Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Commonwealth Comin' Atcha

Best wishes to our defending Commonwealth champion women's artistic gymnastics team who are on their way to bonnie Glasgae!

To sport these training leos!

To hang out in these groovy rooms!

And duke it out with some of the world's best in THIS VENUE!


28 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh well, at least the oldies should make for some interesting viewing and a few laughs. Just hope they don,t embarrass the hell out of Australia!

Anonymous said...

It's such a different looking team that what we've ever had in the past - so mature looking with no little youngens but I really feel we can do very well with this experience. They all look like they get along so well & I think these girls are going to compete with confidence & maturity & may just bring us a few surprises. I for one can't wait :) Good luck girls!!!

Anonymous said...

Good luck team AUS!!

I really, really had hoped to see a couple of younsters being primed for future comps. Hope the decision of choosing veterans over up-and-comers (and individual medal hopes over team)doesn't bite Peggy on the rear again, a-la 2012 Olympics.

Looking forward to watching/following the games!

Anonymous said...

Any leo predications??

Anonymous said...

Anon; 1:17

Lol you are dreaming if you think that the young up and coming are better than the team that Peggy has chosen. She has chosen the best she has to work with regardless if they medal or not. personally I don't think that any of the young reserves will be ready for 2016.

Anonymous said...

Speaking from experience 3.59 or just speaking out your arse by the sounds of it

Anonymous said...

Lets be nice! Its a great opportunity for those girls selected - politics aside. I think Peggy has gone for experience in the hope it will stand up if some of the younger girls on other teams make mistakes. She knows the AA scores from Georgia Godwin for example won't beat the Canadians or English - so she's taken a different strategy hoping the risk will pay off. History shows anyway, even when Peggy ahs used younger atheltes on the commonwealth games team only about 50% of them actually make it to the Olympics.

Anonymous said...

Please no fugly swirls on the leotard for a change.

Go and smash it girls!!!!

Mez said...

All we know out of Olivia is that the leos are "stunning".

I am certain there'll be some pink or purple in there, as is customary (well... since 1998 at least!). That said, when it does come I hope it's only in the individual finals. I love seeing my team in the green and gold. I'm not fussed what we wear for AA/EF. I just feel the unity's important.

I remember Liz Ellis during the Melbourne CWG acting hugely miffed on a breakfast show wrap-up that Chloe and Hollie weren't in any green and gold in the AA final. I wanted to write in and say "They wore gorgeous green and gold when they won the team event, which you'd know if this particular network had reported on it!"

Anonymous said...

Even if Georgia's scores won't get her an AA medal, winning nationals should be an automatic ticket on the team. Otherwise what is there to work for? I understand the goal is to win as many medals as possible but still..
Anyway, good luck girls!

Anonymous said...

Peggy has always said that the comps mean nothing. she looks for quality and consistency. the Judges in Aus are bias and this showed at nationals, some of the scores they gave were laughable, nothing against GG she has always been the underdog and I admire her for this, she has worked extremely hard to get were she is, I just don't think her consistency is there yet : }

Anonymous said...

3.25PM, I completely disagree with you. Yes the scoring at Nationals could be considered unfair but it certainly wasn't in favour of GG. Not to mention she had had a couple of months off b4 Nationals and she still managed to win. She could barely walk a week or so b4 comp. That I say is a sign of true champion. It is truly laughable that you think Olivia Vivian should have been picked over GG. Her beam was very wobbly and many juniors could have done a far better job. But it is not Olivia's fault that Peggy wanted to give her one last goodbye gift. So Goodluck to all of the Commonwealth Games Team! You all deserve the support of Australia and we will be cheering for all of you. GO AUSTRALIA!!!

Anonymous said...

3.25 pm has GG always been the underdog. She is only 16 and has proven herself many times. Perhaps you were referring to her old coaches and how Georgia was over looked by Peggy for selection because of her strong dislike for Olga and Sasha. Is that what you meant by underdog?

Anonymous said...

I am a bit confused by the format qualifications are in to sessions or something like that?

When exactly is the team competition - that is what I am interested in. I am especially interested in seeing how/if Peggy's strategy pays off by selecting specialists. I think it is a brave, bold move which will hopefully work in our favour.

I do disagree that winning the AA should grant u automatic selection. I know it is an unusual situation to have the AA winner not selected (granted)....but in this case I can see Peggy's reasoning (if it is because the AA scores won't beat the English and Canadian girls)....s far as I know it was never said the top spot grants selection - I know most selection panels usually have this...but we didn't in the comm. games selection....gymnastics is a subjective sport and is very open to politics. Everyone knows that. To me the worry is, Peggy seems to be trying to take a 'back door' approach to 'surprise' the other teams which if things don't go their way could work for Aus. But, it is a worry when u have to kind of base things on what other teams may or may not be doing kind of thing. If u have a strong team (like the US) their best athletes get selected usually based on ranking (1st 2nd etc) because they are the best due to their depth. We don't have the depth and this is probably why we haven't really produced many good vaulters. The depth just isn't there - over the years we have had some reasonable vaults Dasha, Emily and Lauren were all doing double yurchenkos at one point (I think)....but the depth of gymnasts to choose from just isn't there. I think beam is the consistent apparatus where we seem to produce quality gymnastics most of the time (probably due to the Chinese coaching)....brs nd vault has been a weakness off and on and sometimes floor.

Sorry for all of the writing!

Anonymous said...

I have to say I do prefer sportspeople to wear green and gold when representing Australia, whether they're in an individual event or a team event. Gymnastics is pretty much the only one I can think of where you see athletes not wearing the country colors in every part of the competition.
Meg

Erin said...

Anon 10.11pm
The team final for both and men and women takes place over two days

They seem to have gone for a strange format for the CommGames Quals / Team Final. Men and Women will compete in the same sessions, and it has been spread over two days. On the first day they will compete Vault and Bars, and the 2nd day Beam and Floor.

While the men will do rings, pommel and floor, on day 1 and day 2, p bars, vault and h bar.

Looking forward to seeing the Leos, and am hoping new designs might mean they can retire the current green and gold leo (and other Aus Team leos) they seem to wear to team events.

Anonymous said...

Ohh....not a fan of having the team competition over two days...that is so weird...the momentum wont be there. Could be good though if u're a team who mucks up ur first two apparatus - hve time to get it together. Lets hope that's not Australia!

Please, can we lay off the crappy comments bout the 'oldies??' The athletes don't deserve that. Overall, I think its fantastic gymnastics is no longer a 'teenagers' sport and older girls competing shows this. So much more mature to appreciate their opportunity and ENJOY it!!

Anonymous said...

Appears as if my last comment was deleted. It's a free world to say as any individual feels, and I say australian gymnastics is at a crossroads, if this commonwealth games approach fails, Peggy needs to take the fall, if it comes up trumps then she needs to be taken to task about worlds with inexperienced gymnasts. Considering she does nothing but take the gymnasts from the coaches that have prepared them, she needs a lot of support from somewhere!

Mez said...

I delete dickish comments as it's, as you keep saying, a free country.

Maybe consider emailing me to explain WHY you have such an axe to (repeatedly) grind and I might think twice about deleting your comments in future? When you seem like a troll trying to stir things up, who can't even bother putting any kind of identity to what they leave here, I delete you.

Anonymous said...

Give me your email address and I'll email you, I'll tell you why I got an axe to grind! Give me your address?

Mez said...

It's right there on the right hand side bar of the blog, mate. As it always has been.

Anonymous said...

Do we know what subdivision the men and women are in at comm games

Anonymous said...

I think what we can expect from the gals is a clean comp with no falls. If they do that, we can be immensely proud. If we count falls, that is the only situation i can see people being unhappy with reasonably. With all having major comp experience there should be no major breaks.

Anonymous said...

Yes. lets hope there are no major breaks and if the other teams get a bit nervous....and have a few falls (not that I would wish that on anyone)..but realistically, that is what Australia needs to defend their team gold medal.

I predict the following gymnasts will compete on each apparatus (maybe this is already known??). Is is 4 up and 3 scores to count?? If so...

Vault
GRB
Maryanne
??
Not sure about 3rd or 4th Maybe we will just have 3 vaulters?? I guess this can be done.

Bars
GRB
Maryanne??
Olivia
Larissa

Beam
Olivia
GRB
Maryanne
Lauren

Floor
Olivia
GRB
Larissa
Lauren

If its 3 scores counting on each apparatus if we hit it is a pretty good line up (except for vault).

Thoughts?

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure why but I feel nervous about Lauren hitting this time. Maybe because she was out for ages post surgery and doesn't seem 100% fit. I sure hope I'm wrong and she (and all the girls) have an absolute blinder of a comp!

Anonymous said...

In response to anon july 27th 9:54pm:

Did I read somewhere that Liv Viv would vault and we would only have 3 up for vault? Anyone else hear/read that?

Anonymous said...

Start lists are out and Stella Savvidou from MLC is competing for Cyprus

Anonymous said...

That's fantastic. Good on Stella!!!