Author: Rick Mc

WAG & MAG

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Tamara from Serbia (training in Germany) is here watching podium training. Coaches told me she suffered a partial ligament tear. No surgery should be needed. But she had to withdraw from Worlds. 😦

Gymnastics is a very dangerous sport.

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via TAA

YANG Hak Seon (KOR)

• Kasamatsu Stretched 5/2 (like Tsuk with 3 1/2 twist)

• Value 6.4

See the rest – MAG NEW ELEMENTS SUBMITTED 2014 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

And on Beam.

Looks better prepared than for Worlds 2013. Beam is easy. If she hits her new Bars routine, count on Larisa finishing in the top 3 AA.

Click through for MORE photos.

Inside Gymnastics Magazine – PHOTO GALLERY: MEN’S PODIUM TRAINING DAY 2

In Canada, our Olympic Trampoline Champion and many others are pushing a campaign called Yellowcard.

Of the 60+ nations I’ve traveled, Canada is least racist. The most ethical. Sport is the best way to educate youth, not school.

#FIGWorlds2014ART podium training

China is much closer to USA than I would have expected.

Bars was a shocker. Any of the 5 girls could qualify to the Bar Final. Second in the line-up, Tan Jiaxin, dismounts double double layout!

They are the dominant Bars nation making the “compulsory” routine done by the best of the rest look (somehow) easy.

Beam was excellent too. China is always beautiful on Beam, but did make mistakes. They could fall. It’s possible. Without a fall I predict they finish ahead of ROM, USA, ITA …

After all that excitement, Team China moved to Floor. Not good. Shang warmed up 3 ½ after her routine. Other than that, most of the tumbling was average or weak. The Floor is hard, not helping girls who weigh 45-65 pounds.

Despite lacking power, the Chinese girls run slowly into their Tumbling. 😦

USA should finish a fair bit ahead of China on FX.

We expected the same story on Vault. But – surprisingly – China has 4 DTYs. One very weak. One quite strong.

Many expected that the Chinese girls would be tired and sore having just come from Asian Games, but so far they are getting through.

Bottom line. If USA has a fall in 3-up, 3-count Team Final, it could be very close.

Check Nadia Boyce’s photos.

The Olympic Champion from Beijing has arrived. As if on cue, as she stepped into the arena this morning, the organizing committee played the American National Anthem. A rehearsal. 🙂

#FIGWorlds2014ART

Another potential Worlds Silver medal. McKayla’s Cheng has never looked better.

In high speed from a much better angle, we couldn’t see any under twist on the half. Nor any unequal weight on the hands.

Click PLAY or watch it from the Judge’s perspective on YouTube.

Her DTY was very clean too. (VIDEO)

Update: A coach showed me another angle in slow motion. Her hand touches, fairly square, but she does not put much weight the hand before pulling into the twist.

Steingruber‘s DTY was a mess in podium. Thi Ha Thanh Phan should be in the Vault final. Roxana Popa did not show an Amanar. Ellie Black could Final, but her Rudi wasn’t great today.

Dipa from India would have scored zero on her Handspring Double Front today. I don’t think Fadwa did one in podium training.

There are plenty more vaulters coming up tomorrow, of course. Hong Un-jong goes first thing in the morning. She will most likely end up on the Vault podium.

UPDATE from day 2 podium: Hong Un-jong PRK landed 3/6 Amanar attempts. Very clean in the air.

She only had time for 1 warm-up of her second vault. Fall.

Grace Chiu.

Inside Gymnastics – WOMEN’S PODIUM TRAINING; USA, RUS, CAN +!