Of course, when I first saw the new COP, I was a little shocked, but then we started to work and everything became fine. I want to get a "30". I think it's a matter of time. 

•  An individual programm of the gymnast includes 4 routines. There are 5 apparatus - rope, hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon, but every 2 years one apparatus goes out.

• A programm in group exercises includes 2 routines - 1 routine is with the same type of apparatus (for example, 5 ribbons). The other is 2 types of apparatus (for example, 2 balls/3 ropes)

• The score of a gymnast consists of Difficulty value of the routine (D) that looks for the body elements in the routine added to Artistry value score (A) that focuses on apparatus work, expression and music used in the routine, divided in 2. Plus the last score is Execution score (E). So the scheme is as follows : (D + A)/2 + E

• Each judge should make possible deductions in the routine and give a total amount of deductions, which are then substracted from the perfect score of 10 points.

• There are three kinds of deductions : 0,1 (small mistakes), 0,2 (medium mistakes) and 0,3 or more (for big mistakes.

• A routine in an individual program must include a maximum of 18 difficulties.

• There is a special group of elements, which should be represented by at least 6 difficulties in a routine. For rope it is leaps, for ball - flexibility and waves, for clubs - balances and for ribbon - pivots. Hoop is an exception, but all 4 body elements' group must be balanced in a routine (each body group should not have more than 2 difficulties comparing to other body groups). There is a deduction of 0,5 if there are less than 6 difficulties of the main body group in rope, ball, clubs and ribbon routines and also a deduction of 0,5 in hoop routine if all body groups are not properly balanced.

• Every gymnast must fill in before a competition an official D form using a special sign language. A gymnast can't compete without the form

• The value of every element is between 0,1 and 1.0

• An element must be done in an appropriate way and in connection with apparatus.

• All the leap difficulties must include such basic characteristics : a good height, clear and fixed shape during the flight and a good amplitude of the form

• In a leap ring difficulties a foot must touch the head

• In a leap backbend difficulties a head must touch a leg

• In a leaps with a turn, the rotation is counted from the take off till landing.

• A characteristic feature of scissors leap is that they are always performed with a switch of the legs - forwards or backwards.

• The characteristic feature of fouette leaps is that they are performed without a switch of legs - the rotation is performed around the big axis of working leg

• The characteristic feature of entrelace leap is that they are performed with a switch of legs - the rotation is performed around the big axis of working leg

• The characteristic feature of "carpe" leaps is that they are always done with a trunk bent forwards (to the legs or between the legs)

• All the balance difficulties must have such basic characteristics : to be performed on a half-toes or on the knee, to be held clearly and for a period of time, to have a fixed shape (without additional movements of the working or supporting leg during the difficulty), to have the amplitude and to be coordinated after the balance is held minimum with two  apparatus movements.

• Balance of apparatus on a hand is counted as 1 move if the whole hand is working in a move

• Straight or half-bent position of the supporting leg doesn't change the value of the difficulty.

• In a "tourlent difficulty" it is enough for an apparatus to be in motion during the whole balance.

• All the difficulties of pivots must have the following basic characteristics : be performed on half-toes, to have an exact and fixed shape till the end of the rotation, to have an amplitude

• The level of difficulty depends on the form amplitude and the level of the rotation

• Straight or half-bent position of the supporting leg doesn't change the value of the difficulty

• Not full rotation means that a gymnast stops the rotation or steps with the full foot on the ground without having reached the amount of turns, "prescribed" in her card

• Not fixed shape means that the correct shape is not held and changes a little bit.

• Technical Committe of FIG doesn't approve the pivots on the knee.

• In the ring difficulties a foot must touch a head, or to be higher than head.

• During the penche pivot the position of trunk must be fixed horizontally during the whole rotation.

• As a rule, the pivot combination must be performed with a landing on the full foot (without additional step)

• All the difficulties of flexibility and waves must have the following base characteristics : to be performed with a support on 1 or 2 feet, or one any other part of the body, to have an exact and fixed shape (with a long pause in the position) and to have an amplitude

• The difficulty is not counted if the apparatus is not in motion during the whole difficulty.

• Straight or half-bent position of the supporting leg doesn't change the value of the difficulty

• All "tourlent" difficulties must be performed only with 1/4 rotation at a time

• In all ring difficulties a foot must touch a head. 

• All routines must be performed under music. Only little pauses in music are allowed, which are necessary for the composition

• Music can be performed on one or some instruments as well as voice (without words). All kinds of instruments are allowed, but they should express the music with all its characteristic features, which are necessary to perform a routine in rhythmic gymnastics - clear and exact.

• In the beginning a music can have a sound signal, after which a gymnast should start moving

• For every routine a gymnast should have a separate cd or a tape.

• Such sounds like the car or plane noise etc are forbidden.

• Choreography must have one main idea, to have one thread, that comes from the beginning till the end of the routine, using the variety of apparatus use

• Apparatus work choice. All work of apparatus must be shown in the routine. In the beginning of the routine a gymnast must be in contact with apparatus. Dring the routine apparatus must be in motion all the time : technical movements must be different by shape, amplitude, directions and speed. 

• Body elements choice.  Apparatus and body work should be coordinated. Body movements should be as different as possible

• In every routine the work of left and right hand should be performed in equal ammount

• Acrobatic elements. Once rolls forwards, backwards without fixed position and walkover forwards, sideways, backwards without a pause in the vertical position on 1 or 2 hands are allowed. Allowed acrobatic elements can be performed with different starting and ending positions and with different support on the carpet. Every composition must include maximum 3 acrobatic elements

• Variety. The routine must be dynamic and the gymnast should use the whole carpet in her routine.

• Use of apparatus (specific groups for every apparatus)

•  Masterpiece (throws and catches)

• Originality - elements approved by FIG as "original". If the element is an interesting work with apparatus, a gymnast gets 0,1 bonus. If it is a body element, a gymnast gets 0,2 bonus