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It was the Sam Mikulak show tonight in Hartford.

1. Mikulak–91.65
2. Dalton–88.70
3. Naddour–87.90
4. Dixon–87.45
5. Legendre–87.10
6. Leyva–86.90
7. Wynn–86.70
8. Orozco–86.65

Overall, a strong meet. Fewer falls than I expected. Vault was very impressive. Floor too. How many Tamayos did we see? Many! I would have given Dalton credit this time around.

Many questioned whether John Orozco should be back trying the all-around so soon after his knee surgery. He showed flashes of the old brilliance, but overall it looked like he should have stayed training.

Danell did not look like the 2012 Olympic Bronze medalist. The Olympic Silver medalist has announced he’ll not compete Worlds 2013, instead going back to the gym to prepare. Perhaps Danell should do the same.

This routine was hairy. But somehow Sam finds a way to HIT. It’s a pleasure to watch him compete.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Sam’s the only LOCK for Worlds 2013, so far.

Here’s the official USAG write-up with links to results, photos and videos – Mikulak leads men’s competition after first day at 2013 P&G Gymnastics Championships

Junior Elite 17-18 division:

Jacob Dastrup 84.450
Dmitri Belanovski 81.800
Andrew Rickly 81.250

Junior Elite 15-16 division:

Marvin Kimble 84.800
Yul Moldauer 83.350
Quest Hayden 82.100

USAG:

Marvin Kimble of Milwaukee, Wis./Swiss Turners and Jacob Dastrup of Lindon, Utah/USOTC lead the men’s Junior Elite 15-16 and 17-18 age divisions, respectively, after the first of two days of competition …

Kimble, Dastrup lead junior divisions at 2013 P&G Gymnastics Championships

Full results and video via that link.

🙂

(via Avant Coeur)

HUGE.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

(via GymCastic)

Kyla is likely the #1 AA for Worlds in the mind of Marta Karolyi.

She loves consistency.

Bars is good. But I still can’t see this routine contending for a medal in Antwerp.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Belgium’s top MAG Olympian ever talks about that experience. And how he’s prepping for Worlds in Antwerp.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Chris Korotky:

Poised, Polished and Performed – McKayla Maroney’s Floor Exercise set drew some of the loudest applause of the day from the crowd in Hartford, and it was well deserved.

With great variety in her tumbling passes (double layout, 2 1/2 to front full; Arabian double) and creative choreography, Maroney’s set was well-composed and well-suited to her strengths. Even more impressive than the skills and choreography, however, was the way she performed the set. …

read more on Inside Gymnastics

Click PLAY or watch McKayla’s FX on YouTube. (14.85)

In that post Chris talks of Artistry. Difficult to define … but you know it when you see it. 🙂

So much maturity at such a young age.

Click PLAY or watch Norah Flatley on YouTube. (15.350)

Click PLAY or watch Veronica Hults on YouTube. (14.750)

I don’t much like 2 ½ twist dismounts, though. 😦

Men’s Gymnastics in 2013 is astoundingly difficult. To qualify to a Final at Worlds in Belgium will require a super high start score and great execution.

Who will the USA send?

Matthew Rusk in his Preview of 2013 Men’s U.S. Gymnastics Championships – Part 2:

AA Medal Predictions:

Gold: Sam Mikulak
Silver: Danell Leyva
Bronze: Jake Dalton

World team predictions (with events competed by each member in prelims):

Jake Dalton (FX, VT, PB)
Danell Leyva (AA)
Sam Mikulak (AA)
Alex Naddour (PH)
Paul Ruggeri (HB)
Brandon Wynn (SR)

Best medal chances for team USA at Worlds are in the AA and on H Bar.

Yelena Isinbayeva … is a two-time Olympic gold medalist (2004 and 2008), a three-time World Champion (2005, 2007 and 2013) and the current world record holder in the event. As a result of her accomplishments, she is widely regarded as the greatest female pole-vaulter of all time. …

Born to a Tabasaran father and a Russian mother in Volgograd, Isinbayeva trained as a gymnast from the age of 5 to 15. She ultimately left the sport because as she grew she was considered too tall to be competitive in gymnastics, ultimately attaining a height of 1.74 metres (5 ft 8.5 in). …

IAAF World Championships Moscow 2013 Russia AUG 2013

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

“I’m not talking about retirement. As of now I’m just going to take a break! I’ll miss 2014. Hopefully, I will be busy with pregnancy. I really want to have a baby! And then I’ll try to come back. If all goes well, I will still compete for gold in Rio 2016,” Isinbayeva told ‘Ves’ Sport’ periodical.

End of career? Pole vault queen Isinbaeva takes gold, grabbing third world champion title (PHOTOS)

related – Russian pole vault great Isinbayeva condemns homosexuality at track worlds

UPDATE:

She later backed off that statement:

… “What I wanted to say was that people should respect the laws of other countries particularly when they are guests,” Isinbayeva added. “But let me make it clear: I respect the views of my fellow athletes and let me state in the strongest terms that I am opposed to any discrimination against gay people on the grounds of their sexuality …

Isinbayeva “Misunderstood”