Photos here: USA Gymnastics
My thoughts.
The heir apparent?
I really like Bross in a way that's quite different from Liukin. She's got a tough-as-nails look about her. She muscular, compact and boyish. She lacks the grace of Liukin but has raw power. It's got to be tough to be the third gymnast from your gym in a line of Olympic all-around gold medalists. And looking on to 2012, I think the super stars of those Games are likely juniors right now. That being said, at least Bross is age-eligible to compete at worlds ad start gaining experience. Her dance needs some work, but it was a testament to her for hitting bars, not a strong event for her, and for having the meet-high on the event so far. On her Patterson dismount off beam, apparently she missed it in warming up as well. It's amazing because, I know a double Arabian off beam is tough, but in all the years watching Carly do it, I can't remember her falling on it. In other words, it's easy to forget how hard some skills are! Another thought that occurred to me: could you ASK for a better mentor than Nastia?
The Queen Returns
I am really digging these WOGA plum-colored leos. And Nastia's dramatic eyeliner. And her little French braid on the side. That being said, I've never seen her look so tentative. She actually looked nervous, versus at the Classic when she missed her Onodi and switch-ring leap in practice but hit in competition, here her practice looked better but competition not as good. No meltdowns though, and I mean, seriously, who even expected her to be here?! I really wish she would have just bit the bullet and done bars though. Like she has said several times, you have to start somewhere. Even if it's not spectacular, why not just give it a go, just to debut it?
The Rock Wobbles
I would have expected Sloan to have been more solid. I think she's coming into her own as a gymnast, but she still gets rattled by mistakes. Like the fall on beam. She couldn't let it go throughout that routine. And her piked full-in on floor? She normally lands that two-footed! What was her landing about?
Other random notes:
I am digging the sideways-bang-poof thing, as well as Sloan and Bieger's buns over their previous ponytails.
Love Hong's FX music (it's the old Sasha Cohen short program skating music from 2002). (Yes, I am a geek like that).
What is with the no lunging rule on FX? I know that's the new rule but, even when gymnasts looked like they landed and had control, they still took the step; they didn't even look like they were trying to land two-footed.
I remember the days of the 1992-1996 Quad, with Miller, Strug, Dawes... these were the years I grew up watching. And I must say, we NEVER saw a camaraderie like we see now. It's so refreshing. Especially among gymnasts who don't even train in the same gym. so nice.
Chellsie Memmel once again proves she's tough as they come.
2 comments:
After a mistake, it seems Bridget just goes extra on the next event to not fall again, but ends up doing her routines with too much power, like the pike full-in going OOB, at least it wasn't like trials
Yeah, there's no reason in the world she should have had that kind of landing on her piked full-in. She can land that tow-footed easily.
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