US Nats Style

I'm a little behind huh? Ohhh well. So nats, a bit rubbishy. There was some nice gymnastics hidden in there but overall, not great. Once again myself and Mostepanovafan stayed up til 2 and 3 in the morning to watch so here we go.

Overall: Like I said not fantastic. When Kytra Hunter and Alexandra Raisman are battling for the bronze medal you know there's some issues. They're both good gymnasts but they aren't exactly all arounders now are they? Bars are poor in both cases. Al was back. This made me cry.

Bross: Yay. Bross. Fantastic. I'm amazed she managed to put together 8 routines with no major errors, consistancy isn't exactly her strong point. I still want to murder her whenever I see her on bars and the desire to kill rises on floor too. I liked the way on day 2 Tim was all 'what's with that score?' on bars. Evidentally the bars judges decided to be realistic unlike EVERY OTHER JUDGE. What is with her using Dark Eyes? Seriously? Does WOGA only have limited music knowledge so they can only use different versions of the same piece? She will never ever be a dancer. Ever. Her vaults were solid though her knees were fugly. Beam was also solid and her knees were also fugly.

Larson: So who had an awesome nationals? Mattie did! She is (obviously) my fav American right about now, though if I were AOGC I'd lay off the yellow leos, don't really suit her. Her vaults were strong, her bars were good enough her beam was alright, although for no clear reason she underrotated her 2.5 twist on day 2. Floor was good. I quite liked it on day 1 choreographically, but day 2 she became the spazmonkey captain again (Bross is the spazmonkey general). I still can't believe she can do a double layout. Her triple twist is still very nice. GO MATTIE.

Mini A-Sac: Even A-Sac calls Raisman her mini-me. That's how bad it is. No ridiculous attempts at Amanar's this time, her ankles presumably placed a written complaint. She doesn't even need one with how good her DTY can be. Her bars. Welllllll. Her normal bars really. Does Brestyan's have a bars coach? If so get a new one? She's the best that they've produced, and she's consistant but it's not fab. She managed to place third on beam, her dismount still isn't as good as it was at SCAM, I still want to kill her switch split jumps. She'd lost the double piked arabian on floor (thank goodness, international judges would have said hello downgrade). Her triple twist is also looking good. Her dance isn't. Her music is incredibly underwhelming.

Hunter: *gator chomp* Go future Gator! Her bars was better than at Classic, she didn't fall. What was with her day 2 leotard? Burgundy and bright orange is NOT a good colour combination. Thank goodness she isn't pasty, that's the only way she'd have looked worse in it. Her vaults were powerful and well performed as always, her beam was tentative but solid. Her floor still had ridiculous choreo (please Rhonda, DO SOMETHING WITH HER) but her tumbling was still first class.

MQuats: We didn't even see BQuats. She didn't make the national team either. But MQuats didn't do too badly. Another future gator I ought to be supporting. Who chooses the leotards they wear? And can I stop them? Her day two one was very ill-advised. Her bars could have been better, her Church - Pak combo was better at Classic, it looked kind of floppy here. Also she fell on a hop grip change the moment she got on the bars on day 2 which caused MFan some consternation. She needs to get more consistent if she wants to go to worlds, cos frankly they need her on bars. She did the best beam set I've ever seen her do as well, but it was still kind of average.

VaZam: First elite nats, didn't disgrace herself. Her beam is still awful, she keeps falling where they've had to add extra difficulty. We didn't see her bars either day but I am reliably informed she has a nice Deltchev. I still don't like her floor routine, it just doesn't flow at all. Vaults though, nicely done Miss Zam. I confess I doubted the existence of a Cheng. I said, she may well be training one but I doubt she has it. I was proved very wrong, her day 1 Cheng was pretty awesome. Her day 2 one, not so much. Landed on her knees. But congrats on making the national team.

Casanova: Why did we insist on watching her? Don't get me wrong I don't particularly dislike her but it just seems odd. Her floor was fairly average WOGA stuff, though she dances much better than Bross. What I remember about her beam was that it was wobbly. I did not like the day 1 WOGA tard, it did not suit her or Bross.

Lee: Ok, I love Sophia Lee. Just so you know. OMG WE SAW HER ON FLOOR. I'm unhappy we didn't see her more than the once though, especially as she screwed up on a tumble. Pretty nice double layout from Miss Lee though. I wanted to see her piked Tkatchev on bars properly.

A-Sac: Continued her upward spiral from Classic. Her beam was cleaner and less wobbly than Classic, and her vaults were better anchored. I was hoping that she would punch Andrea Joyce, but alas, she did not. I still congratulate her for being the only person with a real personality.

Sloan: OMG WHAT WAS WITH HER TARD? WHY WAS IT RADIO ACTIVE? That over with, her beam was underwhelming but considering the nature of her injury that is unsurprising. I'm thinking we've seen the last of Miss Sloan, certainly as far as individual competitions go, she keeps getting injured. Also I get the feeling that when she talks whilst she's on camera she know's exactly where the camera is and is acting up. But hey.

Nastia: Yeah, the purple curtain from night 1, not so flattering. Her shoes, will do nothing for her ankles. Her comeback? *snorts*

OMG where did they dig up Patterson from and please rebury her straight away. Thankyou.


Juniors: Just a little bit, OMG Jordan Wieber imploded! I'm not overly surprised but she certainly did it dramatically didn't she? So Ross repeated, Ohashi of the miniature WOGese, no I can't compete as a senior til next quad and I have a full twisting straight on beam why do you ask? got the silver. Makayla Maroney got the bronze much to my surprise, I haven't seen anything of her but remembering last years nats....I'm surprised. Gabby Douglas managed not to kill herself this time though Excalibur still dressed her badly. She just missed the medals :(. If she hadn't dragged her feet on the ground after her Pak on both days she could have medalled.

Comeback Kids

It's fab to see Sandra Izbasa looking awesomely back in form on floor at least, (head over to Couch Gymnast for the video), she's gained a nice one and a half to triple twist and is back to blonde again, thankfully.

Meanwhile Jade Barbosa came in third at Brazilian nationals in the all around and won vault with a 14.650 for a nice DTY, looking good for worlds. According to IG she's off to Ghent this year for the world cup which I assume will be her first international for quite some time.

25 year old Daniel Hypolito won the all around at nationals. I liked Daniele quite a lot in her younger days but as she got older she got a little dull. Still it's great to see her going despite already having attended three olympics, maybe she's got a fourth in her. People like her are doing a lot to help change the trend of retirment at the age of 17 or 18.

There's A Light At The End Of The Tunnel...

(Picture from gymbox)

Adi Pop has choreographed Beth's new floor routine. There may actually be some half way decent choreo in it!! I don't have huge hopes, much as I love her the Twedds is not a natural dancer, but I'm hoping for an improvement. I believe she has also choreographed Becky Downie and Niamh Rippin's new routines.

Result! Presumably British gymnastics federation felt rich.

Williams Retires

Photo: Grace Chiu

Kayla Williams has retired from elite gymnastics (via gymnastics coaching). I am not particularly surprised. She had so much trouble trying to find a new gym after she left Gymnest, and as she's now signed to Alabama there's not a huge amount of point in continuing. She was a great vaulter but her bars and beam were very weak and her floor messy, her flexibility frankly terrible. I wish her the best of luck as a collegiate gymnast, she ought to do quite well there. And NCAA has a habit of cleaning up people's dance and often creates a better gymnast, just look at VaZam and Casey Jo Magee.

US Classic Style

So this is the most sporadically posted blog ever. Sorry about that ><. Anyways me and Mostepanovafan stayed up till quarter past three this morning watching classic so here we go.

General: What the hell was with Tim's voice at the start of that broadcast? Seriously? I mean I know he's a spazmonkey but that was just realllllly weird. As a whole the meet was a little messy and a splat fest, maybe people will have cleaned up by nats, maybes not. A-Sac was easily the best person there. Also the whole scoring thing? what was with that? Why must American gymnastics competitions have such ridicoulous scoring?

A-Sac: Her beam was a little wobbly and her form not quite as good as it was but she's definitely back, and looking happier about it all too. Her vaults were as huge as ever, and whilst the landing of her rudi was not so fab the vault as a whole is possibly better than before, scoring 15.800. Bye bye Kayla. I would like to congratulate her on being the only person with a personality. I also found it amusing to watch her order people around in the presentation at the start.

VaZam: Fresh from UCLA. Her layout Podkopayeva was HUGE though the landing was far from great, but the form was great too. Beam = disaster. It was a little empty and she fell (rather painfully) from her whip back. Her floor (I say her, turns out it was Kristina Comforte's, seriously? It's not even her own routine?) was alright, very nice double layout but the other tumbles were a bit meh. Sorry to Zamarippa lovers but I still don't particularly like her.

MCaquats: I seem to abbreviate everyone. Weird. Her bars was looking a lot better than before and we now have a new member of the Church club, connected to Pak in a way that should annoy Sloan as Mackenzie didn't need spotting and it was better. Her beam, well, it's never been her best event has it. Fell on a switch split half. The rest was tentative and wobbly, she seems to have a WOGA side somi. Also someone needs to tell her she looks like a puffy cloud in that leotard, it really is not flattering.

Hunter: She looked her normal awesomely powerful self on floor and vault, tumbling a slightly messy full twisting double layout, two different arabians and a 1.5 - full twist. Somebody kill the choreographer plzkthx. Large and tidy DTY. Bars was normal Hunter bars, fell on her Hindorff. Looking forward to supporting her as a Gator. *chomp* Mostepanovafan: she needs to smile more during her floor routine otherwise she looks like she thinks she looks stupid.

Raisman: Mini A-Sac was her normal mini A-Sac self only better at bars. Beam was solid and good, her double arabian not as a good as at the SCAM but still much better than Bross'. She needs to work on her flexibility, her switch jumps were painful to watch. Her double pike arabian is a bit like early Tweddle's in the tucking the second somersault, only it was messier. Still doing her 1.5 through to double tuck arabian well, underrotated triple twist (ironic, she always used to over do it). The music was a weird choice but they really are trying to make her Alicia. Vault ZOMG what were they thinking? She was nowhere near round the attempted Amanar and it was ugly and looked painful. Bars was better but by no means fabulous. New Tkatchev with foot flex.

Cassie Whitcomb: Her floor routine was uninspired and she has still stolen Nistor's Vanessa Mae music. tumbles weren't bad but the choreo was appalling as per the usual Cincinnati routines. Her piked Ricna on bars was impressive but her Gienger was ugly. Her beam was tentative and unsurprisingly she fell on an aerial cartwheel. She also seemed to struggle with her splits. Mostepanovafan: OMG why is she so freaky and sinister. By the end of the meet MFan had also decided that Whitcomb is a basilisk.

Larson: I am happy to see her actually return to gymnastics after many injury problems. Her beam was a bit raggedy but it was solid enough until her dismount when she fell. Also her split switch ring leap should be exiled. Her floor exercise was...interesting. I preferred her old one choreographically. She's a little bit spazzy. I never expected a double layout from her but it was pretty good and her triple twist is pretty though she bounced out of it. Out of bounds on the last past. Her DTY is pretty big and neat though the landing was messy. Her bars is pretty average but nice Ricna and nice dismount. Congrats on winning the Classic Mattie. MFan thinks: she Joura's her choreo on floor.

Shapiro: Oh dear. Just generally. Beam was her normal beam routine, so dull with an offensive switch split ring. Someone ban All Olympia from trying this please none of them can do it. Tim and Tasha described her as the best dancer in the competition. -_-. I was unfortunately watching Evgeni Plushenko during her routine not her. Double arabian, double tuck and double pike. MFan: Oh yes best dancer, I love how she stands around and waves her arms. Then vault. Thankfully we didn't see it but she has hyperextended both knees so go figure. She looked in a lot of pain and I doubt we'll see her at nationals.

JetJet: Or Amanda Jeeter as Tim seemed to think she was called. So Tim was a bitch at her? Not outstanding on any event. Cat fight please. She had a messy DTY but it wasn't horrific. Her beam was good right up till her twisting straddle jump where she had to hold onto the beam. Nice standing fulls and arabians and a double arabian dismount, once again shaming Bross. I like the way Mary Lee was all 'we have to remove the garbage' about this routine ><, but she seemed happy with her girls. MFan: What is with the Cincinnati bows?

Brossy: Yay. Bross. I love Bross. OMG I HATE HER BAR WORK. SERIOUSLY. It's clean and it's high and it's in handstand and yet she manages to make it look so ugly. Her beam was...interesting. She overbalanced on her full turn (she's got to stop doing that) and fell on her dismount. Unsurprisingly. I think she performs the worst version of that dismount I have ever seen. I mean I only saw Fritzinger land it once but when she fell she wasn't anywhere near as spazzy about it and she was the first person to do it so she gets some forgiveness.

Sloan: Still has her beard leotard. And is shamed by Wieber who can do her front toe on half thing that Sloan reallllllly cannot do. Just go back to the endo one, you could do that and it's worth the same. Her dismount was low but her releases were good. Didn't see her beam.

Kaitlyn Clarke: Saw her floor exercise for no clear reason. Alright tumbling, average choreography. She'll fit in at Bama quite well so enjoy your college career.

Wieber: We watched highlights of Wieber, her bars has improved though she's piking her full twisting double layout a bit and as we all know from PacRim her floor is a lot better too though it might've made more sense if we'd watched it with her floor music.

Return of the Shawnator

Yeah so apparantly Shawn Johnson has returned to training. It's not the returning to training that I doubt it's everything else. She hasn't been training since the 2008 Olympics so that's nearly two years out of the gym. And now she's seen she can do a lot besides gymnastics how will she take to regular hard training again? I have my doubts.

Do I think she'll get very far? I don't know honestly, but I doubt she will ever reach the standard she was again. Amanar's, double doubles and standing fulls may not be on the agenda. And frankly the team doesn't need her that much unless she can get back to where she was. They have Brossy and when she comes up Wieber for their all arounders, in the meantime Sloan will do it, (and apparantly Raisman, Marta seems keen to work her all around despite her bars). They need bars workers and Shawn never was one. What she did she did cleanly but she got everything from her dismount.

So. If she gets to nationals, and I mean gets there not gets let in cos she's Shawn Johnson, I might reconsider, but in the meantime I think Sacramone's come back is much more serious.

Beth Defends, Russia, Romania Triumphant

Event Finals today. I missed the first couple of vaulters thanks to the BBC but I got everything else.

Vault

Unfortunately missed Renata Toth and Ariella Kaeslin, Kaeslin ended up fifth and was in yet another interesting butterfly leo. Tuned in in time to see Diana Chelaru's second vault - full twisting tucked handspring. It was good and she's upgraded since last years tuck front.

Ekaterina Kurbatova - Managed to get round her DTY today and did a sort of lay out Podkopayeva (she was credited with the layout) with good landings for a 15.287 average.

Youna Dufournet - Had her normal stylish form going on. Stuck her Yurchenko 1.5 for a 14.200 and did a definately layed out Pod for a 15.275 average. If she can get a DTY with the same form as her current vaults she'll be competetive for gold.

Amelia Racea - Messy DTY, landed better than in the team final yesterday and a tucked Pod, well landed but tucked whilst still on the table for a 13.662 average.

Tatiana Nabieva - was wearing a gross leotard. Huge DTY, but her legs don't seem to ever be entirely straight, followed by a Pod with pointed toes for a 14.150 average.

Nicole Hibbert - 1.5 Yurchenko, huge leap forward. She looks like she could easily manage the DTY, so I suggest they get working on it. Lay out Omelianchik to bum for her second. It's only the second time she's done it in competition, the other time being qualifications. 13.300 average, and last.

Gold - Kurbatova, Silver - Dufournet and Bronze - Nabieva.

Uneven Bars
Natalia Kononenko - Managed to make up for the rest of the pants that Ukraine did during this competition with a fab bars routine. Ricna - Pak combo, plus her trade mark Tkatchev half - straddle Jaeger and a stuck double front. She has great form and managed a 14.750.

Vanessa Ferrari - orginally the reserve but put in when Ana Porgras was withdrawn from all finals because of her foot. Ono - straddle Jager, a rather ugly Tkatchev and a full in gave her a 14.150.

Aliya Mustafina - stalder full - toe on Khorkina, a piked Jaeger, her normal skills all done with great form. She has good handstands too which is nice for the judges, I can't say handstands bother me that much. Dismounted with a full pirouette - 1.5 twisting double back, stepped back and to the side but much better than last time.

Becky Downie - performed her Church today but didn't manage to connect it to the stalder full. Nice Ricna, low full in dismount. Her team finals performance was much better, 14.625.

Tweth - Her Church has really got better from last years Worlds, all her usual connections and madness cos no one told her she shouldn't be able to do it. Stuck full in from a cast, no giants. Her execution was a 9.075 for a 15.875.

Elizabeth Seitz - Her Church is huge, though not the tidiest in the world. It'll be great when she tidies it up. Maloney - stalder uprise to start the routine, always good to see people work out of Shaposh type skills, full in dismount. 14.000. She has promise.

Tatiana Nabieva - Traiditonal Russian huge connections spanning the two bars. Her straddle Jaeger is laaarge. Full in dismount, but she has bad bent legs before her dismount. 14.675

Dufournet - pulled out her stalder full - Def today, but incurred a .5 penalty because the coach touched her >:(. Had a landing issues on her double layout but girlfriend sure knows how to keep a straight shape.

Gold - Tweth, Silver - Mustafina, Bronze - Kononenko. Well done Uke.

Balance Beam
Amelia Racea - put in to replace injured Porgras and did herself proud. She was a little wobbly on her initial skills of front tuck and aerial cartwheel - tuck back but did an awesome aerial walkover - flic - pike back. Her dismount was a bit low but she managed a 14.400.

Valentina Holenkova - Oh Ukes. It was going so well with her handspring - front tuck, though she was a little wobbly, but she fell on her side somi as in team finals. Lovely double pike dismount though. 12.525.

Anna Myzdrikova - considering she used to be a disaster zone on beam she's doing well for herself. It was a solid routine, though unspectacular, until she had to hold on after a side somi where her foot was almost entirely off the beam. 13.150.

Aliya Mustafina - great standing arabian and double spin. Whether her triple twist dismount was round was questionable but she got a 14.375. I personally prefer her to Nabieva, and think she has more promise, and definately better form.

Celine van Gerner - she has great movement on the beam, natural balance a great speed. Me like. A little off on her front tuck, but saved it. Average skills but well performed got her a 13.850.

Yana Demyanchuk - Oh Ukes. Defended champion didn't defend. Fell on her first move of round
off - straight back. The rest of the routine was solid but unspectacular. 12.900.

Raluca Haidu - Stag Silivas to start, a bit different. Managed her flic - full twisting tuck today, but still had a wobble on her switch split half, though stayed on this time. Nice sheep jump, I am verily impressed by the young Romanians flexy. 13.950.

Elisabeta Preziosa - still has Italian leotards. Sigh. Still has uber flex which is good. Stayed on during her aerial walkover - flic - layout but fell on her aerial cartwheel instead. She could've won bronze if she'd stayed on. 13.075.

Gold - Racea, Silver - Mustafina, Bronze - Haidu.

Floor Exercise
Anna Myzdrikova - Stuck her whip - double arabian again. She enjoys that obviously. Stayed in on her triple - punch back, managed her 2.5 - barani - stag, though it looked like she might not. Her presentation isn't as good as it used to be though. 14.325.

Nimah Rippin - Had landing issues everywhere. Double arabian, did well not to sit it down, 1.5 through to triple twist - out of bounds, hopped back on her 2.5 - straight. Britain seriosuly need to work on their dance. 13.400.

Vanessa Ferrari - Her difficuly is nowhere near what it used to be but she's cleaner than before. Full in, 1.5 - full, double tuck and double pike. She can land those tumbles. No back extension roll any more :(. 13.850.

Aliya Mustafina - Girlfriend couldn't manage all clean routines. Huge double arabian, stuck her triple at the end but fell on a 1.5 - rudi. 13.225.

Tweth - Her normal tumbling. Nearly went out of bounds on her 1.5 - double arabian, but her split jump on the end of the double piked arabian. I'm still happy she can reach splits. 14.825.

Racea - Managed three finals. Go her. Had landing issues, snatched at her 2.5 - tuck front a bit but a good routine. Pretending she's a pirate from the Carribean.

Marine Brevet - Simple tumbling but cleanly done. 1.5 - 2.5, double twist, double pike out of bounds and a short double tuck. Underwhelming choreo. 13.400. Line judge tried to claim she went out of bounds on her 1.5 - 2.5 but she didn't and it wasn't deducted for.

Diana Chelaru - My favourite routine of the finals. Unexpected double layout to open, whip - triple with minor landing issues, 2.5 - supposedly straight front which leapt out of bounds, closed with a full in. Yeah Shawn, she can do it to. And she's got better dance and is generally better. She never stopped moving, twas awesome. 14.125.

Gold - Tweth, Silver - Myzdrikova, Bronze - Chelaru. Musty would have managed bronze had she not fallen. If Chelaru hadn't gone out of bounds she'd probably have got silver.