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At the half way point.

1 China 139.964
2 JPN 137.955
3 GBR 137.180

4 UKR 136.796
5 RUS 133.739
6 FRA 132.678
7 GER 132.322
8. USA 131.156

Goes to show that ANYTHING can happen in Men’s Gymnastics.

USA qualified 1st in prelims.

by site editor Rick McCharles

This summer I’m traveling Camp to Camp. With some coaching workshops along the way.

My favourite is Dave Adlard’s High Performance Training Camp, hosted by Inland Empire Gymnastics Association in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. It has the strongest coaching staff.

For 2012 I proposed a new outdoor rotation. Dave had some reservations, but went ahead and rented a giant wedding tent, trusting me.

He disparagingly referred to the station as “Rick’s Resort”, assuming we’d have a ton of fun, but not get all that much “real” gymnastics accomplished. 🙂

Not so. We did a good deal of quality Beam work on both Power Launch and Pro, including dismount prep.

The portable equipment, including two free standing Bars, was sponsored by Tumbl Trak.

I had multiple Floor Bar stations working towards Blind and Giant 1/1 progressions.

The highlight was using Tumbl Trak’s new Fitness Wheels on edge. We did a little Parkour cross training.

Fun and Fitness Wheels. Check this VIDEO to see how those work.

More Rick’s Resort photos …

More HPTC 2012 photos.

16.133 (qualified in 1st place)

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Wow. Toughest routine in the world.

Watching Bars. 🙂

Click PLAY or watch them on YouTube.

Time – Heartache at Gymnastics: US’s Jordyn Wieber Misses Qualifying for All-Around Final

I cried.

Couch Gymnast:

… The shock elimination of Jordyn Wieber last night in the all-around competition has brought the two-per-country rule under fire from the media and the fans.

The rule, one that used to actually be a three-per-country rule before 2004, states that no more than two gymnasts from any nation can qualify to a final, no matter how high they qualify. …

Talking About the Two Per-Country Rule

Click through and you’ll find almost EVERYONE against the rule.

It does look terrible that the 4th AA gymnast in prelims is not allowed to contend for an AA medal.

But USA knew that one of their 3 AA gymnasts would be eliminated. It could just as easily have been one of the other two.

Aly’s Bars were … better. And she did a great job to earn the AA. Despite what Bela spouted, I’d have put Aly up last on both Beam and Floor.

I understand the logic behind both the 5-4-3 and 2 nation finals rules. They make the result less predictable. More interesting. More exciting.

In a sport where 4 nations win almost everything. We need that.

In Men’s gymnastics, for comparison, it’s far less necessary. You could drop it or keep it there. It wouldn’t make much difference.

Romania seemed to be peaking for London. Yet ended up 4th in prelims.

Bea Gheorghisor :

… things that saddened me the most about Romania’s performance. I was surprised to see that there were only three events that shifted the way in which I perceived the general outcome of the qualifications, and those were in chronological order:

1 – Catalina Ponor’s floor mishap (on her third pass she replaced the triple twist with a tuck full);

2 – Larisa Iordache’s fall on floor (she fell on her third pass as well, the triple twist after fantastic landings on the double-double and the full in);

3 – The fact that both Iordache and Ponor underperformed on beam: 14.80 (6.4) and 15.066(6.4) respectively for two pretty wobbly routines.

… Never underestimate Sandra Izbasa (anywhere)

… Diana Bulimar should have been included in the floor line-up

… Never rule out Catalina Ponor (Beam)

… Bellu and Bitang were right to doubt that Larisa will be able to compete on all events in qualifications …

read more on Couch Gymnast

That’s a must read. Bea is my favourite commentator on Team Romania.

Grace Chiu’s photo was linked by Larisa Iordache – fan site (Romanian)

Romania was OVER-SCORED on those two missed Floor routines. Judging is simply awful in 2012. 😦

Iordache could easily win the AA, I’m thinking. If her heel holds up.

Romania and USA are the best conditioned for the long competition that is the Olympics. China and Russia more likely to fade.

RACHEL BRADY on the Globe and Mail:

… I have been stunned by the number of open seats at many of the events I have covered. I couldn’t believe there was a single open seat at the artistic gymnastics qualifiers for men or women, let alone big pockets of seats. And suddenly, I have noticed large groups of soldiers sitting in the seats, which seems to jive with reports that they have been assigned to go fill them. …

Getting to chat with Canada’s five teenaged artistic gymnasts has been one of the highlights of my week so far. I’m not sure there is a group of athletes who are more excited and appreciative to be in London than these girls. …

… Dominique Pegg joked with me that she wished Justin Beiber would show up at the Games. Fast-forward to Sunday, and after a terrific result for the team, Pegg got a Tweet of congratulations from the Canadian pop star. …

Canadian gymnasts’ ebullience overshadows scores of empty seats at North Greenwich arena

This is the first team final for Canada at a non-boycotted Olympics.

Grace Chiu GraceClick on Facebook:

More history made for Canada’s gymnasts: Brittany Rogers and Ellie Black both in vault finals!

Dominique Pegg made the AA Final. Kristina Vaculik, surprisingly, had falls.

TEAM:
1. USA-181.863
2. RUS-180.429
3. CHI-176.637
4. ROM-176.264
5. GBR-170.656
6. JPN-170.196
7. ITA-168.397
8. CAN-167.696 … 1st Team Final ever

ALL AROUND:
1. Viktoria Komova (RUS)- 60.632
2. Aly Raisman (USA)- 60.391
3. Gabby Douglas (USA)- 60.265
… Jordyn Wieber
4. Aliya Mustafina (RUS)- 59.966
5. Deng Linlin (CHN)- 57.998
6. Vanessa Ferrari (ITA)- 57.932
7. Asuka Teramoto (JPN)- 57.865
8. Larisa Iordache (ROM)- 57.800
9. Huang Qiushuang (CHN)- 57.707
10. Sandra Izbasa (ROM)- 57.532

VAULT:
1. McKayla Maroney (USA)- 15.8
2. Sandra Izbasa (ROM)- 15.316
3. Maria Paseka (RUS)- 15.049

4. Oksana Chusovitina (GER)- 14.808
5. Yamilet Peña (DOM)- 14.699

BARS:
1. Beth Tweddle (GBR)- 16.133
2. He Kexin (CHN)- 15.966
3. Viktoria Komova (RUS)- 15.833

BEAM:
1. Sui Lu (CHN)- 15.4
2. Viktoria Komova (RUS)- 15.266
3. Gabby Douglas (USA)- 15.266

FLOOR:
1. Aly Raisman (USA)- 15.325
2. Sandra Izbasa (ROM)- 15.066
3. Vanessa Ferrari (ITA)- 14.9

See the list of all qualifiers on Gymnastike.

Romania still to compete. Iordache scheduled to do the AA, despite foot pain.

1. USA–181.863
2. Russia–180.429
3. China–176.637

GymExaminer:
… guaranteed to advance to team finals: USA, RUS, CHN, GBR, ITA, CAN.

AAinsworthNBC:

1. Komova 2. Raisman 3. Douglas 4.*Wieber* 5. Mustafina – yet Wieber will not be in all-around finals…

Jordyn is 3rd American. Will not go through. 😦

THIS will ignite those who hate the maximum 2 / nation rule.

USA 1st: 180.271, GBR 2nd: 170.656, ITALY 3rd: 168.397, CANADA 4th: 166.996 … so far

Happy for the hosts, Beth Tweddle leads Bars. By a mile. Louis Smith looking good for a Pommel medal, too.