Dutch World Championships Qualifications
Credit: ANP for metroniuews.nl
The first qualification for the Dutch World team was held this weekend. Six gymnasts participated with two important absences. Olympian Celine van Gerner is out of the selection process due to a right ankle injury that needed surgeru and Wyomi Masela has an elbow strain that kept her out of this competition but she hopes to rejoin in the next qualification meet.
Noel van Klaveren easily won the all-around. Of not, she did a Yurchenko double full (5.8D) along with a Tsuk 1.5 (5.5D). Van Klaveren is the European silver medalist on vault and this increase in difficulty helps give her a good chance of making the vault event finals. She has also been seen training an Amanar but it's unknown if that vault is competition ready. After a fall on the new Tsuk 1.5, one cannot be sure that this beautiful gymnast will attempt a more difficult first vault at her next competition.
Chantysha Netteb and Vera van Pol seem to be fighting for the 2nd all around position. Van Pol gained notoriety after becoming the 2013 Dutch Champion. Netteb had great success as a junior but has had some unfortunate injuries. I'm curious who will end up on top in the next qualification meet. Vera van Pol is coming into her own and scoring well in internal competitions. Netteb has the ability to outscore her but mistakes seem to be a problem. Netteb did finish in 2nd at this meet but fell to her head on her beam dismount. As much as I would love for Netteb to compete in the all around, I would see her losing the all-around spot as a safety precuation rather than anything else.
Sanne Wevers, like many of her fellow countrywomen, recently finished a training camp at Flicka Gymnastics in Canada. Sanne worked on lots of different skills while training. It seems like she's shooting for the UB/BB spot and has a good chance since she boasts a 5.8 D-score on beam. Consistency on this event will be key for her.
Funny blooper of Wevers training in Canada from her facebook page
Julia Bombach only competed on bars. There is mention of her training a clear hip piked Tkatchev, a skill that is not yet in the Code of Points. It is believed to be an F rated skill making Bombach one of the first Dutch gymnasts to compete a skill of such high difficulty on the uneven bars.
Wyomi Masela is the gymnast who complicates things for the Netherlands. She is a good all around gymnast and placed above Netteb and van Gerner at the Dutch Championships. However, she is not likely to take one of the all around spots and, like Netteb, is more of a VT/FX specialist making her spot on the team questionable with 2 already strong vaulters and another spot taken for an AA gymnast. Like Wevers, Masela recently returned from training in Canada. She was at the same gym as Olympian Dominique Pegg where she learned a Canadian choreographed floor routine and a new vault. Her floor opens with a nice double layout (below) and she now performs a FTY (
here) and a round 1/2 half on, layout 1/2 off (
here). She did have a DTY and front handspring front pike 1/2 in 2012.
Wyomi Masela FX
For the Osijek Challenge Cup, the Netherlands has submitted a team that seems entirely possible for the World Championships.
Noel van Klaveren - VT, FX
Chantysha Netteb - UB, FX
Vera van Pol - UB, FX
Wyomi Masela - VT, BB
The obvious problems are that there are no all around gymnasts and Netteb is not listed on vault. I think the Netherlands should adopt the same team that I have in my head for Russia. Van Pol (or Nabieva) should not compete in the all around so that the 3 vaulters are able to vault - in this case, van Klaveren, Netteb, and Masela and Mustafina (for AA), Paseka, and Afanasyeva for Russia.
My idea:
Noel van Klaveren - AA
Chantysha Netteb - VT, UB, FX, (BB)
Vera van Pol - UB, BB, (FX)
Wyomi Masela - VT, FX, (BB)
The other option is to have Sanne Wevers on the team who complement Netteb well - van Klaveren and van Pol would do AA, Netteb - VT, UB, FX, and Wevers - BB (or UB in place of Netteb).
A lot will depend on how all the athletes hit at the Friendly meet in Alphen aan den Rijn, NED August 31 - Sep 1 and if Masela or any of the other gymnasts decide to compete in additional events.
Results
Dutch Gymnasts Begin Worlds Qualifying Battle
Gymnastics Calendar to Worlds - more info on the Friendly Meet
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Sports2Visuals for updates
Noel van Klaveren
Amanar
What do you think?
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