Let's Talk About Viktoria Komova

Congratulations to Gabby Douglas! Watching the amazing “flying squirrel” win Olympic gold in the women’s all-around gymnastics competition yesterday was an incredible thrill—especially since Gabby, with her megawatt smile, is such an easy person to root for. (Congrats are also in order for teammate Aly Raisman, whose solid performance brought her this close to the bronze.)

But I’d like to pay tribute, for just a moment, to yesterday’s silver medalist: Russian phenom Viktoria Komova. Why? Because in ballet terms—and let’s be honest, I evaluate everything in ballet terms—she’s gorgeous. Her hyper-extended legs, archy feet, and crazy flexibility make everything she does, from the uneven bars to the vault, look beautifully polished. There’s also an inherent grace to the way she carries her upper body.

Though Viktoria’s obviously had, like most gymnasts, lots of ballet training, looking like a ballerina wasn’t exactly her first priority yesterday. (When you have to do a backflip on a 4-inch beam, sometimes grace goes by the wayside.) But her raw physical gifts are just so extraordinary that I want to slap pointe shoes on her and teach her Swan Lake.

For your bunhead pleasure, here are a bunch of photos of Komova at her most balletic. Enjoy!

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