Though some of us may have done gymnastics when we were children, few of us continue with it through adulthood.
Perhaps more than many major sports, gymnasts have to showcase a unique set of skills. In addition to physical strength, they also need stamina, excellent balance, graceful movements and a generally artful execution of the moves. To outsiders, a truly talented gymnast seems almost otherworldly. Among some of the best gymnasts in the world are Russian due to their excellent coaches and dedicated training schedules.
One of these incredible athletes is Daria Kondakova, a now retired rhythmic gymnast.
Kondakova is a three-time World all-around silver medalist, having won awards in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
Though she is now finished competing and sticks to coaching and choreography, one of her incredible performances from 2011 has been spreading around the internet. The video was from the qualification round of 2011 World Championships in Montpellier, France. Unlike traditional gymnastics, rhythmic gymnasts perform something more akin to an acrobatic dance routine.
Needless to say, Kondakova’s performance is one for the ages.
The video begins with Kondakova lying on the ground before coming to life when the music starts.
Immediately, Kondakova does an incredible inversion where she rolls her shoulders and head over a flexible gold ball she has on the ground, doing the splits in the air. Once she’s oriented right-side up again, she makes it onto her feet holding the ball and begins a graceful routine. Throughout the performance, Kondakova executes many spins, leaps and twirls without any mistakes.
Still, she also does all of these moves while manipulating and moving the gold ball around her body.
Although the entire video is incredible, several moments in particular are stand-outs.
Early in the video, Kondakova does a controlled spin with her leg bent above her head like a ballerina. Later on, she tosses the ball clear into the air while doing a jump, catching the ball again and executing another move. Even later, she even does a slew of floor moves—all of which are also incredible.
After the song ends, Kondakova strikes a pose and the crowd applauds.
The video was posted on YouTube where it has nearly 10 million views.
For those who need a distraction from the daily grind, and who want to be reminded just how incredible human beings are, Kondakova’s performance is definitely worth a watch. If only we all had stuck to gymnastics when we were young! Oh well. There will always be scores of Russian gymnasts to watch on YouTube.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
