Valentina Rodionenko Responds to Melnikova Critics

Valentina Rodionenko, a senior coach for the Russian artistic gymnastics team, publicly addressed the criticisms directed at gymnast Angelina Melnikova in a response that captured the tension between high performance demands and the realities of a national training environment. The coach, speaking to Sports24, asserted that Melnikova tends to magnify expectations and that the training base is not a restaurant. He emphasized that the level of service and the competitive pressure at a top program are different from what an athlete might imagine when seeking extraordinary comforts or accommodations. The message was clear: the rigorous routine at the training facility remains focused on collective discipline and the pursuit of excellence, not on creating individualized hospitality for any single athlete.