About This Blog
The Australian Gymnastics Blog: A gymnastics news and commentary space for fans at home and around the world.
Tip your editor Meredith at ozgymblog@gmail.com.
Log in using Google or OpenID to leave comments. Cheers.
This blog wishes, with all sincerity, to acknowledge the Wurundjeri people; the original and ongoing owners of the land upon which this author lives and upon which these words are collated.
Tip your editor Meredith at ozgymblog@gmail.com.
Log in using Google or OpenID to leave comments. Cheers.
This blog wishes, with all sincerity, to acknowledge the Wurundjeri people; the original and ongoing owners of the land upon which this author lives and upon which these words are collated.
78 comments:
How lovely does Ashleigh Brennan look! It is so good to see her doing well and showing she is a real asset to the National Team. Well done Ashleigh.
:) congrats to you Ash, you're a fantastic gymnast and deserve these great results.
Agreed! You rock Ash! Great job in Doha and I for one am so glad you didn't retire after Beijing! What an inspiration :)
If anyone gets any good VWHPC invite info/pic/vids this arvo, please post! Would love to know about how Mary Anne and Zoe are looking in particular.
2011 QAS Scholarship Holders
From Gymnastics Queensland High Performance Program
Natalia Joura, Brittany Boffo, Sophie Budack, Tamika Jones, Rianna Mizzen, Grace Sheppard, Eden Tarvit, Katie Wurth,
From Moreton Bay College
Larrissa Miller, Shar-Lee Clark, Georgia Godwin, Amaya King Koi, Jasmine Cassis
no Yasmin Budack?
Went to the HPC today for their invitational. The VWHPC IDP 10-Senior girls look impressive. Zoe did an impressive 2/1 twisting yuchenko. Alex Eade showed some upgrades on floor with her tumbling that was impressive also. The big improver for me was Maddi Leydin, so has improved a lot since moving squads to work with Mischa and Tracy.
Cross posted from WW Gymn:
Well, I went to the VWHPC Invitational today! I wish now that I had taken notes, as I am sure I will start confusing gymnasts and skills, but I'll relate what I can.
Spectators were few, and mostly composed of family, coaches and a few gymnasts. Britt was not competing and was sitting behind me and somewhat to the left. Peggy was there and moved around the competition floor. As always, it was interesting to see who she was paying the most attention to!
I saw a couple of people filming and taking photos (including some of the competing gymnasts -- lovely to see!).
There must have been a fair number of withdrawals as the competion was down to two groups.
Group 2 was mostly the Amelia and Georgia Wheeler show. I didn't see either of them vault in the final rotation, but I did see multiple warm-up vaults from Wheeler -- a high FTY. She seems to start twisting quite early, to the point where I had to watch the vault several times before I decided if it was a plain Yurchenko or a half-on entry. Don't think Amelia competed bars, but I saw her in general warm up -- pretty but a little close with releases. Wheeler is working on a Weiler kip on the low bar! It wasn't in her comp routine, but she was practising it in general warm-up, albeit having problems with the grip. In competition she did a nice set with a MONSTROUS Tkatchev -- unfortunately she had so much swing coming out of it that she had to re-kip. Her Shaposh-uprise connection worked well, too, and she did her new double layout dimount, just a bit short.
Both Millie and Wheeler were a little tentative on beam. I'm thinking injury for both of them, judging by how they did their warm-ups, etc.
Wheeler is working some AWESOME tumbling. She did most of her routine on the tumbling strip, and showed an arabian double tuck, a layout front full step out to a tucked double, a running punch double front, and a double pike. Looking forward to seeing her put all this together! Millie was watered down, no arabian double. Gorgeous choreography, though!
On the whole I wouldn't pay too much attention to scores from this meet. Rules were very relaxed, and many times gymnasts competed skills with spots, even if it looked like they were going to be fine (particularly on bars). I liked seeing the coaches so protective, actually. No one needed to have an injury over an invitational club comp! The VWHPC girls and their coaches in particular seemed to really be enjoying the meet and had great attitudes and communication.
Please ask any questions you may have --- it may help trigger some memories.
:)
Group 1 started on vault and highlights were a STUCK double-twisting Yurchenko from Zoe and a round off-half turn on-piked front half turn off vault from Tierra. Mez Monkton did a FTY, as did Alex Eade and Georgia Rose Brown. I think Ebonie Boucher also did this vault. Georgia's was quite pretty and almost (if not completely) stuck.
Group 1 bars -- Georgia Rose Brown was the best and scored in the mid-14s, IIRC. Absolutely lovely handstands! Quite a few large steps forward on her double front dismount. Releases were an almost straight-body Gienger and I think a straddle Jaeger. Mez performed her piked Shushanova and caught every attempt that I saw (including general and apparatus warm-ups). In the comp she stalled after dragging her feet through on the Pak, but was looking smooth otherwise. Zoe looks like she is building difficulty. She had a nice Tkatchev and was spotted for a bail to handstand. I'm afraid I can't remember her dismount but I think it must have been of at least D difficulty -- I don't remember seeing any easy dismounts at all on bars from the Group 1 girls. Alex competed the double layout dismount -- better in the comp than practice, but a few large steps forward. Everyone seemed pretty happy with her effort!
Group 1 beam -- Mez Monkton = WOW! A great routine from her! Made the aerial cartwheel-LOSO combination effortlessly. Other skills of note were an acro skill of some sort (I think a front aerial) into a tour jete into a back somi. Also did Y-scale turn and leg up turn (at different times). Dismount was a double pike. Pretty much everyone else had a fall but were still showing some promising stuff. Georgia Rose-Brown showed some pretty turns. Alex and Zoe both mounted with jumps to split handstand, front walkover mounts (I LOVE that mount!).
Group 1 floor -- only saw a couple of routines as I needed to catch my train -- sorry! Zoe did tumbling on the tumbling strip and dance on the floor. Nice choroegraphy and building to some strong tumbling, including a piked full-in. I see now why people think of her as a dark horse for 2011 Worlds. Mez I think watered down slightly ( was competing in one of those lace-up boot things), but did 2.5 twist into punch front, and I think both pike and tuck doubles. Ebonie Boucher was doing a double arabian, at least in warm-ups.
what did Zoe tumble besides pike full in?
*blushes* I don't remember! But I remember thinking it looked strong.
I only ask because I remember before her injury I saw her training some big passes like double layout and double front. I wonder if we might see them again by October.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbVK0EMgjNU
Zoe does 2 full ins - tuck and pike, front salto stepout to layout and then double pike
all the VWHPC girls seemed to have all their special requirements, including double salto's from beam, double layouts, full outs from bars, double pike or tuck in the last tumbling line. That is great to see
But surely the front salto stepout to layout can't be permanent for Zoe? Anyone know what she is planning? I like to calculate the potential d-scores.
Wheeler should be able to get 5.7 if she has 3 c dance moves and adds a jump after the double arabian.
Zoe will probably use her double tuck salto on the end of the front salto stepout
WOW a yurhcenko double for Zoe? That is so awesome! Australia can really be looking to a 4 x 5.8 vault lineup for worlds now.
hmm but if Zoe uses punch fornt thru to the double tuck, she will be counting an A, which sort of devalues doing the hard tumbles. She would be better off doing a c+c combo, which will give her 2 extra tenths.
Or she could do a pass like Wheeler's, front layout full thru to double tuck - that would be even better, adding three extra tenths.
Then it could be
E
E
C thru D
D
plus 3 c dance skills
3.0
2.5
0.1
= 5.6
I know she was working whip whip to double tuck, maybe she is also thinking to do that
although she will still count an A with that.
I guess we'll have to wait and see...I do hope we see some smart composition though. Nothing worse than seeing routines that could be worth so much more with a little rearranging, a la Mitchell's bars circa 2009.
I think Georgia RB could also be an outside chance for the worlds team, the team needs her bars. Apart from Larissa, who is struggling, there are no other good bars workers
forgive me for not being an expert, but wouldn't Zoe get a compositional deduction if she did
full in pike
full in tuck
double pike
double tuck
? Nothing against Zoe, because I know you've gotta do what you can do best in the code, but I can't recall a routine with so little variety.
whip whip double tuck is bonus
I dont think GRB will make the team unless she is legitimately usable somewhere else besdies bars.
A FTY on vault will probably not make the lineup.
Her beam and floor are beautiful but she has a lot of inbuilt deductions right now.
Her bars are nice but only worth a couple more tenths than Emily L's or Wheeler's, and she often has very deductible releases and bail.
What about Chung? Probably will have a DTY by worlds considering she's from WAIS and has had a full for a while now, has a 5.9 on beam, a 5.5 on bars (and scored 14.35 at Combs la Ville). Everyone who is likely to make the team already is good on floor, so she is not needed there.
I think the structure of the worlds team will be
Little AA
Mitchell AA
Lorenzin/Monckton/Wheeler AA
Miller VT/UB/FX
Chung VT/UB/BB
Brennan/Donald/McGrath BB/FX
There you could possibly have a VT lineup of 4 DTYs and a 1.5.
whip whip double tuck is worth only 0.1. It would still be far more logical to do a front layout full instead of the 2 whips. The difference is .2 in d-score which is a lot under this code. Maybe she will use the whips eventually before the tuck full in.
I thought it was disappointing not to see any Waverley IDP 10-senior athletes. Are they all injured??
Waverley didn't compete at all, did they? MLC, Jets and another club were there, though.
I have heard they have lots of girls injured - Angela on crutches, Georgia not doing any training, Emma Collister is not really in the running for worlds
There was recently a local paper article an Angela - she had foot surgery but hoped to start training again at the beginning of this month. Hopefully she will be ready for worlds trials if not nationals.
If I were Waverley i would forget vault considering how weak it is for her and now looking strong for most others and i would focus on getting her ready on beam, floor and bars. She has basically 5 months.
off the topic:
Natalia Joura on totally wild not a massive story but I like it. It just shows her going through the progessions of a side arial :)
http://ten.com.au/video-player.htm?movideo_p=41457&movideo_m=99371
That's a great piece. Natalia seems born for TV!
:)
has anyone heard where WAG Australian Elite nationals will be next year?
"On the whole I wouldn't pay too much attention to scores from this meet. Rules were very relaxed, and many times gymnasts competed skills with spots"
The only relaed rules were mats being allowed on floor - all other mats and spots carries the usual deductions.
"But surely the front salto stepout to layout can't be permanent for Zoe? Anyone know what she is planning? I like to calculate the potential d-scores" I am pretty sure this would be an interim tumble line given it was different to what she did in Canada and they are probably working on a combination.
I do agree that the rules where relaxed - especially on floor. Many girls competed their tumbling on the tumbling strip and where not penalised. This also includes advantages of having the music stopped etc. It is difficult to compare the scores and we will have to wait until these girls compete their full skills on the floor and not the tumbling strip.
Seeing as Zoe isn't fulfiling the EGR to have a twisting pass on floor I think it's safe to say that those aren't going to be her final skills.
For some reason a full in doesn't count as a twisting pass like it did in the 01-05 quad and is only seen as a double salto.
Gyms have a tendency to teach the same skills and combinations to their gymnasts. I could see Zoe doing Georgia's new front full+double tuck or a 1.5 stepout in combination as she's obviously more of a flipper than twister.
I like to ask a stupid question. If Zoe doesn't have all her EGR's on floor then has does she have a 5 start score especially since one of her tumble lines was a layout.
To clafify -- when I said don't pay too much attention to scores, I meant that they would be LOWER than expected because (for example) a number of gymnasts had spotting assistance.
In other words, I didn't want people looking at scores and saying "wow, she only got a 6.5 E score" and thinking that the gymnast fell or had really poor form.
Sorry, I can see how that may have been misinterpreted.
I certainly didn't think anyone was overscored at all. The few high E scores I saw (in particular GRB bars and vault, Zoe vault, Wheeler floor) were all definitely earned!
:)
If a gymnast was spotted or used a mat then this is taken off in the technical deductions area like going out of bounds. Only a few girls actually got these deductions. That is why I am saying that I feel the scores where very generous. It is very early in the season and judging tends to get tougher as you go along. Scores at these first comps tend to be same as later in the season even though there has been improvements in quality.
A d score of 5 is made up of the skills competed and the egr's only make up 2.5 of this. Clearly once she has all her egr's then her d score will be higher
A full-twisting double back SHOULD meet the 360 degree LA turn requirement. Why do you think it doesn't?
A double arabian, however, wouldn't meet this requirement because it only contains a 180 degree turn.
Has there been a rule change since the final draft of the COP was released?
So, Zoe IS actually meeting all her requirements. The front sault step out to layout is necessary to meet both the front salto requirement and the two salto pass requirement. Like others above have suggested, it is very unlikely to be part of her final planned repertoire.
Also, Zoe wouldn't necessarily have to count the A for the fornt salto if she had four C or above dance elements. It's MAXIMUM 5 acro but MINIMUM 3 dance.
Two front saltos together (the second one step-out) would be cool! Allison Johnstone did that at 2001 Worlds.
So if Zoe had:
E
E
A+A+D (indirect)
D
plus 4 C dance elements, she should have a 5.6 D score.
That along with her vault should help her quest for 2011 Worlds!
it doesn't seem Zoe will be able to compete bars at a world level meet anytime soon. She would need a d-score like a full point higher to be of any use there. That's basically impossible between now and worlds, right?
The problem is she simply has barely any skills to count. No toe 1/2s or toe 1/1s, or stalders, just a simple toe on and giant full besides the release, dismount and transitions. That means she has no opportunity for CV and counts low valued skills in her 8.
It seems weird and a huge oversight that she is so prepared on the other events but has no routine as such here-especially considering a foot injury would enable more work on bars.
Hopefully it means she has somethnig up her sleeve for later in the year - hopefully, several skills to flesh this out. I for one really want her to make worlds.
thus far, she has
Dismount D
Bail D
Stalder shoot/C transition C
Tkatchev D
Giant full C
Toe on C
not much to work with unfortunately. I think the only quick fix for her d-score is adding inside stalder skills.
I was surprised at how short Zoe was when I saw her in person. Like Trudy, she may just find developing bar skills more difficult than the other three events. VWHPC were able to maximise Trudy's bars potential; I'm sure they are working to do the same for Zoe. The Tkatchev is nice and high, anyway.
that's why I find it so sad that she doesn't have a bar routine - her form is stunning, her double layout one of the best i've seen, and the release is beautiful. She swings so wonderfully and so tight, it seems she has a lot of potential on that event that is not going anywhere.
Semenova was tiny and whored out inside stalders to best advantage. Even if you are little there are ways around the height issue.
Georgia B having ankle surgery this week.
Good luck, Georgia, and get well soon!
Didn't her Mum say something about her yearly ankle surgery after CWG? Can't remember the exact quote. Did she already have one lot of surgery after Christmas?
Maddi Leydin had a 7.1 D score at the Invitational (15.700)? For reals?
Int 10 has bonuses - thats why her D score is so high
Maddi is level 10. Different rules to FIG with some big bonuses.
eg a Tkatchev on bars is worth .4 for D AND 1.0 for Tkatchev bonus.
If you have all your CR and a few bonus, the D score increases quickly.
She did do a very nice beam - her D score will probably be worth about 5
Don't know...but IDP 10 has incentive bonus available on beam of a full 1.0 point EACH for a dynamic acro series and a double salto dismount. So more likely a 5.1....which is still pretty good for that level!
Gymnastics on fox this week:
Thursday 11.30-1.30 Foxsports 1
Friday 12-2 Foxsports 1
Bother are the FIG World Cup in Jacksonville
Any footage of the day would be appreciated!
"it doesn't seem Zoe will be able to compete bars at a world level meet anytime soon. She would need a d-score like a full point higher to be of any use there. That's basically impossible between now and worlds, right?"
It really depends on where her bars is in training - I think from memory she has another release that she is working on and i remember reading something about her dismount in training being a double layout full - if she adds these to what she had on saturday then her score would be:
Dismount E
Bail D
Stalder shoot/C transition C
Tkatchev D
another Release D
Giant full C
Toe on C
this is 5.4
make a couple more changes and some combos and then she can be around 5.6 - so entirely possible by Nationals if that is what she is working in training.
Does anyone else think it strange that MBC has QAS scholarships? Is MBC merging? Thought their fees were paid by the school?
No more unusual than WGC and MLC having VIS Scholarships - QAS is the state's institute of sport - the gymnasts may train there but it represents all athletes at elite levels
Great to see that QAS offers more scholarships than the VIS, 13 and looking after their Juniors. I think Victoria needs to look at theirs and increase the numbers.
Fantastic for the Queensland girls, they are really getting behind them and i think they will really grow.
camp starts on sunday - anyone know who is going? Are Svetlana and Georgia S back in good nick?
Can someone please explain to me why some of the girls used the tumbling track in between their routine? I thought i paid to watch a competition not an open day. :(
Sorry at the VWHPC invitational
Very common to use modified surfaces at minor competitions and training to minimize the impact on the gymnasts or when coming back from injury. If this bothers you only go to nationals and maybe state championships you usually won't see it there. Do you really feel like you didn't get value for money?
It is still early in the year and gymnasts are still putting together new skills - whilst competition experiences no matter how small are important it is also important to keep the gymnasts safe for when they are truly required - later on in the year. Also with all the camps and possible international assignments and Trials the HPC probably didn't have a huge range of dates to choose from to hold their invite - at least someone holds an invite other than trials
I am just saying that i have never seen this before at any other competitions, state, national or international. Can you tell me if the girls that use the track receive deductions for leaving the floor? i noticed some of girls using the track scored quite high. wouldnt that be a scoring disadvantage for the other girls not using the track?
It would be a disadvantage if there were no deductions however you would probably find that no one (coaches, athletes, parents) cares about where they place at these comps as they have other measures of performance.
you would probably find that in some situations all the coaches have agreed that there would either be standard matt deductions or no deductions and then it would be at the coaches discretion
If you are saying that parents coaches and gymnast dont care,you obviously dont read the blog comments..
I didn't mean that they don't care about the performances, just that the results of an April invitational don't really mean much. They aren't much more than a control test with a few spectators. A stepping stone on the way to nationals and other events. Most coaches would be focused on their gymnasts preparation at this time of year. Athletes would get this too and would be focused on their own goals. As for parents, well they will always care but most parents, by the time their daughters are competing at this level should understand a little about what is important. As for the comments on this blog, it's true that a few people get a bit emotional (or worse) but I would be surprised to learn that these people were coaches or athletes competing at these levels.
I still believe that if a gym opens its doors and host a competiton and presenting girls with medals,they should stick to the rules. No matter how early in the year it is held.
To the disgrunted person: you can't possibly be serious. It was a token five dollars!
Luckily the coaches are more concerned with their athletes' health than you are.
They did stick to the rules the only exception being floor. Beam and bars all carried penalties for mats. At least someone in Melbourne is giving much needed competition experience
Just a personal opinion, but I think it is much more exciting for spectators to see a double arabian on a tumble track rather than a layout or double tuck on the floor.
Anyway, is it really THAT big an issue? A club should be able to run their meet any way they want.
Surely this is just someone trying to deliberately stir up trouble, for some unknown reason. It probably takes a genuine fan of gymnastics to attend a club competition like this, and NO genuine fan would see the gymnasts as some kind of video game entertainment to be switched on for their amusement.
Trolls -- let us not feed them.
Some posters scream loud and long about the lack of competition impacting and reflecting on Aus performance at major comps. So clubs and HPC's attempt to remedy this by having invitationals on home turf for experience and some other posters scream louder and longer about mats, tumble strip,spotting, partial routines, yaddah yaddah yaddah. So what? Kids and coaches are putting the skills out there in front of a crowd that's called gaining experience and confidence
C;mon bloggers I think you are all over reacting a little, nobody is trying to stir up trouble. I don't recall speaking offensively about the gymnast or the coaches or the HPC (who i believe always do their best to run the comps professionally) I was merely asking
a question. WHY DO THEY USE THE TUMBLE TRACK, AS I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE IN A COMPETITION. And that I...ME does not personally like to see this because it seems a bit odd. I dont think I am doing any harm in voicing my opinion or asking if this is common practice.
I've seen it done before, but usually at "in house" club only comps, not usually at invitationals where gymnasts are entered from a variety of clubs. Although I have seen it done at HPC invitationals before.
I think it's great if gymnasts can have a go at the skills they've been training but are not comp ready, but it only if it is openly declared to all competitors prior to the event so the playing field is even.
I've seen gymnasts who have not known this was going to be done by "those in the loop" who were disgruntled because they would have liked the opportunity to do the same if they'd known.
I've seen it done before, but usually at "in house" club only comps, not usually at invitationals where gymnasts are entered from a variety of clubs. Although I have seen it done at HPC invitationals before.
I think it's great if gymnasts can have a go at the skills they've been training but are not comp ready, but it only if it is openly declared to all competitors prior to the event so the playing field is even.
I've seen gymnasts who have not known this was going to be done by "those in the loop" who were disgruntled because they would have liked the opportunity to do the same if they'd known.
Post a Comment