Alexandra Shevchenko - 2003 Worlds Team Finals - Floor Exercise

[medleyovermedley]

Little talent'' you could not even do half of what this girl can do

[Timic83pronc]

I hate to say but IMO Elfi was basing her comments on prelims, nationals, podium training, etc. Alex S. hit not one of those routines. I agree that I expected better from Russian gymnastics (especially considering how much of a superpower they were). She lacked talent compared to the Russian standards of gymnastics and yes, though she stuck the piked full-in, she botched everything else. Sadly, she wasn't talented enough to handle this kind of pressure. JMO.

[xrictinagymnastics]

@Timic83pronc She obviously made major mistakes and maybe she didn't have the talent of the other Russian gymnasts but I don't think that the commentator has the right to make such a harsh comment.

[Timic83pronc]

@xrictinagymnastics Probably. I think a better way of saying it would've been, "I never expected the Russians to put someone so inconsistent on their team."

[xrictinagymnastics]

@Timic83pronc Yes, that would be much more appropriate

[tomstrickingvlog]

Because full-ins take no talent.

[tedsler]

She looks like she is about the breakdown even before she starts the routine. Last minute change put her in the spot maybe? As for the 'so little talent' - I think talent is the wrong word like so many others have said already. 'fewer skills' 'not totally prepared' and 'a bit unpolished' are phrases that spring to my mind. Her first tumble is excellent, and her others would have been good too if she'd managed them. I feel a bit sorry for her, and all cruel comments here. She tried,it didn't work

[SuperDim37]

WHATE FACKKKKKKKKKKKK

[hl8484]

OMG! How rude of Elfi Schlegel to say that!! I am so ashamed that they have chosen such an unkind and unprofessional person to represent and commentate for American sports. Elfi owes Alexandra Shevchenko and the Russian team an apology. No matter how un-talented the athlete was or is...she should NOT have said that!!!

[catieekemp]

@hl8484 #1 It's a free country, Elfi can say what she likes. #2 it was a perfectly valid point. Maybe "talent" was the wrong word (though I don't know what other word she would have used), but what we all know she meant is that they put someone up who is so far & away removed from the caliber of competitors that Russia have been known for putting in their lineups for years. It wasn't just this meet, look at other videos of her from 03 & she was just a mess. Basically guaranteed huge deductions.

[LCAmarkymark]

@catieekemp Agree 100 percent plus people don't know the behind the scenes of a TV production..If you don't know what an IFB is or producers are..then shut up about Elfi's comments because you don't know the whole story.

[icarrus4u]

I mean was she being sarcastic?

[Kosta3RUN]

я и не знал даже што она на чемпионате мира была

[dahighbar]

Well maybe Elfi wasnt talking about physical talent, because that routine was disaster and had Russia finished in last place so some truth to what she said/ Although I thought it was a lil rude also

[RhythmicIllusions]

Alexandra clearly had a bad day here, but still...I wanted to strangle Elfi Shlegel. This gymnast could've seriously injured herself on that one tumbling run, and Elfi's arrogant enough to make a comment about Alexandra's talent?

The girl has talent...she just had a bad day. Has anyone really watched an old Elfi Shlegel routine? She was a sub-par gymnast compared to the greats during her day. Elfi seems to think she's hot stuff. She annoys me to no end.

[jeyzi]

@RhythmicIllusions Elfie saw qualifications and probably podium training. You can also find her floor from nationals that year. This routine wasn't the result of a bad day.

[LCAmarkymark]

@jeyzi yes you are correct. She stuck her first pass because it was her first pass....she just wan't good..and the evidence is no metals lol. She was just bad end of story

[RhythmicIllusions]

@jeyzi, I understand, and of course Shevchenko was no Khorkina, but regardless...this gymnast narrowly avoided injury and scared the hell out of everyone watching. That could have been a dangerous landing. There were other times when Shevchenko performed pretty decently prior to this and pulled off skills that Elfi could have never managed. I don't like that she implied that this athlete didn't have the skills to be on the Russian team. Clearly the Russian coaches felt that she did.

[96horseluvr]

@RhythmicIllusions not all gymnasts are talented. octavian belu always said that simona amanar, wasn't talented, but was successful through hard work, and she's one of the most successful gymnasts ever. coaches also said terin humphrey wasn't talented

[RhythmicIllusions]

@96horseluvr, I understand what you're saying. But in this context, Elfi is referring to her lack of skill as a gymnast (she's misusing the word "talent," which is to be born with a special knack for something), which I thought was unfair. Elfi says she doesn't understand why the Russian coaches would put an athlete with "so little talent" on the Russian team. Maybe Alexandra was "unprepared" to be competing at these Worlds, but Elfi phrased it all wrong and made herself sound really catty.

[xraintimex]

Ali has a lot of wonky landings and falls but I was surprised Elfi said something so mean!

[navruzairman]

жаль что у нее не получилось=((( хотя я рад этому если бы не это то она не тренировалась бы Паркур))) ее место в Паркуре=)

[towlie2110]

This girl is a fucking badass.

That announcer lady can suck a big fat D

[charliehustlenflow]

i just watched an elfi schlegel floor routine n the best thing shes ever done is a straight tucked double back. big whoop. although shevchenko maybe didnt have the mental strength for competition she definitely has more gymnastic talent than elfi ever did

[MaebySurelyBarely]

"I never expected to see the Russians put an athlete with so little talent on their team."

*sticks full-in*

[browneyedgrl89]

@MaebySurelyBarely I thought to myself, "As she sticks the full-in..."

[KVHolland3]

NO DIP TIM! It dosen't take a genius to understand that you aren't supposed to fly out of bounds!

[GYMANGELS]

My BIG problem with Elfi's comment is that the NBC commentators were recording their commentary over the already recorded footage it was not done live which means that, imo Elfi had already seen this routine and thought she'd look clever if she said the 'so little talent' comment before Shevchenko performed what turned out to be a disastrous routine. it makes me soo mad!

[Gr33nkiwi]

Elfi's comment wasn't 'technically' directed towards the girl. It was directed towards Russia from how weak their gymnasts were during this period of time when in the past they were always incredible to watch.

They went from beautiful gymnastics to this, and that is what Elfi is saying. Obviously she went about it the WRONG way, but that was her point.

[KVHolland3]

NBC Motto...when in doubt...blame Russia...

[Denis3Run]

мм умничка просто)

[MrGemini1983]

I think Elfi is right. And someone should stop this athlete from drinking alcohol before World Championships. She's lucky she's okay and Elfi only said the one comment.

[1andonlyCobra]

In Elfi's defense, I think maybe she's showing that she has always been impressed by the standard set by Mother Russia. The Russian ladies have set such a high bar over the years and this athlete (at this time) didn't seem to reach. Besides the two major errors, she was short on the final pass.

[37tonya]

Very inappropriate comment from Elfie. She should have been fined.

[NYCBlonde]

@37tonya For what? Offering her professional opinion? That's her job--and she was right.

[37tonya]

@NYCBlonde First of all, she was rude......you are right she is supposed to be "professional" but not rude and sarcastic. Elfi's tone showed lack of professionalism and for the record she herself was not all that great of a gymnast. As a commentator she is supposed to explain the moves and code to the viewers. If she can't do that, then she should be replaced.

[tomsk14]

@37tonya I totally agree, Elfi should long have been replaced, its not even just about this video, it is her constantly disrespectful tone towards non-american athletes. I am English and am so proud of our BBC commentary on gymnastics, its unbiased, informative and positive and everyone on youtube appears to love it, Why Elfi/NBC have not been made aware of all the feedback from everyone on here is beyond understanding.

[LCAmarkymark]

@tomsk14 be proud...I agree that BBC does a great job..but don't place blame on Efli and NBC..there are some many people that go into the production of a TV broadcast that if baffles me why people think they know whats going on... She has an IFB and producers are constantly talking to her about things she needs to say. I work in TV I know how tough it can be to be a commentator..there is just too many factors is all Im trying to say. I love the BBC just because they show more gymnastics.

[NYCBlonde]

@37tonya Potato, potahto. She was calling them as she sees them--and she was right, as I keep pointing out. The girl flopped. And Shevchenko knew what she was getting into--when you flop on the world stage, you get called out by the major commentators. Sports at this level aren't for the faint-hearted--all the whining & the pearl-clutching about tone and cruelty and hurt feelings is juvenile. These athletes aren't kids--they're on the world stage. This is how real commentators critique athletes.

[37tonya]

@NYCBlonde Obviously we disagree with one another so I consider this matter to be closed.....I have other things to worry about....NUFF SAID.

[lovtsovm]

anyway she has a nice ass

[sqekcx]

After watching shevchenko's prelim performance I'm more convinced that Elfi was very wrong to call her 'an athlete with so little talent'. She stuck her piked full-in in prelims as well. So it wasn't a fluke that she stuck it here!

[NYCBlonde]

And to the many posters who keep calling Elfi the B-word (b*tch)--classy, guys, real classy. Really, that's appalling language. You insult every female when you use language like that.

[whitemagicgirl1]

@mrpatriot83 I've said it a million times - Elfie throws whammy's on gymnasts. How many times have you listened to her say some critical remark during a routine and the next thing you know the girl falls on her ass? This remark of hers here was not only uncalled for but totally unprofessional.

[JTGPCFL]

Elfie was right. She's not a bitch, and Elfie new it was coming and knows her gymnastics. It was the world championships, the biggest stage next to the olympics.

[theurbansoul]

She just had a bad meet that doesn't mean she is untalented!!!

[TwisterFlipp95]

Elfi needs to leave NBC. Sticking a piked full in isn't have talent? Go fuck yourself, Elfie. Alexandra was just nervous, plus the Russians got 6th I believe, it's not like this one routine lost it all.

[481095ymg2]

Elfi at her bitchiest. Even if she was right (which I am definitely not saying she was) she should not have made the comment.

[surfer5111]

Elfi's right - this girl wasnt at the level she should've been. THis was worlds after all!!!!

[TwisterFlipp95]

@surfer5111

You're wrong. You try and stick a piked full in.

Or just go marry Elfie and escape the country, your choice [:

[mhm05]

I can't believe Elfi would say a think like that. What poor taste. I can't imagine how she could have thought that was appropriate.

[crdubb17]

Could Efli please just jump off of a bridge? Clearly the girl had talent, anyone who can stick a piked full-in has talent. She just had mental lapses of concentration and couldn't handle the pressure. When was Elfi ever able to do ANY of those skills in her flop routines? Can't stand her...or Tim. They are both incredibly annoying.

[JTGPCFL]

Yeah Elfie's comment probably wasn't very kind but she definitely hit the nail on the head...

[javajunkie6]

It's too bad Zamo was injured. Zignashina would have done well, but she wasn't at worlds. Anochina was the last team member, but didn't compete in finals, and scored an 8 as well in prelims (was she injured?). This team wasn't bad, when you think about it. They had Khorkina, Zamo, Pavlova and Ezhova. TF's with NO injury would have been: Pavlova: AA, Khorkina: AA, Zamo: VT/FX, Ezhova: UB/BB. They were basically like the russian team in 2000. 4 great ones, 2 that were okay and a lot of mistakes

[sqekcx]

little talent? does it take little talent to stick a piked full-in?

[yngtxtopbear]

I dunno but giving your team a 7.95 out of 10 in this COP isn't something to write home about.

[jojo1802]

@sqekcx Of course not.

We all stick Piked full in's ALL the TIME. Everyone does it!!

:) J/K!

[No1ZmeskalFan]

Say what you want about this girl (no discipline etc) Elfis comment was rude and VERY uncalled for. This girl DID have talent. She had a horrible routine here but her FX at 03 world cup event was really good. No shes not what Russian standards usually are but Elfi should have known better than to say that even if thats what she thought. i just think its the most rude thing Ive ever heard a commentator say

[arcurlyq]

I agree. That's part of what has been wrong w/this sport IMO. Far too critical and always looking for what's wrong instead of what's right. I think the sport has become more positive in recent years (I don't think you would hear a comment like Elfi's in 2009), but the attitude is still there sometimes.

[intldawn]

Hey, thanks for pointing that out. I watched her routine at the Grand Prix final and it was quite good. This is the only routine I'd ever seen from her, so it was good to see the other side of the coin. Her choreography is awful, and she certainly wasn't the next great hope for Russia, but she certainly wasn't talentless as Elfi suggested. Even BBC's Monica Phelps had nice things to say about her, so she can't be that bad. hahaha

[mcphizzle]

aww poor girl! but Elfie was kind of right as harsh as it is, at least she's really pretty :)

[comanecisalto1]

Elfie was not right! her comment was disrespectful, trashy, classless and uncalled for.

[nickargyle]

i remember watching this live lol when elfi made her comment i nearly fell off of my couch laughing. that was so funny but she was right. and my goodness, she took her good old time before her 3rd pass. i've been looking for this video though. i've watched some of her other floor routines and they're pretty damn bad too. makes you wonder tho if international commentators say stuff like that when they see some of our girls mount the podium.

[ThePenguin888]

Her first pass was SKYHIGH

[KseniaSemenovaFan]

one fall is bad, a fall outside the mark on the floor is worser but a second fall in the same routine is the worst thing!!! This routine was a true disaster!!!

[QueenMajora]

This is the worst floor routine I've ever seen!

[potassiumiodideki]

Hah... you've never seen Kim Kelly at the Chunichi Cup. :P

[No1ZmeskalFan]

hahah omg that was so funny! You really called that one out! LOL

[krell88]

@potassiumiodideki haha you called out Kim Kelly. you're wrong for that lol. But has Kim Kelly ever made a world or olympic team? (serious question...because I dont think she has. i do remember her NOT being selected for the 1992 olympic team).

[metsdudenj]

Um, Kim Kelly was on the 89 world squad and competed in Stuttgart in the team final

[iloveyourstory]

omg thats crazy! how rude are the commentators??

[yngtxtopbear]

If you knew the backstory you would feel that the comments where justified. Alexandra from what I heard, got into huge screaming fights with her coaches, would not show up for practices, would not listen to coaches or staff, had very little discipline...

There was some other stuff there, but that is all I can remember!

[tomsk14]

Where did you read that? or hear it... I'd be interested to know what is reported as 'poor discipline' by russian standards is anything like western standards of 'discipline'.... I imagine it is highly unlikely she ever did those things if she was even on the russian prestigious national team.

[yngtxtopbear]

If you watch most of the videos of her at these worlds, the commentators say that her coaches think she is poorly disciplined and what not. She was not on the russian team for very long after these worlds...

[raspberrypavlova92]

That was mean, but at least Elfie was proved right- it would has been embarrassing if after that comment she'd gone out and stuck everything.

[pottercito7]

The first pass was amazing!

Does anyone know what happened to her?

[okhan001]

i can almost hear elfie holding her nose during this performance, haha..poor girl

[gutsfinky]

Um, yeah, NOT the best floor exercise I've seen. But Elfi's comment was TOTALLY uncalled for. And yes, bitchy.

[AliceC2101]

What happened? Was she injured?

[gymnasticsforever95]

that first fall was scary...what did she score?

[tomsk14]

7.500 i believe :-(

[krell88]

i meant "she ***WASNT*** only alluding to floor exercise."

[krell88]

also, when elfi is referring to "so little talent" i dont think she was only alluding to floor exercise. this gymnast has no debt and isnt(wasnt) that great on any other events. i think thats what she meant about so little talent.

[krell88]

this probably be an unpopular comment. however, i agree with elfi (while i disagree with the way she said it). honestly, in comparison to the type of gymnast that Russian usually fields, she is subpar. Also, her tumbling isn't that great and her dance is completely uninspiring.

[tomsk14]

I have to agree.. although i think her choreography was fine... and the tumbling itself was fine, its execution however was not. It seems bizarre that after she'd performed badly in the prelims that she was put up in the team comp.... Seems suspicious to me, but pity the girl, imagine what she had to deal with causing russia's first ever non medal at a major event?

[Darkangel127]

Russia's first time without a medal was at the 1995 Worlds (they came in 4rth). But I do agree with you, Arkaev should not have put her up. I'd have Ziganshina, Pavlova and Khorkina (considering that Zamo was injured).

[NYCBlonde]

@krell88 Totally agree. I don't get all the pearl clutching. Elfi's a commentator--she's not paid to hold athletes' hands & sing Kum Ba Ya, she's paid to call them as she sees them. She critiques. She tells you when someone's made a mistake and what that means toward their score, or when someone is a medal threat. It's a competition, & everyone there is fighting for life, as it were. Elfi's words may have been harsh but the girl knew what she was doing when she stepped onto a Worlds stage.

[Lilia96]

Elfi's a bitch. This girl had talent, I know for a fact. I don't know what was going on through her head during this meet, but she was nonetheless a great gymnast. xx

[blokflip13]

@Lilia96 Ya i dont tjink elfie could have done even half of Alexandria's routine when elfie competed so I have no idea why she says she has very little talent. More talent than Elfie for a fact!

[gymnastic1]

first pass was amazing! the dance and music wasn't too bad either. i think elfie should get fired for saying that awful thing about her! i already hated her and all the other commentators because it's like they never shutup, but now it's on a whole new level!!!!!!!!

[Lakuilera]

i think even al was a little shocked when elfie said that cause he said 'wow?'...

[xujoe84]

I question whether Elfie POSSIBLY meant "an athlete with so little EXPERIENCE" and just said "talent" but I could be wrong- she did say it was disappointing.

[akawhippy]

I thought she was related to the soccer player Andriy Shevchenko

[silnara]

No, ELfe was too acrimonious. Shevchenko had power, good form and skills but she didn't have good psychological quality. Therfore, she made such a terrible mistake.

[Lyssenk0]

Yea, I agree. I actually really like her piked full-in. Great power and control. She just floats it.

[tomsk14]

I agree as well, Elfi is a silly bitch.

I actually think this girl was a victim of the russian system personally, I imagine all the bribes and underhand acts put her into the competition when no-one wanted her (she had 8.2 in qualification) and she was not able to compete, but was forced to none the less.

[Darkangel127]

I'm not at all surprised; Elfie has always been critical of all gymnasts who aren't American, focusing on their flaws instead of their qualities. I don't know why she's still a commentator, when she's obviously incapable of communicating the passion and the beauty of the sport to the audience.

[okhan001]

Ironic, since Elfie is Canadian...

[AnnaPavlovaFan]

She's Canadian all-right but she's employed and paid by NBC, so it's no wonder she roots for team USA.

[bendonna]

Obviously the girl has talent to get to that level, maybe she doesnt work hard or compete well....but I was surprised when Elfie said it too.

[Penguin888]

Poor girl.  Elfe should NEVER say that about anyone. "I would never expected the Russians to put an athlete with so little talent on their team"

[piskoun]

Hey, that was scary!