Yulo’s Vaults for Liverpool

The defending World Champ looks the man to beat in 2022.

He’s got the difficulty. And the best execution of any of the top guys.

For me he’s the favourite on both Floor and Vault.

ZOU Jingyuan on Rings

New element submitted for Worlds Liverpool.

And it looked legit in Podium training.

From inverted cross lower slowly to inverted hang and felge bwd. slowly to V cross (2 s.) – Element value: E

Details – Two original men’s elements submitted at Liverpool Gymnastics Worlds

Top 8 teams at Worlds Liverpool?

After watching over 12 hours of Gymnastics today, it seems clear that USA, CHN, BRA and GBR will be in the team final.  Despite lack of depth on Floor and Vault, ITA will be there too. 

… Next 3?

Teams will need a good qualification meet.  Three strong Beam routines.  

I like Canada and Australia. But Belgium and France are higher ranked by some number crunchers.  

Recall Australia was 13th at the 2019 Worlds, just missing qualifying a full team to Tokyo.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Japan or Korea qualify.

Netherlands?

It’s going to be exciting.

And it’s an honour to be here in Liverpool watching so many of the best gymnasts in the world competing at the highest level.

Good luck to all. Stay safe out there.

Photo by Samuel Mingham on Pexels.com

Eythora – Floor

Another of the most anticipated routines at Worlds.

You know judges will use this as an example of what “artistry” means under their very vague Code of Points.

Is it inspired by Putin’s invasion of Ukraine? If Eythora says so, yes it is.

Pain of the Nation.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Lee Chih-Kai withdraws from Worlds

One of the favourites for the Pommel Final, we were surprised when Lee Chih-Kai didn’t appear with the Taiwan team for Podium training.

It sounds like he had to withdraw for Covid reasons.

Very, very few are masked in the arena. Notably most of the Chinese and Japanese coaches.

Germany rocking unitards

Thanks AGAIN to the women of Team Germany for choosing to wear unitards.

No competitor should feel forced to wear a leotard in competition.

Rebeca Andrade – Floor

One of the most anticipated routines at Worlds.

Note that Rebeca has a history of major knee injury — and wisely does as few hard landings on Floor as possible.

Trinidad pays Thema Williams

I happened to be there when news broke that Canadian-born gymnast Marisa Dick would replace Thema. It was at the Olympic Test Meet in Rio.

We were surprised as Thema had looked healthy during Podium Training — in a striking gold leotard. No observable problems.

But her coach at the Games was John Geddert. He told the Federation Thema wasn’t ready enough. Trinidad had to fly the replacement in from Canada. Last minute.

FORMER national gymnast Thema Williams’s four-year battle for compensation, for the “biased and flawed” decision of the TT Gymnastics Federation to pull her out of the 2016 Olympic Games, came to an end at 2.20 pm on Thursday.

That was when the federation’s bankers, Republic Bank Ltd, delivered a cheque for $223,800.19 …

On November 26, 2018, Seepersad ruled Williams was entitled to $200,000 for loss of endorsements and other opportunities because of the federation’s “biased” and flawed decision to withdraw her from representing this country in the 2016 Rio Olympics. …

Gymnastics Federation pays Thema Williams damages

Federations must have clear selection policies. And enforce them.

The ONLY good news from this disaster was that Marisa had a good competition. And did qualify Trinidad to the Olympics.