Gymnastics News No.12 Part Deux!

[london_calling]

Loved seeing the U.S. women win team and Gabby win the AA. Wish they (outside of Aly) had done better in the event finals but you can't win everything.

The U.S. men were disappointing. I assume Horton is retiring so it will be interesting to follow the other four guys up to Rio.

I'm excited for a lot of the new seniors next year, especially Madison Desch, Katelyn Ohashi, and Lexie Priessman.

[Theatregirl1122]

Horton has said he is not returing and will be making a run for Rio as long as his body holds out. I love him, but I don't expect him to make too many more teams. Even for London, we could have made up a team that was equally strong if he had been left at home (although not really stronger) but taking him gave us more experience and leadership. The young guys will likely to continue to outdistance him. But as long as he enjoys training and competing for its own sake, he should keep doing it.

[floskate]

This made me chuckle:

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8...pac0o1_400.jpg

Pretty much sums it up.......

[Loves_Shizuka]

Interview with Alexandrov

A really interesting interview from the Head Russian Coach

About Grishina:

"Grishina was supposed to be among the key players, who could compete for medals at this Olympics. However, it turned out to be a failure, as everyone got into (a) final (s), but her..In my opinion, this was an outright error..."

Ouch!

Apparently Boginskaya was hard to work with. Bet he has some tales to tell

[elka_sk8]

Really interesting interview. Yeah the bits about Grishina were certainly a bit chilly.

Hope he stays with the Russian team because despite the tears and not accomplishing everything they were hoping for, they've come a long way since 2008. I hope the girls stay healthy and that their accomplishments influence more kids to take up gymnastics, because the lack of depth will still limit the team for years to come.

[bek]

The scary thing is that he brings up Valentina stating to the press that Aliya was only a medal threat on bars. Apparently Mustafina commented on it to Alexandrov after she took bronze in the All Around. Some are saying that the Rodionenkos although who knows don't think much of Mustafina in general. Hopefully that changed seeing as right (although I haven't checked for sure) she's actually the most decorated Russian athlete at the Olympics. They should be kissing this girl's feet. Just about every good thing that has happened for Russian gymnastics that girl has delivered for them-over and over again.

[caseyedwards]

Mustafina is the best!!

[MR-FAN]

From a once-every-four-years gymnastics fan, these were my impressions:

MUSTAFINAAA!!! She's a freakin QUEEN!! A deliciously dramatic diva! There's a glorious aura about her. She has an amazing sense of theatrics! I just couldn't take my eyes off of her. When she's mad, I love it. When she's victorious, I love it. When she's a leader, I love it. When she's motherly (towards Komova), I love it. LOVE her! And what a face! Huge fan of hers, and I'm so glad she won her tie-breakers.

I love Gabby's personality, but she's a gymnast who I'd only enjoy when she's on. and not just on (as in Qualifications), but ON (ala AA). I was very happy she won the AA.

Komova bored me to tears 80% of the time. I recognized her great lines and style, but whereas Mustafina turned her fear and nervousness into great drama, Komova just faded into the background. But I gotta say: Her UB routine in the AA was amazing, and even more so was that AA Floor exercise! The BEST floor exercise of the whole Olympics. When she's confidant and delivers, I'm buying what she's selling

Is it me or is Aly Raisman very robotic in everything she does? Wasn't a big fan.

Big fan of kohei uchimura. Had many unfortunate moments, but even then I could see that he was worth the hype

How freaking AMAZING was Zonderland and his brilliant horizontal bar routine?!? Most memorable performance for me on the horizontal bar since Alexei Nemov in Athens

Question: If I want to start becoming a more regular fan of gymnastics, what events should I look out for? ie when does a season typically starts, and what are the main events to look out for? I'm assuming there's a worlds championship and a European championship every year, what else? Is there something akin to the GP series in skating?

Thanks!

[skfan]

From a once-every-four-years gymnastics fan, these were my impressions:

MUSTAFINAAA!!! She's a freakin QUEEN!! A deliciously dramatic diva! There's a glorious aura about her. She has an amazing sense of theatrics! I just couldn't take my eyes off of her. When she's mad, I love it. When she's victorious, I love it. When she's a leader, I love it. When she's motherly (towards Komova), I love it. LOVE her! And what a face! Huge fan of hers, and I'm so glad she won her tie-breakers.

I love Gabby's personality, but she's a gymnast who I'd only enjoy when she's on. and not just on (as in Qualifications), but ON (ala AA). I was very happy she won the AA.

Komova bored me to tears 80% of the time. I recognized her great lines and style, but whereas Mustafina turned her fear and nervousness into great drama, Komova just faded into the background. But I gotta say: Her UB routine in the AA was amazing, and even more so was that AA Floor exercise! The BEST floor exercise of the whole Olympics. When she's confidant and delivers, I'm buying what she's selling

Is it me or is Aly Raisman very robotic in everything she does? Wasn't a big fan.

Big fan of kohei uchimura. Had many unfortunate moments, but even then I could see that he was worth the hype

How freaking AMAZING was Zonderland and his brilliant horizontal bar routine?!? Most memorable performance for me on the horizontal bar since Alexei Nemov in Athens

Question: If I want to start becoming a more regular fan of gymnastics, what events should I look out for? ie when does a season typically starts, and what are the main events to look out for? I'm assuming there's a worlds championship and a European championship every year, what else? Is there something akin to the GP series in skating?

Thanks!

from a fellow once every 4 years (or less often) watcher, i agree with most of what you said. i just *love* watching mustafina.

i would like to ask you, though, when during london olympics did you see that uchimura was worth the hype. in which event, on which apparatus, etc. i'm just curious, because i came to the conclusion that uchimura was special from watching youtube vids from 2011 and earlier. show me where i failed to see the light

[b-man]

From a once-every-four-years gymnastics fan, these were my impressions:



Question: If I want to start becoming a more regular fan of gymnastics, what events should I look out for? ie when does a season typically starts, and what are the main events to look out for? I'm assuming there's a worlds championship and a European championship every year, what else? Is there something akin to the GP series in skating?

Thanks!

I am in the same status as Mr. Fan, ususally watch every four years, but want to follow sport closer now. Have been going to skating competitions last three years and I want to go to some big time gymnastics competitions as well. Likewise, I don't know what to look for. I see the worlds is next fall in Antwerp. I see there was something called the America Cup in new york earlier this year which had the top Americans and Romanians, but I don't think any Russians such as Mustafina or Komova competed. If I want to watch [B]all[B] the top female gymnasts, is the worlds in Antwerp the only choice? I see the Kellog's tour stops in my city, just an exhibition but I will go to that. Although Bek has probably turned most of you off of Komova, she has turned me on to Komova, and I enjoy watching Iordache as well despite her substandard London performance.

[MR-FAN]

from a fellow once every 4 years (or less often) watcher, i agree with most of what you said. i just *love* watching mustafina.

i would like to ask you, though, when during london olympics did you see that uchimura was worth the hype. in which event, on which apparatus, etc. i'm just curious, because i came to the conclusion that uchimura was special from watching youtube vids from 2011 and earlier. show me where i failed to see the light

I just loved his legs! Stuck together every second of every performance even in slow-mo. The was very apparent during horizontal bar, rings and vault in the AA, and floor exercise in the event finals (where he wuzrobbed . And he has this aura about him just like Mustafina. When the camera zooms on him, you feel greatness that only radiates from people knowing how great they are. confidence, but not arrogance. And the point of his toes! Never an ugly or sloppy position unless he screws up, and even then somehow it still looks elegant!

No comment on parallel bars though, I NEVER understood this event

[floskate]

From a once-every-four-years gymnastics fan, these were my impressions:

MUSTAFINAAA!!! She's a freakin QUEEN!! A deliciously dramatic diva! There's a glorious aura about her. She has an amazing sense of theatrics! I just couldn't take my eyes off of her. When she's mad, I love it. When she's victorious, I love it. When she's a leader, I love it. When she's motherly (towards Komova), I love it. LOVE her! And what a face! Huge fan of hers, and I'm so glad she won her tie-breakers.

Thank you for this. This sums up exactly what makes Mustafina so special. Glad she called Alexandrov on the Rodionenko's article. Maybe that gave her extra motivation?

[Hedwig]

The article is certainly interesting.
I was so disappointed with Grishina as well. Interesting how she trains and how much her mother seems to be part of it.

And I did not know that Oleg Ostapenko was back in Russia. I thought he was still with the Brasilian team?
I will always love him for Podkopayeva so I am glad to hear that he is back in the Russian program (or for him not really back as he used to be in the Ukrainian program but you know what I mean).

[gingercrush]

I just hope Grishina doesn't get the Dementyeva treatment and finds herself locked out of worlds etc. Yes she was disappointing but she has so much potential as well.

Gymnastics really wasn't good for the newcomers. Iordache, Grishina and Ross to a far lesser extent (hit in team final but didn't make event finals) all disappointed.

[Loves_Shizuka]

Ross performed fairly well IMO; it's just her best (UB and BB) were quite stacked to begin with... well UB was lol. The UB final was very high quality. I think her time is yet to come and some perhaps were slighlty overrating her indiviudal chances.

Grishina WAS disappointing.

Wasn't there some trouble betwen Ostapenko and the Brazilian fed? Another poster here was saying he basically got kicked out.

[Hedwig]

Yes, I remember that - but I thought he was let in again?

But now it seems like he was in charge of Russian juniors (and maybe even the Senior team?) since a while.

I would love to have more details if anyone knows more about it.
I am very fangirly about the Russian team right now. :

[bek]

Oleg was in charge with the Russian Juniors but they got rid of him.. And Alexandrov clearly wasn't happy about it. He's now back in Brazil.

[Loves_Shizuka]

Just digging around it seems some Brazilian millionaire talked Ostapenko into going back to Brazil in preparation for Rio

[Hedwig]

Just digging around it seems some Brazilian millionaire talked Ostapenko into going back to Brazil in preparation for Rio

Ah, okay - so he is back in Brasil already? That is a pity for Russia but good for Brasil of course.

[skfan]

I just loved his legs! Stuck together every second of every performance even in slow-mo. The was very apparent during horizontal bar, rings and vault in the AA, and floor exercise in the event finals (where he wuzrobbed . And he has this aura about him just like Mustafina. When the camera zooms on him, you feel greatness that only radiates from people knowing how great they are. confidence, but not arrogance. And the point of his toes! Never an ugly or sloppy position unless he screws up, and even then somehow it still looks elegant!

No comment on parallel bars though, I NEVER understood this event

thank you, MR-FAN, for explaining. i will re-watch and see if i can see all the details you pointed out. i definitely appreciated the absence of sloppy form, but i'm not sure to what extent that nullifies my sense of uneasiness watching him. i don't know what it is that made me instantly decide i'm on his (uchimura's) side, but it's something irrational, probably, because i already favored him, even before i saw the youtube vids of him looking much more sure-footed in 2011. maybe it's that aura you've pointed out


i hope someone answers your q's about when the major gym events are held, etc. maybe someone who truly knows gymnastics will link us to a FAQ about such things, why not all events are held every year, etc. questions like, why are some gym fans not so excited about NCAA etc. will probably not be on the FAQ.


one question that has lingered in my mind --why does kyla ross put one leg in front of the other like she's stepping from one bar to the other on the uneven bars? i seem to recall that this has been done by other gymnasts in the past. perhaps it's a matter of style, but i've always found it less aesthetic.

thanks again. you make 4 year fans look smart