The Australian Institute of Sports Gymnastic Centre is under serious threat of closing after none of their gymnasts qualified for the Beijing Games.
This was the first time ever the AIS has not had a gymnast make an Olympic Games since the gym was first opened. The gym opened on the 1st March 1983 and has seen Olympians and world champions walk through the doors, but after a whole new set of
coaches and gymnasts took over the program it has not been producing results and is now in jeopardy of closing when all funds and contracts are up in June 2009.
The Gymnastics Centre has gone down hill since Valery Kaladzinski took over the position of head coach in 2004.
Kaladzinski replaced world renowned coach Tian Ju Ping. Ju Ping was head coach at the AIS for 20 years and produced results from Australia’s best gymnasts. Despite Ju Ping’s reputation, knowledge and ability to produce Australia’s best, the Gymnastics Federation of Australia decided it was time for a change and Ju Ping was forced to step down. Along with Ju Ping’s retirement came many other coaches.
Today the AIS gymnastics centre has a completely different system and is causing controversy and problems throughout the entire program. Kaladzinski agrees that the program is failing. He is disappointed with how it is going and believes it won’t pick up.
With only a total of seven girls and four boys on scholarship it is easy to see how the program is lacking in numbers and talent. Problems with the program also arise with conflict between the coaches. Kaladzinski has different views to many of the other coaches and with the bad relationship between them it is affecting the system and results of the girls. “There was a big change with all of the coaches over the past few years which have definitely affected me and the way I train” says scholarship holder Victoria Williams. “I definitely think because of the new program with the different head coach, the gym is run in a different way. The older coaches are used to something different and I think they find it hard to change their ways and adopt a new kind of training scheme.” Williams said.
Kaladzinski says the downfall is no ones fault. However, some of the coaches have different opinions. “The head coach is to blame, he gives no positive reinforcements to the girls and doesn’t care about results” one female coach said.
A big focus has been turned on the AIS after the women’s team failed to produce any gymnasts for the Beijing Games. Questions have now been turned to Kaladzinski and his role as head coach. Kaladzinski argues that he has been doing his job and said “when I first arrived here in 2004 I said none of these girls will make the 2008 Olympics.” His fellow coaches disagree. They believe there was enough talent there and it was Kaladzinski’s attitude and changes to the program that broke the young girls and their chances. Kaladzinski quickly replied “they were teenagers, teenage years are so difficult and that’s why it is hard to make it to the top. Gymnasts quit, bodies change, attitudes can become a problem and all these things affect them. It’s just the nature of the sport.”
The AIS gymnastics program is under scrutiny of being shut down but until that happens Kaladzinski’s position is not under threat. The Gymnastics Federation of Australia supports him and will continue to keep him in this current position.
With the way the system has changed and will continue to change (if kept open) it is only going to get worse and Kaladzinski has future plans for it which could further ruin the quality of the gymnasts. He believes the AIS should be based on Canberra girls instead of having Australia’s best represent it. Kaladzinski sees one of the problems these days with getting top outer state girls is that there are now top coaches and facilities Nation wide. “Gymnasts don’t need to leave their state to achieve their dreams and the coaches aren’t letting them go” Kaladzinski said. The AIS is going down hill along with its reputation and now without getting the right girls into the program there is nowhere for the gym to go but even further down.
The AIS committee is looking into the program and decisions will be made in June
2009.
The failure of the gym ends with the women’s program. The Men’s side is still doing its job and continuing to produce top results. Head coach Vladimir Vatkina hopes management doesn’t see the men’s and women’s program as a whole but as separate programs. Vatkina’s biggest problem at the moment is to show the committee the men’s side is doing their job and to convince them to allow the program to grow. “There are only four boys on scholarship and one coach. We want the program to develop and for that to happen we need more boys and coaches” Vatkina said. “I am very happy here and with the men’s program and I want to stay on. It would be a shame if it closed down.” Vatkina believes having the AIS held in Canberra shouldn’t be an issue. “Gymnasts should be dedicated enough to move or do whatever they have to, to achieve their dreams and be the best they can be.” he said.
The AIS still have the best facilities in Australia and all the National camps are based there. Speculation is now arising over whether the program will end and the gym will only be used for National camps.
The numbers of scholarship holders are decreasing yearly and since the gym is not providing results and doesn’t appear to be picking up, it is in serious threat of closing down.
All AIS sports have funding till the end of June and the Sports Commission will be looking into all sports to decide which ones will continue on.
