UPDATE: Official start list dated Oct. 14, 16:33pm still lists Lauren Mitchell as Reserve #1, Diana Laura Bulimar competing (2nd).
So far, the rumour looks to be incorrect. Leave a comment if you know more.
_____ original post …
Diana Bulimar will withdraw due to injury is the rumour (via Romanian blog Fangymnastics on Facebook), so the World Champion, the first alternate, will defend.
Romanian Gymnastics Federation website:
… “Bad news: Bulimar Diana was injured during the last exercise is now under treatment, following investigations that follow will decide if she will be able to compete in the finals of the ground.” …
via Couch Gymnast
Lauren would win, I predict, though she’s not been able to train as much as she’d like due to her own ankle injuries.
Click PLAY or watch her routine from Team Finals on YouTube.
I’d love to see the Ferrari medal. She was ripped off last year, I thought.
28 comments ↓
Well of course Lauren is going to win. She has a jump after every tumbling pass so how could the judges deduct for hops on landing? She saves herself 0.4 tenths right there and then adds a few tenths in difficulty for connecting the tumbles with jumps. Not a fan of the code-whoring. And don’t even get me started on the weird choreography.
I don’t get it; totally overrated. Not a single controlled pass and a code-whoring dance element out of every single one? No one does that! I also don’t get the choreography. At all.
I’d call it “cheating”, too.
… Though I dislike it less than most. It can be pretty.
Lauren does the best ‘cheating’, by far.
Which of the other finalists should win?
Floor is a pretty depressing event in 2011.
I actually really like the jumps out of the passes, much more feminine that the manly stick. I prefer the lunge but obviously that is deducted. Those sticks are my least favourite part of the new code (seriously) as they don’t match the femininity of the floor routines to music, at least jumps hide this.
She will need to clean up the leaps for TF, though I think that they were better in the AA right?
I also like the choreo, I didn’t to begin with and it is ‘out there’ but I think it suits her body and the fluid movements work well for her. The music is weird which is why I think people don’t like it.
Man, I really want her to win!
So Lauren should be penalized for using the code to her advantage? Every single gymnast that is successful in every era has done that. Good on her for figuring out a way to avoid landing deductions. And at least she attempts choreography…it might not be your style, but there is a definite structure to her routine.
The code will balance out…remember in 2007 when Shawn won floor with basically SIX tumbling passes and not much choreo? Well, they changed that rule. So give it time. In the meantime, I think it’s smart of Lauren and her coaches to figure out a way to win…isn’t that what all athletes strive for?
I hate those hops. And I hate that muscled wolf turn.
I miss the C score. It was a blog where I was not banned…:(
I would actually like to see Aly Raisman win. I think she’s such a powerful tumbler and this new routine is far better than last years. Not to mention she’s scored well in prelims, TF, and AA. I at least want to see her medal, I think she deserved to medal last year.
Yeah I hate the wolf turn, it is ugly, only rhythmic gymnasts can do them and their training involves mostly stretching a pirouetting so you would hope they could make it work.
My fave ‘hop’ is the changement jump, I think it looks so pretty, much nicer than a muscled stick. Gymnasts should look pretty on floor, leave the muscled work to the men (I’m talking to you Grandi)
Jumps out of tumbles are in the code… How is it cheating? Of course Lauren does a jump out of all her tumbles she started the trend! And I think people are underestimating how difficult it cab be joining a jump to such powerful/difficult tumbling! If Komova had connected jumps after her tumbling we may have had a different world champion!?
Why so much negativity?! I would love to see you people try to do laurens floor routine- it’s extremely difficult and skillful. And to accuse her of cheating is such a huge insult to an elite gymnast. Have some respect!!
Yep. I miss it too.
I think I liked best when women could step back with one foot for no deduction. Next best are these many jumps out of landings, Lauren’s being the best I’ve ever seen, … and Australia using them more than any other nation.
And I do find the men’s “stick” to be most appropriate for guys.
I find it interesting that so many people like the jumps after the tumbling passes. I’m not sure how I feel either way, although I definitely think there should be a limit as to how many tumbling passes can be landed with a jump out of it (2 maybe?).
Would people also want to see leaps out of beam dismounts or bar dismounts? I don’t think so. There’s something about a stuck landing that not only shows control, but in a way it’s what gymnastics is known for by the casual fan. If there’s a deduction even the most novice gym fan can point out, it’s a step on the landing. I’d hate to see that go.
I also don’t really like the notion that a stick landing on floor isn’t “pretty” enough for women or isn’t appropriate. Does it show control and power? Yes. But that in no way means it’s not lady-like or appropriate for female gymnasts. Artistic gymnastics is not just about artistry and ballet, it’s also about power and control. I like seeing a balance of the two and I’m not sure leaping out of every pass gives that balance.
Stick the f…reaking (sorry, Rick) landings!
Sh…eesh (sorry, Rick).
The general public appreciates a stick (so it helps show the sport to fans).
Anyone who has done gym, appreciates and loves a stick. (so it resonates with gymnasts.)
The only people who like the wrong way are those who are best advantaged from code-whoring.
I say award the STICKERS!
And the world has known about these jumps for over a year, if they were easy to connect to the tumbling everyone would be ‘code-whoring’ but they’re not. People will find loop holes in every code, before 2008 it was the billion grip changes on bars and people accused Nastia and Kexin of code-whoring, did that mean those less spectacular over-used skills were much easier? Nope, or everyone would have used them.
I’m with you Rick, I would *prefer* to see the lunge, it’s pretty and feminine and dancer-like, the jump is my second option. I don’t want to see just control and power on floor, leave that for vault and bars, on floor I prefer grace and flexibility to go with the power… a combo of all of those.
go lauren
Aussies for the win!
Vanessa Atler’s DLO, punch front, ring leap was explosive and beautiful. It matched perfectly with her power, music and choreo. Innovative at the time. Then I wish more gymnast would incorporate something similar. Now, I regret that dream.
Every code has its vice. The punch front to wolf jump (97-00) and front ariel-bhs-loso (04-present) on beam come to mind. I’d be happy to never see those combinations again.
…and on that note, almost all gymnast ends FX with a double pike. Every gymnast (save Beth Tweddle) ends her routine with a double pike. So, Beth gets my best wishes for a floor title, especially if she throws her new skill. Coach, do you or anyone there know if she’s been training it in Japan?
i mean *every gymnast in floor finals*
I think that the women’s technical committee threw the baby out with the bath water on landings. I understand that they wanted to prevent crappy, uncontrolled lunges. But if it’s choreographed, say, the way Liukin’s exit from her back 2.5 dismount was… That’s beautiful and should be encouraged!!! Even the men allow jumps, falls to prone, kicks, turns to one knee… And we deal with it all very simply—with a deduction “uncontrolled momentary landing” that can be used to hit Zou Kai’s usual landing after the layout double double.
What do you think? Could that work in WAG? It would encourage sticks OR controlled choreographed exits. And isn’t that what we want?
I WANT SUI LU OR YAO TO WIN!!!
I actually like Jordyn Wieber’s floor routine — difficult tumbling and a spunky presentation that fits perfectly to the music. My only critique would be that her dance elements don’t have the difficulty, but she’s clean. I like her triple turn. She scores big points with me every time I see her nail that with big tumbling and a strong presence. Go Wieber!!
How did that floor routine get a 15? Yes I understand that the jumps are in the code but if the FIG was looking for controlled landings- this routine certainly doesn’t have them. If she didn’t jump she wouldn’t have come close to sticking a single one of her tumbling passes. Don’t get me wrong, I love her but I think she’s a very overrated floor worker. Worthy of a medal but not a two-time world champion in my opinion. I don’t think it’s cheating since it is in the code I just don’t understand how this floor routine wins. I’m rooting for Aly or Sui to win- they’re such different gymnasts but Aly has insane tumbling (harder and better executed than Mitchell) and Sui has such beautiful artistry.
Those jumps after a tumble don’t look easy to me. Lauren’s look a little out of control.
I’m still glad they made lunges a deduction. I don’t think people should get credit for a stick when they immediately jump into a lunge on their landing.
I agree with Coach M, very well said. I also like that Jordyn always seems like she is really enjoying herself during the routine.
As for jumps out of a tumbling pass, I think of back in the day Vanessa Atler with a huge double stag rebounding out of a pass….that was sweet! I don’t think it quite looks the same when the gymnast isn’t rebounding, but jumping.
Perhaps people should try dancing out of their lines? That might be another way to work the stick, but perhaps they would be penalized for a step instead? Who knows.
I love that they made lunges a deduction. I don’t think it’s “manly” to stick a pass; I think it’s controlled. The problem with Lauren’s jumps is that they are the opposite of controlled, which is just as bad as an uncontrolled lunge. Atler is one of my favorite gymnasts of all times, and her leap out of that pass was fantastic.
As for the code-whoring comment, I would never go so far as to say that it is “cheating,” because that is blatantly untrue. On the other hand, you know it when you see it. I think we see it less with other gymnasts. I agree, though, that gymnasts should take advantage of the Code given to them, so I guess it’s a bit hypocritical on my part to call someone on it.
@tco I’ve been thinking about coming back. I’ve been super disgusted by people’s reactions to Wieber’s victory.
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