Gymnastics: Who will win the WAG Team Event at London 2012?

[bek]

I think Amanars are the least of Russians problem and their UB scores make up for possible lack of amanars anyway. The big worry for Russia for me is what happens on Beam and Floor. The US I don't think have the highest scoring Beam routines though I've probably been pessimistic at what their beam scores will be. But I don't see Russia doing much better on beam and of course I'd worry far more the Russians will fall on beam than I do the US. I really think the US have an advantage on floor though. Weiber and Raisman pack so much difficulty that even despite what deductions their floor routines may have I can see both going over 15.1. Douglas isn't far behind either.

Komova is shaky on floor, Mustafina I think will struggle on floor. Afanasyeva is great on floor and very capable of 15.2+ and Grishina if she could hit on floor would be great too. But I really only see one 15+ routine from the Russians.

I think that Komova/Mustafina especially Komova could end up being much better on floor.. Both of them didn't look in peak condition and Komova just coming back from that surgery... Its just a feeling I have but I think Komova will be better on that event. As for Wieber scoring 15.1 plus on floor I'm not sure I see that. She didn't score near that last year and she's only got what 2 tenths at best upgrades on the event...

As for beam; I actually have a good feeling about Komova on beam. I have a feeling a LOT of her beam issues at major competitions were due to training. She looked much better on beam at RC and has upgraded too.

[Theatregirl1122]

I don't know. They may take it. But some of the arogance leaves me hope. Komova and Paseka both landed Amanars at an internal competition in Russia....I think funnily enough if they have two Amanars really it would be Russias to lose.

Sorry but what arrogance?

[Matryeshka]

I can't root for Russians anymore. I'm still heartbroken over Pavlova So. damn. close. Her floor routine where she did a leap and one hand threw a peace sign and the other a gun was beyond voidy.

Since I generally can't stand the Rombots, especially since they've let Ponor out of the coffin, GO USA!!

[judgejudy27]

It is disgusting the Romanians are as weak as they are on bars. Even the top countries have relatively speaking a weaker even, but to not have one potential routine over 15, and the best they can muster for a 2nd and 3rd bar worker are two girls who cant even come close to 14. Pathetic for such a talented group. The Romanians have never had good bar workers under Belu though so it must have something to do with them. They really need to hire a bars specialist or something.

If they even had a mediocre bars lineup with someone like Iordache as their #3 bar worker rather than their #1, they would have a great shot of winning. Now they can only win if the U.S blows, and possibly Russia too.

[Spareoom]

Yeah, Romania only has a shot if the USA AND Russia implodes enough to let them sneak past. I can see one of the two doing that, but not both. Hence my theory that the podium will be USA/Russia, Romania, USA/Russia. No silver consolation medal for whichever top team has a rough day, lol. Booted to bronze, you are!

But like I said, it would have to be an IMPLOSION; the Romania's bar scores are so low. Someone said that it's pretty likely that they will be ranked last out of all the eight finalists on bars? That's pretty unacceptable for a top team that is aiming for a medal. If you deserve a medal, you need to place in the top 4 or so on each apparatus to make it a decent, respectable win. If Romania managed to scrap in a medal or even a win with eight-place bars, that would be...pretty sad.

[judgejudy27]

In Sydney Romania were 6th of the 6 final teams on bars. Had there been 8-12 teams in the final I am sure they would have been 7th or lower (Australia would have whipped them on bars too).

They have had terrible bars ever since the start of the 90s, despite Milosovici's joke World title on the event in 92 in the really weak watered down event Worlds. As the codes have gotten tougher they get hammered more and more, and now under the open ended scoring system it is brutal, yet for some bizarre reason nobody does squat all about it. It doesnt just hurt them in team competition. If Iordache actually has a strong Amanar by London as the Romanians claim, hits 4 for 4, and doesnt win the AA, it is pretty obvious the only reason she didnt win was because of her weak bars (yet she is still by far the best Romanian, lol), as there is no other possible reason she could lose in that case. The best Romanian bar workers the last 20 years would be Sofronie and Pongras.

[Karpenko]

If Belu and Liukin ever teamed up - watch out world.

[Spareoom]

Well, I think the problem with Romanian bars is that they don't get good basics taught in the younger ranks, too. And then when they get send to the junior training center, apparently the bars coaching is just so subpar; even worse than the girl's own gyms. They're trying to fix that now by getting the younger girls in grips, etc., but it's only going to help so much. They need a massive overhaul, and the fact that they are relying on Ponor and Izbasa is incredibly telling. They didn't make the team because they beat out everyone, they made the team because there IS no one else! When they retire, Romania is going to be stuck up a creek without a paddle.

And I think it's fairly hilarious that when Ponor came back one of the first things she started doing was train bars because it was so dire..hello, this is CATALINA PONOR we're talking about. The girl who didn't train bars in her PEAK because she was no good at them, even though if she'd had even a decent bars set she could have had tons of AA medals? Yeah, that Ponor. And now she might be doing bars in TF for Romania. That's really scraping the bottom of the barrel. :p

[judgejudy27]

Exactly, having to force Ponor to probably do bars is embarassing. It would be like the U.S having to use Sacramone or Raisman on bars.