USGym resurfaces!!

Ul just posted this blast from the past--from 2011!  One of USGym's first videos, I guess!

I'm guessing that the girl in the pink shirt and black vest is Nazar, but I just can't tell for sure...

Nazar's baby sister is sooo cute!!

So Nazar has a little sister, Taisiya (Thiais?), who was born last year on September 17--about a month after the Olympics!  She's sooo adorable!

And I'm guessing this photo is of her as well.  So cute!!!

(I see a Kazan Universiade pillow there in the background!)

Putin and the 2012 Olympic team

Here's a trip down memory lane!  I already posted about Putin meeting with the 2013 team after the Universiade this year, but here is the 2012 Olympic team meeting with Putin!

Ul, Putin, Ksyu

(I think it's hysterical how Ksyu just towers over Putin--she's such a giant!!)

Nazar, Putin, Blizia

Karolina & Putin

Putin & Makar

Putin & Blizia

If I were Alina Kabaeva, I might be a teensy bit jealous...Putin does look oh-so-pleased to be hanging out with the girls, doesn't he??

Putin & Dasha D

Especially with Zhenya (but who wouldn't be?!)!

Putin & Zhenya

Putin & Zhenya

Kick-ass caps!

Well, caps are so essential to an RG girl's wardrobe that I've devoted an entire label to them.  However, I thought it might be fun to pick out my favorite caps, especially after Blizia posted a pic of this awesome one!  (I want it!)

She and Nazar certainly have several kick-ass caps!

Blizia & Nazar

Nazar

 Of course, the snarky brat has some fun caps (literally)...

Dasha Kukushkina & Makar

...and I am especially fond of this one, since it seems to perfectly evoke her smart-ass personality.

? (some girl in Elista) & Makar

I also think these GIRL/BOY caps are really fun...

Ksyu

Blizia

 ...and here is one of my most favorite "captastic" pics.

Matya, Donechka, Makar, Blizia, Ksyu

And let's not forget our Team Russia pride!

Zhenya

Zhenya

Son Yeon-Jae is more popular than Kim Yu-Na!!

Well, I stumbled across this article last week and couldn't help but share!  Although Son Yeon-Jae has never won an Olympic gold medal or even a World Championship medal, for that matter, she apparently is Korea's sweetheart--more so than the reigning Olympic champion in figure skating, Kim Yu-Na!  (It's because she's cuter!!)

Son is one of the most popular and visible athletes in South Korea, thanks to a series of appearances in television commercials. Last year, she was voted national athlete of the year in a survey, ahead of more accomplished athletes, such as such as Olympic swimming gold medalist Park Tae-hwan and reigning Olympic figure skating champion Kim Yu-na.

For those who do not know, Son Yeon-Jae trains at Novogorsk just like Team Russia.

She takes selfies in her dorm room in Novogorsk, just like the other girls!

She even went with them to Croatia!

She is basically like an honorary member of the team (and is under the protection of Vinerstan)!

Dasha Kondakova, Dasha D, Zhenya, Yeon-Jae

Zhenya, Yeon-Jae, Dasha K, Dasha D

Nastia M, Blizia, Elena, Yeon-Jae, Ksyu, Nazar, Olga

Dasha K, ?, Dasha D, Yeon-Jae

Olga & Yeon-Jae

Zhenya, Yeon-Jae, Makar

In particular, she claims to have been quite close to Zhenya. They are both cuties, that's for sure!

OMG, so cute!!

Zhenya & the group girls--the weird ones!

Well, I should really post something about the World Champs, but I've been busy so I have to get caught up on that.  ^_^;;;  In the meantime, I thought I would continue my series of "essays" about the girls.  Here's another one about the all-time queen, Zhenya Kanaeva.   I've written about her family and her life "on the carpet," so now I think I'll write a bit about her relationships with the other girls.

Clockwise from top: Karolina, Nazar, Ul, Makar, Zhenya, Ksyu, Blizia

Since I knew pretty much nothing about RG before the 2012 Olympics, I initially (mistakenly) thought that Dasha Dmitrieva and Zhenya were besties since I knew that they were roommates at Novogorsk, and they seemed to always be posting cute photos of themselves together.

Dasha D & Zhenya

Soon after, however, I realized that Dasha D is best friends with Ulyana Trofimova (well, mostly), while Zhenya is much closer to the group girls and especially Natasha Pichuzhkina, her bestie.

Natasha & Zhenya

See, for example, this interview:

- Is the friendship between competing gymnasts possible? 
- I think it may be unlikely for a very close soul to soul friendship. However, although my best friend Natalia Pichuzhkina (we started together in individual competitions) is competing in groups, we always support each other. And I know that all our “group”-girls are sincerely happy for me if I succeed; and they are upset if I fail. 

Zhenya (with Karolina, Makar & Olga watching in back)

At that time, it made sense to me that Zhenya was closer to the group girls than to the other girls in the individual competition, since the individual girls were her direct competitors. I could definitely imagine the other girls either being slightly intimidated by Zhenya, or maybe even jealous of her success. (Though clearly they are very close, even if they’re not best friends.)

Zhenya, Dasha Kondakova, Dasha D

Zhenya, Dasha K, Dasha D

Dasha D, Zhenya, Dasha K

However, the more I learned about the group girls, the more I realized that Zhenya and the group girls are actually more similar in terms of PERSONALITY than Zhenya and the other individual girls. Simply put, with the exception of Karolina, the group girls are a bunch of clever and crazy weirdos who don’t mind making fools out of themselves, and Zhenya definitely seems to be like that.  No wonder they get along so well! Likey so:

Ul, Nazar, Larisa Ilchenko, Zhenya

Ul, Larisa, Nazar, Natasha, Zhenya

Zhenya & Larisa

Roman Lyubimov, Blizia, Zhenya, Makar making inappropriate gestures?  :P

And here are a bunch of photos of Zhenya and the group girls goofing off in Korea in 2011.

Zhenya, Ul, Makar, Olga

Ksyu, Zhenya, Makar

Olga, Ksyu, Zhenya, Makar

Zhenya & Ksyu jumping; Ul & Makar in back

Ksyu, Ul, Zhenya, Makar

Olga, Nazar, Natasha, Makar, Ul, Ksyu & Zhenya

Ul, Makar, Ksyu, Zhenya

Ul & Zhenya "shooting" Makar while Ksyu jumps in the background

Zhenya, Ul, Ksyu, Makar

...to be continued...