… There are only 5 E panel judges. The highest and lowest scores are dropped, the remaining three averaged. This results in scores like 13.366 or 14.383.
In addition to the E panel judges there are two E reference judges whose scores are used if the difference between E scores is too big. …
I talked to one of the reference judges on Bars after day 1. She said they only rarely needed to use the reference scores. Evaluation was pretty consistent, she felt.
… Coaches told me they felt Bars was the most severely judged apparatus, so far.
The Men will also have reference judges. They’ve been added to all FIG disciplines, part of Grandi’s campaign for justice. (A campaign that swung into high gear after MAG judges bungled the 2004 Olympics.)
If you are just getting around to checking up on what’s happening at the Women’s Artistic World Gymnastics Championships, check out this summary of the day 1 action posted by FIG.
A total of 236 gymnasts from 44 different countries are competing in 12 subdivisions, aiming to qualify for the Individual All-around Final (24) and the Apparatus Finals (8 each).
At the same time, the competition determines the 24 best teams to qualify for the 2011 World Championships, the initial stepping stone on the way to the London Olympic Games, as well as the top eight ranked teams to proceed to the Team Finals on Wednesday …
… Midway through the preliminaries, Aliya Mustafina of Russia leads the Individual rankings …
LIVE updates … VAULT. Every team member did only Yurchenko 1/1 except for Savona 1 ½. … Playing it safe. The main goal is finishing in the top 24 teams to qualify to World’s 2011.
Kristina did not do a second vault, knowing (I assume) that she wouldn’t have much of a chance to get to Vault finals. There have already been many good scores on that apparatus.
hmmm … Not the best BARS warm-up. Aside from Kristina. She’s going to knock em dead in the NCAA. Potential AA Champion, I’d say. … Savona superb dismount. That’s going to be double double layout soon, and the best dismount in the world.
Competition: Dancose-Giambattisto Hit. Clean.
Leblond had a fall. Too bad. … Savona Hit. But only competed double layout, playing it safe?
Oh no. Kristina missed a 1 ½ turn. Fall. The rest was great.
Emma up last. Hit … but fall on double front dismount. Way off. She’s upset about something to do with the Bars.
On to BEAM:
Warm-ups looked rushed.
Leblond good. But fall on layout. … You really need your first competitor to stay on in a Team meet.
Bianca is pretty on Beam. Nice routine. Wobbles. … fall on side somi.
Good job Charlotte. HIT. A few wobbles. Big dismount.
KRISTINA is GREAT. A wobble. Couple of balance checks. Huge dismount.
Emma HITS. Nice routine. … Beam could actually be Canada’s strongest apparatus, if on a good day. (Would have like to see Savona in that line-up. She’s been hitting Beam in training.)
FLOOR Hit. Hit. Hit. (Couple of OBs.)
Savona hits. Lots of energy. Funny bounce out of 1/1-in. The rest of the landings strong.
Kristina is so pretty on Floor. Hit.
CONGRATULATIONS Team Canada. We appreciate all your hard work.
Looks like a 212,477 team score. I’m betting that’s enough to qualify through to World Championships 2011.
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I’ll be abandoning the internet (mostly) next flight to go cheer our Canucks. I talked to some of the girls and coaches yesterday at the end of their final training session. They are ready to go. Minor injuries, like every team, but anxious to enjoy competing at such a prestigous meet.
Qualification competition continues in Subdivision 8, which features two gymnasts from Stanford University competing for different countries.
Canada’s team includes Kristina Vaculik, now a freshman at Stanford, who will compete in the same subdivision as her new teammate Nicole Pechancova (Pechanec) of the Czech Republic.
Canada finished a disappointing 14th in both 2006 and 2007, but will try to get back in the top 12. The team is missing the injured Brittany Rogers, however, but will need to rely on Vaculik. …
Canada starts on vault, where Vaculik is the only gymnast planning to do two vaults. The team effort is anchored by Jessica Savona …
Update. Alicia actually ranked #2 into the vault final, so far, after Mustafina. Thanks MostepanovaFan.
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It’s day 2 of two, qualification round for the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Rotterdam.
USA is clearly the best vault team in the world. They rank 3rd, so far, for all apparatus, after Russia and China.
Russia 234.521
China 233.778
USA 233.643
Since the Team Final is a completely different format, anything could happen. My best guess is that the rankings will be reversed: USA, CHN, RUS in a 3-up, 3-count format when consistency is rewarded more than quality.
Mattie Larson on her floor performance: “I underrotated my double layout…I was a little rushed. I’m not going to lie, I’m a little disappointed…there are realy no excuses….the girls talked to me a lot. They said it’s only prelims, we still have team finals, and hopefully they’ll let me compete floor in team finals.”
Bridget Sloan …: “Team USA should be really proud…everybody wants gold here. It’s a prettiest one, it’s the best one. It’ll all come down to who can hit.”
Martha Karolyi: “I’m really feeling good. There’s a small difference between the teams. And I feel very confident we will be able to fight…I think the vault event was excellent. … vault…I think she is a the best in the world on vault (re: Alicia Sacramone).”
“I thought we did really well,” Mitchell said. She noted that before the meet, a judge asked Peggy Liddick how Liddick thought they would do. “224,” Liddick said. And indeed, Australia came up with a 224. So Liddick was pleased that her gymnasts met expectations, Mitchell said. …
Gymnastics Coaching.com 