Rick Mc

American women and Japanese men were the biggest stars of Day 1.

The most exciting apparatus of Day 2 is most likely going to be Men’s Horizontal Bar.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Rings FINALS

Arthur Zanetti, Brazil, 15.800 (6.8 D)
Aleksandr Balandin, Russia, 15.733 (6.9 D)
Brandon Wynn, USA, 15.666 (6.7 D)

Click PLAY or watch Balandin’s latest NEW skill on YouTube.

CONGRATULATIONS to Brandon on the Bronze medal.

Uncle Tim explains what why Brandon’s start score was 0.1 lower in the Final than in prelims.

Worlds – Animals

Only ONE DAY left at the #WChAntwerp.

Highlights montage of some very tough ladies.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Individual Worlds format?

Who should compete Worlds?

Too few spots are available at Olympics to showcase the very best gymnasts in the World.

Assuming FIG keeps Trampoline and Rhythmic, there’s not likely to be an increase in the number of Artistic Olympians.

It would seem logical to offer more places at Worlds.

Post-Olympics we have Individual Worlds. In Belgium any nation can bring up to 4 women, 6 men.

That’s very inclusive of the smaller nations. This competition was, perhaps, too inclusive. Any coach can point out some athletes that shouldn’t have been competing. Either due to injury. Or because the gymnast truly wasn’t at a high enough level.

But the 4/6 numbers to me already seems unfair. To the ladies.

Better would be up to 6 women and 6 men. Or up to 5 women and 5 men, if time doesn’t allow six.

Why not?
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If a gymnast flies to Belgium, they should compete. It’s a waste of time & money to have Brenna Dowell uninjured, training — and not competing.

Click PLAY or watch Brenna’s Bars in training on YouTube.

No coach needs to stand in. Brenna is confident on those releases.

Janssen-Fritsen VIP lounge

A of retreat from the craziness of the World Gymnastics Championships.

So elegant and exclusive, my credentials can’t get me in.

see more photos

J&F World Championships Antwerp 2013

Aliya and Alexandrov

… Aliya says that in beam qualifying she was much worse than in the (AA) final, and yet the score was about the same; she doesn’t know how to understand it. But she doesn’t like to question the judges …

I’d like to question the judges.

Why did you overscore Aliya in prelims?

That’s from a very interesting Rewriting Russian Gymnastics post – Aliya Mustafina, a bronze medal, and Alexander Alexandrov – a review of the Russian press

photo – Heather Maynez for Examiner.com

crossing the legs twisting

In ice skating, it’s considered good technique.

Lizzy sends a link of some flying trapeze training.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

She crosses her legs in an attempt to increase speed of spin.

AND — more importantly — scissors on release to generate twist. (equal, opposite, concurrent reaction force … according to Newton)

She doesn’t consider “stacking the legs” a form break. Or bad technique.

Landing is a non-issue. Happily trapeze acrobats don’t have to “untilt” the twist, then STICK a landing on a hard surface.

Huang Huidan – WORLD CHAMP

Bare handed.

Click PLAY or watch HH on YouTube.

Click PLAY or watch Kyla on YouTube.

… and some IDIOTS 🙂 said there was no way Kyla could medal. Difficulty too low. Execution deductions too conspicuous.

Click PLAY or watch Aliya Mustafina on YouTube.

Despite the errors, that’s my favourite of the 3 routines. Aliya also lost connection compared with prelims by not immediately connecting Pak to Shaposh variation. She added a Stalder on low.

Gold–Huang CHN–15.400
Silver–Ross USA–15.266
Bronze Mustafina RUS–15.033

Yao Jinan fell on Mo salto. She would have won without using the Mo.

No mo Mo, please.