So says American Coach Hal Halverson, who’s there in the U.K. as part of the organizing committee.
The All Around’s Albert Minguillón i Colomer is there too. It wasn’t all sunshine for the Russkies:
… The Russians took the stage in the subdivision 5.
First up showed a double turn with leg to head, 1 1/2 – 1/1, double pike, double back, 2/1. Next on floor opened with a 1 1/2 through 3/1, Tsukahara, double pike and a short double tuck.
Victoriya Komova had a not so hot floor with a 1 1/2 through double arabian in tuck position (low landed), double back (stuck), 3/1 (a bit underrotated) and double pike to end. After the routine, she trained a Tsukahara tucked to change the double back!
After her, gracious Anastasia Grishina danced to classical music with a stuck double pike, double turn with leg at horizontal to stag jump (beautiful), 3/1, triple turn, 1 1/2 – 1/1 and a short 2 1/2 that saved to sit down. Violetta Malikova, who has been injured, opened her routine with a double turn with leg to head, back layout, 2 1/2, 1 1/2 through 1/1 and 2/1. The twisting technique was a bit rough and with legs apart and crossed. …
Russians vaulted quick, all of them Yurchenko entries type vaults. I don’t know if my eyes were tired or what, but Komova overrotated a double twisting Yurchenko.
On bars, suprisingly, Komova was the first up with an excellent Shaposhnikova 1/2, inside stalder 1/2 – layout Jaeger, inside stalder 1/1 – Tkatchev – Pak, Tsukahara off. The second Russian gymnast didn’t have the same lines but her routine was difficult with a stalder – toe- on 1/1 – Tkatchev, Pak, double front off.
Grishina was up next with a inside stalder 1/1 – piked Jaeger, inside stalder – inside stalder 1/1 – piked Tkatchev – Pak, giant 1/1 – Tsukahara off. Malikova had problems with her routine, inside stalder – in-stalder 1/1 – Tkatchev – Pak, form break and fall, toe on Shaposhnikova, double front off.
The fifth Russian, did a Shaposhnikova, Markelov, Tuskahara off. Clearly, the weakest link on bars.
read more – WAG Junior Podium Training
Needless to say, I’ll be following The All Around over the coming week.
photos from British Gymnastics on Facebook
Sr WAG Podium training goes Tuesday
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Update: Blythe Lawrence is there too:
… The Romanians looked very well prepared themselves. I attended a portion of the afternoon training session and was able to see the Romanian juniors perform on bars, beam and floor. Young Diana Bulimar was the cream of the team. A few notes:
In person, the Romanian juniors don’t look dreadful on bars. …
read more – Gymnastics Examiner – 2010 European Championships: Jots from junior women’s podium training
All agree that Vault is the weak apparatus. Coaches focus on Bars and Beam, waiting for the Juniors to get strong and heavy enough to vault from the fixed F.I.G. beat board. (They are not allowed to remove springs.)
Gymnastics Coaching.com 