Gymnastics apparatus finals - Part 2

[kappa_1]

With regards to choreography for the U.S. floor routines: I wonder what Tabitha Yim is up to these days...she always seemed to have such good feel for the music. I'm sure she could put together something decent.

Or they could ask David Wilson

[Cloudy_Gumdrops]

They should just ask Val Kondos to do the choreo.

[bek]

With regards to choreography for the U.S. floor routines: I wonder what Tabitha Yim is up to these days...she always seemed to have such good feel for the music. I'm sure she could put together something decent.

Or they could ask David Wilson

Or if she's retiring seeing about hiring Afansyeva, who choreographed part of her own routine..

[bek]

Love this commentatry

But on to our girl Mustafina, whose hair is pulled back into such a glittery ponytail she almost looks like a Tatar unicorn. Aliya is very clean and completes a near perfect landing, but as a viewer at home, I actually thought Kexin’s performance was more sophisticated and elegant. Elegance may be learned, but it won’t get you a gold, as Mustafina surged ahead to take the number one spot, with champion Gabby Douglas set for last.

It was down to this. Gabby, the “flying squirrel,” begins her routine, and within moments, gets caught up in a handstand (as we all do!), losing her momentum both physically and mentally, and pretty much mailing it in from that point on. The cameras showed Mustafina’s facial reaction to the error, and it was literally the bitchiest, most self-satisfied, sideways smirk of a face I had ever seen in the sport.

IT WAS AMAZING.

The adorable Douglas scored in last place, which could only mean one thing: Mustafina finally got her gold. Her precious.

http://www.vanityfair.com/online/dai...ina-gymnastics

[Cachoo]

That is funny. I am enjoying the VFair commentary.

[Tesla]

You know, I caught the smile (I think) from Mustafina after Gabby's error, and to me, it was just a satisfied smile that she won gold. I didn't think it was bitchy. More relieved and pleased. I don't get a bitchy diva vibe from Aliya. I get an intense focused vibe from her.

[brina]

McKayla's facial expression on the podium is gaining some internet popularity.

http://www.reddit.com/r/AdviceAnimal..._ever_forever/

[bek]

You know, I caught the smile (I think) from Mustafina after Gabby's error, and to me, it was just a satisfied smile that she won gold. I didn't think it was bitchy. More relieved and pleased.

I think so too someone said Raisman smiled when Sandra fell. I don't think it was because Sandra fell it was because she knew it was certain. Aliya commented that she didn't see GAbby as a threat to her gold to begin with... Apparently Aliya and Aly had a really cute moment thumbs up or something between them... After floor who wants to bet that won't be shown.

I love though Aliya's tough as nails hard nose competitor demeanor...

[Mayra]

You know, I caught the smile (I think) from Mustafina after Gabby's error, and to me, it was just a satisfied smile that she won gold. I didn't think it was bitchy. More relieved and pleased. I don't get a bitchy diva vibe from Aliya. I get an intense focused vibe from her.

Don't ruin it for the rest of us please. She has an image to uphold.

Another Aliya appreciation post from buzzfeed:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/the-u...tafina-tribute

[Loves_Shizuka]

Back from the competition guys! The gymnastics was messy. I still, of course, had a brilliant time.

Quick thoughts:

- OMG Deng Linlin! I am soooo happy. She's one of those who always seemed to go under the radar, yet she is quality. That acro series she does which ends with the straight somersault into korbut flip was beautiful; lots of gasps in the crowd! So happy for her to be an OGM; can't say I saw it coming. Congrats! This is possibly my favourite result of the games (along with Aliya on UB)

- I'm trying to be as impartial as I can be, and ignore my love for the Chinese, but DLL and SL were so far ahead of everyone else on beam that it was ridiculous. Frankly, there shouldn't have been a bronze medal awarded The Chinese just have this quality no-one else has; they are SO precise, so accurate, so graceful. Everything looks deliberate. Their core is so strong yet they're so tiny. All the small details - the way they move their shoulders and wrists and how they carry themselves, are very pronounced live. They were the clear class of the field.


- Ponor in person is about the same shade as me - and considering I'm mixed race with a Brazilian mother, this is an achievement Catalina!

- I want to like Aly's gymnastics. I do. I really do, because she seems LOVELY. But I can't. At times, on beam, especially comapred to the Chinese, she looked a floundering mess. Her floor is obviously powerful and impressive, but... I can't really enjoy it. In fact in comaprison to some of the other routines, it made me feel a bit sad. BUT her competitive nerve and ability to rock difficult tumbles is Congrats to her for a good day!

- Ponor's beam wasn't much better. Everything had an "unfinished" look. Don't know what I thought about the appeal. Not sure I care

- Her FX was better though - she was the crowd favourite. I don't think people (aside from the deafening Amerikans ) knew what to make of Aly.

- I felt for Iordache... and Bullimar.

- I sense Jordyn Wieber was just trying WAY too hard. Which is understandable.

- I presume Vanessa Ferrari's leotards are designed by Edward Scissorhands? She didn't deserve a medal for this "get-up" alone

- I am saying nothing about my fave, Afanasyeva, other than she is still a Goddess

- I'm pissed that - IMO - the best overall FX's - Izsbasa and Afanasyeva, cocked up finals.

- Mustafina is also a goddess. She (along with Afan and Sandra) has something on floor NONE of the others have. Alas, she also has comical "twisting." Yukari Nakano would be proud of all that leg-wrapping.

- I couldn't really tell from where I was sititng but was Sui Lu sobbing after she went 2nd?

Mens thoughts to come later...

[bek]

Don't ruin it for the rest of us please. She has an image to uphold.

Another Aliya appreciation post from buzzfeed:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/the-u...tafina-tribute

Love It.

[kappa_1]

Don't ruin it for the rest of us please. She has an image to uphold.

Another Aliya appreciation post from buzzfeed:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/the-u...tafina-tribute

Thanks, I LOVE this. It is perfect. I may one day prefer her to Diva Khorkina. Maybe.

Anyone else thinks Aliya kinda looks like she could be the younger sister of
Anna Bessonova?

They look pretty similar to me.

[Rob]

Thrilled for:
USwomen gold
Gabby's success
Hambuechen medal
Zonderland
Aliya gold on UB and good medal haul
Isbaza
Levya bronze
Uchimura AA
Beth's medal (wished for gold)
Aly's mental toughness paid off
Deng BB
Men's event medals spread around
He Kexin comeback

Disappointments
No gold team for Japan men
Russia women not grabbing AA gold
Uchimura mistakes
Komova just no fight in her
Afanasyeva and Isbaza not quite enuf on floor
McKayla needed just one more vault
Orozco/us men underperformed
Tired of Zhou Kai
GB and UKR sliding down a spot
AAtie breaker is dumb
Jordyn missing AA
Iordache injury then wasting 's spot on Beam
Sui Lu looking more sad than Komova
Not crazy about Ponor anymore
No medal for Chuso
Phillip Boy

[skatingfan5]

- Mustafina is also a goddess. She (along with Afan and Sandra) has something on floor NONE of the others have. Alas, she also has comical "twisting." Yukari Nakano would be proud of all that leg-wrapping.

Yes, she rates a platinum medal for her "twisted twists."

- I couldn't really tell from where I was sititng but was Sui Lu sobbing after she went 2nd?

Yes, she was in a major way. Quite a few posts up thread about her reaction to getting silver.

Mens thoughts to come later...

Thanks for your "fresh from the arena" reports.

[Cachoo]

I don't take any of the "bitchy" accusations seriously. I do get a laugh from them though. Where are all of the "bitchy" men? In fact you rarely hear this sort of thing when it is guys competing. We females sometimes are so hard on ourselves.

[pollyanna]

Don't ruin it for the rest of us please. She has an image to uphold.

Another Aliya appreciation post from buzzfeed:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/the-u...tafina-tribute

Oh man, that is priceless!!!

[Jimena]

I don't take any of the "bitchy" accusations seriously.

I do. That's the opinion of every person in my family who's been watching NBC.

My sister even called Aliya "malcriada" in Spanish.

It's annoying.

[Buzz]

Need more sleep....

[Buzz]

Neve mind

[gingercrush]

Did Ponor get credit for that back tuck? I don't think she did.