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In Canada, our Olympic Trampoline Champion and many others are pushing a campaign called Yellowcard.

Of the 60+ nations I’ve traveled, Canada is least racist. The most ethical. Sport is the best way to educate youth, not school.

#FIGWorlds2014ART podium training

China is much closer to USA than I would have expected.

Bars was a shocker. Any of the 5 girls could qualify to the Bar Final. Second in the line-up, Tan Jiaxin, dismounts double double layout!

They are the dominant Bars nation making the “compulsory” routine done by the best of the rest look (somehow) easy.

Beam was excellent too. China is always beautiful on Beam, but did make mistakes. They could fall. It’s possible. Without a fall I predict they finish ahead of ROM, USA, ITA …

After all that excitement, Team China moved to Floor. Not good. Shang warmed up 3 ½ after her routine. Other than that, most of the tumbling was average or weak. The Floor is hard, not helping girls who weigh 45-65 pounds.

Despite lacking power, the Chinese girls run slowly into their Tumbling. 😦

USA should finish a fair bit ahead of China on FX.

We expected the same story on Vault. But – surprisingly – China has 4 DTYs. One very weak. One quite strong.

Many expected that the Chinese girls would be tired and sore having just come from Asian Games, but so far they are getting through.

Bottom line. If USA has a fall in 3-up, 3-count Team Final, it could be very close.

Check Nadia Boyce’s photos.

The Olympic Champion from Beijing has arrived. As if on cue, as she stepped into the arena this morning, the organizing committee played the American National Anthem. A rehearsal. 🙂

#FIGWorlds2014ART

Another potential Worlds Silver medal. McKayla’s Cheng has never looked better.

In high speed from a much better angle, we couldn’t see any under twist on the half. Nor any unequal weight on the hands.

Click PLAY or watch it from the Judge’s perspective on YouTube.

Her DTY was very clean too. (VIDEO)

Update: A coach showed me another angle in slow motion. Her hand touches, fairly square, but she does not put much weight the hand before pulling into the twist.

Steingruber‘s DTY was a mess in podium. Thi Ha Thanh Phan should be in the Vault final. Roxana Popa did not show an Amanar. Ellie Black could Final, but her Rudi wasn’t great today.

Dipa from India would have scored zero on her Handspring Double Front today. I don’t think Fadwa did one in podium training.

There are plenty more vaulters coming up tomorrow, of course. Hong Un-jong goes first thing in the morning. She will most likely end up on the Vault podium.

UPDATE from day 2 podium: Hong Un-jong PRK landed 3/6 Amanar attempts. Very clean in the air.

She only had time for 1 warm-up of her second vault. Fall.

Grace Chiu.

Inside Gymnastics – WOMEN’S PODIUM TRAINING; USA, RUS, CAN +!

Christopher Korotky interviewing Kyla:

“I’m kind of held together by tape right now,” Ross joked after podium training.

“The last few days at the ranch (the U.S. National Team Training Center), I think I kind of overstretched it doing a few leaps. …”

Inside Gymnastics – ROSS READY, DESPITE SETBACK

Kyla Ross is a soldier. Marta, and everyone else watching, believe she’ll be doing the AA come prelims.

See more FIG photos on Facebook.

#FIGWorlds2014ART podium

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I expect to see 2 Chinese and 2 Russian gymnasts in the Bars Final.

A few snippets from podium training.

Team Japan will win Floor as a team … while competing only one double somersault. (Uchimura is competing double double.)

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I expect FIG MTC to change the Code next cycle. This is overuse of one kind of skill taken to the extreme.

It’s not good for the knees, either.

#FIGWorlds2014ART podium

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Gold medals Vault, FX and Team are near guaranteed. All-around too, actually.

Watch it in SLOW MOTION.

#FIGWorlds2014ART podium

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Possible silver medal at Worlds 2014. But she has some built in deductions.