#WCHNanning2014
In training, China looks weaker than expected. Japan looks great.
As usual, I’ll predict that Japan will win Team. … As usual, many are cautioning me that China always looks bad until it counts. They’ve only lost once at Worlds in the past 20 years, or so. AND they are in China.
Both nations will qualify to the Team final, so prelims priority will be qualifying for AA and Apparatus Finals. Prelim team ranking doesn’t matter.
Japan will win FX as a Team. Be top 3 on Pommels.
China is much stronger on Rings. Much.
Vault is difficult to predict. In a 3-up, 3-count Team final, anyone can fall. Both China and Japan rely on twisting vaults rather than double somersaults, so it’s likely they will be close on this apparatus. If Kohei and Kenzo stick, as they often do, give the edge to Japan.
Conventional wisdom is that China is strongest on P Bars. They are stronger than Japan. But it could be close.
The least impressive event for China is Horizontal Bar. Yet they continue to score well despite low risk routine construction. On the other hand, they had two Kolman releases in podium training. Let’s wait and see if they risk using those in Team.
Japan should be ahead on pipe. The memory of Tokyo 2011 lingers, however. Recall that King Kohei missed Kovacs by a mile in that Team final.
I chatted with Tim Daggett following the Japanese session. Consensus was … the Men’s Team final will be interesting.
Nico linked to this CHN vs JPN rivalry news item.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 