preview of Men’s AA Worlds

The best I’ve seen is by Amanda Turner … who’s not even in Tokyo.

Somebody should hire her away from International Gymnast magazine.

… Japanese superstar Kohei Uchimura will be gunning for gold in the men’s all-around final Friday evening at the 2011 World Gymnastics Championships in Tokyo.

Uchimura, the 2009 and 2010 world champion, is set to join Russian legend Svetlana Khorkina as gymnastics’ only three-time world all-around champions. If he takes the gold, he will be the first male gymnast to accomplish the feat, eclipsing double world champions Yuri Korolyov (1981 and 1985), Dmitry Bilozerchev (1983 and 1987), Ivan Ivankov (1994 and 1997) and Yang Wei (2006 and 2007). …

Amanda gives a breakdown of Kohei’s major rivals:

John Orozco
Danell Leyva
Koji Yamamuro
Daniel Purviss
Phillip Boy
Emin Garibov
Nikolai Kuksenkov
Marcel Nguyen

details on IG – Preview: Uchimura Aims for Third World Title

These guys are all good. Anyone of them could be on the podium — in second or third position. Marcel Nguyen’s the second “most talented” on the list, I feel. But can he hit 6/6?

Personal shout out to Nathan Gafuik. He’s due for his best Worlds performance ever.

John Macready turning Japanese

Inspired by Kohei Uchimura, John Macready tries out a new hairstyle (after 1.5 hrs in Tokyo hair salon)!

Should he keep it?!

Inside Gymnastics on Facebook

John’s here for USA Gymnastics – Behind The Team – Macready’s Take: Watch Making Friends

Take a walk down Takeshita Street with John Macready and get a feel for the local flavor of Tokyo. Then John catches up with the U.S. Men’s Team (at 3min 45sec) after they won the bronze.

5 to watch in men’s AA final

Uchimura, Uchimura, Uchimura, Uchimura, Uchimura

Actually, here’s the list by Andy Thornton:

Can Kohei Make History? … first gymnast to win three consecutive worlds?

American Teens Confident Beyond Their Years. (Leyva, Orozco)

Blasts From The Past. (Teng Haibin, … Dragulescu has withdrawn)

German Redemption. (Boy, Nguyen)

Style Points. (Kuksenkov, Purviss, Garibov, Belyavskiy)

details on Universal – Five things to watch in the men’s all-around final

IG Online: Tribute to Kohei Uchimura

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

start list for the Men’s AA Final (PDF) | schedule & coverage

Longines Prize for Elegance

denn333 suggests they award the prize to the AA gymnast with the highest E scores from the AA competition. I’d go for that.

Who picked the photo for their website?

… In association with the International Federation of Gymnastics (FIG), Longines awards the Longines Prize for Elegance at each Artistic and Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships. Prize-winners receive a trophy, a cheque and a Longines watch. …

details

frustrated by Universal?

I won’t link to Universal videos.

Rich Zuckerman, Multimedia Producer, UniversalSports.com via email:

These are viewable in the U.S. & territories, China, and most of South Asian and South America (a bit of a hodgepodge of nations, I know, though the vast majority of our viewership obviously comes from the U.S. & territories).

In terms of Silverlight, there is a possibility that we could eventually move away from it, but there are no immediate plans for a change.

But YOU should go find them if geographically eligible. Universal has been posting very quickly. (Or if you have a proxy hack.)

I will link to YouTube videos. Click PLAY or watch Jordyn’s Floor (with O.B.) on YouTube.

More individual routine videos via Full Twist.

Peng Peng – the interview

Fall on Beam in the final rotation prevented Christine Lee from finishing the highest Canadian ever at World Championships.

Yet she looks very enthusiastic for the future. Canada believes they will qualify a full team to the Olympics at the test meet in January.

Click PLAY or watch her on Gymnastike.

http://www.gymnastike.org/embed/NDU0NTEwMTU5?related=1

Watch more video of World Gymnastics Championships Tokyo 2011 on gymnastike.org

… “I didn’t know if I was going to do gymnastics again so coming to the world championships has been amazing.” …

Gymnastics Canada – Toronto gymnast Peng Peng Lee caps comeback with solid performance at world gymnastics championships

full AA results

Grace Chiu photos

Hannah Whelan GBR 9th AA

Hannah did a fantastic job in the all-around finals. Congratulations.

… Whelan’s result is the third best in British women’s gymnastics history, and the best since Beth Tweddle’s eighth place at the World Championships in 2006. …

Ollie Williams – BBC

Click PLAY or watch it on Gymnastike.

http://www.gymnastike.org/embed/NjY1NTEwMTU3?related=1

Watch more video of World Gymnastics Championships Tokyo 2011 on gymnastike.org

full AA results

Komova v Wieber – Bars – AA Final

I’m only very slowly coming around to believing that Jordyn Wieber truly did win the meet tonight. She was better than Komova on 3 apparatus — worse on Bars.

But how much worse?

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Click PLAY or watch Jordyn on YouTube.

Thanks for finding these so quickly, Brigid.

Though some in Tokyo are able to watch Universal coverage via a “proxy”, for most YouTube is simply easier.