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The September 2017 issue includes an interview with Scott Hann, who placed two gymnasts on the 2016 Olympic team: Max Whitlock and Brinn Bevan.

A former gymnast at Bush Harlow Gymnastics Club, Hann (shown here with Whitlock) is the Director of Coaching at South Essex Gymnastics Club.

In Rio last summer, Whitlock won the all-around bronze and gold medals on floor exercise and pommel horse. Great Britain qualified fifth in prelims and climbed to fourth in the team finals. Hann said Whitlock will not enter the all-around at the 2017 World Championships, but will focus instead on floor and pommels.

Hann, meanwhile, will receive the MBE (Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in October. Whitlock received the same honor in the 2017 New Year Honors.

Hann commented on what Whitlock's all-around success in Rio meant to both of them. "The all-around bronze medal in Rio was probably the proudest medal for Max and me, as we have both committed and sacrificed so much to get it."

He also described the differences between Whitlock and Bevan: "Max and Brinn are two very different characters who come from very different backgrounds. Max came to SEGC to work with me after trying to train in Slovenia with his first coach, who moved back there to start a family. Max’s family lived some 50 miles from the club but committed to making the journey every day until Max learned to drive, and later moved closer to the club.

"Max has always approached his gymnastics methodically with precision, accuracy and efficiency. A true gent, his forte has been his calm-natured approach to competition and ability to deliver under pressure at the right time.

"Brinn, whose mum and dad were equally as committed and supportive, started at the club as a preschool gymnast and has moved through the system from day one. But his upbringing has been tough. At times his family struggled for money, meaning he would miss meals. We combatted that by offering his mum a job at the club. Brinn then lost his father, who was his role model, which had huge psychological effects on him. He then suffered from multiple stress fractures as a junior before breaking his leg as a senior.

"Adversity I believe has helped Brinn get to where he has. His character is fiery fierce and he enjoys trying things and performing in front of an audience. His forte, like Max, is his ability to compete, but he is more of an animal who will take the event head on.

"Both are remarkable athletes and young men. I am privileged to work with them both and to be a part of their lives."

IG also asked the humble Hann if he had any coaching role models: "I have had many influences from coaches, mostly what not to do or say. A big role model for me was Paul Hall MBE, coach to Daniel Keatings and Louis Smith MBE, as he had a different mindset and approach to anybody else at that time. But after being inspired by him, I worked hard until my idol became my rival.

"I do not claim to be the best technician within our sport. I believe the gymnasts are the experts; we have to just provide them with the tools to do the job. I’m good at that. I do that by creating an inspirational environment to thrive and learn, develop and feel valued. I try to build the gymnasts’ confidence and ability to adapt to situations, rather than focusing on how hard you must work, and the techniques you must practice. If you inspire the gymnasts they will apply themselves. Simple."

Read the complete interview in the September issue of International Gymnast. To subscribe to the print and/or digital editions or to purchase back issues, click here.

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The 2017 Russian Cup began Wednesday in Yekaterinburg, where Moscow's Nikita Nagorny fought off hometown hero David Belyavsky for the top spot in the all-around qualification.

The 2017 Russian Cup began Wednesday in Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk Oblast, where Moscow's Nikita Nagorny fought off hometown hero David Belyavsky for the top spot in the all-around qualification.

The competition, held at Yekaterinburg's "Uralochka" Sports Palace, returned to the city in the Urals for the first time since 2011. Since then the event has been held in Penza, which is also the usual site for the spring national championships. It returned to Yekaterinburg this year largely thanks to the development of gymnastics in the Ural region and Belyavsky's continued success, said the Minister of Physical Culture and Sports of Sverdlovsk.

Third at last year's Russian Cup in Penza, Moscow easily won the men's team competition on Wednesday with 255.100, nearly 10 points ahead of defending champion Siberia (245.600) and Volga (244.400). This year's team size was reduced from six to four gymnasts each, with three scores counting, although the field was reduced to teams from only five of Russia's federal districts, down from six last year and seven at the Russian championships.

More interesting for the crowd was the individual qualification, which featured all five members of Russia's silver medal-winning squad from last year's Olympic Games in Rio. Denis Ablyazin (Penza), Nikolai Kuksenkov (Vladimir) and Ivan Stretovich (Novosibirsk) were back after skipping this year's Russian championships in March and the European championships in April.

Both Nagornyy and Belyavsky, who competed as specialists at the spring events, made their return to the all-around Wednesday, which featured individual qualification for the all-around and event finals. Nagornyy topped Belyvasky by half a point, 87.300 to 86.800. In the second rotation, Belyvasky fell off pommel horse, where he is the reigning European champion, but he ended strong with the top scores on parallel bars (15.250) and high bar (14.800).

Moscow's Artur Dalaloyan, who was second all-around to Ukraine's Oleg Vernyayev at the European championships, qualified third (85.000) over veteran Nikita Ignatyev (84.500) of Leninsk-Kuznetsk. Dalaloyan qualified first to the floor final

Ablyazin impressed with the top scores on still rings (15.100) and vault (14.600 and 15.400, for 15.000 average), and managed to qualify to the floor final in sixth with 14.100. Ablyazin took time off after the Olympics to recover ankle injuries and spend time with his new son, Yaroslav, born in January to his wife, 2008 Olympian Ksenia Semyonova.

Kuksenkov, who was the defending all-around champion from last summer's Russian Cup, competed three events, qualifying first on pommel horse and sixth on parallel bars. The Russians struggled on pommel horse, with Kuksenkov (14.100) the only gymnast to top 14 points.

Stretovich, who underwent surgery on his hand after the Olympics, competed high bar only, qualifying to the final in fifth.

Competition continues Thursday with the women's team competition and individual qualification.

External Link: Russian Gymnastics Federation

2017 Russian Cup
August 23, Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk Oblast