Author: Rick Mc

Career gymnastics coach who loves the outdoors, and the internet.

Rhys – Qualifications Pommels

I’d call the kid from Ireland the favourite in the apparatus final.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

France introduction performance

The Dutch typically win all the medals for team entrance.

But in the Team Final I’m calling FRANCE #1. A new twist.

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USA, Russia, Italy

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

Pundits that called the new look Italian team ready to medal at Worlds were right. Recall ITA qualified in 8th.

Giorgia Villa, at her first Worlds, already looks like a veteran. No panic, not even when this happened.

Every team had falls. Nick Ruddock counted 19 total. Italy only had one. Performances qualifying were much better than what we saw here.

Though there is no AA award at this meet …

Biles – 59.766
Melnikova – 56.532
Villa – 55.832
DJDS – 55.498 (with a fall)
Black – 55.032

USA

passion in Men’s Gymnastics

These guys train years. Suffer much. All for the chance to try for Olympic qualification.

Here’s team Italy cheering Carlo Macchini’s H Bar routine in the qualification round.

Click PLAY or watch it on Twitter.

fan favourite Sofus Heggemsnes (NOR)

Joyful on the competition floor.

No falls over 6 apparatus. And he was very happy with team performance, too.

I felt Norway was one of the teams best prepared to HIT.

Click PLAY or watch an interview on YouTube.

Melnikova, Hurd, Chen Yile – part 3

The third episode in the documentary series is LIVE.

I can only watch it in an incognito browser window.

Click through via Facebook.

Simone will add another medal today

I feel lucky to be alive in the era of Simone.

She … and some other gymnasts 😀 compete today in the Team Final.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Summing up Men’s World PRELIMS

The QUALIFYING competition is the most interesting, most entertaining day.

Here’s where the majority of Olympic qualifiers are named.

Personally I enjoy watching the small nations trying to compete against China. It’s like me challenging one of the Toronto Raptors to one-on-one. Entertaining.

We have strong medal contenders from TPE, Ireland, Philippines and Croatia this year, for example.

As is often the case, the Men’s competition was wild and unpredictable from start to finish.

  • In the 8th and final session, both Netherlands and Switzerland knew what they needed. Both started with a strong first apparatus. Switzerland got it done. Netherlands did not.

1. Russia
2. China
3. Japan
4. Ukraine
5. GBR
6. Switzerland
7. USA
8. Chinese Taipei TPE Taiwan
9. Korea
10. Brazil
11. Spain
12. Germany

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

There were at least 20 teams who could have finished top 12 by hitting their best routines. Turkey has defeated teams on that list recently, for example. Australia is low on the list, but really impressed. Norway was one of my favourite squads. The depth of men’s Gymnastics worldwide is amazing.

  • Great Britain were GREAT. Even without Nile Wilson who was out with injury.
  • Ukraine is back as a contender for a team medal. I’m still pissed that they were ripped off at the London Olympics. Go for it, Oleg!
  • Proposed NEW deduction? Wearing white socks with coloured pants. Normally a bad idea.
  • Max Whitlock hit and stuck 3/3 routines. And is leading Pommels into the Final.
  • James Bacueti from Australia added half a twist to the hardest Kasamatsu vaults competed by anyone else.
  • There were several triple backs from H Bar and Rings. Fans love them. Don’t do that. It’s tough to land consistently. And they are undervalued in the Code.
  • USA / Sam Makulak had a bad qualifying round. Surprising as they have been so consistent in the lead-up to Worlds. Sam was lucky to even qualify to the AA Final.
  • Ri Se Gwang (PRK) is the Olympic Vault Champ. Didn’t qualify. Nor did Zou Jingyuan (CHN) on P Bars nor Epke on H Bar.
  • Judging was better than WAG. Rings in particular seemed low, but consistent. The only complaints I heard were E-score on Floor — the clean twisters gained no advantage over helicopter legs competitors.

Women’s TEAM Final begins

Vault USA & China
Bars  Russia & France
Beam Canada & Netherlands 
Floor GBR & Italy 

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.

More LIVE coverage:

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