Miss Sofia 2014

Larisa Iordache from Romania …

Challengers for the title were also Vanessa Ferrari (ITA), Guilia Steingruber (SUI), Claire Martin (FRA), Aliya Mustafina (RUS), Catherine Lyons (GBR). …

sofiagymnastics2014.com

Larisa might win the World Championships this year. It’s possible. Especially if she upgrades to Amanar.

But she’s hardly a candidate for the Elegance Prize.

Click PLAY or watch her Beam in prelims on YouTube.

Her feet are not great. Her lines are not great. But in this current goofy code her routine scored 8.766 out of a (normal) maximum of 8.900.

6.4 + 8.766 = 15.166

Judges in 2014 reward start scores over all else. To win you need a high start score on all 4 apparatus.

Increasingly you need a body type closer to Shawn Johnson than to Nastia Liukin.

Larisa has a winning balance of power for tumbling & vault, yet can still do good Beam, reasonable Bars.

tumbles like Mary Lou

McKenna Kelley can tumble like her Mom, the 1984 Olympic All-Around Champion.

Click PLAY or watch tumbling training on YouTube.

How did it feel to win the Nastia Liukin Cup?

Just qualifying to the Nastia Cup was enough for me. I had no intentions of even placing!! I came in wanting to hit 4 for 4. After beam, and I saw my score, I knew I had a shot!! Little did I know I would soon be crowned co-champion!! Winning the Nastia Cup is still so surreal. …


10 minutes with: McKenna Kelley

Click PLAY or watch her Floor on YouTube.

She’s planning to compete for LSU.

via GymFever

Men at European Championships

The guys got to Sofia, Bulgari in time to celebrate the end of the women’s competition. Their competition is coming up next.

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Europeans Gold medal routines

Full Twist has been compiling videos of the finalists.

Click PLAY or watch Steingruber’s Vaults on YouTube. Yurchenko 1/1 for second vault.

Click PLAY or watch Becky Downie’s CRAZY Bars on YouTube.

Click PLAY or watch Maria Kharenkova’s Beam on YouTube.

___

Break the tie 🙂 between Vanessa Ferrari and Larisa Iordache. FX was the best apparatus.

Click PLAY or watch the Ferrari on YouTube.

Click PLAY or watch Larisa’s Floor on YouTube.

Sr European Apparatus Finals

VAULT
Guilia Steingruber (SWI) 14.666
Anna Pavlova (AZE) 14.583
Iordache (ROU) 14.533

BARS
Becky Downie (GBR) 15.500
Aliya Mustafina (RUS) 15.266
Spiridonova (RUS) 14.966

Post by Sports2Visuals.

BEAM
Maria Kharenkova (RUS) 14.933
Iordache (ROU) 14.800
Aliya Mustafina (RUS) 14.733

FLOOR
Vanessa Ferrari (ITA) 14.800
Larisa Iordache (ROU) 14.800
Giulia Steingruber (SWI) 14.500

Amanda Turner posted full results on IG:

Romania’s Larisa Iordache was the most successful gymnast with the bronze on vault, the silver on balance beam and a share of the gold on floor exercise. …

Competition resumes in Sofia with the 2014 Men’s European Championships, which begins Wednesday.

Five Nations Golden As Europeans End

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Jr European Apparatus Finals

Jr VAULT FINAL
1. Ellie Downie GBR
2. Laura Jurca ROU
3. Amy Tinkler GBR

Jr BARS FINAL
1. Daria Skrypnik RUS 6.3 8.533 14.833
2. Angelina Melnikova RUS 6.1 8.666 14.766
3. Maike Enderle GER 6.1 8.400 14.500

Jr BEAM FINAL
1. Angelina Melnikova RUS 6.1 8.475 14.575
2. Andreea Iridon ROU 5.8 8.633 14.433
3. Tabea Alt GER 5.7 8.500 14.200

Jr FLOOR EXERCISE
1. Catherine Lyons GBR 5.2 8.833 14.033
2. Amy Tinkler GBR 5.4 8.566 13.966
2. Andreea Iridon ROU 5.3 8.666 13.966

Click PLAY or watch Catherine’s FX on YouTube.

IG – Amanda Turner has full results:

Melnikova, the all-around champion, is too young to compete at this summer’s Youth Olympic Games, lamented Russian coach Valentina Rodionenko. Female gymnasts must be born in 1999 to attend the Youth Olympics in Nanjing, while Melnikova was born in 2000.

Britain, Russia Divide Junior European Titles