a new award for DIFFICULTY ?!

Bad idea. 😕

I’m be OK with additional awards for Elegance. Or E-score. But rewarding difficulty for the sake of difficulty could be dangerous.

“The gymnast must never attempt to increase the difficulty or the “D” score at the expense of aesthetic and technical execution. …”

German Gymnastics media

Germany always has a big media presence at Worlds.

For Stuttgart, it’s bigger than ever.

Happily, both Men’s and Women’s teams qualified for the Olympics.

Past stars including Philipp Boy and Fabian Hambüchen are everywhere. Gymnasts are pleased to be in an arena with a loud audience and so much Press. The Men’s team from Chinese Taipei looked a little bewildered to be answering so many questions.

RUSSIAN Men are World Champions

1. Russia – 261.726
2. China – 260.729
3. Japan – 258.159

4. United States – 254.578
5. Great Britain – 251.611
6. Chinese Taipei – 248.243
7. Switzerland – 247.038
8. Ukraine – 246.593

Click PLAY or watch it on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/olympicchannel/status/1181943730707845122

I’d predicted RUS, CHN, USA and would probably do the same again if the teams were competing tomorrow.

I had doubts whether the young and inexperienced Japanese team would hold it together. Their routines are SO difficult. Also, Wataru Tanigawa looked to be injured in the qualification competition. But — happily — looked 100% tonight!

I was wrong. It was a superb 3 way fight for the medals. The best team competition I can recall. Ever.

Congratulations Japan!

related – Russia wins first men’s gymnastics world team title since Soviet breakup

another chance for Sam Mikulak

Everyone agrees Sam is one of the very best gymnasts in the world today.

But he had a surprisingly bad qualifying day, barely making the AA Final.

In today’s team competition he has another chance for redemption. A team medal would probably mean more to him than the AA

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.  It was posted before prelims.

Men’s TEAM Final begins

I’ll be commenting LIVE via Twitter @GymCoaching. And partnering this year with @kensleyanne Kensley Behel. We both will be guest MAG pundits on the GymCastic podcasts this week.

I’m predicting RUS, CHN, USA.

More LIVE coverage:

Fujitsu 3D computer video analysis UPDATE

Today at Worlds, Fujitsu held a press conference telling us where they are at with the technology.

Former FIG MTC Chair Steve Butcher is our liaison.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

It’s being used at Worlds 2019, but only in case of appeal or ‘blocked score’. Blocked score is when the Superior Jury disagree with the D-panel start score.

MAG Vault, Rings, Pommels and WAG Vault.

WAG Beam looks near ready but is not being used here.

Steve said it had been used on Rings already and that judges had found it valuable.


IOC has not approved it for use at the Tokyo Olympics but FIG and Fujitsu plan to roll it out increasingly through to the 2024 Olympics.

I’m most excited about it being used by coaches in the Gym. Fujitsu will offer it to National Training Centres (or equivalent) worldwide.

Details.

Women’s Team Highlights VIDEO

Italy qualified 8th yet finished on the podium for the first time in hundreds of years.
😀

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

1. United States 172.330
2. Russia 166.529
3. Italy 164.796

4. China 164.230
5. France 163.628
6. Great Britain 161.495
7. Canada 160.563
8. Netherlands 159.427

American Olympians can now thank sponsors

Following the IOC’s relaxation of the restrictions placed on Olympic participants during the Olympic Games period pursuant to Bylaw 40.3 of the Olympic Charter (colloquially known as “Rule 40”) earlier this year, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (“USOPC”) finally released its guidance on how Olympic athletes’ personal sponsors that are not IOC or Team USA sponsors may run marketing campaigns incorporating athletes during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games blackout period (which is July 14, 2020 through August 11, 2020) – and now permits personal sponsor advertising during the blackout period under certain circumstances and only for two particular types of marketing.

Advertising Law Updates – Olympic Athlete Marketing: Easing Up On Rule 40, But With Strings Attached

For American gymnasts it seems to mean that …

Athletes are now able to thank personal sponsors and receive congratulatory messages from personal sponsors during the Games.

Personal sponsors, meanwhile, can engage in generic advertising during the Games. … (not mentioning the Olympics nor showing Olympic Rings)

Inside the Games

A step forward.

top D & E scores from Team Final

Needless to say, E-scores are more important to me than D-scores.

Lukas Dauser – Qualification P Bars

The German crowd loved this routine.

Click PLAY or watch it on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/Pamchenkova/status/1180904544454238208