Category: Gymnastics

Lieke Wevers – Podium Floor

Because #Artistic.

To me it looks like Lieke has never been better.

It’s difficult to see, but she has an unusual tape wrap high on one leg.

No longer is Team Netherlands a surprise qualifier to the team final. They should be top 8 with a good prelim competition.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Hurd, Melnikova, Chen Yile – part 2

This documentary episode was posted before Morgan was named a non-traveling alternate for USA. You can see how competing 3 meets back-to-back did not work out for her.

Both Angelina Melnikova and Chen Yile did qualify to Worlds.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

day 2 WAG podium training

I’ll be commenting LIVE via Twitter @GymCoaching.

More LIVE coverage:

First — let me say how blessed we are to be seeing these dominant Simone Biles American teams. It reminds me of the dominance of the great Soviet teams back in the late 1980s.

All hail the greatest of all time.

  • the Simone Biles Press Conference was fun and relaxed.

https://twitter.com/olympicchannel/status/1178960627299020800

Simone is motivated by getting two more skills named.
  • Everyone enjoyed watching (finally) the young Italian superstars at a Senior meet. Four of the 6 are age-16. Giorgia Villa looks fantastic — but says she is nervous. First time at Senior Worlds. Certainly Italy could finish 3rd with a HIT qualification meet. They could finish top 3 on Vault!
  • Upstart Italy and veteran France will be close in team total, I predict. France was 5th in 2018 but has a podium team goal for 2019.
  • Spencer is worried about Japan qualifying to Tokyo as a team. That would be a disaster for the host nation.
  • Everybody loves Netherlands. Smart routines. Great coaching. And such Artistry.  Sanne is as keen as ever. Her goal is to help qualify a full team of 4 to Tokyo. MUCH improved vault for NED! And has Lieke ever looked better?
  • Spain looks great. Watch for their Floor. Roxana Popa is back. And Cintia Rodriguez‘ toe point, of course.
  • For me the most surprising and exciting team on the rise is Argentina. Very well prepared. Guatemala showed some world class Gymnastics, as well.
  • Russia is often underwhelming in podium training. Then hits when it counts. They looked better than I expected today. Tim Daggett feels they can still finish top 3 in team even without Aliya. Melnikova looks superb.
  • Steingruber is back from injury. A big fan favourite here.
  • You can hand the gold team medal to USA now. It’s an honour for a gymnast to be in the same competition with any Simone Biles’ team.

 

Yeo Seojeong – Handspring front double twist

She put two of these on her feet in podium training. I think she’ll land it.

#respect

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Nina Derwael – Bars

Here’s the defending World Champ in podium training. Her Team Belgium looks ready to contend for one of the top 12 Olympic team spots.

Note that GymCastic is back uploading speedy videos to YouTube as they did in 2017.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

USAG team selection transparency

Good job.

As with their Men’s team, USAG circulated minutes of the 2019 World Championships Athlete Selection Committee Meeting from September 23, 2019.

I wish, Canada, by comparison, did the same thing. Every nation should do so.

That said, many — including Spencer — are questioning the logic of leaving behind one of their highest Bars scores — Morgan Hurd.

With Riley out, USA is least deep on Bars.

 

 

 

Worlds Stuttgart 2019 venue

Stuttgart has hosted many BIG competitions. They know how to do it.

So far I’ve heard mostly good feedback. The training halls are great, for example.

Spieth Floor looks very springy.

Here’s an aerial photo of the venue.

Click for larger version.