I saw a few commenters say that Lauren Mitchell should have won Floor finals over Beth Tweddle. Let’s compare for ourselves …
Click PLAY or watch Beth on YouTube.
Click PLAY or watch Lauren on YouTube. (routine starts at 60sec)
TWEDDLE - 6.100 8.60 8.40 8.70 8.50 8.40 8.70 8.550 14.650
MITCHELL – 5.800 8.80 8.70 8.80 8.30 8.70 9.00 8.750 14.550
I like both. And I’m satisfied with Beth winning. She did more difficulty. Lauren is definitely more artistic.
Both routines are worthy of a World Championships medal. Congratulations!
Leave a comment if you disagree.
15 comments ↓
I come from the school of floor exercise needing to be a showcase of what is both difficult, artistic, and overall entertaining. This “rule” was broken back in 1991 when two of the most boring routines won – Chuso and Bontas who sorely lacked choreo (especially poor Chuso) tumbled their butts off and won. The more artistic competitors faltered, of course, but … anyways, I don’t think Tweddle or Mitchel had exciting routines. Porgras had actual dance footwork AND good tumbling (could clean up a bit). The Russian was short on one pass but had she been clean all the way through she was the most worthy – she had the best combo of difficulty, originality, art, and good form (not great, but good).
I agree – the most pleasing girls to watch were definitely Porgras and Myzdricova – their dance work was beautiful! Tweddles routine was solely about D-score… I dont think the judges are applying the artistry deductions severly enough for the routines that clearly lack any artistry! – On floor I think there should be heavier deductions applicable for not displaying excellent dance work.
I agree with both Evelyn and Perto, but what is really sad (and a bit alarming) is that the judges DO apply the artistry deductions severely. On everyone. I was speaking to a judge just days ago and she told me that both Anna Pavlova and Nastia Liukin’s FX would have been deducted by today’s standards for the lack of artistry!!!! If even Anya and Nastia get hammered, there’s something really wrong with the sport. It takes a lot of courage to reward a perfect routine. And the judges clearly don’t have it.
Ian, I feel like that judge doesn’t know what artistry is then if they were to deduct Anna and Nastia, they are the most artistic gymnasts around.
They are artistic because they are extremly slim and do some stuff looking la little bit like ballet and use classical music? There has to be more about “artistry” than that.
I agree with Josh… there are different ideas to artistry. While I don’t agree that Rap or techno are music, somebody might. So if a girl wants to use Techno for her floor routine, and she performs in the style of the music how can we not claim that wasn’t artistry? When I watched this year’s worlds, I didn’t get American commentators for some reason and I got British ones and the women was saying that the choreography needed to fit the style of music. I think that’s the most important. If it fits then it should be rewarded as artistry. Now if it doesn’t fit, that’s a whole other story…
Neither had choreography that turned me on. Still, Tweedle’s tumbling was impressive and she deserved the win.
My judging
Beth
double arabian – legs -0.1
dos santos – bent knees -0.3; legs apart -0.3; step -0.3
Gogean – precision -0.1; uncontrolled step -0.1
2-1/2 – loose legs -0.1
front 1/1 – bent knees -0.1
6.1 + 8.6 = 14.7
I think her Dos Santos is DANGEROUSLY close to downgrading
Lauren
double arabian – legs -0.3
full-in – legs -0.1; chest -0.1; hop forward -0.1
wolf turn – precision -0.1
tour jete 1/2 – precision -0.1
switch leap 1/2 – precision -0.1
double pike – hop forward -0.1
5.8 + 9.0 = 14.8
It’s interesting with all your writing about how gymnastics lacks artistry that you supported Beth’s gold medal for the reason that she had more difficulty.
Artistry is so hard to define at the best of times and I too am having difficulty wrapping my head around all of this stuff. How can we bemoan the loss of artistry while at the same time bastardizing every beautiful dance element by adding a full twist or something equally offensive to it just to make it worth more? If such dance was indeed beautiful we would see it performed by ballet dancers etc. We do not! Most of the most beautiful dance elements are worth nothing in the code and are therefore not worth performing for our athletes. Big surprise there…
Furthermore, I’m really getting sick of every judge in the world criticising lack of “artistry” and choreography in general. Each and every one of the world class gymnasts has the very best in form of choreographers and coaching available, are we to believe that all of these choreographers do NOT know how to choreograph a routine and/or every current gymnast is totally useless at being able to dance and interpret the music that they have? How insulting!
Perhaps we need more of those self proclaimed judging choreography experts out there get off their ass and into our national programs so they can put together a routine that will make our hearts jump when we see it. Why do we have the best sitting behind tables with a pen instead of trying to improve our sport if they do indeed posess the knowledge and the ability?
I’m simply comparing those 2 routines. Of the two, I prefer Beth. … But I’m not a judge.
“They are artistic because they are extremly slim and do some stuff looking la little bit like ballet and use classical music? There has to be more about “artistry” than that.”
There IS more to artistry than that. Even “extremely slim” gymnasts wouldn’t be artistic if they didn’t put any effort into it. Artistry is not about body type.
Artistry to me is keeping the audience entertained. Both of these girls have amazing gymnastics, clean tumbles and leaps. But they do not perform. Svetlana Khorkina is an example of someone who could keep the crowd entertained through her facial expressions. And even though they have tacky dance, the college gymnasts keep the crowd draw the audience in and really perform. Artistry is making people say wow I want to see more! Beth and Lauren are amazing gymnasts and well deserving of their medals, but I would like to see them perform more, or at least smile.
They were probably smiling on the medal stand. Was that riveting enough for you?
Camelia Voinea was not slim but she had artistry.
When a gymnast dances, and I feel something from it, or I see nice lines and a rhythm and it goes WITH the music, I feel it is the beginning of art.
And I for one never said Nastia was artistic. She is posey, and waves her arms and breaks her wrists a lot.
Pavlova is moreso, and with less of those acrobatic twisty “dance” requirements, could probably show us something akin to the old Soviet Style if she really wanted to.
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