Alabama gymnastics sophomore Diandra Milliner (from Folger’s) scores a 10.0 on the vault against Florida on Friday, Feb. 3, 2012 in Coleman Coliseum. The Crimson Tide beat the Gators 197.725-196.900.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I’m not happy with so many “perfect” 10 vaults so early this season. That was a superb vault, but not nearly “perfect”.

Either the judges should be more judicious, … or Yurchenko 1/1 should start out of 9.9.

That way Diandra would still get this 10, but there would be fewer total. AND it would encourage more variety on that apparatus.

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Blythe posted a recap of the end of his (first) career in 2009:

… The Olympic dream had crashed down on him the year before, when in spite of being the U.S. champion and petitioning directly onto the team after spraining his ankle jumping down from high bar before the Olympic Trials, the men’s selection committee not only not named him to the team, it did not even made him an alternate. (Meanwhile, in spite of his broken hand, Paul Hamm was named to the team and given every opportunity to prove that he was fit for competition before the U.S. men left for Beijing.)

… Three years later, here we are — Sender finished sixth all-around at Winter Cup, earning a place on the national team and signaling that he’s a threat to make the U.S. men’s five-member Olympic team. …

Examiner – Flashback: David Sender, circa 2009

Click PLAY or watch his Yurchenko double back on YouTube.

He was an excellent, artistic and tough all-arounder. With some excellent difficulty, especially on Rings. Though he looked a bit loose at Winter Cup, David’s got a real shot at London.

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(via Double Front Tumblr)

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Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

related – commentary on Examiner

Thanks Sher.

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But College Gymnastics Board has a good thread finding the exceptions — Most Difficult Routines This Season

I saw these two cool vaults linked from there:

Click PLAY or watch Amber See of Illinois on YouTube.

Click PLAY or watch Deanna Graham from Arizona on YouTube.

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… Simone Biles easily won the level 10/open all around title Friday at the Alamo Classic and debuted a yurchenko 2.5 twist in a meet held on concrete!

It’s one thing to compete this vault on podium, but it’s even more difficult to throw it on a solid surface. Biles played it safe with a double on her first vault and even bounced out of it, then she threw the 2.5 with ease. According to the meet director. “it was beautiful – she could’ve done a triple!” …

I can’t find that competition vault online.

Click PLAY or watch her in training 2011 on YouTube.

Click PLAY or watch Double Arabian, full out on YouTube.

Click PLAY or watch Double Lay, Full Out on YouTube.

… I think she just might have some TALENT.

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Men’s Vault is by far the apparatus with the most difficulty in Artistic Gymnastics. No woman has ever competed any of these.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

FIG landing mats are not safe for this level of trick. We need something more like the Double-mini landing surface.

Thank Canadian judge Dave Copeland for the link.

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Gymnastike visited Brestyan’s to check in with USA Gymnastics 2012 olympic team hopeful Aly Raisman. The 17-year-old gymnast is coming off a fantastic 2011 season, leading team USA to the World Championships gold medal and winning an individual bronze medal on floor. Raisman has even bigger skills and high aspirations for 2012. She talks about her upgrades, her decision to turn professional, and training to make the Olympic team.

Click PLAY or watch the interview and training footage on Gymnastike.

Watch more video of Brestyan’s Gymnastics on gymnastike.org

She’s planning on Amanar. Near the end of the video she shows an excellent double Arabian punch layout.

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see more MAG and WAG World Champions on Facebook. Komova’s Bars are up now.

This was the biggest new skill at the meet. An incredible 7.4 start score! Watch it again on YouTube.

Note that he uses a traditional preflight technique, not the flyspring style used by Alicia Sacramone. (Both work.)

Watch Alicia’s Vault on YouTube.

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What’s with the College judges handing out 10s so early in the season? LOVE that vault, but they could have gone 9.95.

… “She does gymnastics on a whole level that you can’t teach,” Kondos Field said. “It’s god-given. She can do the same exact skills that any other athlete does, but she has this lightness and she makes it seem effortless. It’s ethereal, like she is flying.”…

… In her career as a Bruin, she has performed four flawless vaults, earning scores of 10.000 three times in 2009 and once in 2010. …

Daily Bruin

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