Iordache 59.75

GBR, ROM @ GER friendly.

1. Larisa Iordache 59.75
2. Kim Bui 55.00
3. Diana Chelaru 54.75

1. Romania
2. Germany
3. Great Britain

… Romania had the top mark on all but uneven bars, where host Germany outscored the field. The Romanians were most impressive on beam, averaging 14.983 with 15.30 from Iordache (6.8 Difficulty score), 15.10 from Catalina Ponor, and 14.55 from Diana Bulimar and Amelia Racea. …

IG – Iordache, Romania Unbeatable in Ulm

Click PLAY or watch her Floor on YouTube.

No double double mount this week. They may want a certain kind of Floor for that big trick.

Karolyi Training Camp

USA Gymnastics on Facebook:

Here they are! The gymnasts are lining up at the Karolyi Ranch for the final National Team camp before the Olympic team is named.

L-R: Anna Li, Jordyn Wieber, McKayla Maroney, Amanda Jetter, Sabrina Vega, Amelia Hundley, Bridget Sloan, Aly Raisman, Brandie Jay, Elizabeth Price, Kyla Ross, Brenna Dowell, Briana Brown, Grace McLaughlin, Alicia Sacramone, Rebecca Bross, Gabby Douglas, Sarah Finnegan, Lexie Priessman, Mykayla Skinner, McKenzie Wofford, Madison Desch and Bailie Key.

No Shawn. No Nastia.

It’s not over ’til it’s over, but …

Utah photos

Former Ute Jeni McNeil likes the photos on Utah Facebook right now.

The end of Steph’s FX at NCAA team finals, with Utah fans in the background in yellow t-shirts. Yellow? I know… don’t ask, it’s a long story. 200 followed us to GA. Best fans ever… Utes Rocked the House!

Stephanie McAllister - NCAA Championships 2012

Check right away to see more.

Impressive as Utah’s fan base is, Corvallis (Oregon State) pop: 45,000 draws more fans / capita than does Utah in Salt Lake City.

Thanks American gymnastics.

Ellie Black – Osijek Vault

To win the World Cup in Croatia, Ellie upgraded her Handspring front 1/1 to Rudi. It worked. 15+ is a BIG number in Canada. The Olympic selection committee will be impressed.

Click PLAY or watch Vault 1 on YouTube.

Click PLAY or watch Vault 2 on YouTube.

Note that YouTube videos can no longer be played full screen on this page. (They can from Vimeo.) Has something changed with how YouTube delivers embedded video?

Osijek World Cup Finals

FLOOR
1 41 PURVIS Daniel GBR 6.500 9.050 15.550
1 46 KOSMIDIS Eleftherios GRE 6.500 9.050 15.550

3 14 GONZALES SEPULVEDA Enrique Tomas CHI 6.700 8.775 15.475

POMMELS
1 93 BERTONCELJ Saso SLO 6.200 9.275 15.475
2 8 TRUYENS Donna Donny BEL 6.500 8.950 15.450
3 110 KUKSENKOV Mykola UKR 6.600 8.850 15.450

RINGS
1 11 NABARRETE ZANETTI Arthur BRA 6.800 9.075 15.875
2 37 AIT SAID Samir FRA 6.800 8.875 15.675
3 47 PETROUNIAS Eleftherios GRE 6.800 8.825 15.625

VAULT
1 11 BLACK Elsabeth CAN 1 6.300 8.725 15.025 14.575
8.925 15.025

2 38 STEINGRUBER Giulia SUI 9.125 14.125 14.188
8.850 0.100 14.125
3 9 DA SILVA SOUZA Lais BRA 1 2 5.200 0.100 13.825 13.800
2 1 5.000 13.825

BARS
1 13 LEE Christine CAN 5.700 8.775 14.475
2 33 PIHAN-KULESZA Marta POL 5.700 8.100 13.800
3 18 SIKULOVA Jana CZE 5.900 7.675 13.575
… 20 COLUSSI PELAEZ Silvia ESP 5.500 7.900 13.400
… 21 MILLOUSI Vasilki GRE 5.300 8.100 13.400

Arabian Punch Front sends the link to Christine Lee’s Bars.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

1st place – 5.7/8.775=14.475

That’s coach Susan Barrett-Manjak.

I’m getting results from The All Around Gymnastics News on Facebook.

Blossom, Chinese Gymnastics Flowers

John at Chinese Gymnastics Blog linked to an excellent NEW tumblr blog dedicated to the Chinese gymnastics team.

It’s called: Blossom, Chinese Gymnastics Flowers.

The editor is Chinese, but living in the USA.

A sample post:

Chinese National Championships will be held next month in Shanghai. All of the Olympic hopefuls are expected to compete there. The competition also serves as a big part of the selection process for the Chinese Olympic team. …

The girls can be roughly grouped in these 5 categories (forgive me for my super relaxed standards when I put certain people into certain groups):

All Around Yao Jinnan, Huang Qiushuang

Bars & Beam Wu Liufang, Huang Huidan, Tan Sixin

Beam & Floor Sui Lu, Zeng Siqi, Shang Chunsong, Deng Linlin

Vault & Bars Jiang Yuyuan, He Kexin, Luo Peiru, Yang Yilin

Vault & Floor Cheng Fei

… The preliminary released competition schedules are as follows:

• 5/8 – Men’s Qualifications

• 5/9 – Women’s Qualifications

• 5/10 – Men’s & Women’s All Around

• 5/11 – Event Finals Day 1 (MFX, MPH, WVT, MSR, WUB)

• 5/12 – Event Finals Day 2 (MVT, WBB, MPB, WFX, MHB)

14 Girls, 5 Spots, 1 Common Olympic Dream

There are other specialists not listed. And those gymnasts are also training other apparatus. He Kexin does Floor, for example.

But that’s an overview of the strongest contenders at this point in time.

system of teaching Pommels

A nice career progression from age-6 onward

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I like the emphasis on “back loops”. Downhill loops.

You can see the lack of hip extension in the rear support from an early age. That’s difficult to improve later.

Ballet reality TV – Breaking Pointe

Series goes behind the stage curtain for an intense, unfiltered look at one of the most competitive ballet companies in the country, Ballet West, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Beneath the beauty and glamour of the dance and costumes is a gritty dog-eat-dog world of extreme athleticism, focus, dedication, passion, pressure and, of course, the hunt for the unattainable perfection …

IMDb

Premiere

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

(via Aunt Joyce)

Osijek World Cup prelims MAG

… In the men’s competition, gymnasts from five nations led qualification. Olympic silver medalist Filip Ude (pommel horse) and Marijo Možnik (high bar) each brought a first place for the host nation.

Britain’s Daniel Purvis outscored Brazilian star Diego Hypolito on floor exercise, while Brazil’s Arthur Zanetti edged France’s Samir Ait Said on still rings. Ukraine’s Igor Radivilov was the top vaulter and Mexico’s Daniel Corral was best on parallel bars.

Competition continues Saturday in Osijek with the finals for women’s vault and uneven bars, and men’s floor exercise, pommel horse and still rings.

read more on IG – Steingruber, Lee Lead Osijek Qualification

FLOOR
1 PURVIS Daniel GBR 6,500 9,125 15,625
2 HYPOLITO Diego BRA 6,600 8,900 15,500
3 KOSMIDIS Eleftherios GRE 6,300 8,875 15,175

POMMEL
1 UDE Filip CRO 6,300 9,325 15,625
2 WHITLOCK Max GBR 6,500 9,075 15,575
3 BERTONCELJ Saso SLO 6,200 9,350 15,550

RINGS
1 NABARRETE ZANETTI Arthur BRA 6,800 8,750 15,550
2 AIT SAID Samir FRA 6,800 8,725 15,525
3 PETROUNIAS Eleftherios GRE 6,800 8,650 15,450

VAULT
1 RADIVILOV Igor UKR 16,338
UKR 7,000 9,325 16,325 1
UKR 7,000 9,350 16,350 2
2 LYSZCZARZ Marek POL 15,813
POL 6,600 9,550 16,150 1
POL 6,200 9,275 15,475 2
3 GONZALEZ SEPULVEDA Enr CHI 15,788
CHI 7,000 8,975 15,975 1
CHI 6,600 9,100 0,1000 15,600 2

P BARS
1 CORRAL BARRON Daniel MEX 6,600 8,800 15,400
2 PETKOVSEK Mitja SLO 6,200 9,150 15,350
3 BERBECAR Marius Daniel ROU 6,400 8,925 15,325

H BAR
1 MOŽNIK Marijo CRO 6,900 8,400 15,300
2 THOMAS Kristian GBR 6,800 8,300 15,100
3 BRETSCHNEIDER Andreas GER 6,300 8,625 14,925
3 CUCHERAT Yann FRA 6,400 8,525 14,925
3 BALDAUF Marco AUT 6,600 8,325 14,925

Full results (PDF)