Saturday, July 18, 2009

Japan Cup

Our WAGS had podium training yesterday. The event website has a photo gallery of the session up in which, thus far, only Britt is featured. There is a work order up but as of this moment there is nothing listed on it.


Sometime later: Oh. Turns out the team event has already taken place. My bad!

The girls placed 4th out of 4 but they seem to have done a decent job considering it certainly wasn't an A team. Lauren disappointingly only got 13.800 on beam but she got the highest floor score with 14.5. She also got 14.1 on VT and 13.8 on bars... Larrissa got 14.1 on bars, nice job! Britt got 13.6 on beam and 13.4 on floor but only 11.85 on bars.

This is from the event website:

Russia and Australia started the competition on vault and uneven bars respectively. Russia had three strong vaulter; all of them did double twisting Yurchenko. Australia had a mistake by Greely (having a underrotation after free hip circle with half turn). The second half of the first rotation saw China and Japan on vault and uneven bars respectively. China had two double twisting Yurchenko's with better execution than that of Russians. Japan did clean routines without any mistakes and easily went ahead of Australia.

Australia had to count Mitchell's fall on beam in the second rotation. Mitchell, who won this event World Cup Final in Madrid last year but lost her control after layout back somersault.

Australia's highlight on floor was Mitchell, who did a very high piked full-in and got over 14.


Lauren and Britt are both through to the AA final. Good luck, girls!

*************************************************

Lauren 5th AA, Britt 8th (of 8).

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

The girls placed 4th out of 4 but they seem to have done a decent job considering it certainly wasn't an A team. Lauren disappointingly only got 13.800 on beam but she got the highest floor score with 14.5. She also got 14.1 on VT and 13.8 on bars. She is going to have to upgrade her VT to a DTY and work on her bars if she wants to make top 10 AA at worlds. Larrissa got 14.1 on bars, nice job! Britt got 13.6 on beam and 13.4 on floor but only 11.85 on bars - unless she gets it up it will keep her out of worlds.

mistysakura said...

Results http://www.jpn-gym.or.jp/artistic/2009/qr/jc/wt.html (the order is VT, UB, BB, FX)

Anonymous said...

Do they have apparatus finals? If so is it top 12?
The individual results were there also with
VX: 6 MITCHELL,Lauren (AUS) 14.100
7 GREELEY,Britt (AUS) 13.750
10 COLEY,Fiona (AUS) 13.200

UB:9 MILLER,Larrissa (AUS) 14.100
10 MITCHELL,Lauren (AUS) 13.800
12 GREELEY,Britt (AUS) 11.850

BB: 8 MITCHELL,Lauren (AUS) 13.800
9 GREELEY,Britt (AUS) 13.600
12ˆÊ COLEY,Fiona (AUS) 12.000

FX:1 MITCHELL,Lauren (AUS) 14.500
9GREELEY,Britt (AUS) 13.400
12 COLEY,Fiona (AUS) 11.750

Even Top 8 gives us finalists on VX BB and FX.
Good luck girls

Anonymous said...

I've just looked on the event website and answered my own question. It is an AA competition only with top 8 AA competitors. But you all probably already knew that.

Anonymous said...

Seems Lauren had a bad beam again on day 2, scoring 13.850. She came 5th AA, but if she had hit beam could have finished as high as bronze probably.

Britt did poorly, scoring only 12.85 on bars, 12.750 on beam and 13.150 on floor and finishing last.

Anonymous said...

Not sure, but if this is not our best 'A' team who is?
With the exception of Shona Morgan, these are the best girls from Nationals.
What is the status of Georgia, Ashleigh and Emma Dennis? I have 'heard' they are all training and fit, but can anyone confirm how they are going?
Japan only beat Australia by 0.175 at the Olympics, but now they are 7 whole marks ahead surely GA must be very very concerned about 2010.
What are we going to do about this. Do the juniors need more international competition experience? More camps? I know tis is the 1st year after the Olympics but that is the case for all the other countries and Canada, GB, France USA russia and China look stronger than ever.

Anonymous said...

Well it is not an A team in the sense that it does not have the best girls, due to injury. I would have thought that was pretty obvious. While they are all who were available right now, that doesn't mean it's the best we will be able to do for future meets, so I don't know why you're implying we should be trembling in our boots.

Not to take anything away from Japan but not only did they have 5 girls, they were their top 5 girls from Beijing who have also been selected for worlds. Uemura, Tsurumi, Oshima, Shintake, and Minobe are the best they've got. It is like us sending a team of in-form Dasha, Lauren, Shona, Emma and Georgia. Larrissa and Fiona will likely not be making it to worlds, and they aren't even on the national team.

So yes, I don't know how you can say it is an A team, because an A team would obviously consist of those who are on the AIS/GA Olympic squad, i.e. our best gymnasts. Duh.

Anonymous said...

I am sick and tired of people saying we are in a rebuilding phase."It's the year after Olympics and that is always weak" Over the years I have heard this TOO many times. I would have thought that the people running this sport and the National Coach would have addressed this issue I am sick and tired of Australia always playing catchup. where is the accountability.

Mez said...

"What is the status of Georgia, Ashleigh and Emma Dennis? I have 'heard' they are all training and fit, but can anyone confirm how they are going?"

For the last time, Emma and Georgia are GETTING THEIR STRENGTH BACK IN THE GYM. This comes directly from their coaches at Waverley. They definitely have Worlds on their mind and in the meantime are supporting Shona and the juniors that are coming up.

Georgia had ankle surgery. Emma had work done on her shoulder. Both have been doing the best they can to recover and get skills back without further injuring, or-reinjuring altogether, themselves.


Georgia has only just got her double somersaults (tuck, pike) back on floor. I can't imagine how long that has taken and I pray she's not going to re-injure her feet. It makes me cringe thinking about it. Emma is working on 2 vaults and uneven bars skills. Their coaches are very happy with how they are progressing.

I don't know what's happening with Ashleigh but I will assume she has stepped aside for good.

Shona spent much of nationals recovering from a head cold so to consider doing even half of what she did in Perth was amazing.

This IS a re-building phase and I'm sorry anon's are tired of hearing it. There is not much at this exact stage that can be done. Sure, these circumstances will probably be used to shape the program in the future so we are NOT left with so little depth when the supposed 'second tier' of international elites are needed. But right now we need to get behind the girls that ARE stepping up and ARE here to represent us right here right now, and try to find the positives instead of constant "Oh god it's the B-team and I reckon they're shithouse" moaning.

I'm sorry, people, but I'm really getting fed up. Yeah, Nationals wasn't so crash hot. we all noticed that. Every gymnast has another day, another week to keep working and another chance to improve.

Call me an optimist, call me a tosspot, whatever, I just get tired of the LAMENTING.

nade00 said...

Geez quit with the negativitiy, it is so tiresome. I mean what do you want, GA to come out and say 'yeh, are gymnasts aren't doing great, and it's x's fault!' The best thing you can do is work to overcome the weaknesses, rather than dwell on any lack of talent in this crop.

I think their primary goals for this quad should be sorting out something with the AIS, getting a decent head coach for QAS, ensuring it stays afloat, and also tapping into NSW IDP talent. Don't let those girls waste away!

I can't even begin to think of how much more depth there could have been in the past had some of the talented NSW sub-juniors been successful as seniors. Clubs are the way of the future for elite and you need to provide coaching and financial support if you want those girls to pay their way all the way up to senior. Waverley has shown clubs can produce olympians, so even without a state HPC there is no reason NSW should not have multiple WAG olympians in future going by their current depth and talent relative to the other states.

On another note, has anyone heard any info about Amber? It troubles me that she pulled out so abruptly and without reason. I really hope she's not contemplating retirement, because we need her!

nade00 said...

Btw Mez, my 'quit with the negativity' comment was directed at the person before you, not you. I was typing while you posted!

Mez said...

S'ok, I guessed that ;)

Anonymous said...

Australia is deteriorating regardless of it being a new quad.

I think we will be very fortunate to make the top 24 teams in the world.

I hope by the time 2012 olympics come around we get to pick one gymnast to send instead of hoping for the wildcard spot :(

Mez said...

PS - I agree with the point that it's not about someone being named responsible and putting their hand up for it taking the blame.

Every gymnast approaches training differently and has their coach/es shape their progress differently. It's not a Terry Wallance situation (for those of you following AFL I really am seeing parallels here) where the observers can say, "Fire the players because they're not doing their job, not the head coach as sacrificial lamb but to be honest he is doing a bit of a crap job" because there are so many involved in the progress of just one gymnast, including the athlete herself. We can't just write off out senior intl's completely because they're not 100% ship shape in their first big comp of the year. It's a case of the necessary parties assessing what the gymnast is feeling, and what she thinks she is getting out of her training, and working on what she WANTS to get out of the training and where she WANTS to go with it all and how to make that drive manifest itself in competition. I use that term again: drawing board. At the moment, that's what Nationals was for the athletes in this country.

Anonymous said...

Wow Anon at 7.50 way to be over dramatic. I don't we need to worry too much about dropping out of the top 12 let alone the top 24.

Anyone who is even remotely familiar with gymnastics in Australia is aware that this year's nationals was not a fair indicaiton of AUstralia's hopes this quad. Our best senior gymnast is out for the year with injury and no one from the AYOF squad was up to their ususal standards.

Unfortunately Australia doesn't have the depth, or the population, to be able to field a super competitive team when more than half of our best gymnasts are injured.

And although you may hate to hear it we are in a rebuilding phase. there's always a drop off at the end of a quad and with a new code being implemented scores will be lower. Compare the scores from the World's in 01 and 06 with Olympics that followed. Gymnastics Australia has prealsied that we do lag on the D score and that's why the new IDP system will yield results, in time. You can't expect massive over hauls to take place in a matter of weeks, or even months. These thngs take time. Have faith, the results will speak for themselves.

nade00 said...

I also think you need to remember just how many TOP juniors were out of nationals.

The top tier fully-funded junior athletes from the camp preceding nationals were Svetlana Sanders, Natalia Joura, Amelia McGrath, Zoe Lorenzin, Emma Collister, Angela Donald.

Out of those girls, only Amelia and Emma even competed at nationals, and Amelia was in IDP 10.

Then you consider that Mary-Anne Monckton and Ashley Cooney, both original AYOF team members and therefore top prospects, only competed bars at nationals.

Those are some huge holes.

One thing that was surprising to me at nationals was how out of sorts Amaya King Koi looked. She had the skills but was all over the place, and didn't look prepared. I don't think nationals was really an accuate display of her potential. I still think she can be very good indeed in the future, as well as Bridget Beattie, if QAS can get it together. I guess it has been a bit of an upset year for them.

Mez said...

Mary-Anne had been battling leg injury since AYOF. After that she's had elbow problems and just before Nats had caught a virus that hampered her training, even in the early days of the event. The first time she'd hit her bars dismount was in warm-ups on the first day. After all that, to get through the routine start to finish at all (disregarding the fall in... AA, was it?) was a great effort. And before anyone says "Don't be complacent with something medicore", I could imagine skipping bars (including a new difficult move - the Markelov) would have been an option for her but she didn't take it. That's the sign of a true competitor. Mez is just one of many thaat still want to be in it, believe you me.

Anonymous said...

Do you know anything about her skill level on the other events? I have been wondering about how she is going (or was going before the AYOF debacle) on VT, BB and FX.

Mez said...

Was working on Y1.5 vaults prior to injury.

Not sure what else.

Anonymous said...

The results are definitely disappointing. It is what it is. We shouldn't pretend everything's rosy, nor should we make out that the program is doomed.

I just think it's fascinating that people here post under completely different personas on other boards and reveal quite different thoughts.

Anonymous said...

Word in Ashleigh Brennan is shes pretty much retired.

Shona is slowly upgrading her vault back to a 1.5 twist, double is pretty much out of the question as shes struggling with the 1.5.

Emma is currently doing doubles into pits and doing the RO 1/2 on tucked front vault, working on it with a half twist.

Georgia as previously mentioned is starting to train the 'foot heavy' tumbles on floor and beam, currentlty vaulting a piked yurchenko into pits, doing layout fulls off beam, and front layouts off bars.

Emily little is supposedly not trying out anything new and working on consistency.

nade00 said...

I thought Shona's half on tuck half off at nationals looked clean and very easily done, I'm surprised
she doesn't ditch the Y1.5 and work on adding extra twists to the tuck half.

If she was always planning on going back to Yurchenkos I don't know why she would even bother training the extra half-on vault anyway?

I don't see why something like Carlotta Giovannini's 2nd VT (half on tuck full off)would not be possible, and she wouldn't have the same leg form issues she does on yurchenkos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weZY8piE8ac

Mez said...

I think we are still well on track to stay in the top 24. Look at the mistakes in Stuttgart and we managed 11th.

I'm not trying to be totally sunshiney and rosey all the time, heck, I've made criticisms in the past (I'm still none too pleased we had no competition assignments until July) but I don't like ouright despair about the program when we've had only two of our biggest events for the year thus far and there are still more to come.

And I've heard from a few gymnasts themselves (very recently i.e. RIGHT AFTER NATS) that have said they don't wish to be written off this early in the game and that they're still working on things.

Anonymous said...

Did Mary-Ann Monckton do a Markelov? When I saw the vid I thought it was a Shushunova which really made my jaw drop. If it's a Marklov why does she go into it from a back giant half rather than a front giant?

Anonymous said...

I think you're right. It is definitely not a regular markelov - If she can get it counted as a Shushunova/aka blind-change Markelov it is a G skill - worth the same as the Mo Salto and Counter Kim, even though it doesn't have the same wow factor.

Anonymous said...

A Counter Kim is an F, which seems wrong if a Shushunova is a G. Mo Salto remains a G and rightfully so.

Anonymous said...

If the future of Australian gymnasts is not looking good, is anyone out there doing something about it?
Are there independant talent scouts attending local club invitationals to spot talented kids entering at levels 1-3?
Talents scouts need to find potential talent. Clubs won't offer up their good kids, they need the numbers to continue to keep their own clubs running. We all know the difference a good coach can make to a talented kid but they need the good coach to begin with!

Ozeflipper said...

Is the half on full tuck off vault (yurchenko entry) still a 5.5 in this COP or did it get devalued?

Anonymous said...

I have seen Ashleigh at Prahran so she hasn't retired yet

Anonymous said...

To Anonymous at 4.42
"Clubs won't offer up their good kids, they need the numbers to continue to keep their own clubs running. We all know the difference a good coach can make to a talented kid but they need the good coach to begin with!"

I hear this statement alot on here but l don't believe every club has this mind set. I have seen many kids with such talent recommended to high performance programmes over the years. Most clubs won't hold on to an exceptionally good talent just to fill the numbers. It's simply not fair on the child to not have the opportunity to explore the sport further, but you also have to remind yourself that not all parents want their children to go down that path at such a young age.
Whether these kids stay in the programmes is a different story.
It would be interesting to know the drop out rate of kids say after 2-3 years at the higher program.
There used to be talent scouts at most major comps years ago, but l'm not so sure if that is still the case. Maybe someone else can shed some light onto that question.

Anonymous said...

In my state the HPC certainly attend competitions and invite potential talent to trial. I think they also visit clubs and sometimes clubs contact them to suggest they look at a girl. This is where the majority of the girls come from. Sometimes they will have a girl come from a club IDP program but much less commonly. The invitation to trial for a position goes out to the clubs and I definitely know cases where clubs have not told the parents that their daughter was invited to trial. It is possible that this was done for the right reasons though. The coaches know the gymnast well and if they aren't sure that they have the right combination of talent (or they are sure they don't) to be selected or to succeed if they are, then it is probably best that they continue at the club until it becomes more obvious one way or another. Just because they are identified at a competition as having the right body type etc, doesn't mean that they have the right temperment, drive or family circumstances to succeed as an elite gymnast. Many girls either drop out or are not selected to continue in the program between the ages of 7 and 10 and plenty of these quit the sport for good. Most of these girls could have been terrific National Levels athletes and are lost to the sport for good after a year or 2 at the HPC.I haven't seen or heard of any super talented girls be denied the opportunity to go to the HPC (except perhaps by their parents) and most clubs fully support the best interents of the athletes, just not always in the way that the parents like.