Olympic Prep Part 2: Mixed Group 1

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There's lots of hype going around for US Trials and the numerous team announcements that we've had in the past week. I'd like to take a moment to recognize the athletes that will be competing as individuals. There are lots of exciting athletes going to the Olympic Games as individuals like Vasiliki Millousi, Celine van Gerner, and Giulia Steingruber just to name a few. In this post, I'll introduce you to the gymnasts that will be in Mixed Group 1.

As a disclaimer, some of these gymnasts are not very well known so I put the D scores I could find. This may not be representative of the D score they plan to compete at the Olympics. Do NOT assume that these are the highest D scores the gymnasts are capable of.

Watch for! Palesova sneaking into UB final, hoping to make AA final.
Yamilet Pena making VT EF and potentially medalling if she lands her Prod.
Angel Wong and Dorina Boczogo potentially making VT EF

Krystyna Palesova, Czech Republic (CZE)
Palesova attended the 2008 Olympics and qualified to the AA final after a 26th place finish. She made an error, however, on her last pass on floor (scored a 12.9), and landed in 21st. Krystyna Palesova earned her ticket to London by placing 31st in the all-around at the Test Event in January 2012. Her best events are bars and beam. Like too many gymnasts, Palesova had to have surgery on her knee due to an ACL injury. Even after this injury, Palesova has continued to compete and prepare for the Olympics. She is rumoured to have a back handspring - arabian in her beam routine but we are waiting for that to be competed. She has competed Onodi - split leap - back tuck, and also a switch leap - back tuck - sheep jump - scissone - wolf jump. We'll have to wait and see what routine she competes at the Olympics!

D-scores: VT - 4.4, UB - 5.9, BB - 5.4, FX - 4.7
Routine: Watch her UB from Cottbus 2011






Yamilet Peña Abreu, Dominican Republic (DOM)
Yamilet Peña Abreu vaulted her way onto the international scene, quite literally. At 2011 Worlds, we all watched in amazement as she was the only competitor attempting the most difficult vault in women's gymnastics, the Produnova - a front handspring double tuck with a 7.1 start value. Peña actually has 3 vaults, 2 of which are safer to maybe get into finals. The problem is that they are not entirely reliable either. At Worlds EF, Peña did not land her Prudunova and was given a 0. How will we know if she will get a 0? If her butt hits the mat before her feet, she will get a 0 on the vault. I grab my knees as I watch the vault, but I can't help but admire her for trying. I mean, wouldn't it be amazing for someone to land that vault at the Olympics? Her 2nd vault is a 1.5 twisting Yurchenko (round off onto the board, back handspring onto the horse, and 1.5 twists off). She has certainly gotten better at keeping it laid out.

Peña earned her spot by placing 69th at the Test Event. She was one of the last gymnasts to qualify for the Olympics. She will do great representing the Dominican Repubic, especially if she can make it into VT finals.

D-scores: VT - 7.1/5.3, UB - 4.7, BB - 4.2, FX - 5.1
Routine: Watch her VT in qualifications from Zibo Cup held earlier this year. She lands this vault.



Hiu Ying Angel Wong, Hong Kong (HKG)
Like Pena, Wong's best event is vault. She too will have 2 vaults although her chances of making vault finals aren't as high. Angel placed 59th at the test event. Her best event is vault followed by balance beam. She vaults a Tsukahara full (half turn onto the board, full twist off - 5.2 SV) and a front handspring front pike half (5.0 SV). Angel graduated with a degree in Fashion and Textiles and will design her leotard for the Olympics.

D-scores: VT - 5.2/5.0, UB - 3.0, BB - 5.4, FX - 5.4
Routine: Watch her 2nd vault at Pacific Rim 2012 below. Her first vault can be found here.




Dorina Boczogo, Hungary (HUN)
[Disclaimer: Boczogo has not yet been confirmed as the Olympian as of July 3rd. Laura Gombas also attended the Test Event but finished 66th. Boczogo will likely be the Olympian.]
Dorina Boczogo placed 29th at the test event and earned her ticket to London. She, like the other gymnasts, has 2 vaults (1.5 Twisting Yurchenko and a front handspring front pike half). Her vaults have low difficulty, 5.3 and 5.0 respectively, but they are often very well done. Boczogo was present at the 2008 Olympics, where she placed 52nd. Her best event is BB. I really enjoy her mount on beam, it's very impressive - a press handstand mount to 1 armed straddle (or something along those lines). She also has some unique combinations on bars. She reminds me of Mustafina's low bar aggressiveness on bars.

D-scores: VT - 5.3/5.0, UB - 5.0, BB - 5.7, FX - 5.0
Routine: Check out her UB routine (but make sure to click on BB above to see her mount, I'm just biased towards bars).



Check out the others in the series here:
Mixed Group 8 - Laura Svilpaite (LTU), Heem Wei Lim (SIN), Maria Paula Vargas (ESP), Ralitsa Mileva (BUL), Sherine Ahmed El Zeiny (EGY)

Mixed Group 7 - Barbara Gasser (AUT), Jessica Gil Ortiz (COL), Nastassia Marachkouskaya (BLR), Jessica Lopez (VEN), Luiza Galiulina (UZB)

Mixed Group 6 - Jonna Adlerteg (SWE), Vasiliki Millousi (GRE), Valeria Pereyra (ARG), Annika Urvikko (FIN), Heo Seon Mi (KOR)

Mixed Group 5 - Phan Thi Ha Thanh (VIE), Sasa Golob (SLO), Celine Van Gerner (NED), Simona Castro Lazo (CHI), Salma Mahmoud El Said Mohamed (EGY)

Mixed Group 4 - Do Thi Ngan Thuong (VIE), Nataliya Kononenko (UKR), Zoi Mafalda Marques de Lima (POR), Valeriia Maksyuta (ISR)

Mixed Group 3 - Marta Pihan-Kulesza (POL), Tina Erceg (CRO), Giulia Steingruber (SUI), Lorena Quinones Moreno (PUR), Maria Homolova (SVK)

Mixed Group 2 - Elsa Garcia (MEX), Julie Croket Gaelle Mys (BEL), Moldir Azimbay (KAZ), Goksu Uctas (TUR), Ana Sofia Gomez Porras (GUA)

Mixed Group 1 - Kristyna Palesova (CZE), Yamilet Pena Abreu (DOM), Hiu Ying Angel Wong (HKG), Dorina Boczogo (HUN)

[Confusing] Country Codes