Just Because...

Anastasia Sidorova's 2012 Russian Cup floor routine. I quite like this routine. She was originally one of the most likely gymnast to make the Russian London 2012 team. She was rumoured to have an Amanar. Unfortunately she got injured.

 

Andreea Munteanu BB @ Match Avoine 2014

This beam routine is currently popular around the gymternet and I really like it. Munteanu is a very solid performer. I hope she will be successful on beam this year at worlds. Lovely leaps, difficult ff + tuck 1/1 and nice 3/1 twists dismount in connection.

 

Just Because

Gifs of Afanasyeva's new 2014 choreographed routine by graceandbeautywins.

(source: graceandbeautywins)

Afanasyeva's Full Russian Championship 2014 FX Choreography

Alyssia Spaan has uploaded Afan's full fx routine to youtube.  The original uploader was from VK.

I really like it! The more I watch it the more it grows on me. It has potential to be amazing. If not, I still like it and it's not because I'm bias. I haven't really seen a floor routine that I liked from this year (choreo wise) as much as I like this one. Afan does need to inject more sass :P or energy into her choreo but I feel that will come when she really needs to perform it. It's new so it should get better. The tumbling was obviously downgraded due to her just getting back into training from injury. She wasn't even suppose to compete but she decided to. I hope it was the right decision. I'm looking forward to her working hard to make the 2014 worlds team. Also, just in case if you missed it her DTY. Nice that she went for it.

I especially liked the whole choreo sequence from 0:33-0:51

 

Yang Hak Seon Kas 5/2 VT & Korea Cup 2014

I saw this Via TheAllaround Facebook. He landed it! I hear it's worth 6.4. The vault starts at 3:42 mark.

 

Just Because...Uchimura's 2011 EF FX

Ellie Black BB D-Score || Pacific Rim 2014

Here is Ellie Black's beam from the team/AA competition. She scored 6.6D + 8.4E = 15.000. Strong score.

2/1 turn + 1/1 turn (D) 0.1
Pike Front (E)
ff + layout (E) 0.1
ff + tuck 1/1 (F) 0.2
Switch leap + Switch leap 1/2 (C+D) 0.1
Tuck Front + Wolf (D) 0.1 
5/2 Twists (D)

3.5 + 0.6CV + 2.5CR = 6.6 D-score

 

Ross VS Key DTY || Pacific Rim 2014

I don't get how Ross can score the same execution score as Key's DTY. It probably has to do with the different codes? Key is a junior so the rules are different but I feel 9.5 for Ross is high. I do like Ross and when comparing her gymnastics to other gymnasts routines I can see the clean execution but not this time on the vault. What do you guys think?

 

Uchimura @ Tokyo Cup 2014

He is still the man. It's incredible how amazing he is. I watched this competition with a fellow gym fan and we were both fanning over his twisting on his FHS 5/2 vault. It's a thing of beauty.
 

Of course and his high bar is another highlight. That 3/1 DLO dismount! When I saw him do it I shouted fuck yeah!
 

Komova BB D-Score || Russian Championship 2014

This was an exhibition routine as she didn't make event finals. I am so happy to see Komova back in action. She does an exciting ff + Arabian + leap combo. It might not have been connected enough with the leaps but that is what she was intending to do. She only has one acro series so she will have to hit that connection all the time. All in all she still has time to perfect her routine and I'm excited to she her at her full potential again.

L-turn + Front Aerial + Sheep + Back Tuck (C+D+D) 0.4
FF + Arabian + leap series (F) 0.3
Dbl Turn (D)
Front Tuck (D)
Side-somi (D)
2 FF + Dbl Tuck (D) 0.1

3.3 + 0.8CV + 2.5CR = 6.6 D-Score! Pretty impressive.

 

A Sneak Peak at Afanasyeva's FX || 2014 Russian Championships

Here's a very short clip of what Afan's new choreo/music floor might look like when she gets back her full difficulty. I heard she scored 13.000 and didn't make event finals but she might perform one more time in team finals. This routine was super downgraded as the front 1/1 dismount proves it. Here's to hoping we get to see the whole routine.

 

And Aliya Mustafina's new routine too

 

Komova QF UB - 2014 Russian Championships

She's BACK! Haha sorry about the lame excitement, it's for humour effect. Hopefully it was funny but actually it's really nice to see Komova back in action. She is looking really good. She still has a nice look to her gymnastics. Seeing her bar routine I think she will still be able to bring back the big skills like the piked tkatchev and even the dbl dbl tuck dismount. I mean Tweddle was able to do it at age 27 so there should be no doubt that Komova could regain it back again. I hear she has a new skill on bars. Can't wait to see what it is. It looks like she finally took out the giant 1/2 before the dismount. The cast 1/2 was a bit iffy but it seems she really is not good at that change and honestly I have gotten used to the giant 1/2 that it's not even an issue for me. If it works for her it works for her but if she's intending to do the cast 1/2 hopefully she will improve on it. I heard she scored 15.000 for this routine. Seems reasonable.

Most of the video quality are not the best because of the live stream. I'm grateful for the Russian fans who recorded the live feed as this competition is too early for me to watch. I haven't check the results but based on pictures Mustafina won AA. For results you guys can check the official website. And for the full coverage you guys can check out luchinho84 youtube.  

Komova II + Pak Salto (E+D) 0.2
Komova (E)
Inbar 1/2 + Layout Jaeger (D+E) 0.1
Inbar 1/1 + Tkatchev (E+D) 0.1
Tsuk (D)

3.6 + 0.4CV + 2.5CR = 6.5 D-score

CoP - Tip of The Month

One of the CR (compositional requirements) on floor exercise is to show a dance passage worth 0.5. It must be composed of two different leaps or hops from the CoP. According to the code, "the objective is to create a large flowing and traveling movement pattern." This can be done directly or indirectly. Most of the times gymnasts will do it indirectly and take some extra runs into their second leap/hop. This can get boring and redundant.

Here are some examples of indirect dance passages done with some flair.

Deng Linlin 
Mai Murakami 
Marta Pihan-Kulezsa

What not to do Alicia Sacramone. She practically stopped and broke her indirect leap passage.

Example of direct dance passage by Yulia Belokobylskaya. I really like how she doesn't have to run into her second leap.