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Saturday 26 January 2013

French World Cup and stuff

The La Roche sur Yon World Cup lineup and roster has been announced. It takes place 16-17th March. Luckily I despise the gigantic mess that is Dublin on St. Patrick's Day (revoke your citizenship if you don't pass out by 9pm!), so I'll probably watch a stream of this instead. This World Cup is the new location and subsequently name for Bercy. The roster/lineup is here. One of the nicest things is that Larisa Iordache will compete all-around, originally only being down to compete bars and beam. Must be as a result of dropping out of SCAM. Certainly she has enough to be getting on with, she should also be a star at Euros, which this year are individual only, much like Worlds. Diana Bulimar is competing beam only, there are other spots available on floor (I don't expect bars from her somehow..) so hopefully that might come to fruition. Russia are sending Aliya Mustafina, Ksenia Afanasyeva and Maria Paseka! Maria is vault ony, Aliya bars and floor and Ksenia beam and floor. Here's the exciting bit....wait for it...Aliya and Ksenia will have new floor routines! YES! Presumably with watered down tumbling, but I can't wait to see what two of the most exciting and potentially most elegant floor workers have to show. I will also be watching out for Janine Berger's vaults and Celine Van Gerner and Kristina Palesova's bars. There are currently no Asians listed, though I don't believe North Korea can qualify, as they have not had berths at the Olympics or subsequent World Cups. I would like to see Shang Chunsong or Zeng Siqi make their mark. And a Japanese contingent would be delightful, or more representation from Britain and Canada. Edit: Another odd thing is that Diana Chelaru is down for floor. She was slated to have retired last year. She definitely did leave the National Team and retreated back to her home gym, but nice to see her get another outing.

March is shaping up to be fantastic.
1st- Nastia Cup
1st-7th- Russian Championships
2nd- SCAM
16-17th- LRSY WC
21-24th- Cottbus WC
23-24th- Jesolo
30th- USA V Romania V Germany V Spain

:D 

There have been some slight changes to the COP. One of which is pretty dull, scissones must land on one foot, and not two. Switch ring leaps are getting a bit of a makeover, the back leg must be bent at a 90 degree angle, along with the previous requirements of head release, back leg at head height or higher, front leg at least at horizontal. There will be an 0.1 deduction for angles between 45 and 90, and total discredit for angles less than 45. This I think is in reaction to this monstrosity:

Not a switch ring leap in any code, but was credited. And to add insult to injury, it comprises the front cover of her book. Here's me trying and failing at a skill! Gabby does not have bad form as a rule, so I'm sure they had a cache of much better images to choose from. Anyway, here's what a switch ring leap now has to look like:

And not like these, they would all fail to avoid deuction or even get full credit:


Eww, hideous! Sigh. The 90 degree angle is jarring and takes away from the line. Who on earth thinks that the first one is more aesthetically pleasing than the 3 below? The other change is to the sheep jump, which must now have a 30 degree angle in hip extension. I hope everyone else is picturing beam judges everywhere squinting with protractors, because I certainly am. This means little for Russia and China, who are well capable. I think they will drop off a bit in popularity elsewhere, as it won't be worth the risk for those less flexible. I do think this will increase the risk for sheep jumps to become scrappier in the fight for the correct angle- feet apart, knees apart, sickling, one leg higher than the other etc. Hmm.

Ebee's new upgrades are cited to include a full twising double layout on floor, and a Mustafina (or half on, full off for its correct term, as it isn't the Mustafina in the COP) as a second vault. Jordan Chiles has passed elite compulsory testing. She will now have to pass elite optionals, at the WOGA classic on February 16th. Looking forward to seeing her shine at Junior Nationals. Grace Quinn of Texas Dreams passed elite testing, I haven't heard of her before so will keep an eye out. Maddie Desch has reportedly torn her mesniscus. A horrible start to her senior career, but it doesn't have a particularly long recovery so she could easily compete at Nationals etc.

Here is one of the funniest 'action' gymnastics photos I have EVER seen. Signing off with the fiercest warrior of them all, Llomincia Hall (rhyme an unintended bonus).

 


22 comments:

  1. Besides Kyla Ross, how many other US gymnasts do a sheep jump now adays?

    Sheep jump is not recommended for power gymnasts IMO because they never fully get it around. Can you imagine Ebee doing one?

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    1. Laurie Hernandez, Amanda Huang, Polina Shchennikova and Katelyn Ohashi. I suppose I'll count Sacramone, so 5, and I did miss a few junior elites. There are plenty more in the junior ranks in Europe and China too.

      Nah, I would hate to see Ebee or Priesman do one, gross!

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    2. alicia did a sheep jump in 2012 that was surprisingly decent!!

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    3. I kind of included her in my account..right before she announced her retirement and all. I can't judge hers, as the only angle I've seen it from could have her knees wide open. Her flexibility is not brilliant, so I can't her her legs being glued on it somehow.

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  2. ugh... Sacramone's sheep jump is a cheat. Kyla barely gets it and I'm sure it will disappear from her program soon as she gets older. I don't know, maybe she'll be able to pull it off since she has long legs...
    Among the top athletes, Komova, in my opinion, has the best sheep jump. Deng and Sui has nice amplitude but they have longer waist and shorter legs thus making the skill look less attractive.
    I'm all against the new switch ring leap rule... I agree with you on the 90 degrees rule. It's not pretty to look at!!! Are they trying to make it look like a nike jump from rhythmic gymnastics???? Well, at least we don't have to watch Gabby butchering it.

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    1. I was so impressed that she actually did a skill nobody in the world would recommend for her that I didn't even notice how good or bad it actually was. Rewatching it, yeah it's not amazing but it's okay.Side angle isn't really enough though. Kyla's depends more on her retaining her flexibility- and she doesn't have exceptional flexibility to begin with- rather than her height I think.

      Yes, I love Komova's. I loved the side-by-side slow mo of Deng and Sui's in London. Sui's is better. Eythora Thorsdottir's is great because her legs are glued together. Yep, it's very jarring, do not want..

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    2. I know right? I wish Eythora can upgrade some of her routines so that we can see her often in the championships. It's sad how some of the gymnasts go forgotten just because their difficulty isn't high enough or their home country isn't famous. Eythora has much cleaner form than most of the Russian or American juniors and yet she receives much less attention. Same for the Ukranian gymnasts.

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    3. I'm sooo looking forward to seeing her at Junior Euros. And hopefully seeing Noemi Makra getting somewhere at senior level. They are too good to only do meets like Massilia and the odd world cup. Vasylieva and Matveyeva are a bit frustrating at the moment, I really hope they can become much more consistent. I want to see a lot more of Livchikova. Sazonova, who has actual difficulty on floor, actually has fairly rough form by comparison.

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    4. Elizabetta Preciosa of Italy has a great sheep jump, I saw it in slow-mo while re-watching Olympic qualification videos.

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    5. Oh cool, didn't know she had. I was gutted when she ruined her chances of beam EF, though it would have difficult enough as her routine was easier than the others. She'll be at Jesolo, general feeling is that she won't be at euros.

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  3. Just wonderimg what is the 'usa v romania v germany v spain' meet?

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    1. It's a new meet, taking place in Germany. It was mentioned last year by MLT or some other coach as in 'Jesolo and the meet in Germany'. They are very close together and are down on the US calendar as European exchange or something, so presumably will have the same lineup. I am loving the fact Romania will be there too, but more of a look at their Juniors I expect...as it is also very close to LRSY, which Iordache and Bulimar are at.

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  4. ew, the new switch ring leap is UGLY. that bend is just so, ugh. why, just, why?

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    1. Yeah, and Rebecca's isn't even a full 90, more like 85.

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  5. There was a comment on Laurie's instagram congratulating her for being chosen for Italy but it appears to have been deleted, did anyone else see that? I wouldn't have thought Marta would choose the teams this early. Thoughts?

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    1. I wouldn't have thought they would be chosen until the February team camp.

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    2. Sorry, but what's Laurie's instagram??

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    3. Laurie's instagram is @the_smooth_criminal

      On another note I would love for someone to use 2cellos version of "smooth criminal" for floor music.

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  6. Where do these rules changes come from?
    Are they suggested changes from judges or coaches or are they whims of the rules committee?

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    1. I believe they are a result of FIG technical committee meetings. I'm not sure who has input, I would imagine only brevet judges and above. I know that when the code of points is in draft, they welcome submissions and suggestions from each country's gymnastics federation. I'm not so sure about amendments, if it's just internal or what. They are able to add amendements at any time.

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    2. I do understand that FIG would have to re-evaluate the CoP as this is an evolving sport, but it seems like some of the changes have some repercussions that last quite some time.

      Imagine training to the CoP and having some odd tweek to a basic skill that has been honed for years. It would be similar to a ballet dancer who has to re-learn fundamental dance steps, but without improvement of the movement. Then decide to change technique yet again down the road.

      I do miss artistry, if gymnasts were encouraged to practice proper technique, (pointed toes, no sickled feet, no bent knees...) rather than just throw down as many tricks as possible, I would welcome those changes.

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    3. Yes, it is a bit of a drastic change to the skill, and there are soo many juniors alone with lovely ones. This code is supposed to really reinforce artistry, we shall see. I think scoring at worlds will be quite a bit harsher than London.

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