European Championships wrap-up

Congratulations to host Berlin on a terrific competition.

VAULT:
1. Sandra Izbasa – 14.675
2. Oksana Chusovitina – 14.537
3. Ariella Kaeslin – 14.475

4. Tatiana Nabieva – 14.287
5. Elisabeth Seitz – 14.187
6. Giulia Steingruber – 14.000
7. Amelia Racea – 13.725
8. Nastassia Marachkouskaya – 13.062

BARS:
1. Beth Tweddle – 15.100
2. Tatiana Nabyeva – 15.075
3. Kim Bui – 14.675

4. Anna Dementyeva – 14.475
5. Elisabeth Seitz – 14.175
6. Aagje Vanwallehem – 14.075
7. Celine Van Gerner – 13.975
8. Vanessa Ferrari – 12.850

FLOOR:
1. Sandra Izbasa – 14.500
2. Diana Chelaru – 14.475
3. Yulia Belokobylskaya – 14.450

4. Beth Tweddle – 14.300
5. Julie Croket – 14.275
6. Carlotta Ferlito – 14.050
7. Anna Dementyeva – 13.950
8. Tunde Csillag – 13.150

BEAM
1. Anna Dementyeva – 15.350
2. Carlotta Ferlito – 14.500
3. Elisabetta Preziosa – 14.325

4. Julie Croket – 14.150
5. Ariella Kaeslin – 14.125
6. Vasiliki Millousi – 13.800
7. Marta Pihan-Kulesza – 12.850
8. Hannah Whelan – 11.950

Full results.

related – Gymnastics Examiner – Five countries strike gold as Europeans end in Berlin

The best place to look for videos is Between the Olympics. (Check the Between The Olympics YouTube channel, too.)

Bloggers were all over the place in predicting winners. (day 1) Gymnastics ExaminerPick a podium: Europeans event finals, predictions and realities. (Some revised their picks after Mustafina withdrew, some did not.)

flexible Chinese dancers

This video has been circulating widely the past few weeks.

A proud parent posted a daughter’s semester final exam. These kids are from China Southern Dance School.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

(via Chinese Gymnastics Blog)

Mustafina will win the Olympics

She’s the favourite right now, in my opinion. Though she doesn’t have knee surgery until Tuesday.

Defying Gravity:

… I think this injury and subsequent withdrawal from this year’s worlds will, in the long run, increase her chances of becoming the 2012 Olympic Champ.

Lately, I”ve been noticing how hard Aliya pushes her self, constantly striving for perfection. She competes very often and I knew it was only a matter of time before she sustained an injury. Better this year than next. Let her rest this year, recover, and then slowly come back until…BAMM, she peaks right at the correct moment in 2012. …

I was thinking exactly the same thing.

Having watched Shewfelt come back from injury for both 2004 and 2008, I foresee the same chronology for Aliya.

She’s been undisciplined and difficult to coach. This reality check will help her focus on a simple goal: getting completely healthy and regaining her current level.

Europeans – H Bar – Zonderland wins

1. Zonderland NED
2. Boy GER
3. Nguyen GER

Epke missed his HUGE routine. Quite badly. Yet still wins. hmm …

Click PLAY or watch him on YouTube.

Blythe calls it a SHOCKER. But his execution score of 7.785 could be correct. I guess we live in an era when a score of less than 8 can win Europeans. If you have a difficulty score of 7.7. (What’s Epke’s highest start score in training?)

The German fans don’t agree … but neither Boy nor Nguyen HIT either.

Young Sam Oldham GBR 4th. Kudos.

Gymnastics Examiner LIVE blog.

jump to Manna – Gerard Atzeni

Gerard on February 19th, 2011 in Australia.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Gerard:

I understand that the Manna hold is too high and I hope to improve on that.. Time will tell. Also, the shoot handstand after it already exists and is of a ‘C’ value.

Is this a new element? Or just a variation on Manna?

European Championships Floor Finals

NOT the most exciting Final.

1. Izbasa
2. Chelaru
3. Belokobylskaya

Click PLAY or watch her on YouTube.

I love Izbasa. … But I’d not call that an historic routine. And what’s with the ‘flutter kick’?

Her finish seems choreographed to conclude with a stumble. Yeesh.

Croket is a wonderful, entertaining gymnast, of course.

Women’s Floor seems to be improving, worldwide. But passes like (open?) double tuck to stag jump should not be included in event Finals routines.

Gymnastics Examiner LIVE blog.

Note that I link to a blog post (rather than Facebook or Twitter) as posts are permanent, micro-blogs fleeting.

Bridgeport wins USAG Women’s Collegiate Championships

The University of Bridgeport successfully defended its team title at the 2011 USA Gymnastics Women’s Collegiate Championships in the Cadet West Gymnasium at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. The championships conclude with the individual event finals on Sunday, April 10. …

1. University of Bridgeport, 194.050
2. Texas Woman’s University, 193.300
3. U.S. Air Force Academy 191.975

4. Seattle Pacific University, 190.950

The USA Gymnastics Collegiate Championships is for Division I, II and III schools with less than seven-and-a-half full scholarships.

USAG

Nguyen European P Bar Champ

1. Nguyen GER
2. Zonderland NED
3. Tsolakidis GRE

Gymnastics Examiner LIVE blog.

Full twisting double back dismount.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Home crowd goes CRAZY for this guy. He’s come back from a broken leg while competing triple double on floor.

Bouhail European Vault Champ

1. Bouhail FRA
2. Ait Said FRA
3. Golotsutskov RUS

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

9.50 execution on that first vault.

… The World champion will be attempting to set the bar high since he’s first up…he was the winner in the qualifying round here as well…Tsuk double pike, AMAZING. Just a tiny hop back. Made that look downright easy. Wow. 16.5. Well deserved. WOW — almost overrotated his Dragulescu, so much power. Big step back, but that might have been the highest I’ve ever seen anyone do that vault — including Dragulescu! 16.362 average. I can’t get over how good that second vault was — he was a couple feet above the horse when he opened out of his half twist.

Gymnastics Examiner LIVE blog.

How many gymnasts who competed first in the final ended up winning?

Dementyeva European Beam Champ

1. Anna Dementyeva (RUS)
2. Carlotta Ferlito (ITA)
3. Elizabetta Preziosa (ITA)

Congratulations Italy.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Gymnastics Examiner LIVE blog.