tumbling, tramp, diving, acrobatics, circus, cheer, dance, martial arts, X sports … and more
As Grandi said in broken English today, this was a fantastic World Championships, more like the Olympics than a Worlds. The organizing committee should be very proud.
It’s almost certainly the best World Championships ever. A lifetime memory for all the gymnasts, coaches and judges. 🙂
#FIGWorlds2014ART
1. ZONDERLAND Epke 7.700 – 16.225
2. UCHIMURA Kohei 8.525 – 15.725
3. MOZNIK Marijo 6.700 – 15.000
Weakest apparatus final at Worlds.
Especially after former World Champion ZHANG Chenglong ripped a grip mid-routine. He was allowed to get a new grip and continue when ready, a new rule I’m told.
It was his best routine of the 3 competitions up until that point. 😦
All hail Epke.
#FIGWorlds2014ART
A fantastic final. Respect for these ladies. They showed comparatively harder tumbling than the Men.
1. BILES Simone
2. IORDACHE Larisa Andreea
3. MUSTAFINA Aliya
4. SKINNER Mykayla
5. FERRARI Vanessa
6. MILLER Larrissa
7. FASANA Erika
8. FRAGAPANE Claudia
Claudia is my favourite routine of the group. Unfortunately she had a very strange fall on full twisting double layout mount.
Simone and Larisa were clearly Gold and Silver. The Bronze will be much debated.
#FIGWorlds2014ART
1. Verniaiev (UKR) 16.125
2. Leyva (USA) 15.933
3. Kato (JPN) 15.666
Great podium. Three super impressive routines in a super competitive final.
🙂
#FIGWorlds2014ART
1. BILES Simone USA 15.100
2. BAI Yawen 15.033 CHN (from Nanning)
3. MUSTAFINA Aliya RUS14.166 (-0.5 EGR)
4. TERAMOTO Asuka JPN 14.100
The audience was shocked that Teramoto with a hit routine scores lower than Mustafina missing an Element Group Requirement – Acro series.
I booed. The score may be correct, but it seems wrong. Like winning with a fall.
#FIGWorlds2014ART
GOLD: Ri (PRK) 15.416
SILVER: Radivilov (UKR) 15.333
BRONZE: Dalton (USA) 15.199
The survivors of a supremely tough Final.
Ri was actually super happy, though he could only hop/limp off the podium. This guy is legitimately injured. And has had bad ankles for most of his career.
That’s 2 Gold medals on Vault for North Korea.
I’m happy to see Jake Dalton with the Bronze. He’s one of the cleanest gymnasts here and is not enough rewarded for his superb form and line. Especially after the FX Final.
SHEK Wai Hung, who won the event at Asian Games, finished 6th.
9th all-around at Worlds 2014, Ellie Black has one more Final.
Balance Beam.
That photo is from Nadia’s post on Couch Gymnast – In Pictures: the All Around Final
The defending World Bars Champion competed first.
Click PLAY or watch Huang on YouTube.
Click PLAY or watch Yao on YouTube.
1 Yao Jinnan CHN 6.9 + 8.733 = 15.633
2 Huang Huidan CHN 6.8 + 8.766 = 15.566
Tough call. But I prefer Huang’s routine. Though you can’t see it from that angle, Yao’s dismount is a weak double layout that wouldn’t be credited in some competitions. Huang’s is very original.
In 2014, however, the Difficulty score usually decides close decisions.
Lauren of the Gymternet noticed that Yao was not wearing her competition number.
Catherine – Beautiful Gymnastics – EF Day 1: Vault and Bars:
… This was addressed after the competition in which it was stated that it fell off right before, and that it was presented to the judges and accepted. …
Update from Lauren:
Huang Huidan and Yao Jinnan were interviewed by CCTV as soon as they got off the podium after finishing their uneven bar final routines. …
When mentioned that she started crying after her routine, she explained that she was moved and it was adrenaline when the tears first came down. However, when she moved from first to second, she was sad because she felt “???” — it’s a tricky thing to translate. In short, it’s that feeling when you tried your best and did really well but fell just a little short and you can’t reconcile with it.
Yao was next, and when asked, she said she wasn’t “comfortable” with her win. She said, “Dandan performed better than me, so when I saw her cry…I don’t know.” …
The biggest story from World Championships 2014 is a bee chasing Simone Biles. 🙂
related – Chicago Tribune version of the same story
(via Korbut Flip)
KOM OP EPKE!
Olympic Horizontal Bar Champion Epke Zonderland is the favourite, I’d say, in the Final today.
Click PLAY or meet some of his fans on YouTube.
ZHANG Chenglong is one of his strongest challengers.
Click PLAY or watch this split screen edit on YouTube.
Finalists may well change their routines to raise start scores closer to Epke. It’s going to be interesting. 🙂
related – a playful, artistic VIDEO of Epke training
Gymnastics Coaching.com 