tumbling, tramp, diving, acrobatics, circus, cheer, dance, martial arts, X sports … and more
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.
… earlier today
A highlight in Tokyo, is the pedestrian scramble at Hachiko Square in Shibuya. Up to a million people a day, up to 10,000 crossing at a time.
Click PLAY or watch it on Gymnastike.
http://www.gymnastike.org/embed/MjI4NTEwMTQ5?related=1
Watch more videos on Gymnastike
Check out John Macready’s take on that intersection. (VIDEO)
Congratulations to the 2011 World Gymnastics Champion.
Jordyn Wieber of the United States overtook Komova in the last rotation of tonight’s competition at the 2011 World Championships of the Women’s All-Around competition.
Top qualifier Victoria Komova of Russia squared off against teammate Ksenia Afanaseva and the American dynamic duo of Jordyn Wieber and Aly Raisman. China’s Yao Jinnan and Huang Quishuang were also among the top qualifiers.
GOLD: Jordyn Wieber (USA) – 59.382
SILVER: Victoria Komova (RUS) – 59.349
BRONZE: Yao Jinnan (CHN) – 59.382read more on Inside Gymnastics
____
I’m getting a fair bit of (deserved) grief for posting this during the competition
… that’s certainly how I felt at the time. High in the Press gallery, there was nobody around me not shocked when the scores went up. We all thought Vika had done enough on Floor to win it.
But in a subjective sport, a win’s a win. And the scores on Floor don’t look “wrong”.
Jordyn is World Champion.
It’s possible — I guess — that some sort of judging system would have Komova 2nd, Wieber 1st.
The Floor scores actually don’t look all that whack:
Wieber 6.0D + 8.9 E with .1 O.B. deduction for 14.8; Komova 5.7D + 8.633 E for 14.333
But rather than stew on that possible miscarriage of justice, let’s look forward to the Men’s AA, Uchimura the huge favourite. But many, many challengers
Click PLAY or watch CHINA highlights from Team on YouTube.
They won mainly due to Rings and P Bars Pommels and H Bar. Full team results (PDF).
But isn’t.
Judges awarded 14.333 (5.70/8.633) on Floor leaving her in second place.
I don’t get that.
… yet scores do look reasonably correct, relative to one another:
Wieber 6.0D + 8.9E with .1 out-of-bounds = 14.8
Komova 5.7D + 8.633 E for 14.333
I’m too old, perhaps, thinking that the winner of a major meet should be the top athlete with the fewest errors. It certainly felt like Komova won this meet.
I’ll link to others who think judges got it right.
Komova is the favourite for Olympics, I reckon. She’ll be VERY motivated now.
related:
• Rewriting Russian Gymnastics – This means War
• Couch Gymnast – Rodionenko: “The Winner has Mistakes. That’s not Gymnastics.”
photo via Examiner on Facebook
Watch for my favourite gymnast out there tonight in all-around finals — Christine (Peng Peng) Lee.
She’s suddenly one of the top 24 gymnasts in the world after missing over two years with “injuries”. No wonder Miss Val signed her to UCLA virtually sight unseen.
Speaking of UCLA, Christine’s Bhardwaj on Bars is as good as any ever competed. She told me, “It’s easy. Let go — look for the low bar.”
IG – Key for Lee: ‘One Skill At A Time’ at Tokyo Worlds
Gymnastics Canada – Canadian gymnasts take aim at Pan Am medals
Disclosure: I changed my vote (last minute) for the Longines Awards: Peng Peng and Uchimura
Click PLAY or watch him on YouTube.
His shocking fall on Kovacs is at 4min 40sec.
That’s posted on the chinesegym1 YouTube channel. It’s also got full Chinese TV coverage starting here. Find the subsequent segments here.
Since little Vika Komova faltered in the Team competition, most are declaring Jordyn Wieber the favourite.
I’m agree.
Jordyn’s well prepared. Well coached. Psyched. She’s been the favourite all along, in my opinion.
… But after the shock of seeing Kohei Uchimura fall last night on the most critical routine of the Men’s Team competition, it’s clear that anything can happened.
Amanda Turner gives a run-down of some of the top contenders: Komova, Wieber, Yao Jinnan, Raisman, Afanasyeva, Huang Qiushuang, Seitz, Haidu, Tsurumi, Mitchell and Porgras.
I’m kind of liking Lauren Mitchell as the most likely surprise winner.
Lauren may get a big boost by a change in leotard. 🙂
Recall that Shawn Johnson won 4yrs ago … and yet was not Olympic Champion in Beijing. There are pros and cons to being the favourite. You need be psychologically made of stone.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 