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… starting in just a few minutes. #FIGTest12 🙂

The top 4 teams of 8 qualify to London.

I’ll be cheering my homeland, Canada, in the first flight.

Avril Enslow has more photos from Beam podium posted on Facebook.

And — as I’m sitting with Netherland’s @GymPOWER1 bloggers, the Dutch girls, as well.

They just played David Bowie’s Heroes (video) in the arena. I was struck how appropriate that song is for the BIG GAME:

♪ … just for one day
We can be Heroes, for ever and ever
What d’you say? … ♪

The men were amazingly tough under pressure yesterday. GRB and SPAIN had virtually perfect meets. Whom of these young women can do the same today?

The prospect of competing at a record sixth successive Olympics is not the only thing spurring Jordan Jovtchev to battle through the pain barrier this week. If the 38-year-old Bulgarian dynamo books his ticket to the London Games in July, it will also ensure the survival of his federation. …

Universal – INTERVIEW: Bulgarian federation’s future rests on Jovtchev’s shoulders

The old man looks great.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The FIG Executive Committee has unanimously decided to allow one additional place for Trampoline Women, Rhythmic Gymnastics Individual and Rhythmic Gymnastics Group to participate at the 2nd Olympic qualification held in London these days.

The reason for this decision is …

read on FIG – FIG Executive Committee unanimously allows additional places for 2nd Olympic Qualification

President Bruno Grandi (ITA) said: “I am happy that we were able to correct this situation and allow for additional countries to participate in the spirit of fairness in sport.”

OK — maybe there are good reasons to break your selection criteria, maybe not.

But if an organization breaks one rule — midstream — in their selection process, why not break more?

Another example is the case of Berki. FIG has confirmed that he has qualified to the London Olympics based on performance in Tokyo. Everyone who’s read the rules disagrees.

Berki should qualify to the Olympics — he’s World Champion — but didn’t based on the unnecessarily complex selection process.

Grandi keeps talking about simplifying rules, making them more transparent, yet the exact opposite seems to keep happening.

… another issue: Should FIG Executive be over-ruling Technical Committees?

Seems to me that the elected President and Executive have most of the power in FIG. The TCs and FIG Staff, very little.

The finalist list is here. (PDF)

Nice to see Ireland’s Kieran Behan in there on Floor.

Ken Ikeda is sitting 3rd on P Bars. Watch for his HUGE double pike dismount. He stuck that monster in prelims.

Thanks GraceClick.ca (as usual) for all the terrific Facebook pics.

#FIGTest12

Great Britain was fantastic. But they really should have done this in Tokyo where I had predicted a 3rd place team rank. 🙂

Spain are the BIG winners today. Congratulations.

Olympics team qualified:
1.GBR 358.227
2.FRA 350.659
3.ESP 347.292
4.ITA 346.334

5.CAN 345.892
6.BRA 345.152
7.PUR 340.092
8.BLR 335.824

Italy surprised a lot of people too. And of all 8 teams I felt Brazil had the gutsiest performance.

Canada must go back to the drawing board. The team strategy of going “clean” on comparatively less difficult routines did not work in Tokyo or London. 😦

No disrespect to the Canadian gymnasts or coaches. I love this program. But it wasn’t enough in 2011. Men’s Gymnastics is unbelievably competitive worldwide.

Great Britain is great on every apparatus, but Pommels may be the best of all.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

15.400 (Difficulty : 6.50, Execution : 8.900)

Louis Smith is the poster boy. He’s everywhere in this town. Gymnast / bad boy — a very compelling image.

That’s got to be frustrating to his GBR teammates that need to carry the AA scores qualifying the team to Olympics. Louis’ pretty much got only one apparatus.

The last of 3 flights of MAG prelims is just beginning …

The host will qualify. The bigger question is whether Spain and Puerto Rico will finish top 4 teams.

It’s a loud and raucous house. Announcers are encouraging the audience to bring the noise.

Yeesh.

This is distressful.

Brazil had a fantastic meet but still didn’t beat Canada when you added the numbers up.

France 350.659
Italy 346.334
Canada 345.892
Brazil 345.152
Belarus 335.824

Three teams left to compete including favourite GBR. Top 4 qualify for Olympics. Puerto Rico and Spain are both strong, too.

Respect. #FIGTest12

Though Brazil lost their biggest name — Diego Hypolito — to injury, they’ve fought passionately to qualify as a team.

Click PLAY or watch the Worlds 2011 Silver medalist on YouTube.

… just as I published Arthur sat down a tumbling line. Then over-rotated dismount out-of-bounds. They do miss Diego on Floor.

FIG did not promise LIVE video until Finals. But they did hint that it was possible.

Here’s the clarification via @officialFIG:

ART and TRA #FIGTest12 FINALS only will be live on youtube.com/figchannel on January 12 and 13 – no qualifications!

The near immediate posting of routines on this YouTube playlist was pretty cool, though. And much appreciated.

Click PLAY or watch Cyril TOMMASONE (FRA) Pommels on YouTube.