Category: vault

U.S. Classic Jr. preview

This year, none of the juniors are being promoted to compete with the seniors (last year Malabuyo, O’Keefe, Dunne, Lee, and Kenlin competed in the later session with the big girls). I prefer this way. We have age group delineations in place, so let’s follow those rules and not confuse things. If you’re a senior, you’re a senior. If you’re a junior, you’re a junior—even if you can score better than most of the seniors.

Let’s discuss those gymnasts first, the ones in contention …

Balance Beam Situation

Click PLAY or watch Leanne Wong’s DTY on YouTube.

boys vaulting at Leeds Gymnastics

Click PLAY or watch it on Instagram.

1988 Olympian Svetlana Baitova interviewed

An Olympic gold medalist speaks. It’s a fascinating read.

Q: Do you often dream about gymnastics?

A: I used to, but I rarely do now. I’ve never dreamed about my favorite bars, only about my hated vault. …

Q: how much money were you paid for your Olympic gold in 1988?

A: I received 8,000 rubles and an apartment. It was a decent amount for that time, you could buy the most coveted car of the time – Lada Sputnik. … 

… On that national team, any single one of us could win the all-around. And the same was the case with the men’s team. I think that those were the strongest USSR teams in the history. This was true not just in Seoul but also in Barcelona in 1992. … 

SVETLANA BAITOVA: VICTORY IS MORE DIFFICULT TO SURVIVE THAN DEFEAT

Click PLAY or watch her Vault on YouTube. The second is Yurchenko Double Twist.

Mary Lou Retton competed Tsuk 1/1, not Kas

#respect

Tsuk 1/1 is much more difficult than the Kasamatsu used by Ellie Black, Oksana and … almost everyone.

Mary Lou did half-on, full-off. (1.5 twists total)

Kasamatsu is quarter-on, three quarter-off (1.0 twists total)

Watch it on YouTube. (Right hand on the horse first, left twist on the salto.)

In addition, she trained Tsuk double full. Seriously.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Almost nobody does the more difficult version of Tsuk twisting. René Cournoyer from Canada is one.

If still confused on Kasamatsu, click over to Uncle Tim’s post – What the H is a Kasamatsu?

Jay Thompson – Shewfelt

Stuck.

Click PLAY or watch it on Instagram.

Prime Minister of India is a DIPA fan

#famous 🇮🇳

Japanese Men to Worlds

MAGnastics posted a great write-up speculating on the strategy for Doha. China is looking super strong. How can Japan compete?

Taking a Look at Japan’s 2018 Worlds Team

Kohei Uchimura
Kenzo Shirai
Yusuke Tanaka
Wataru Tanigawa
Kazuma Kaya

The younger brother, Kakeru Tanigawa, would seem to be the likely alternate having scored 14+ on every apparatus at some point this year.

Predicted Team Final lineup:

Floor: Kohei, Wataru, Kenzo

Pommel Horse: Wataru, Kohei, Kazuma

Rings: Kohei, Wataru, Kazuma

Vault: Kohei, Wataru, Kenzo

Pbars: Kazuma, Wataru, Yusuke

High Bar: Kenzo, Yusuke, Kohei

Click PLAY or watch Wataru Tanigawa’s Vault on Twitter.

best Amanars

1. McKayla Maroney
2. Simone Biles
3. Monica Rosu
4. Cheng Fei
5. Elizabeth Price
6. Hong Un Jong

Balance Beam Situation – AMANAR RANKINGS

Click through to see the top 32 all time.

While McKayla Maroney has done the best woman Shewfelt 😀competed, I’ve always used Cheng Fei as the model of an ideal Amanar.