Rumours Rumours/USA Trials Podium Training

-Rumours has it that Anastasia Sidorova is out of contention to make the Russian Olympic team, she is injured. Anna Dementyeva has apparently been invited back. Oh the drama.  You can read all the rumours at TheCouchGymnast.com

-Nastia Liukin IMO is not looking too hot at the USA's Olympic trials. She looks very labour on bars and is still heavily spotted by her dad. Her Pak Salto still looks scary. Her beam routine is ok, wonky leaps and she sets up too long for her dismount. Call me a hater, she's not going to make the USA team. If I'm wrong I'll be very shock and embarrass. She is still or was a wonderful gymnast. She was the rightful AA winner in Beijing. Whether you agree with this or not, she makes gymnastics look beautiful.
Kyla Ross's Amanar - I think this was the best I've seen from her but the landing looked scary. I also embedded her BB. She's lovely on beam but I wish there was something more, she is boring just like the majority of the American gymnasts.

Some British Gymnastics

Louis Smith PH - I admit that he is good but look at how cocky he gets at his dismount.
Beth Tweddle's New FX - It was a watered down set. I actually like the music choice but the dancing is still not artistic enough. Presentation is not her forte.
Beth Tweddle's UB - I'm still rooting for her and I hope she can win gold but I'm really starting to favour Douglas and Mustafina over her. It looks like bars will be an epic battle at the Olympics.

Artistic Gymnastics 2012- Get Hype

Montage made by onodipunchfront

The #1 Question...

...when will we get to see ksenia Afanasyeva's new floor exercise? Most gym fans have already seen almost all of the important Russian Cup routines. I hope we will eventually get to see Afanasyeva's floor routine. What I do know is that she severely watered it down. She mounted with double tuck and dismounted with double full. I wonder if she did any whips in her routine or double pike? I won't be online for the next two days so if it doesn't get uploaded today, hopefully it will be uploaded by Saturday.

Newer Russian Cup Videos

This YouTube Channel has newer/better quality Russian Cup videos: larasidl

You can find better floor quality vids of Mustafina & Komova.

Scary dismount fall from Afanasyeva. She has an ankle injury and it is really evident in this video. She still looks in great shape and still has an classy beam routine. She didn't connect the front aerial + ff + Pike quick enough, she was obviously struggling with her ankle. She scratched floor finals. Yulia Inshina on FX. She deserved her spot on the Russian training squad. Before I was harsh on her but she is a steady competitor. Decent floor.

Mustafina/Komova Russian Cup FX EF

Aliya Mustafina 

Not a completely bad routine. It's an very encouraging routine for her. She should be proud of herself for getting a full routine back. I'm glad she took out the 3/2 + 3/2 twists combo and subbed it for a clean double tuck. What annoys me are the stupid gym fans who comments on these videos and on forums. Some say she is not back at full difficulty, others say she needs to upgrade to a full in tuck. I think these people know nothing about actual gymnastics and it frustrates me how idiotic some people are. What I can agree with fans is that her music is not the best. I like the whole rock music theme but not the screechy opera music. She should do a re-edit and take out the obnoxious screechy opera vocals.

Viktoria Komova 

I really don't like her floor music. Yeah it's cool that she uses Amy Winehouse's and the Queen- The Show Must Go On but it's an overwhelming edit. Maybe she should cut out Amy Winehouse's obnoxious part. I do like the Queen though. In terms of actual gymnastics I really don't have any comments. I feel like this routine won't grow on me, but maybe it will. This routine doesn't scream AA gold.

More videos can be found here: semenova15650 YouTube Channel

Showing Some Anna Dementyeva Love

She didn't make the cut to Russia's Olympic training squad. I hope this will not be the last we hear from the hardworking Anna Dementyeva. She has been a very important gymnast to Russia this quad. She was the workhorse the lead off gymnast. She was the 2011 European AA champion. She should have at least been named to the Olympic training squad. 

Dementyeva's best quality was her smile. She would always be smiling no matter what. It was easy to root for this underdog gymnast. I'm glad she was able to enjoy some fame. Her 2010-2011 floor exercise was one of my favourite routine this quad. The music was perfect for her. She had a unique bar routine for a Russian. She did hop 1/1 + tkatchev (really pretty combo) and actually did a bail for bars transfer instead of the boring overused pak salto that almost all the Russian gymnasts do (yawn). Her floor consisted of an cool whip + whip + bhs + 3/1 full, and at one point she was dismounting with a full-in dbl tuck. Anna was a gymnast who was able to upgrade quickly but crashed quickly too. She has been battling injuries this year but still manages to have respectable bars and beam scores. I hope she will still continue and contribute to team Russia in the next quad (2013-2016). If not I will never forgot this determine hardworking gymnast. Anna is one of my favourite Russian gymnast.

Russian Preliminary Olympic Team Announced

The top 8 male and female members that are in running for the Russian Olympic team are:

Men: Dennis Ablyazin, Alexander Balandin, David Belyavsky, Emin Garibov, Konstantin Pluzhnikov, Nikita Ignatyev, Sergey Khorokhordina, Igor Pakhomenko.

Women: Ksenia Afanasyeva, Viktoria Komova, Aliya Mustafina, Anastasia Grishina, Tatiana Nabieva, Maria Paseka, Anastasia Sidorova and Yulia Inshina.

The official 5 men team and 5 women team will be named no later then July 7th. Source: CLICK HERE

My Thoughts on The Women's Team

No Anna Dementyeva? Are they crazy? Anna Dementyeva is more capable of competing better than Yulia Inshina, in my humble opinion. I'm thinking Anna Dementyeva is not fully healthy and that they have no faith in her. I'm also getting scared that Afanasyeva's injury might be worse than expected but I try to remain optimistic. If the team really is going to be named around the 7th of July Afanasyeva has a lot of healing and work to do. Russia hasn't been healthy lately. The status of Sidorova's injuries aren't really well known also. I think the clear locks are Komova, Mustafina and Grishina. The last two spots will be a battle between the remaining girls. I don't see Yulia Inshina making the team so I would cut her off first for my team prediction. Inshina could prove useful as alternate though. The next two girls I would cut off is Paseka or Nabieva. Paseka's chances of making the team is getting the Amanar, if she can't get it consistently I wouldn't risk having her on the team. Nabieva could fill in but she can only do VT & UB, sadly for her bars is covered and vault is also covered to a lesser extent. I will make a team prediction later on.

2012 Russian Cup EF Beam & Floor

Results: Click Here

Balance Beam Top 3

1) Viktoria Komova (6.3) 15.345
2) Aliya Mustafina (6.1) 15.00
3) Anna Dementyeva (6.4) 14.950

Floor Exercise Top 3

1) Aliya Mustafina (5.9) 14.750
2) Viktoria Komova (5.8) 14.300
3) Anastasia Sidorova (5.8) 14.150

2012 Russian Cup EF Vault & Bars

Vault
Ha, I knew Pavlova would win vault finals. So sad she has been blacklisted off Russia's Olympic team. Tatiana Nabieva got 2nd, good for her and Anna Myzdrikova is still around and medals 3rd. Maria Paseka couldn't get her Amanar. She can still possibly make the team but she has to get the Amanar consistent or she won't make the team. Russia really needs Amanars.


1) Anna Pavlova 14.390 (5.8/5.6)
2) Tatiana Nabieva 14.150 (5.2/5.8)
3) Anna Myzdrikova 13.800 (5.0/5.6)
Full results : Click Here

Nabieva, Pavlova, Myzdrikova

Uneven Bars
The beautiful Mustafina did an monstrous bar routine and scored huge. I'm really starting to favour Mustafina for the UB gold in London. It's good to see Grishina back she got 2nd place but it was only an exhibition routine. Komova did full difficulty but fell. Nabieva technically won 3rd because Grishina's routine was only an exhibition routine.

1) Aliya Mustafina 16.150 (7.0)
2) Anastasiya Grishina 15.450 (6.5) (Exhibition)
3) Viktoria Komova 15.150 (7.0)
4) Tatiana Nabieva  14.900 (6.1)
Full results: Click Here 
* Please note the full results gave incorrect last name to Anastasia Grishina as Anastasia Sidorova. It is a major error as Anastasia Sidorova bars difficulty is nowhere near past 6.0 and bars is her weakest event.

Komova, Mustafina, Nabieva

Komova Wins 2012 Russian Cup AA

Aliya Mustafina, Viktoria Komova, Yulia Inshina

Results: Click Here

1) Viktoria Komova 15.200 + 16.200 + 15.067 + 14.300 = 60.767
2) Aliya Mustafina 15.067 + 15.867 + 14.100 + 14.133 = 59.167
3) Yulia Inshina 13.700 + 14.200 + 14.400 + 13.867 = 56.167

The beautiful and talented Viktoria Komova wins AA. I really want her to win AA in London. She has it all. The fierce Aliya Mustafina came in second and the quiet Yulia Inshina came in 3rd. I'm happy that Inshina can achieve the 3rd place because this will give her confidence to fight for a spot on the Russian team. It's not really clear who will be on the Russian team yet. Paseka has failed to hit her Amanar but she could still make it on the Russian team. Afanasyeva came in 4th and was a tenth behind Inshina. Afan hit beam and floor. Afanasyeva's floor was severely watered down, no DLO and to only end with double full, yet still scored close to full routines by Komova and Mustafina.

2012 Russian Cup Team Finals & Prelims

Hmm, I'm not sure where to begin? I guess results first (translated): CLICK HERE

Top 3 AA Prelims (VT + UB + BB + FX)

1) Aliya Mustafina 14.667 + 15.834 + 14.667 + 14.167 = 59.335
2) Viktoria Komova 14.800 + 16.134 + 14.000 + 14.300 = 59.234
3) Ksenia Afanasyeva 13.267 + 13.634 + 14.467 + 14.067 = 55.435

-My sources are coming from Nora at The Allaround Forum. She was in Penza, Russia.

Viktoria Komova did an upgraded bar routine and scored 16.134! She added the piked tkatchev and dbl dbl dismount. This would mean that her D-score would be at 7.0 and her execution was 9.134.  Unfortunately she fell off beam. She would have scored a 15.000 and would have been leading AA with a total of 60.234. 

Maria Paseka finally did an Amanar for a score of 15.800. Many fans are celebrating that she will be on the team but I beg to differ. She will now have to be able to hit it consistently throughout the competition. One time does not mean anything.

Ksenia Afanasyeva had new floor music and apparently it was nice. She mounted a dbl tuck instead of the DLO. She's protecting herself.

Anastasia Grishina was nowhere in sight. She apparently has a leg something? Was suppose to do only bars but there is no results to be found. I hope the coaches are just protecting her and decided she didn't need this competition. I also hope she's alright.

Aliya Mustafina hit all events. Seems like she is still doing her mediocre beam routine, Front aerial + flic flac, ugh. Her bars were monstrous though 15.834 She didn't do the Mustafina dismount though.

Anna Dementyeva got the highest beam score, but did not do well enough on FX & VT. I like Dementyeva and she still has a chance to be on the Russian team.

The Russians Are Coming

This week the Russian Cup (Nationals) will be taking place from June 12-17. It's not clear if we will see some upgrades but some things are known.

Tatiana Nabieva is back in the house. She was seen training in a new video and Alexandrov had said that she has almost resolved her weight issues.

Ksenia Afanasyeva is worried about her minor ankle injury. In a news clip she is considered one of the locks for the Olympic team. Alexandrov said that she will not show her full program at the Russian Cup. She is now doing acrobatics again. Afanasyeva will unveil her new choreographed floor routine. I'm excited for this. I'm glad the Russians are taking it easy on her. She is an older gymnast so she needs to rest more so that she can be in optimum form in London.

Viktoria Komova & Aliya Mustafina are training normal now and are doing all four apparatuses. Mustafina and Komova are training the Amanar into the pit. I hope this will be the first time we get to see Komova and Mustafina compete against each other for the AA title. They both need to have a friendly competitive rivalry.

Anastasia Grishina is also starting to feel sore in the legs according to Alexandrov. Hopefully it does not develop into something serious.

The google translated article can be read here: CLICK HERE

Anastasia Sidorova has been battling some injuries. I hope she will have a good showing. Her chances of making the team is not secure anymore.

Maria Paseka has to show us why she is useful to team Russia. She is unusable on beam and floor. Her only hope of making the team is to have the Amanar. Now would be the time to show it. Paseka is no Maroney. 

New Training Video - Dementyeva is looking fit. I wish her the best. She has been an important gymnast for Russia this quad. Tatiana Nabieva training on bars. Don't forget to read the descriptions for the video:

Thoughts on 2012 USA Nationals

Results: CLICK HERE 

USA is looking very EXCELLENT. At this point that Olympic team gold medal is theirs. As much as I like artistry, which the USA lacks in, they have strong and powerful gymnastics. Strong and powerful gymnastics can be just as beautiful as elegance and grace. I am still a fan of Russia but Russia really needs to bring it in London. Oh and the Romanians will not back down. I think USA and Romania has the most mentally stable team and will be the most competitive/aggressive team in London. Russia better be prepared because those two teams will eat them alive if they show any signs of weaknesses.

Of course I do like to criticize though. USA was pretty weak on beam and the scores were a teeny generous on all apparatuses in my opinion. But of course, it was a domestic meet so the scores will be a bit overscored.

Nastia Liukin: Did not have the best showing yet she still made it to trials. I don't see her making the Olympic team. I feel Bross is actually in a better position of making the team before Liukin. Yes, Bross before Liukin.

McKayla Maroney: Apparently she had an concussion from wiping out of her triple full? She will be at trials. I hope she is OK. I need to see her win VT gold in London.

Jordyn Wieber: Blah, I don't really find her interesting. She is a very good gymnast but she doesn't have something that I like, I'm honestly not sure what it is, meh. I would honestly be ok if she won AA gold in London though. My real beef with her is her beam. Her front handspring has no real flight connection into her standing 1/1. Take it out.

Gabby Douglas: She is one of my favourite American gymnast and her bars is one of my favourites this quad. As much as I want Tweddle to win UB gold in London I'm starting to favour Gabby and Mustafina to take the title. USA NEEDS HER BARS. Gabby is inconsistent on beam though and always messes up her layout step out on beam.

Kyla Ross: Hmm, I still like her for bars and beam. She finally got a mini fluff from NBC, lol. I think she will make the team. I'm so happy she does a safe, clean, beautiful DTY. IMO she doesn't need the Amanar to make the team. She scored 15.250 for a DTY on day 2.

Aly Raisman: She is CONSISTENT. Her Amanar is still scary and her bars are still atrocious but she's going to make the team. She really can't do anything about her artistry on BB & FX but that's USA for ya. I can't believe I'm saying this but it's because I'm being objective, if Raisman hits her FX routine and all her other competitors crumbles I would be satisfy with a gold for her on floor. But of course it's iffy to predict the future and I hope she doesn't win FX EF. I'm not sure what's going on with her 3/1 full but she's not getting it fully around and she's not even doing it from connection. Most gymnasts these days are doing their 3/1 full from connections.

Um, Liukin Is Looking Good

I was a doubter but I think Liukin is legitimately going to have a good showing at USA's Nationals. Do I think she will make the team, I'm not sure yet. Based on the video her pak salto is kind of scary and she had always had a bad pak. Her dismount looked ok but she had spotting assistance. Things leading up to the Olympic games just got a little bit more exciting!

It looks like she will be going for a 6.5 D-score:

Ono + Healy + Ono 1/2 + Gienger (E+E+E+D) 0.6CV
Tkatchev (D)
Pak (D)
Ray (C)
Double Front 1/2 (D)
3.4 + 0.6CV = 4.0 + 2.5CR = 6.5 D-Score

Dominique Dawes Interviews McKayla Maroney

Here is a clip of Dawes interviewing the current best female vaulter in the world, McKAYLA MARONEY. Maroney is adorable. She needs to be on the American team. I'm wishing her all the best of luck.

Sellathurai PH Gold at Maribor Cup

Australia's Prashanth Sellathurai WON gold on PH at this weekend's Maribor Cup in Slovenia. I have always liked his pommel work. He beat Smith and Berki, ha. Too bad Sellathurai did not qualify to the Olympics if I'm correct.

D-6.6 + E-9.125 = 15.725

No Olympics For Peng Peng Lee :(

This is such sad news. Peng Peng Lee injured her knee while attempting the DTY at the Canadian Nationals. Lee withdrew from the Canadian trials. I was looking forward to seeing Lee represent Canada at the Olympics. I kept on telling my friends that she was one of the major stars of Canadian gymnastics and that when they watch the Olympics they should look out for Peng Peng Lee. Now I will have to tell them she won't be competing at the Olympics. Instead she will be the honorary team captain, "Gymnastics Canada has named Lee as the Honorary WAG Team Captain for the 2012 Olympic Games as she is a dynamic and respected leader among the WAG NT athletes and that her winning attitude and determination are commendable." Click for source

I wanted to see Lee perform this FX at the Olympics.