10 Weekly Tidbits - 3/17-3/23

Pac Rim Event Finals

Property of Jennifer Buchanan

Pac Rims concluded last Saturday with the American Women earning every gold with the exception of Senior Vault, which no one attempted to earn. (Do any of those girls even have a second Vault?) Arguably, the biggest disappointment of the meet was Victoria Moors of Canada, who many expected to contend for floor gold, who struggled on her final two passes. You can check out USAG Coverage of both Junior and Senior Event Finals on Youtube. 

Spanny tells us "How (she) Learned to Dougie"

Spanny Tampson posted a remarkable tribute this week to Gabrielle Douglas. If you haven't read it yet, you should certainly check it out.

Property of Ryan Schulz

Kamerin Moore to Nebraska, Kiana Winston to Alabama 
The Recruiting Class of 2014 lost two high profile recruits after both Kamerin Moore of Twistars and Kiana Winston of Texas Dreams committed to Division I schools. McKenzie Wofford of 2014 also previously committed to Oklahoma, and Chanen Raygoza to Georgia, but many 2014 recruits remain uncommitted.

Casey Jo Magee Continues to Upgrade

Casey Jo Magee, who Marta seemed to count out for quite a while has been making major upgrades and has the Facebook Videos to prove it. Most impressively, she's got a roundoff-full-beat jump combo on beam. CJM, who looks as fit as ever, could legitimately factor in to this Olympic Picture.

Aliya Mustafina takes Russian Championship
Not shockingly, with Komova out due to an ankle injury and the reigning champion Dementyeva home sick with tonsillitis, Mustafina took the All Around Gold Medal at the Russian Championships. Long time veteran Afansnasyeva and first year senior Grishina earned silver and bronze respectively. Kristina Goryunova, who is unable to compete in London due to testing positive for illegal substances earlier this quad, topped the beam rankings with a 14.933.

Dare Maxwell Returns to Dynamo

Property of Gym Examiner

After Sara Maxwell posted videos of her daughter Dare at Level 10 Oklahoma States, I asked around and discovered that Dare returned home about two weeks ago to train at Dynamo. I've been reassured that although she'll compete Level 10 this season, she will compete both Level 10 and Elite Bars and Beam next year. She's already been working on upgrades on those two events. No word on the reason for Dare's move.

Double Front brings fundraiser to a close

Kristal Bolden of Double Front gained a press pass to this years European Championship and is still looking to raise a little bit of money to get there. If you can help at all and enjoy top notch blog coverage, please help support her!

Cottubus Qualifiers

The Cottubus Cup is underway and qualifications have concluded. Big names on the women's side include Brittany Rogers and Dominique Pegg of Canada who are both returning from injury, He Kexin and Elisabeth Seitz on Bars and Diana Chelaru who qualified to three event finals. 

Ellie Black of Canada is a BAMF

I got a link on Twitter showing "Canadian Olympic Hopeful" Ellie Black's superb combo on beam. She's fairly good on Vault, Beam and Floor and could possibly factor into that picture. But with at least 12 Canadian girls with a legitimate shot, anything could happen.

NCAA Regionals

Property of UGA Gymnastics

Women's NCAA Conference Meets begin this weekend. Keep you eyes peeled on Twitter to see all of the fun  unfold and check out College Gym Fans for links to results and live coverage.

My 11 Favorite Routines of 2011

11. Ana Sofia Gomez on Beam at the Pan American Champs Event Finals

10. Nica Hults on Beam at the US Classics 

9. Aliya Mustafina on Bars at The American Cup

8. Diana Bulimar on Floor at World Championship Qualifications

7. Kyla Ross on Beam on Day 1 of Visa Championships

6. Aly Raisman on Floor at World Championships Event Finals

5. Viktoria Komova on Bars at World Championships Qualifications 

4. Katelyn Ohashi on Beam on Day 1 of Visa Championships

3. McKayla Maroney on Vault at World Championship Team Finals

2. Jordyn Wieber on Beam on Day 2 of Visa Championships

1. Sui Lu on Beam at World Championship Team Finals

6 Gifts I'd Like to Give this Season

 

I'd like to give a class with a legitimate dance instructor on turns to the US National Team. We can exclude Vega, Maroney, Wieber and maybe a few of the juniors, but many of these girls SERIOUSLY need to clean up their turns! 

I'd like to give Vanessa Ferrari a long sleeved leo. Any long sleeved leo, as long as she promises to wear it in the AA/Event Finals of her next international competition. I don't know if she's more comfortable in short sleeves, but it drives me crazy! 

I'd like to give Lindenwood Head Coach Gretchen Goerlitz the perfect addition to her 2012 recruiting class. She's still looking for 2-4 recruits that she can add to her lineup. Could it be you? Fill out the recruiting questionnaire!  

This gift is courtesy of Jessica (@bportgym1). She had the idea to give Katelyn Ohashi a book on Chinese Ethics, hopefully coercing her onto the Olympic Team! :) 

I'd like to give Marta Karolyi 15 Plane Tickets to anywhere outside of the US to use before July 1st. Hopefully she can send some people to international assignments!  

Many of you gave your opinion about what to give Komova! (There are actually too many to mention, but nearly all of these are from you all!) I decided to give her a bathroom cabinet... complete with advil for her "sore loser", caffeine pills, hair conditioner, and for good measure, although it wouldn't be in a bathroom cabinet, an ice cream sundae! 

What gifts would you like to give this season?

(Photos property of AP, Getty Images, Couch Gymnast, GK, USAG)

10 things that our favorite gymnasts MIGHT be doing this Holiday Season!

After I published the Thanksgiving Edition of this post, many of you asked for a Christmas or "Holiday Season" version. Here are 10 things that our favorite Gymnasts MIGHT be doing this Holiday Season!

(Brigid McCarthy)

10. Mexican national team members decorate their gyms with their 2011 Podium Training Leos. 

9. Aly Raisman develops carb and fat free latkes, made entirely of air.  

8. Shawn Johnson gives Jordyn Wieber the cursed "World Champion" fruitcake that Khorkina gave her 4 years ago. Marta suggests that she regift it to Komova. 

7. We finally discover something with more glitter than the Rockefeller Christmas Tree: A Parkette's hair. 

6. Mary Lee Tracy recommends leaving celery out for Santa to encourage "Clean Eating"

5. Nastia Liukin surprises St. Nick when she leaves her 7 inch platform heels out for him to leave treats in. 

4. For some reason, your Christmas Hamm begins assaulting the green bean casserole and cranberry sauce. 

3. Bela Karolyi dresses up for a "Breakfast with Santa" event for children under 12. No one is surprised when Yao Jinnan shows up. 

2. An anonymous donor sends Al Trautwig, Elfi Schlegel and Tim Daggett the Gymnastics for Dummies book for Christmas. Chapters include: "How wide is the balance beam?!", "Nastia Liukin has Russian Parents" and "Losing sight of the beam is hard!!" 

1. The US National Team bonds by decorating gingerbread men. Unfortunately, it seems that all the cookies ended up breaking prior to the big decoration day. 

(Property of National Geographic, Candy Caldwell)

Your Questions Answered - 11/21-11/27

I've gotten a some questions this week. Here are my answers!

(PR Photos) 

Izzi B asked: "I'm confused about what it means that Chellsie's now a judge. What exactly will she be judging and how can she still compete if she's a judge?"


Chellsie is a Brevet Judge which means she can judge JO, NCAA, Elite and International competition. Kathy Kelly (VP of the Women's Program) has been asking Chellsie to take the course for a while, but Chellsie thought now would be a good time because she's recovering from her shoulder surgery. She said she spent a lot of time studying and only had a month to learn it all! Chellsie and Tabitha Yim both tested as Brevet Judges at the last development camp. Chellsie is still training, and plans to compete this season, but sees judging as something good to have as an option. 


Bridgette asked: "You posted a link to a 'day in the life' for Jordyn Weiber (sic) which indicated she already has endorsement deals but they're just not public... am I reading that right? I thought she wasn't accepting endorsements yet even though she went pro? I'm confused!"


In the first press release stating that Jordyn went pro, her mom said that they "might look into representation" after the Olympics. Apparently, Mama Wieber didn't realize that the bulk of sponsorships come before the games. Jordyn does indeed have endorsements which are rumored to include Proctor & Gamble and Kellogg's. 

(Property of John Cheng)

Anonymous asked: "I saw another blog that said Komova would be unlikely for the American Cup? Do you agree with this? I already have my tickets, and I was really hoping to see a Komova/Wieber showdown. Do you think Jordyn and Aly will for sure be there? Who else do you think will show?"


The American Cup is a World Cup event, so the Top 8 All Around gymnasts from Worlds are invited. If anyone declines the next girl down on the list will attend. My personal opinion? I don't think Komova will come. In my opinion, Mustafina only attended because she thought she had no real competition. If Wieber is there, as she's said she plans to be, Komova WILL have major competition. Last year, the lowest ranking competitor from Worlds competing WAG at the American Cup was Hannah Whelan, who placed 16th at Worlds. Anyone who placed above 16th is a good possibility.  Another possibility could include Ross being thrown in similarly to Wieber last year.


Izzi B asked: "How come McKayla doesn't preform (sic) two vaults at events like Visa Nationals? Sacramone does to show what she would do at event finals, and obviously McKayla competed in EF at worlds, so why doesn't she show two vaults too?"


McKayla did compete two vaults! She competed both of her vaults at both Championships and Classics, but NBC chose to only show her Amanar. That's how she came to be the National Vault Champion! Brandie Jay competed 2 vaults as well. 

(Property of USA Today)

A asked: "Is Aly Raisman bringing back the Amanar?" 

While I haven't heard one way or another about Aly's Amanar status, I'd guess that if she stays healthy  (knock on wood), Aly will try to bring back the Amanar. It's been said across the internet that to make this Olympic team, you either need an Amanar or a finals worthy bar set. I think that Raisman will try as hard as she can for the former. Her landings have been scary in the past, but I think that with a little bit of work she can get it rotated all the way around.

If your question wasn't answered, check back Thursday for an entire post on your question, or early next week! (An insider has answered one of your questions for Thursday!)

Do you have a question? Whether it's fact or opinion, I'll answer it! Ask me here! 

The 11 Most Awkward Gymnastics Moments of 2011

11. You know that moment when you all show up to prom and you’re wearing the same dress as 3 other girls?

(All Photos Property of USA Gymnastics)

10. Worley Misses the High Bar (@thesplitleap)

Shayla Worley was supposed to be the star of Georgia. Unfortunately, no gymnast since Kristie Phillips failed to meet expectations so severely. This one takes the cake though, as Worley fails to mount the high bar. Last time I was in a gym, even Icould do that.

9. Peña’s Pan Ams Mishaps

After Peña struggled on her Handspring Double Front Vault at Worlds, most people in the gymnastics community thought one of two things: Either her struggles were a fluke or she’ll water down her vault. Nope. In both AA & EF Peña kept on falling/kind of landing and looks surprised when she does. I think she’s the only one who’s surprised at this point. Everyone is waiting for her to get severely injured; I hope she waters down before she does.

8.  Anna accepts Alicia’s Medal

This is only number 8 because Anna handled it so well. When Alicia Sacramone tore her Achilles, Marta oddly didn’t call her in as a bar worker. She DID however, call her in to accept Alicia’s Medal on the podium. If it would have been me, I’d have punched a bitch. Too bad Anna Li seems like the nicest, most gracious person on earth.

7. Wieber wins SCAM and Afan wins Floor at Worlds (Omelianchik100)

While both Wieber and Afansayeva had great performances in their respective competitions, something’s just plain uncomfortable about a gymnast winning a competition that she didn’t qualify for in the first place. No rules were broken, but the whole situation is a little awkward.

6. Nastia’s Inside Gymnastics Interview

While I'm sure that Nastia meant well, telling the press that she gave the girls a “pep talk” that brought the “spark back in their eyes” was really uncomfortable, even if it was true. Many fans also argued that it was INCREDIBLY bad timing for her to officially announce her comeback just after the US Team competed amazingly. 

5. Al Fong claims that his gymnasts will make the Olympic Team

(Property of GAGE Gymnastics)

And just when I started to think Al Fong was mellowing out… In an interview after Championships, Gymnastike asked him how he thought his gymnasts would fit into the picture of 2012. A NORMAL coach might said, “We’re gearing up for 2012 and I’m hoping that my gymnasts can do well next year.” But Al Fong is no normal coach. He said: “Two of my athletes are Olympic Eligible, and we intent to make the Olympic Team.” That’s just something you don’t say in the USA. John Geddert hasn’t said it, so Al Fong who has two good (but not great) Juniors should probably keep his mouth shut.

4. Announcer calls Aja-Monet Sims “Hallie Mossett” at Classics

(Property of Gym-Style)

This moment was incredibly awkward because everybody KNEW how awkward it was at the time. As Aja-Monet Sims prepared to salute the judges on uneven bars, (she has a really great Weiler-Comaneci combo, by the way) the announcer called Aja Monet Sims, Hallie Mossett. Aja looked awkwardly at the judges in a “Am I supposed to be here?” way, and then the judges looked back realizing how awkward the mistake was. (These were 2/3 African American Girls in the Senior Division.) The judges waited for a second before giving her the green flag, but the announcer never corrected himself.

3. Chinese wear the 2012 Champion Shirts at Worlds

(Property of Brigid McCarthy, The Couch Gymnast)

(Photo Property of SI)

2. NBC’s coverage of Bross’s injury (@Tsukthepain)

As if severe injuries aren’t traumatic enough for everyone involved, after Bross dislocated her kneecap, unsure of what to do, NBC played nearly 3 minutes of reaction shots. From Nastia covering her face, Chellsie shaking her head and Carly Patterson saying, “It hurts me”, this was possibly the most uncomfortable 3 minutes of television I’ve ever seen. Maybe this raw coverage of Bross crying will help wake us up to the dangers of the sport? It was still awkward and uncomfortable.

1. Komova thinks that she won, Mom freaks
I loved the 2011 Worlds AA Competition. It’s been a while since we saw such a close competition where we knew it could go either way. However, if the whole .033 difference was awkward enough, Komova was a REALLY sore loser about it. There are cultural differences, but in my opinion, no Silver medal winner was this unsportsmanlike since Khorkina in 2004. I understand that being 16 is hard, and that missing gold by only .033 is even harder. But, Mama Komova didn’t have to call foul with the judges. The situation seemed really awkward for everybody! 

You all gave me great ideas! Thank you! Keep sharing your story ideas in the future! 

World Championships Wrap Up

So here it is! The blog I've been talking about for 2 years now. I'm just going to go ahead and jump in here.

The World Championships: USA was obviously the big winner, with China & Russia right behind.  
The team competition went as everyone expected after seeing how well the newcomers did in Prelims. The big surprise to everyone was Komova's fall (I wasn't surprised, seeing as she looks like she's dying), and the fact that Vega was as fierce as she was. 

The All Around, of course, caused ALL kinds of drama. Here's what I don't get. Everyone on every blog and twitter wanted a really close competition that came down to the last event. Apparently things got too close for comfort because now about 50% of Fans are just endlessly bitching about it. This is the premise of the sport. A bunch of gymnasts get up and perform their routines and then the judges decide which one had the best execution & difficulty based on the code. Isn't that exactly what happened? Yeah, it was by .033 but isn't that the point? Isn't it exciting to see someone win by such a small margin rather than the 6 Points Wieber won by at Championships? 
Anyway, Raisman needs to be acknowledged for her AA Performance. Now, I've never been a big Raisman fan (She sat in front of me at 2009 Classics and made fun of Olivia Courtney), but I'm over it. She made a MAJOR mistake and still placed fourth in the World. She also really stepped it up in TF, becoming the leader when A-Sac was injured. Aly Raisman is now officially Fierce in my book. 

Vault finals were so much fun to watch. Up and comers, chucked Double Fronts and Phan from Vietnam falling in the medals! Oksana & McKayla medaled, which was great. 


There weren't any huge surprises on bars, other than the list of qualifiers. Only one girl qualified from China and she wasn't He Kexin. I was super sad for Douglas, who hit every routine at Worlds EXCEPT for her EF Bars Routine. She was totally capable of medaling but she smacked her legs on the bar, so no medal for her. I wasn't shocked with the bar medals of Komova, Nabieva & Qiushuang. 


Sui Lu is the most wonderful beam worker on earth. Hands down. I was so utterly impressed with her routine; I almost cried. No, I'm not kidding. Komova fell, but this time, I wasn't anticipating it. She looked fairly solid through the rest of her routine. Sui, Yao & Wieber medalled. What kind of world is this where the Russians go 1-2 on Bars and the Chinese go 1-2 on Beam? Weird. 

And then, we come to the hot mess of floor. What the HELL was that? There were 3 replacements, 2 of which were made the day of. Bulimar, Ferrari & Komova all didn't compete. Now, I know that the rules say that a country can replace an athlete for no reason for EF, but I'm still not a fan of this. Would I feel different if Afan wouldn't have won? Probably. But still, how are you going to replace this poor girl you've been running down all competition on the very last event? I do not approve. (Unfortunately, It's not up to me.) Also, am I the only one that HATES Lauren Mitchell's floor? All this hype with a 6.4 and "It's gonna be amazing!" and THAT'S what we get? Ew. I felt like I was watching a lemur flip around on speed. I'm really glad she didn't medal. Finally, HOORAY FOR ALY! I was getting scared for her there. Getting 4th place in the All Around, on Beam and on 2010 Worlds would suck if you never ended up getting a medal. Hello Pavlova. 

Overall, I'm excited for the next year to unfold and to see Bross & Mustafina healthy again and I can't wait for Ross, Grishina and others to be Seniors.