USA World Champs – the movie

Another terrific edit by the FIG TV team.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

… Why doesn’t FIG simply broadcast their own meets online, selling advertising for each rebroadcast.

Not as lucrative as their current TV deals, I assume.

Universal disappoints more non-Americans

Wouldn’t it be great if there was fast online video coverage of major gymnastics meets.

THERE IS — UniversalSports.com

Problem is videos won’t load. Or won’t load for non-Americans. Or won’t load on a Mac. Or won’t load for YOU. 😦

And they use dreadful Silverlight technology, one of Microsoft’s many less than brilliant innovations. It’s like Flash, but even worse. Yuck.

I can’t watch them … but maybe you can. Here are some routines from the Men’s Team Final, Tokyo.

Uchimura’s score to win Silver

The World Champion is normally not given nearly as much credit as he deserves for excellent execution.

… But since he FELL on Horizontal Bar, last routine, after the USA had already finished competing — we need look closely at that routine’s score.

It ended up only enough to barely edge the USA in team:

Japan – 273.093
United States – 273.083

In the bad old days judges, especially women’s judges, manipulated the very last score to be posted to decide medals. Many will be suspicious that happened this time.

Video to come …

Frame-by-frame, it’s nearly impossible to deduct Kohei.

CHN, JPN, USA


China – 275.161
Japan – 273.093
United States – 273.083

Russia – 269.045
Ukraine – 264.102
Germany – 263.926
Korea – 260.393

Romania – 245.175

World Champions 2011 are team China. Congratulations.

Zhang is my favourite guy on the Chinese team. Longine’s prize?

They’re very happy right now they moved Zou Kai from the alternate spot on to the competitive team. He’s been brilliant.

Raisman took out the punch front

As we suspected at the time, Mihai took out the punch front after Arabian in her first pass during Team Finals Floor. Playing it safe.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

On that springy floor it’s not all that easy not to punch. Raisman is the most powerful tumbler in the women’s competition, I’d say.

Lauren Mitchell – Floor

Highest score on the apparatus in Team Finals. (14.900)

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Sadly, Lauren did not qualify for the Floor final so cannot defend her title.

Komova – no spotting deduction

Did you notice that the coach touched Vika Komova on Jaeger in Team Finals?

I could see it even from the bad angle of the Press gallery.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

No deduction. Lucky this time.

FIG donates to tsunami relief

FIG Official – The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) donates 10’000.- Swiss Francs to tsunami victims.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Recall that FIG could have moved this meet to Russia. I’m happy they didn’t. We should support the Japanese people.