To Aussies at home an overseas, take some time to enjoy our national holiday (unless you're like me and have to go into work at some point). Hope you all get time for family, fun and food!
I for one count myself thankful for the opportunities living here has given me. Hope our gymnasts can do us all proud as they represent Australia in their competitions at home and abroad this year.
There's a big article in the West Australian yesterday about how Dasha is back training in the WAIS gym.....she's not aiming for anything in particular but is going to see how her body holds up and is not going to push things too far too quickly in case of over-use injuries. Great news for her and for Aussie gymnastics though that she's trying to make a come-back after all this time. The article must be online somewhere.
found it: http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/a/-/other/6721676/comeback-tilt-for-wa-star/
I will have to try and not get too excited but it is great news. She is definitely needed as bars is a huge problem for us right now. After Larrissa nobody has a SV above 5.6 ATM, which is really quite low relative to a lot of our main competitors. Even if she just did bars and vault, or just bars, she would be extremely useful.
Was just thinking about team today. Team will be very weak on bars at worlds this year (Lauren 2nd strongest right now and only scored in 13s at worlds.)
If Dasha decided to press on but wanted to take it easy, she could just work on a high level bar routine towards October because that event alone could get her selection to the team, since most of our top girls like Dennis, Morgan, Mitchell, Bonora are versatile all rounders.
Joura on bars will be much more valuable than a slightly higher 4th score for qualies on floor/beam, because other nations are really gaining ground on bars and the new code really suits Dasha's high level of execution there.
Commonwealths will be too early for her because they are selecting the team in July but Worlds team won't be chosen until September, which gives her some time. Does that sound realistic?
If Shona could get her shaposhnikova and releases back on bars then she would be a great leadoff to be followed by Joura and Miller, and we could salvage a decent score on that event.
I think it is really important that we play to the strengths of our athletes where they are needed this quad instead of insisting a full 4-event program be developed to have a chance at selection.
Also, when the time comes, if there are several girls close in ability all competing for the same spots I hope Peggy diverts some off to Commonwealths instead of shutting them out altogether and competing the top ones twice.
Aside from Larissa and Lauren who are locks if healthy you have Emily, Emma Dennis, Georgia Wheeler, Britt, Fiona, Shona, and Georgia B all with similar strengths and then the unknown quantities of Mary-Anne, Zoe and others.
It would be a shame for some to miss out if there is only a small difference in scores at the trials. We could easily field a 2nd team that would be not that much weaker than the first, provided we had reasonable luck with injuries.
Do people think it is wise to insist on sending only the best to Commonwealths?
Finally, looking at that list makes me realise how important Georgia B and Shona are for success. A lot of our new girls are a bit weaker on beam than the other events so we really need their input there.
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This blog wishes, with all sincerity, to acknowledge the Wurundjeri people; the original andongoing owners of the land upon which this author lives and upon which these words are collated.
9 comments:
It's Amber Fulljames' 18th today
she is no longer a gymnast in case you didn't know
Check out this link http://gymnasticscoaching.com/new/2010/01/coolest-gymnastics-magazine-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-152595
Olivia is hilarious
There's a big article in the West Australian yesterday about how Dasha is back training in the WAIS gym.....she's not aiming for anything in particular but is going to see how her body holds up and is not going to push things too far too quickly in case of over-use injuries. Great news for her and for Aussie gymnastics though that she's trying to make a come-back after all this time.
The article must be online somewhere.
found it:
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/a/-/other/6721676/comeback-tilt-for-wa-star/
I will have to try and not get too excited but it is great news. She is definitely needed as bars is a huge problem for us right now. After Larrissa nobody has a SV above 5.6 ATM, which is really quite low relative to a lot of our main competitors. Even if she just did bars and vault, or just bars, she would be extremely useful.
Thanks, Nik. Oregon peeps pointed it out to me a few days ago. It really is an amazing resource as well as a piece of computer wizardry.
More things like that, please, gymnastics world!
Was just thinking about team today. Team will be very weak on bars at worlds this year (Lauren 2nd strongest right now and only scored in 13s at worlds.)
If Dasha decided to press on but wanted to take it easy, she could just work on a high level bar routine towards October because that event alone could get her selection to the team, since most of our top girls like Dennis, Morgan, Mitchell, Bonora are versatile all rounders.
Joura on bars will be much more valuable than a slightly higher 4th score for qualies on floor/beam, because other nations are really gaining ground on bars and the new code really suits Dasha's high level of execution there.
Commonwealths will be too early for her because they are selecting the team in July but Worlds team won't be chosen until September, which gives her some time. Does that sound realistic?
If Shona could get her shaposhnikova and releases back on bars then she would be a great leadoff to be followed by Joura and Miller, and we could salvage a decent score on that event.
I think it is really important that we play to the strengths of our athletes where they are needed this quad instead of insisting a full 4-event program be developed to have a chance at selection.
Also, when the time comes, if there are several girls close in ability all competing for the same spots I hope Peggy diverts some off to Commonwealths instead of shutting them out altogether and competing the top ones twice.
Aside from Larissa and Lauren who are locks if healthy you have Emily, Emma Dennis, Georgia Wheeler, Britt, Fiona, Shona, and Georgia B all with similar strengths and then the unknown quantities of Mary-Anne, Zoe and others.
It would be a shame for some to miss out if there is only a small difference in scores at the trials. We could easily field a 2nd team that would be not that much weaker than the first, provided we had reasonable luck with injuries.
Do people think it is wise to insist on sending only the best to Commonwealths?
Finally, looking at that list makes me realise how important Georgia B and Shona are for success. A lot of our new girls are a bit weaker on beam than the other events so we really need their input there.
go WA!
Great
www.aaagrips.com
Great
www.aaagrips.com
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