In March 2019 the all-around World Cup in Birmingham ended with two Russian winners: Nikita Nagornyy in the men's competition and Aliya Mustafina in the women's. It was a strong start to a season that would include the European Championships in Szczecin a few weeks later.
The all-around World Cup format
The all-around World Cups are invitation events with small fields of top gymnasts. Each competitor performs on every apparatus in a single competition, and the best total wins. They are short, intense and broadcast-friendly, and they give gymnasts competition practice early in the season.
Mustafina's comeback
Aliya Mustafina was one of the most decorated gymnasts of her generation, with Olympic titles on uneven bars from London 2012 and Rio 2016. After giving birth to her daughter in 2017 she returned to elite training, which is still unusual in women's artistic gymnastics. A World Cup win in Birmingham showed that her comeback was more than symbolic. It also gave younger gymnasts an example of a different kind of career, one that did not have to end in the late teens.
Nagornyy's rise
Nikita Nagornyy was emerging as one of the leading all-rounders in the world. His difficulty on floor and vault was among the highest in the field, and he had the consistency to make use of it in all-around competitions. He would go on to become a central figure in the Russian team that won Olympic gold in Tokyo.
Why this weekend still matters
- It shows Russian strength at the start of a key season. - It captured a rare comeback story in women's gymnastics. - It previewed the rivalry within the Russian men's team, where several gymnasts were competing for the same places in finals.
Looking back
Seven years on, Birmingham 2019 reads like a snapshot of a gymnastics world that changed quickly: the pandemic, the Tokyo postponement and later sporting sanctions all reshaped the international field.
See our Men's Artistic Gymnastics and Women's Artistic Gymnastics pages.
