Full Name: Viktoria Aleksandrovna Komova
Name in Russian: Виктория Александровна Комова
Nickname: Vika and “the new Khorkina”
Sex: Female
Country Represented: Russia
Sport: WAG (Women’s Artistic Gymnastics)
Birthdate: January 30, 1995
Eligible for First Olympics in: 2012
Birthplace: Voronezh, Russia
Hometown: Voronezh, Russia
National Team: 12 years as a Junior
Level: Senior International Elite
Rank and Merit: Master of Sport – International Class
Height: 5 feet, 1 inch tall
Weight: 76 lbs.
Club: Dynamo Sports Club
Gym: Lake Krugloe
Coaches: Gennadiy Yelfimov, Olga Bulgakova
Choreographer: Nadezhda Sezina
Education: High School Student
Favorite Subject: Algebra
Mother: Vera Kolesnikova, a past famous Soviet gymnast, 1986 Goodwill Games Soviet gymnastics champion and won a team gold medal with the Soviet team at the 1985 World Championships, a Master of Sport, International Class in gymnastics and now an international judge who passed on to her daughter the desire to be a winner.
Father: Alexander Komov, her father, was also a Master of Sport, International Class in gymnastics.
Sibling(s): Brother, Alexander (nickname “Sasha”)
Role Models: Svetlana Khorkina and Nastia Liukin
Hobbies: Spending time with family, chatting on the Internet and hanging out with friends, watching TV, listening to music, embroidery
Favorite Movie: “Twilight”
Favorite Book: “Twilight”
Favorite TV Show: The cartoon – “Alyosha Popovich and Tugarin Snakes”
Favorite Food: Pizza
Pet(s): In 2010, Vika got a Shi Tzu puppy, named Kutya, as a gift from her parents. Vika loves animals and the zoo
Awards: Athlete of the Year of Voronezh region
Skills:
Amanar on vault.
6.7 SV -Start Value on the Uneven Bars – layout Jaeger, and an opposite-direction Tkatchev
Balance Beam – Layout step-out series, working flic layout, Arabian series. Working Patterson (double Arabian) dismount
FX – Double Scale turn (Memmel), back 1.5 twist to double Arabian and is working triple scale turn.
FIG Skill(s) Named After Her: On November 2010, the following new uneven bars element was named the Komova: Inbar back Stalder on the low bar through handstand, shoot with 1/2 turn (180°) to hang on the high bar. FIG Skill Difficulty Value = E FIG # 4.508

Viktoria Komova 2011 Tokyo Gymnastics World Championships Uneven Bars Team Final

Score 15.566
Komova’s signature skill is right at the beginning of the routine.

London 2012 Olympics Gymnastics

Viktoria Komova is fully back and ready on two events, balance beam and uneven bars, in her injury recovery process and in preparing for the London 2012 Olympics in gymnastics. She is a virtual lock to make the Russian 2012 Olympic gymnastics team and extremely likely to be a multiple medalist at the 2012 Olympics.

Komova vs. Wieber Rivalry:

Viktoria Komova is currently best known for her 2011 Tokyo World Championship duel with America’s Jordyn Wieber. Komova led in the AA prelims, earning the highest all-around total and qualifying first into the all-around final. But in a controversial AA final, she lost to Wieber by just .033 of a point after evidently making some lead-losing mistakes, at least according to the judging. The AA finals competition started on vault, where Komova performed a clean double twisting Yurchenko and Wieber did an Amanar putting her in the lead with the significant advantage in her vault start score. On the uneven bars, Komova performed her signature skill and routine with a double tuck 1/1 turn dismount and was the only gymnast that day to score over a 15 on bars. Wieber made a major break on bars, and lost the lead by a significant margin. On beam, Komova struggled with several connections, balance checks, wobbles and a downgraded double turn. Her tucked double back dismount had a sizeable step. Komova also had trouble on floor exercise, falling out of her double Memmel turn and a noticeably low landing at the end of her routine on a piked double back. Thus, she came in second place All-around, losing to Jordyn Wieber by a margin of just 0.033 of a point. Komova looked visibly upset and disappointed at the result and Wieber looked surprised by her win. On the next day, Komova won the gold medal on bars in event finals and so in her first World Championships, having already led her team to a silver medal in the team competition Komova won one gold and two silver medals. Due to a minor injury, Komova withdrew from floor finals allowing the 9th place qualifier and her teammate Ksenia Afanasyeva the chance to compete. Afanasyeva took full advantage of her opportunity and won her very first individual World Championship gold medal.

After the extremely close scores and lead-changing finish at the 2011 World Championships, many gymnastics experts and fans are excited to see who will win the next time the two go up against each other at the 2012 Olympics in London. It may well be Komova (or Mustafina) vs. Wieber for the Olympic All-Around gold medal. If Komova is healthy, she will likely have the edge in overall difficulty: She didn’t compete her maximum difficulty Amanar vault in Tokyo, but will try to add it back in time for the Olympics. That should put Komova ahead of Wieber in total difficulty for the Olympics. Wieber is planning some more minor upgrades but likely can’t match Komova adding an Amanar vault. Wieber, on the other hand, has been a more consistent competitor and has the mental toughness to come from behind.

2012

Victoria KOMOVA Event Finals Uneven Bars – European Championships Brussels 2012

2012 – Brussels European Championships – 1st Uneven Bars, 2nd Team
2012 – Moscow Championships – Competed only Uneven Bars (15.6) and Balance Beam (15.1) competing her new double Arabian dismount)

2011

May 2011 – Komova went to the ATOS Private Clinic in Munich to have her ankle injury evaluated since she was not recovering as quickly as expected. The clinic determined that Komova’s ankle required surgery (due to interior damage to the joint) and she had arthroscopic surgery on May 18, 2011.
June 2011 – Began light training.
July 2011 – Komova returns to full training after 2 separate surgeries on her ankle, one requiring a 6 week layoff and requiring a 2 month layoff. Komova got the first injury jumping off bars and the second one on floor exercise taking a step back, twisted her leg and knocked her ankle out of place.
Komova grew 4.5 inches over the previous 18 months but reported no adverse impact on her training.
February 2011 – Re-injured the ankle.
August 2011 – Russian Cup in Yekaterinburg, competed watered down floor and vault routines but full uneven bars and beam routines. 1st – Team, 2nd All-Around, 1st Beam and Uneven Bars in event finals.
September 2011 – Ghent Challenger Cup in Belgium – 1st Uneven Bars October 2011, Komova competed at the September 2011 – 7th Dinamo International in Penza -1st All-Around, 1st Beam and Uneven Bars
2011 Artistic World Gymnastics Championships – 1st – Uneven Bars, 2nd – Team and All-Around

2010

Komova was injured in December 2010. After the injury, Komova was fitted with a cast and followed standard rehab for a severe sprain.
2010 Russian Nationals – 1st place All-Around and National Champion, 2nd Uneven Bars
2010 All-Around Youth Olympic Games – 1st All-Around Champion, 1st Vault and Uneven Bars
2010 Jr. European Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Championships – 1st Team, 1st All-Around, 1st Beam and Vault, 2nd Uneven Bars
2010 – Youth Olympics in Singapore – 1st All-Around scoring 61.250, 1st – Vault and Uneven Bars, 3rd FX
Singapore was her second major international title of 2010 adding to her win in the Jr. All-Around at the European Championships
November 2010 – “Freddy Cup” Italian Grand Prix – 1st Uneven bars, 2nd Balance Beam
December 2010 – Voronin Memorial – Withdraw after suffering a fractured ankle from tripping
2010 – Russian Nationals– 1st – Team, 3rd Uneven Bars
Due to her persistent ankle injury, Komova was withdrawn from the European Championships in order to protect her health for the Olympics.

2009

2009 – European Youth Olympic Festival in Finland – 1st All-Around, Uneven Bars and Beam, 3rd Vault.
2009 – Japan Junior International – 1st All-Around, Uneven Bars and Beam
2009 – Voronin Memorial – 1st All-Around, Uneven Bars and FX

2008

2008 – WOGA Classic in Texas – 3rd All-Around
2009 – Massilia Cup in Marseille – 11th All-Around, 7th FX
2009 – Pacific Rim Gymnastics Championships in San Jose 3rd All-Around, 4th Uneven Bars and Beam.
2008- Voronin Memorial – 1st All-Around, FX and Vault. 2nd Uneven Bars

2007

2007 – Voronin Memorial – 1st Vault and FX

Typical Training Schedule:

Three weeks a month training at Round Lake near Moscow.
6:30 a.m. – Wake up
7:00 a.m. – meeting with a senior coach
8:30 a.m. – Breakfast and short training
10.00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Training
12:30 p.m. – Lunch, then school
4:30 to 7:30 p.m. – 3rd workout
Dinner and rest

Komova Event Routine Videos:

Amanar Vault

6.5 Difficulty Start Value

Double Twisting Yurchenko (DTY) Vault

Uneven Bars – 2010 European Championship AA Competition

6.7 Difficulty Start Value
Jump to low bar, kip cast to handstand, piked stalder Shaposhnikova (E), Pak Salto (D); kip cast to handstand. piked-stalder Shaposhnikova 1/2 (Komova, E); kip  cast to handstand, piked stalder 1/2 (D), layout Jaegar (E); kip cast to handstand, piked stalder 1/1 (E), Tkachev (D); kip cast to handstand, giant 1/2, giant, giant, full-in dismount (D)

Balance Beam – 2010 Singapore 2010 Youth Olympics

5.9 Difficulty Start Value
Forward roll mount; front tuck (D); flip flop (B) back layout stepout (C)  back layout stepout (C); standing Arabian (F); split jump, wolf jump; 1/1 turn with leg up (C); front aerial (D), sheep jump (D); side somi (D); 2/1 turn (C); flip flop (B), flip flop (B), double tuck dismount (D)

Flip-flop, Layout, Arabian Series (with fall)

Floor Exercise – 2011 Voronin Memorial, Moscow, Russia

5.7 Difficulty Start Value
Roundoff  back layout 2&1/2 (C) stepout to roundoff flip flop Arabian double front (E); roundoff  flip flop double tuck (D); 2/1 turn with leg up (B); switch split leap (B), tour jete 1/2 (C); roundoff  flip flop triple full (E); double Memmel  turn with free leg held (D); roundoff  flip flop double pike (D)

Pictures of Viktoria Komova

Viktoria Komova Google images

Photobucket Photos of Viktoria Komova

Click on illustration to see larger version of Viktoria Komova’s 2011 Worlds Bar routine

Viktoria Komova Articles

A Prosports.ru article translated on CouchGymnast
Viktoriya Komova: “I Badly Dislike Losing.”
This article has at least one problem in translation that makes it impossible to really understand her reaction to American gymnasts, either “aggressive” or “rage” – big difference. Hey, I can easily believe that she is “aggressively” competitive but doubt that “rage” is a useful emotion for her in competition, so unlikely that is what she meant. The Russian article (article is in Russian, needs translating) also has pictures and articles about Aliya Mustafina, Anastasia Grishina, Ksenia Afanasyeva and Anastasia Sidorova.

Viktoria Komova Social Media

Viktoria Komova FaceBook Page

Viktoria Komova Facebook Athlete Page

Interview in Russian

21 minute TV report on Viktoria Komova (Totally in Russian with no English subtitles)
Shows lots of training in her home gym and competition video, as well