When Mikhail (Misha) Koudinov steps onto the competition floor this week at the 2025 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Jakarta, he’ll be marking a milestone few athletes in any sport achieve—his 11th World Championships.

His journey began nearly two decades ago, making his senior international debut in 2006, and since then, Misha has become a legend in New Zealand gymnastics. With five Commonwealth Games, two Olympic Games, and even a skill named after him in the FIG Code of Points, his name is etched firmly into the sport’s history. Yet for Misha, it’s not about the accolades. It’s about the love of movement and the joy of challenge.

“I don’t even think of it as, ‘What’s left?’ I love it. I love doing it,” Misha said when we caught up with him at the XP Gymnastics Nationals last month. “Like a toddler going to the playground – this is my playground. There are so many skills, so much variety, so many new things to try. The possibilities are endless.”

Now at 34, Misha continues to defy convention in a sport often dominated by younger athletes, with the average age at the last Olympic Games and World Championships being around 27. Following shoulder surgery in December 2023, he’s found a new kind of strength, both physically and mentally, proving that experience and smart training can keep athletes performing at the highest level for longer.

“Physically, I think I’m better off than before surgery,” he reflected. “Because I was quite precise in the way I rebuilt, I ended up in a stronger place than I was prior.”

This week, he’ll compete on parallel bars and high bar, his signature events. True to form, he’s not playing it safe.

“High bar for me is such a special piece – the crowd loves it, the athletes love it,” he said. “So inevitably I end up doing a routine that’s a bit riskier than most would assume… but I’m going to send it and see what happens.”

Behind the calm confidence is an athlete who has learned that progress isn’t always linear, but perseverance pays off.

“I remember there were about four years where I saw no progress at all, and then suddenly I started learning new skills again,” he said. “You never know how things will go, so I really urge everyone to stick with it, even if you’re not seeing progress right now.”

From an eager young gymnast representing New Zealand for the first time in 2006 to a seasoned competitor still chasing new goals nearly twenty years later, Misha’s career is a testament to resilience, reinvention, and passion for the sport he loves.

And as he prepares to take on the world once again, one thing is clear—for Misha Koudinov, there’s no finish line in sight.

See the full interview with Misha.

The NZ team competes in subdivision 4 kicking off at 10pm NZ time, Sunday 19 October. Live scoring can be found on the FIG website.