MVP Award: Australia - Sam Offord. Admittedly I could have gone with a WAG here, very easily. But in addition to good performances on the podium (Australia's first Pacific Rim men's AA medallist in quite a while, I'm sure) Sam did a fantastic job promoting the event in the media, and proved extremely articulate in interviews. He has done much to forge his own gymnastics identity outside of Rizzo/Jefferis/Sellathurai. It was also great to see him hit pommel during the team event, that so often becomes Australia's meltdown apparatus. It's a shame we'll be hearing inexplicably less about him over the next month then we will our new FREAKING SNOOKER WORLD FREAKING CHAMPION IT'S NOT EVEN A REAL FREAKING SPORT GYAAAAAARGH MY INDIGNATION.*exhale*
Honourable Mention: Amelia McGrath. Such a star of the future!
MVP Award: International - Ksenia Afanasyeva RUS). Standing stoic and strong while her teammates were in Birmingham securing gold at the European Championships, Ksenia always had a smile and hug ready for her junior compatriots. She has a stunning, almost regal, air about her performances.
(Honourable Mention: Alexa Moreno (MEX) and John Orozco (USA). Two powerful, elegant gymnasts that proved to be just as cool-headed in competition as their more established teammates.)
Best Leotard - Team China, Apparatus finals. Red body with thick climbing gold swirl pattern. Bold without being garish, topped off with a gold scrunchie.
(Honourable Mention: Team Mexico in their metallic green on white that, from a distance, looked a little like it belonged on Team Australia!)
Best Hair - Team Canada. I loved Vaculik's (almost trademark) ponytail with front braid, and I had a hard time telling the difference between Madeline Gardiner and Dominique Pegg with their immaculate buns!
Best Skill - Tie. Danell Leyva's (USA) laid out Kovacs on high bar; Maddy Gardiner's (CAN) Humphrey turn on the same apparatus - quicker and sleeker than Lauren's, I must say! - and Rebecca Bross' (USA) handspring front layout to double front on floor.
Best Dismount - Emily Little (AUS). Helping secure an Aussie team bronze with a stuck double layout dismount off bars!
(Honourable Mention: Rebecca Bross for her thrilling Patterson dismount off beam; Sam Offord for that gold-clinching rings dismount)
The Olivia Vivian Award for Team Encouragement - Tie. Yin Alvarez and Chris Cameron (USA). Mr Alvarez is now gaining a reputation as 'that coach' with encouragement and enthusiasm to boot. He not only cheered on his own son - Danell Leyva - but had a fist bump for every member of Team USA before and after each routine. Even during warmups, seriously! Chris Cameron's cheers got well known around the arena (it probably didn't help that said arena held a low capacity crowd during men's events), his cry of "Go Steve!" adopted and imitated affectionately by several members of the crowd. He also had some interesting ones in there, including "C'mon Baby, you got it!" and "Let's go, man! This is the [big] show!"
(Honourable Mention: The Team New Zealand supporter who yelled out the most adorable cheer I've ever had the good fortune to overhear: "C'mon New Zealand, continue on!")
The Elsa Garcia Award for Hilarity - Zheng Siqi (CHN). Laughing off the fact her bronze medal fell off its ribbon, and juggling it along with her flowers and toy at the apparatus final.
(Honourable Mention: Team Canada. MOOOOOOOOOSE!!!!!)
The Valeri Liukin Award for Kick-Arse Coaching Team - Team USA. Including the award's namesake himself. Honestly, MAG and WAG, juniors and seniors, this team is always just so ready and so focussed, no matter how far they have to travel or how little time they get to train on the podium. Your eyes are always drawn to them, be it in a warm-up or, to borrow a phrase from one of its team members, "for the show".
(Honourable Mention: Team Australia WAG. Third overall and three individual top-5 apparatus finishes. What a fantastic achievement for a relatively inexperienced team who worked so hard to fast-track their acquisition of difficult skills in time for this competition!)
The Universal Sports Award for Media Coverage - The Couch Gymnast. A fantastic week of blog exclusives and unbeatable Kodak moments. TCG is always value for money (on that note - somebody hire her and pay her millions, stat!) not to mention a lovely correspondent at that. I bow in honour.
(Honourable Mention: Gymnastics Australia/JumpMedia and all PRC media volunteers who worked hard over a number of online channels to bring us some smashing coverage of this event. And thanks for not policing video camera use in the arena!)
Thanks again to YOU for joining the party, don't forget to pick up a gift hamper on your way out!
(Image courtesy of The Couch Gymnast)
(Image courtesy of The Couch Gymnast)
22 comments:
GO STEVE!!! i love your team encouragment award winners, those guys really made the comp something else
Ksenia sure showed Russia that they should have taken her to Birmingham... but I'm glad they didn't because she was amazing to watch here! Amelia is definitely a star of the future as you say- her beam and floor especially!
Jordyn Wieber should have some sort of mention too- she was fab to watch, especially on floor. I had someone say to me about the girls competing on floor 'would it kill them to smile?' and then Jordyn came out and actually looked like she enjoyed being there and it really improves her performance! She was my fave American due to personality and kick-ass skills!
I think a special award should also go to all the volunteers- they looked pretty profesh!
Your coverage has been great. It was my first live competition and I loved it. I am most excited to see how Georgia Rose Brown does over the next few years. She is so beautiful and elegant and her double tuck was surprisingly high for such a tall gymnast.
a bit OT but did anyone cacth Brittnay Boffo on Australia's got talent last night?
yes, she was cute! I like how she told stupid Kyle that she wouldn't put him through
How tacky, reducing an elite sport into a commercial tv show circus act!
She has been on lots of TV shows now it seems - I saw her on Mornings with Kerri Anne a while back!
Anyone one from Vic going to Trial 1 this weekend? Just saw the start list and Zoe Lorenzin, Naomi Russell and Ashleigh Brennan are all scheduled to compete.
Go Britt!!! I saw it too and thought great stuff! Getting gymnastics out of the closet and into the public arena!
Zoe will not be trialling this weekend
Zoe is always injured I feel so sorry for her, get better Zoe.
So did Britt make it through to the finals?
Does anyone know if Zoe will still be able to go to nationals? I was really looking forward to seeing her compete this year.
No , Zoe is out for Nationals / Comm Games trials. Such a shame
Too bad. It's surprising how early Commonwealths trials are. Can girls too injured to compete at nationals petition to the worlds selection camp in September? There seem to be a few girls who probably won't be ready for nationals like Mary-Anne, Zoe, Sophie Budack.
Poor Zoe! Didn't she just recover from another injury? Zoe, be patient, keep your head high, and rest assured that you have lots of fans who are looking forward to seeing you back!
Did I read that USA pulled out of the vault Final? If so, would Emily have placed where she did?
So whats next for Australia, the Juniors are off to Germany and I wonder who Peggy will send to the Delhi test event in May?
The USA girls didn't pull out of the vault final - none of them did two vaults in the Team/AA. Therefore, none of them where eligible for the final.
I think that is how they pulled out. Does anyone doubt they would have had girls in the finals if they had competed 2 vaults?
I followed the results on facebook, which was great covereage. I have now created my own trampoline related website, to provide as much information as possible in one place for people interested in trampolining. Check it out!
www.trampolineaustralia.com
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