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Monday 11 February 2013

Jesus Christ...

I'm going to jump on the Twitter frenzy about this...here is Mykayla Skinner's new floor routine. It's on TCG, Examiner, Gymnastics Coaching and Triple Twist so you can't miss it..but I'm just too excited about it to ignore it. I've posted about her and her opening pass in training before, but the routine in full deserves its own post. Presenting...a laidout double double, tucked double double, double arabian and 1 and a half into 2 and a half. Given her completely upright landing on the double arabian and overrotation (!!!) on the 2 and a half, I wouldn't be surprised for them to become piked and a triple respectively. Alternatively, she could add in a jump or two..or maybe a punchfront. Jumps now need to be a B value out of a D tumble, or A out of an E or higher tumble. This routine has been calculated to be 6.5..the same start value as Aly's, which had two jumps AND a punchfront A combination pass is not needed in the new code..I wonder if she could put a full twisting double layout, 3.5 twist or piked double arabian there instead? Incredible. I want to see this at worlds. I know she begins her first pass out of bounds, but there's a tiny snippet of a competition where she does it fine in bounds so I wouldn't be concerned. Mykayla is also training a Cheng which looks fine and not a fight to get around or anything. And she has had an amanar under her belt for a while.
Skip to 0:50 EDIT: I've just seen the complete video of this routine in competition and she does sit the double arabian, but it looks like a fluke, so I'm not bothered. This routine sells itself, she just has to nail it in front of Marta.

Even with disregarding the Fierce Five completely, USA already has enough powerhouses..Ebee, Lexie Priessman and Simone Biles. Mykayla would need to prove herself as an all-arounder before she could displace Ebee or Lexie..but with the difficulty she has, she could still get in to major teams. Classics/Nationals just got more interesting...

As for her new skill, it can only have a H value as it stands as that's what the tucked version is worth and it's the current maximum. However, that's not to say it couldn't get a higher value if she submitted it at worlds. They are forever revising the code, and it would be unfair to have both skills with the same value, as well as having the version with just a single twist worth the same. I wouldn't say definitely..but quite likely..that they would introduce I and J for this and for other future skills. OR revise the tucked version and full twisting DLO to G and leave this as H. Either or..

17 comments:

  1. I saw the video she fell on third pass, too. But how can she do this incredible routine!! Her layout double-double was better than she did in the training video. I think first two pass wasted too much energy so her dance elements looked a bit exhausted and she couldn't control her landing on the third pass.
    Let's hope that she can go to WC, but I think she has little chance unless she can execute Y900 MUCH better and have adecnet Cheng due to her club isn't famous :(

    BTW, I just watched the Elite Canada and I agreed that they don't have enough great elite gymnasts to challenge the top four. Moreover, they didn't seem to adjust new CoP in this comp, there are some highlight like Sabrina Gill 's UB (although she still has many problems...) though. Otherwise, do you know what happened to Moors? Her performances after London went worse, so did that in this comp. Her tuck double-double was risky and where was the last pass? I'm so worried about her. Did she have healthy problems or just because of growth?:-O I anticipated she would shine this year. Now I just can't except too much on her:( Hope she will be better in American Cup.
    p.s. Now I want to watch Italy Series A competition haha :P

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    1. The one in competition where she fell, she looked like she almost had it. In the training video her endurance looks fine, she even overrotates her last pass. I haven't seen her amanar in a good while, I hope it's better too. Well I think Simone Biles, Laurie Hernandez and Nia Dennis all stand great chances and none of them are from big name gyms, or even close. Anyway, I'm excited to see McKayla S at Classics/Nationals.

      Moors had some muscle tears in her back last year and it's why she watered down at the world cup and pulled out from the other one. I've no idea if it's still bothering her. She apparently did really well in floor EF, so I hope to see that. She may have just had a cold or stomach bug or something as she just looked so tired and lacklustre. She might be struggling with growth too. I hope to see her progressing from this at SCAM, she's a great gymnast.

      Did you see Shallon Olsen? Her form has deteriorated and it's pretty crushing to see, as her talent is huge. She's so young with such a high skill level that she can afford to take 2 years focusing just on her form. Ellie Black won all 4 EF's! As well as the AA. I was most impressed with Heaven Latimer, she has a very nifty floor and her beam has a lot of potential as aside from her layout full being the most perfect one ever, her routine looks a little empty still.

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    2. I said the reason for having less chance to big comps has something to do with her club due to her E score on FX last year. Why could the judges do that? She do have form issues but the score was too low compared to others. Apparently, I don't think her low scores have nothing to do with her club as USAG isn't famous for gymnasts' pretty forms at all.I do think her talent should be showed on the international scene.

      I see. Can't wait to see Moors next comp. :)

      Yes, and it didn't surprised me as I think she shouldn't have use too difficult skills when she was so young and had bad forms. I totally agree your point as last year I hoped she can only improve on her forms because the difficulty was high enough to beat others. I'm disappointed now and seriously doubt whether she will still be healthy to enter senior group.
      I was pleased with Heaven Latimer's improvement compared to Shallon Olsen's. Her layout is good but isn't steady enough I think (she fell in EF). I really hope that skill can always be in her routine haha. And if her coach can improve her forms while upgrading her difficulty, then it's perfect!
      (I'm so greedy :P )

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    3. Wow I didn't notice that before, yeah her e-score is 8.25 there. The only thing I can think of is if they discredited the first leap in her series and she therefore missed a requirement. I thought you meant more in general, that girls from small gyms have it tough so I was thinking of the other girls that aren't from established elite gyms. She's so powerful, her Cheng from that competition was uploaded and it's the most powerful one I've ever seen, she still has power left over when she lands. Amazing. If she hits her vaults and is consistent with her floor I can't see her NOT getting into the worlds team. She would complement Katelyn nicely.

      Yes, I really hope Victoria is better and was just having an off day. She certainly doesn't need to peak now but it's a shame not to see her at her best.

      Yes, I'm unsure about Shallon now. The fact that she's so young could stay in her favour though. The reason why I picked Shallon over Heaven for the IT girl of this quad post is just that, because Heaven is inconsistent. I hope she can improve on that.

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    4. I just watched her Cheng. My only response is WOW! Then now I want to see her Y900 which I think is very important to whether she can get a spot to big comps. If she has two great vaults and fantastic floor routine (which her choreo is better than others in US ), she has no reason not being picked to WC. If so, I'll be very mad at Marta.

      Yes. her inconsistency is a big problem definitely. I choose her as she doesn't have much physical pressure (too difficult skills) and her forms is a bit better than Shallon's, it's not good enough though.
      The best consequence is that these two can represent Canada to major comps of course.

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    5. Her amanar last year wasn't great. Looking forward to seeing if it has improved this year though. Seeing as the Cheng is worth more and looks so easy for her, the amanar isn't as important. Maybe she will be at Jesolo or the German international meet, which will be a good test for her.

      Peng Peng was Canada's best gymnast, she really had it all. I'm sooo looking forward to seeing her compete at UCLA. Hopefully Canada can get a few juniors just as good as her.

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  2. That is some serious tumbling. I look forward to see how she progresses.

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    1. Me too, looks like she could really shake things up this year.

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  3. The tumbling is impressive though I'm not sure what else to make of it. Those Americans have some rather crazy skills on both vault and floor and seem just way stronger compared to other countries. It will be interesting to see how many actually make it to 2016 (those tumbles and those vaults must be doing all sorts to their bodies) and also how they fare on beam and Uneven Bars.

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    1. I'd love if her presentation improved but I'd be more than happy if it stayed as it is and she gets and maintains consistency with her tumbling because it's just that amazing and deserves to be seen internationally in its own right.

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  4. It's pretty amazing how upright she is and how good the form is on her tumbling. To be honest I don't think the dance is that bad, I actually find it better than Aly's, and the tumbling really sells itself. She does look a bit tired and not so 'into' the dance after the first two passes but since the remaining two were still well completed she may just not have been focusing on the choreo so much. Her Cheng looks good too though Cheng Fei's form on that is still the high watermark in twisting form on vault.

    I hope she gets somewhere with the skills, they definitely are worth showing off on a world stage, if she can land them cleanly in competition. Even vault alone I think is worth getting her into Worlds and floor is a bit of a bonus, plus she will complement Ohashi perfectly.

    By the way I think her name is Mykayla not Mckayla.

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    1. Oh thanks! I was looking at her name and thinking 'something is different here'.. I feel like calling them all the original form, Michaela, and being done! I'll edit.

      Yes, I'm not seeing big issues with her dance. It's also a new routine for her. It's also unlikely we'll see Sarah Finnegan this year as she is injured, and also unlikely McKayla Maroney would be back in time with a new floor. Kyla needs brand new choreography to be considered artistic. There just isn't going to be reams of artistic routines out of US this year for Mykayla to fall short of by contrast. In fact she may well outshine Lexie, Ebee and possibly Simone (potential there) in this regard.

      I agree that Cheng Fei had the best twisting form on it. And Vanessa Zamarippa's was beautiful too. But this one is the most dynamic and powerful of them all..with potential for upgrade. She wasn't even on a podium. BUT Cheng Fei usually landed it pretty low, and crashed it more than once.

      I think her and Ohashi would be a nice match, just like McKayla and Kyla were (if McKayla did floor..).

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    2. And that is just too many people on the senior National team with 'Kyla' in their name. Katelyn does too ha. No wonder I have issues, we don't change around with original spellings near as much here.

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  5. Kyla actually has nice lines, but she is very wooden through all her events which does impair her presentation a bit. To be honest I don't expect much in the way of 'artistic' routines from the US now! Certainly I think Mykayla's is less annoying than Lexie's which I really don't like, her music is simply awful.

    Yeah when Cheng Fei was on, it was beautiful, but it could easily go wrong as well because she would start twisting so late. In the air it made for good watching but gave her much less time to squeeze in the twists.

    I have to say Mykayla is a rather odd name.. Mckayla is odd, but Mykayla is even stranger. Katelyn is an OK name though I think the more usual spelling is more sensible (Caitlin). Sometimes I'm glad I have a plain ol' name..

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    1. Lovely lines, crap head throwback x 14 choreography and music that drowns her. I hope she gets a little more charm or sassiness into her beam too.

      Ha it makes perfect sense as Michaela though. Caitlin itself is an anglicisation of the Irish original version, Cáitlín. Looks much the same, pronounced as Cawtch-leen, emphasis on the first syllable and more gutteral than I can write phonetically. Actually that would be funny if she was lumbered with that to hear the trio trying it out..

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