Looking Back: Team Spain at Worlds 2013
Cintia Rodriguez
Photo by Cordelia Price (@CordeliaGymFan)
Spain ended up sending 3 athletes to the 2013 World Championships after teammate Maria Paula Vargas was injured. The 3 remaining athletes were Roxana Popa, Silvia Colussi-Pelaez, and Cintia Rodriguez. It's been some time since Spain has been in the spotlight as a team but they're current set of athletes show that they are a force to be reckoned with and will be able to make waves this quadrennium.
Roxana Popa is Romanian born but has grown up in Spain for the majority of her life. She's a strong gymnast who excels on floor exercise, where she qualified to the event final at the 2013 European Championships. Popa also has a strong double twisting Yurchenko and I would not be surprised if we start to hear rumors of an Amanar later in 2014. The first year senior is also very strong on uneven bars with a unique Shaposhnikova to immediate in bar Gienger - she has difficult skills and will be able to get maximum D-score when she irons out a few more connections. She finished the all around finals in 12th place.
VT 5.8/14.8; UB (below) 6.1/13.533; FX 5.9/14.1
Silvia Colussi-Pelaez has quite the international story. She's a dual Canadian-Spanish citizen and has started her freshman year at the University of Florida in the USA and will compete for their gymnastics team this coming season. There has been talk of Colussi-Pelaez for quite some time since she competes the sideways side aerial on beam. Danusia Francis has competed this in NCAA while Colussi-Pelaez has competed it for a few years. She finally had the chance to get it named at Worlds and successfully competed it. Unfortunately, she fell later on beam - a point that would cost her a place in the all around final. She finished qualifications in 31st place.
BB 5.9/12.9
Cintia Rodriguez was featured in an earlier post recapping Worlds. Rick from Gymnastics Coaching mentioned her often in his live tweets because of her beautiful toe point. After Worlds, she is now taking some time to rehab an ongoing foot injury. If you're someone who enjoys good dance training, I think you'll enjoy everything about her floor exercise.
UB 5.4/12.566; FX (below) 4.9/13.1
I remember reading that this was the first time Spain had 2 men in the all around final as well (via Gym Fever?).
Fabian Gonzalez finished the AA in 11th place. FX 6.2/14.8 ; PH (below) 5.9/14.5
Nestor Abad finished the AA in 20th place. Abad attended the 2010 Youth Olympics for Spain. PH 4.9/12.825 ; PB (below) 5.6/13.4
The toe point of Roxana Popa is to die for!
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