Delhi/Rotterdam 2010: Awesome Source

Hulloooo! It's a simply wonderful Wednesday because I'm up to my ears in awesome news!

1. A hearty congratulations to Team Australia who won an historic gold medal last night in the rhythmic teams event. This marked the first time we've scored team gold in rhythmic at a Commonwealth Games, and thus all the gymnastics disciplines in the one Games. Wowzers! Hopefully it's the start of something big.

"We've not ever won any more than bronze in the teams - we've always been pipped by Canada and Malaysia constantly. Now we've finally come up," [coach Danielle] LeRay said. "We have a really consistently strong team now, not just one member being strong like we've had in the past."

Usually when your mobile phone starts beeping uncontrollably when you're a long way from home, you can bet it's bad news.

For Australia's rhythmic gymnastics coach Danielle LeRay and her charges Naazmi Johnston, Janine Murray and Danielle Prince, it wasn't.

It was good news. Very good news...

2. WAG podium training pics from Rotterdam via The Couch Gymnast (click for larger).










You can follow Rotterdam updates (reports and pics) via Gymnastics Australia here.

GA also have some lovely pics (many from Couchy herself) up here as well.

There is a podium training report featuring Australia's subdivision on the official Rotterdam website here.

"Emily Little, Australia’s upcoming star, also trained brilliantly, performing solid, hit routines repeatedly and performing high, clean double-twisting Yurchenkos on vault. Georgia Simpson, an elegant gymnast who possesses a natural gift for dance, soon became the many photographers in the arena’s darling with her exquisite execution. It looked almost as though she had been watching some YouTube videos of Nastia Liukin! She even had the flick of the ponytail and the stare down to a tee!"

GymGirl84, dutifully posting updates at GGMB, provided the following snippets from podium training (unfortunately she didn't ID too any names beside Mitchell so I'm filling in the blanks from what I know of the girls' routines!):


VT: Mitchell, Little each did their Baitova. Two other gymnasts (unnamed) competed a tsuk full and a piked front respectively (my guess is Brennan and Wheeler)


UB: Lauren caught her jaeger a little close, but stuck her double front dismount.
Wheeler shaposhnikova, high tkatchev, double pike dismount
Bonora Comaneci, overshoot, dead hang getting to high bar, fell on her double front
Little jaeger, shoot to low back up to high, toe on full, double layout


BB: Mitchell ff-ff LO; jumps, does not get her double spin in sitting position around; free walkover-split jump-front tuck; switch ringleap; low double pike, second time her turn was all the way around. Still low double pike, but the rest is solid as rock.

Wheeler full turn sitting position; front tuck; ff-back tuck; side somi; full turn not complete; ff-ff layout, seemed to put her foot wrong and did only a layout.

Bonora split-back tuck; free walkover combo to LOSO; nice onodi, side somi; free cartweel; yang bo; full turn; double pike. Later again split, wolf, back tuck; free walkover combo to LOSO; free cartweel; onodi-side somi; switch ring; double pike.

Simpson Nice start at side, split on the beam; full turn leg horizontal; wobble at front tuck; split-wolf; breaks free walkover to LOSO combo; repeats, is good. Split jump-pike back, free cartweel, long pause before dismount: ff-ff double tuck. Knees together, fought for landing but had to take a step.


FX:

1. Bonora double tuck; double twist; triple spin; 1,5-full; free walkover; double pike
2. Little? Full in; double tuck; could not follow the rest because of a phonecall
3. Brennan Full in; straight somi to front full; double tuck.
4. Miller Falls out of triple spin; double twist front fall; high stuck double pike; 2,5 twist
5. Mitchell double arabian OOB; piked full in; 2,5 turn in sitting position; double pike.
6. Wheeler double arabian to sit; double tuck; full turn in sitting position; front full, front; split jump; double pike
"7th girl I did not watch, but she performed".


Please please PLEASE don't use these notes as reason to start a "They're too tired for this!/So-and-so was a poor choice!/I bet so-and-so-gets-dropped!/Our results are going to suck monkeys!" muck-fling. Comments are moderated.