Year: 2011

McKayla took the world’s best ever Amanar even higher, if that’s possible, in the Team final.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

SV: 6.50, Execution: 9.533, Score: 16.033

Vault execution judges are more inclined than any other apparatus to throw a score. If all apparatus did this, the Code would work MUCH better than it does now.

Universal is not available worldwide. Many nations and locations do not get it televised.  

Click PLAY or watch it in Chinese on YouTube starting here.

Find the following segments on the chinesegym1’s YouTube channel.

Or, in Spanish, here.

If you want to see just individual routines, check the links via Full Twist.

• Andy Thornton – U.S. exceeds expectations, wins team gold at Gymnastics Worlds

• Bullit Marquez – Young Americans up to task, taking gold medal at world gymnastics championships

Routines from the meet are already starting to reach YouTube.

1. USA 179.411
2. RUS 175.329
3. CHN 172.820

Justice was done. USA was the best prepared and most consistent. I’m happy they won.

… “This is a very young team and I knew they were well prepared physically, but we were not sure how they would hold up under the pressure of three-up, three-count,” said Martha Karolyi …

USAG

• Jordyn Wieber interview (VIDEO)
• John Cheng photos

Alicia Sacramone wins her 10th Worlds medal, putting her ahead of Shannon Miller and Nastia Liukin. Congrats.

Somebody update her Wikipedia page.

Russia, China & Romania all had BIG mistakes.

In fact, every team had at least 2 falls (I believe) aside from Great Britain and the Americans who basically hit 12/12.

To be fair, Romania did not literally all off the Bars as Laura pointed out in the comments. But they “missed” two routines of three, costing them a Team medal.

Often it was the big stars who missed: Komova, Mitchell, Tan Sixin, …

4. ROU 172.412
5. GBR 169.670
6. GER 168.479
7. JPN 167.122
8. AUS 166.739

The Olympic host nation was best of the rest:

Great Britain’s women achieved their best-ever result as they finished an impressive fifth in the World Gymnastics team final in Tokyo.

… don’t forget me for London 2012,” the 26-year-old told BBC Sport. …

Ollie Williams – BBC

GBR hit 12 for 12. Beth had the highest Bar score – 15.666.

Final:
1. USA 179.411
2. RUS 175.329
3. CHN 172.820

4. ROU 172.412
5. GBR 169.670
6. GER 168.479
7. JPN 167.122
8. AUS 166.739

CONGRATS to the USA and everyone involved in the National Team program. You deserved this win.

Smart, disciplined and determined preparation.

USA was the only team without at least two falls, I believe.

Anna Li on the podium. She’s a World Champion!

The day before team finals.

Click PLAY or watch it on Gymnastike.

http://www.gymnastike.org/embed/MTU1NTA5OTc4?related=1

Watch more video of World Gymnastics Championships Tokyo 2011 on gymnastike.org

With the women’s Team competition about to start, let’s all watch closely the execution deductions for each routine. Since it’s televised, it will be easy to go back and compare the numbers.

Under the current Code of points, gymnasts with good execution suffer as compared with those with bad execution.

For example,

Nabieva DTY E=8.716
Raisman DTY E=8.866

Difference = 00.15

Now compare those two Yurchenkos. How different are they?

Click PLAY or watch Nabieva on YouTube.

Click PLAY or watch Raisman on YouTube.

… more than 00.15.

Thanks Ashlyn for this comparison.

For the majority of gymnasts, Worlds is over. Tokyo was their Olympics.

In a very cool edit by the FIG TV media team, here are some of the guys who competed — who aren’t CHEN Yibing.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

… Gymnasts from 81 countries are involved in this competition. A great opportunity for countries, like Mexico, Thailand, Salvador or Mongolia …

Gabby Douglas.

… wait a minute. She’s old enough, barely. 🙂

Had Gabby Douglas been born 12 hours later, she’d be home in Iowa on Tuesday instead of anchoring the U.S. lineup on uneven bars at the world gymnastics championships.

Douglas, you see, was born on Dec. 31, 1995, making her eligible – barely – to compete at this year’s world championships while other potential stars at next summer’s London Olympics have to remain under wraps until January. …

Age represents more than a number in gymnastics

At the opening press conference, President Bruno Grandi answered a question on this point (from Nancy Armour), energetically.

He argued strongly that we should not have “children” at Worlds. To compete at this level, gymnasts should be old enough to take responsibility for their decisions.

I was impressed with his passion. He needs to be strong on this as that’s opposed by a large majority of coaches in the world, I’d say.

Stoica and Kim said exactly nothing at that press conference. As usual.

Happily there have been no rumours of under-age gymnasts in Tokyo.

THE ALL AROUND tries to interpret complex FIG rules:

The total number of artistic gymnasts in London will be 98 for both men and women.

So, what are the 5 ways to get to be one of the 98 Olympians?

1) 12 WAG teams x 5 gymnasts = 60

2) individual apparatus medal winners in Tokyo (12 maximum – unless team already qualified) … some other stipulations

3) Host country – (1 maximum MAG now that GBR has qualified women’s team)

4) “Tripartite Invitations” (oft called ‘wild cards’, regionally based)

5) Best ranked MAG and WAG individual gymnasts from the test meet, not otherwise qualified.

… I’m slightly less confused after reading TAA – Olympic Qualification Begins in Tokyo

Thanks Albert Minguillón i Colomer, for that.

Recall that Yemen’s Nashwan Al-Harazi got a spot for Beijing. For WAG it was Sherine El Zeiny from Egypt.

Click PLAY or watch her Vault on YouTube.

Nations must apply for their athletes for the wild card spots, if any are available.

Recall that Trampoline did not allot a wild card for women in Beijing.

Click through for a Worlds slideshow of women’s pics by Adam Pretty for Getty.