The ever popular Russian, now 17 years old, continues to surprise her growing number of fans world wide. This season, she not only presented a new floor routine, but, in a incredibly clever ploy, yet another hair style never seen before in competition. Once opting for the simple gymnastics classic style- the pony tail- Lobaznyuk cut her hair short unexpectedly in late 1997.

She then let it grow again, then cut it to the well known Olympic style. She shocked fans on the European circuit after the Olympics by sporting the now (in)famous "porcupine style". Early this year, she was spotted at the Russian team's gala performances in France wearing her hair similar to à la Sydneysiders again.

Now, at her latest competition, she went one step further - she showed various hairstyles in one single competition! With a little help from her mother Lyudmila, she added little braids to her hair in between routines while her fiercest competitors weren't looking. A very clever move....!

Will Khorkina whose Princess-Diana-Hairstyle is a little bit stale, take up the gauntlet Lobaznyuk has thrown down? Was the hairdo the reason Lobaznyuk fell off beam in the winner's final? Will they all live happily ever after? Stay tuned at Gymworld....

To be continued....

Umnitsa