WAG Floor- Who should medal?

[danafan]

I'm very disappointed that Victoria Moors was not included in this poll

[Spareoom]

^^^ My prediction is that the USA, Russia and Romania will win two golds apiece. USA will get vault and TF or AA, Russia gets bars and TF or AA and Romania gets BB and FX. Poor china will get no higher than silver. :p

[gingercrush]

What is funny though is many are picking Ponor to win her 2nd Olympic beam gold and her form is pretty bad too IMO, even if she is a more artistic gymnast with nicer dance and rythym.

There are several gymnasts well capable of getting gold over Ponor. Iordache for starters. If she hits Ponor is not getting gold. If Lui hits Ponor does not get gold. If Komova hits Ponor does not get gold. This isn't a 2004 Athens scenario where Ponor just had to do her thing and win (though Fan Ye if qualified and on 2003 form would have won if both hit their routines)

Ponor I think and I love her will need to rely on mistakes on others. I don't really see the issue with Ponor on Beam. She isn't doing a bunch of twists except for maybe the dismount. And unlike the majority of gymnasts she seems unafraid of the beam. And that has to count for something when half the other ladies look scared of the beam. She has high difficulty that only a few gymnasts can better and there may be some deductions but nothing like she can expect on floor.

Though Ponor for all that is great about her isn't 16 anymore. She's proved to be vulnerable herself. We saw it in Tokyo and we saw it at Euros too. If she makes beam final I think she may want it so bad that she makes mistakes. And of the finalists shes one that can't afford too many of them.

The reason I rated Iordache and Ponor 1-2 is that what we've seen this year. Those two have been the best. Lui looks incredibly fragile. Komova looks fragile. Mustafina doesn't seem to have the difficulty. Jinnan has been injured. Grishina is a headcase. The Americans haven't scored that well on beam and I think it could be their weakest event at the Olympics. There is Mitchell, but I'm putting her at the back of my mind for now.

Anyway this is actually about the floor title and I've been speaking about beam. I'd love Izbasa to make the final, I'd like Ponor to make the final too. But Iordache and Izbasa seem a much surer bet. Ponor has lower difficulty and lower execution scores. Izbasa can medal but she hasn't been training floor that often.

I really worry with gymnasts like Komova, Mustafina and Izbasa. They're all capable of doing well but they've had so few competitions this year. They may have the technical ability but they haven't really performed in competitions. It is a lot to ask for them to deliver come Olympics.

[chipso1]

Izbasa's third pass is fug! Yuck!

Aly may have form issues in her dance elements, but her tumbling is so gorgeous and effortless looking.

[Karpenko]

It must be a Rude Euro thing, but I honestly think Iordache's music and Ch is amazing!

And that ^^^ Horrific example of 'dance' by McCullough made my eyes bleed

Does that mean I have crap taste ???

I've also seen Gabriela y Rodrigo at least 10 times live, they are amazing!

Generic Latin music it is not!!!

I'm complete and total opposite opinion. I love the fire, free movrment, eye contact, and "I AM WOMAN" in McCulloughs routine and want an elite to sell it like that. I feel like I don't drink enough redbull or monster drinks to keep up with Iordaches arms in her routine. I am a total chauvinist 'merikun though with USA love in my eye at times, and I still love ya

Oh and here's her best version where she won NCAAs in 2010
http://youtube.com/watch?v=y8y-EuJtv8U

Iordache and Izbasa have been winning me over all year though, amazed at the progress the team has made and def think they can win a boatload of medals.

I'm really expecting amazing things from Komova though, I was getting a big feeling for Nastia all of 2008 and this year and seeing how she's been paced I think Komova will be the one to beat.