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Gymnastics Now has LIVE MAG Podium highlights:
Podium training at the 2025 World Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta
Here are some of my observations from both Podium Training & the training Gym.
I’ve seen perhaps 3/4 of the gymnasts, so far, over 2 days.
In Men’s Gymnastics, Podium Training is often a poor indicator of how gymnasts will compete. By this level, many of the guys have learned to save their best efforts until in front of judges. Podium may be used to get over jet-lag and get used to the TaiShan equipment.
Nobody wants to win the warm-up.
- Fewer bad falls that I anticipated with the dismount bonus in effect. Still — one gymnast from France left with an injury. And there was another in the training Gym who medics took out after a bad H Bar dismount landing.
- China is fantastic, of course, but somehow looks … vincible. Of course they often look bad early on at Worlds — then HIT perfectly when it actually counts. Good peaking, perhaps.
- Japan looks great to me. I expect Oka Shinnosuke and Hashimoto Daiki to both HIT. Top 2 in the AA.
- Japan strong on H Bar. All 3 routines include Liukin.
- Noah Kuavita (Belgium) showed the best triple dismount I’ve seen, so far. Triple Pike at the end of an excellent H Bar routine. Félix Dolci 2nd best Triple Pike. Stuck.
- GBR is the best Floor team in the world right now. Hepworth, Whitehouse, Jarman. Crazy good. Any of the 3 could medal on Floor here. But maximum two can make the Final.
- As always, there are great gymnasts from unexpected nations all over the world.
- Gymnasts told me there was a problem with a Horizontal Bar in the training gym. The cable attached at the top somehow got loose. I saw Taishan guys pounding those H Bars. Making sure it doesn’t happen again.
- USA puts a higher priority on HITTING routines than any other nation. They are looking great.
- There are MANY good H Bar routines. Must hit high difficulty just to make the Final. HIT clean and STICK likely needed to win. Triple backs are difficult to stick, by the way.
- Brody Malone and others are finding the white mats difficult for spotting landings. Brody also said he finds the mats hard.
I’m cheering for Kam Nelson. Hoping he lands safely and stays inbounds on Floor.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
- H Bar is much less ugly under the new code with fewer Rybalko skills. 😀
- Floor is more artistic. Check our Olympic champion between tumbling passes.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
- Yulo will only compete Floor and Vault here as he has a sore wrist. Too bad since his goal is the AA in the L.A. Olympics.
- sounds like tickets for Rotterdam Worlds 2026 may already be sold out
- Heath Thorpe was super clean on H Bar. He should have one of the highest E-scores.
- Félix Dolci is wanting to add difficulty. He’s thinking L.A. 2028 as the goal.
- Sam Zakutney added Liukin on H Bar. Looks great.
- MANY great Pommel routines. At least 20 guys could make the Final if they hit.
- Surprisingly, H Bar might be the second deepest field.
related – FIG – ‘It’s something special’: Notes from Thursday podium training at Jakarta Worlds
Of the many excellent videos I’ve seen on Podium Training, this one by the FIG team is my favourite.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 