college gymnasts more entertaining than elite

The College Gymnastics season begins. I’m happy, happy.

UCLA Gymnastics vs Utah Preview

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Kate Richardson competed in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, finishing 7th on Floor in Athens.

Here she is, a few years ago, competing Floor for UCLA.

Click PLAY or watch Kate on YouTube.

Great tumbling. Interesting and unusual (College) dance.

Andrew Thornton used this routine as just one example of how college gymnasts have more entertaining floor routines than most elites.

Check Andrew’s American Gymnast blog post where he show other examples: Jamie Dantscher, Allyse Ishino and Tabitha Yim.

In College “entertainment” value is more important than difficulty. The best of example of that was Courtney McCool dominating Floor Exercise in 2008 all season. And winning the NCAA Championships on Floor that year despite having no double salto on FX.

Judges agreed that McCool’s was the most entertaining and “cleanest” routine of the finalists.

5 comments ↓

#1 Dana on 01.06.10 at 9:13 am

LOVE this routine! And miss watching Katie Schmatie!
She did Canada proud so very often!

#2 shergymrag on 01.06.10 at 4:12 pm

Courtney didn’t win because she was entertaining. She won because she was the cleanest.

#3 TP on 01.06.10 at 9:22 pm

Nobody wins because they are the CLEANEST. Come on. That’s poppycock.

#4 shergymrag on 01.07.10 at 3:54 pm

Courtney did. Unless you’re telling me her routine was more entertaining than the other finalists. No way. They all went out there and worked it. Court brought the Ajax though.

#5 Gia on 01.07.10 at 5:09 pm

Courtney was overrated in hr college career. They ignored her missed handstands and questionable form every routine.

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