The arena! Dun dun DUN

This picture isn't news, seeing as it's causing heart attacks on the gymternet. (I don't normally adopt phrases like that, but it's quite a handy one..).

Now, I am a little bit torn about this. At first I thought it was just like the Gymnova-red test event arena, and that it just seemed pink from a distance. But there isn't much doubt now that it IS pink and not a particularly good shade of it either. In a way, I kind of like that it's different and that it goes with the purple. But on the other hand, it's too busy, and it's jarring to people who have trained for almost their whole careers in neutral, red and blue backgrounds and mats. Let's all hope that they adapt to it quickly, there would be nothing worse than people who have trained their whole lives for this moment to be put off and make mistakes they would not otherwise have done. Luckily (or not as the case may be) the training hall is the same colour, so at least they have consistency with the colour to make the change easier.

The other issue is, it's going to compete with the gymnasts for attention. The floor should blend into the background. You shouldn't be able to recall offhand without checking youtube the colour of the equipment or floor at a given event, but this will stick in everyone's head and it is going to jump out of the TV screen. Let's not forget also- leotards! There's not many colour combos that would work well with this.

China will probably be the most jarring. Even if USA don't produce the flag 'possible TF' leo that's circulating, any version of it will look even busier than it already is. I don't think there will be many countries able to not clash with it. I want to see amazing routines, and not be distracted by someone's leo clashing with the loud arena. We might look back at these Olympics in 10 years on youtube and laugh at the brashness of it all, but it's very serious if it puts people off their game. Let's all think about how MAG are going to come across too, it's not going to do their image and their sport any good for the biggest showcasing of it to the world to look so girly. Here's hoping that we're all fussing about nothing and it will all be fine!

In other news, Giulia Steingruber plans to throw a tsuk double! This will upset Chuso's podium chances because although she plans to do one as well (and so does Berger!), the other two will have cleaner form.