the Jurkowska-Kowalska on Beam

Gainer with double twist off the end. #cool

Click PLAY or watch it on Instagram.

via GymCastic

Mai Murakami – Bars

The worlds silver medalist AA is legit top 3 contender on 3 apparatus. But she needs to improve Bars before Tokyo. Though HIT … these releases lack amplitude and are all caught a little close.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I joked she should go train with Laurent for a while. 😀

WHAT HAPPENED in the AA?

JUST THE GOOD STUFF: WOMEN’S ALL-AROUND FINAL

Click PLAY or watch Simone’s fall on the first apparatus.

Simone wins Worlds with 2 falls

That’s the big story.

Any of the next 6 could have ended up on the podium. It was a thriller.

1. Simone Biles USA 57.491🥇
2. Mai Murakami JPN 55.798 🥈
3. Morgan Hurd USA 55.732 🥉
4. Nina Derwael BEL 55.699
5. Angelina Melnikova RUS 55.698
6. Melanie De Jesus Dos Santos 55.599
7. Chen Yile CHN 54.632

full results 

Angelina and Artur Dalaloyan awarded the Longines Prize for Elegance. Good call. I would have been happy to see Nina Derwael awarded too.

watch the Men’s AA recap

Though Xiao Ruoteng and Dalaloyan ended up tied, I’ve yet to hear even one slow motion video judge conclude that the final AA ranking should have been different.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Women’s AA on YouTube

You might need a VPN to watch.

Men’s World Championships AA recap

Dalaloyan ends Russian drought with World All-around title in Doha 

If you missed the dramatic men’s AA final yesterday, Spencer has got you covered:

JUST THE GOOD STUFF: MEN’S ALL-AROUND FINAL

It could have been a splatfest (especially given the cast of characters and their histories), and it wasn’t. Mostly.

Finals are often a letdown. It’s difficult to repeat the performance that got you there. Especially in a meet as long as Worlds. Mikulak will compete 22 routines, for example.

related – Dalaloyan Takes All-Around Gold in a Tie Breaker

You MIGHT be able to watch the Men’s All Around Final on YouTube. (3hrs)

Nikita kisses Artur’s GOLD

1. Dalaloyan (RUS) 87.598 ***
2. Xiao (CHN) 87.598 ***
3. Nagornyy (RUS) 86.331

Nagornyy told R-Sport that he wanted to win the gold but he is happy with Artur Dalaloyan taking it:

“My most important goal for today was gold in the all-around. It was won by Artur and not by me but we have the gold! ….

Of course, I wanted to prove that we can win. Artur has proved it, I got the third place. Two Russians on the all-around medal podium – I think this hasn’t yet happened before. And I am really proud of what we’ve done today”. …

Andrei Rodionenko said to the media that the Russian MAG team is finally restoring the winners mentality that they used to have during the Soviet times …

gymnovosti

Nagornyy thought hard when asked to whom he dedicated his medal, looking down at the bronze for some time before deciding.

“If I had won the gold, I would have dedicated it to my whole team,” he said. “Instead, I dedicate it to my first coach, Olga Ivanovna Nechepurenko.”

The medals for Dalaloyan and Nagornyy are the first for the Russian men in the All-around since the late Yuri Ryazanov won bronze in 2009 in London (GBR).

FIG

Xiao Ruoteng gracious on tie break

Thanks everyone for all the support and help. I can feel the positive energy you gave to me.

… I did a great job today. I am very satisfied with my performance. The silver medal is also good considering last year I already took the gold. It’s always not bad to end second ….

I respect the judges’ decisions and I also respect other competitors. They also did great today. …

translated on Facebook


more photos

Tom Forster – day after the team win

… day after the team’s big win and everyone needed the morning off.

The girls slept in and spent time hanging out at the pool. But the like true professionals they are they went to workout this evening to get on bars and beam.

… Team USA was on the job and rocked a great, but short workout. Morgan and Simone hit two great routines on bars and beam then got to watch the conclusion of the men’s team. …

The coaches have been very helpful to me and Anne Duncan Heffernon. Anne is also new to her role as VP of Women’s Program. She’s my boss and assists with anything the girls and coaches need. She has been a tremendous support and encourager of the new culture we are establishing. …

… High Performance Team Coordinator. Some people think this role picks and coaches the Olympic team. That is not true. The Coordinator does very little coaching and sometimes none at all. The athletes’ personal coaches are responsible for coaching their athletes and that is how it should be. …

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