Category: Uncategorized

… Aliya says that in beam qualifying she was much worse than in the (AA) final, and yet the score was about the same; she doesn’t know how to understand it. But she doesn’t like to question the judges …

I’d like to question the judges.

Why did you overscore Aliya in prelims?

That’s from a very interesting Rewriting Russian Gymnastics post – Aliya Mustafina, a bronze medal, and Alexander Alexandrov – a review of the Russian press

photo – Heather Maynez for Examiner.com

In ice skating, it’s considered good technique.

Lizzy sends a link of some flying trapeze training.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

She crosses her legs in an attempt to increase speed of spin.

AND — more importantly — scissors on release to generate twist. (equal, opposite, concurrent reaction force … according to Newton)

She doesn’t consider “stacking the legs” a form break. Or bad technique.

Landing is a non-issue. Happily trapeze acrobats don’t have to “untilt” the twist, then STICK a landing on a hard surface.

Bare handed.

Click PLAY or watch HH on YouTube.

Click PLAY or watch Kyla on YouTube.

… and some IDIOTS 🙂 said there was no way Kyla could medal. Difficulty too low. Execution deductions too conspicuous.

Click PLAY or watch Aliya Mustafina on YouTube.

Despite the errors, that’s my favourite of the 3 routines. Aliya also lost connection compared with prelims by not immediately connecting Pak to Shaposh variation. She added a Stalder on low.

Gold–Huang CHN–15.400
Silver–Ross USA–15.266
Bronze Mustafina RUS–15.033

Yao Jinan fell on Mo salto. She would have won without using the Mo.

No mo Mo, please.

GOLD: Kohei Kameyama, JPN
SILVER: Max Whitlock, GBR
SILVER: Daniel Corral, MEX

Fantastic.

Click PLAY or watch Kohei Kameyama on YouTube. A specialist, not likely to be back on the Team this quad.

Click PLAY or watch Max on YouTube.

Click PLAY or watch Daniel Corral Barron on YouTube.

First Worlds medal ever for MEXICO!

Tony Pineda will be proud.

Click PLAY or watch Alberto Busnari on YouTube.

This kind of routine is the FUTURE of Pommel Horse. … But FIG should not allow this many handstands combos.

Fantastic medalists … after a scary Final.

Click PLAY or watch McKayla on YouTube.

Click PLAY or watch Simone on YouTube. RIGHT down the MIDDLE.

Click PLAY or watch Hong Un Jong on YouTube.

Congratulations to North Korea. It’s good to have you back.

Kenzo Shirai (JPN) FX 2013 Worlds EF

16.000 (7.4, 8.600)

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

NOW … When FIG “fixes” the rules to disallow so much use of one kind of skill, Kenzo will STILL win. 🙂

1. Kenzo
2. Jake Dalton (VIDEO)
3. Kohei Uchimra (VIDEO)

I would have had Kohei ahead of Jake.

FIG Execution judging is in 2013 as bad as ever.

Judges “box” the scores: the best are too low, the worst too high.

Judges are afraid (except on Vault) to award high E scores. The 9.8s of the past would be 8.8 or less in 2013.

Famous gymnasts and those from top nations tend to be over-scored. (Not always, as we saw with Kyla Ross in prelims, but more often than not.)

One way to separate the best from the rest would be to deduct more severely crossed legs on twisting.

It’s easy to see this error. Deducting more would dissuade gymnasts from trying to add one more half twist — at the risk of landing injuries.

About.com Gymnastics – Good Form: Twisting on Vault

Moors 2

Victoria killed it. 🙂 Finished 10th in the AA Finals.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Congratulations. Folks back home are SO proud of how well the Canadian girls are competing.

After a couple of hours sleep I’m off to a meeting held in conjunction with the World Championships. I’ll be trying to watch the next 2 days of Apparatus Finals online.

Congratulations to the organizing committee. To the superb FIG, USAG and British media contingents. To the hard working and long suffering bloggers who, like me, paid all their own costs. Labour of love. 🙂

The women’s AA Final was great. But the guys Final was even more exciting.

Click PLAY or watch HIGHLIGHTS on YouTube.

That’s the first time I saw Kohei holding up 4 fingers. 🙂