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Gold medal at Pan-Ams.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Not bad. But I don’t see this routine as one of three in the Team Final in London.

Especially since Marta didn’t make the short trip from home to Guadalajara with this team.

Marta is counting on the “flying squirrel” … and is looking for 2 more routines at Gabby’s level or better.

Nastia has a good chance to claim one of those 2 additional spots. It’s a lot of work. I wish her luck.

Anna Li too, could again get a Bars specialist spot. But it’s going to be much more difficult in London with the smaller team size. Even Beth Tweddle has two apparatus.

by site editor Rick McCharles

After Worlds I’ve been traveling Japan using an all-you-can-ride Rail Pass.

I’ve visited 3 clubs, so far:

• Tsukahara Gymnastics Center, Tokyo
• Namba Gymnastics Club, Osaka
• Tommy International School and Tomioka Sports Club, Osaka

I’d love to visit more as I learn something new at each facility. Email me if you know of more gyms in Japan where I can observe or volunteer guest coach over the next week.

One of my former coaches Shiro Tanaka pointed out that Japanese recreational kids have far better discipline (and more line-ups) than kids suffer in Canada.

Gold medal at Pan-Ams.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

… Ana Lago is only in her first year as a senior for Mexico. In our Get to Know the Mexican Team post in October, Isabel Zamora reported that Ana Lago was considered to be Mexico’s new beam and floor specialist, producing the first standing Arabian on beam Mexico has ever had. …

Couch Gymnast – Ana Lago: “The Truth, I do Expect This Medal.”

more WAG videos

Ouch.

Click PLAY or watch Doug Stibel on YouTube.

via GymNiceTic

In case you missed the results, Amanda Turner provides her usual excellent wrap-up posts:

Day 1
Day 2

Congratulations to everyone who competed in Mexico, especially those that competed Worlds and Pan-Ams back-to-back.

Blythe Lawrence posted a short list, commentary and links to videos of each.

… Russia and Romania, both have stellar gymnasts who would have made waves at the 2011 Worlds were they not a year too young to compete at the senior level. Next year they will be first-year seniors, and all are expected to at least challenge for a place on their country’s Olympic team. Here are a few names to watch for:

Larisa Iordache, Romania
Anastasia Grishina, Russia
Anastasia Sidorova, Russia
Kyla Ross, USA
Zeng Siqi, China
Victoria Moors, Canada

Universal – Talented newcomers from top countries will stir things up in 2012

Leave comments on that post if you have anyone to add.

related – Couch Gymnast – Anastasia Grishina: A Return To Russian artistry (2010)

Russia, to beat USA, has to hope FIG judges start deducting more severely for “lack of split”.

At Worlds Bruno Grandi was asked by Nancy Armour whether FIG would ever consider (again) allowing Olympic age eligible gymnasts (London) to also be eligible for the Olympic qualifying Worlds (Tokyo).

His answer — a strong and passionate NO.

Though I disagree with the minimum age requirement, I thought Grandi gave an intelligent and logical response stating that “We don’t want children at World Championships.”

Even if one of those same children might be Olympic Champion just a year later.

Examiner linked to this update on rules:

On Thursday, the Division I Board of Directors approved a package of sweeping reforms that gives conferences the option of adding more money to scholarship offers, schools the opportunity to award scholarships for multiple years, imposes tougher academic standards on recruits …

There are over 100 College Artistic Gymnastics teams, combined Men’s & Women’s. More than half of those offer athletic scholarships. All offer academic scholarships, so recruits with good grades are particularly valuable.

Follow the QUICK LINKS.

WAG VAULT

1. Brandie Jay (USA) – 14.337
2. Elsa Garcia (Mexico) – 14.312
3. Catalina Escobar (Colombia) – 14.162

Official list linked by FIG.

*** Qualified for the OG’12 only if BRA and FRA are not part of the Teams 1-4 qualified for the OG’12 from the 2012 Test Event

MAG
BRA – Diego HYPOLITO ***
ISR – Alexander SHATILOV
HUN – Krisztian BERKI
FRA – Cyril TOMMASONE ***
BRA – Arthur NABARRETE ZANETTI ***
GRE – Vasileios TSOLAKIDIS

WAG
VIE – Thi Ha Thanh PHAN

Looks good, so far. I like this Olympic rules change.