Montage Monday: USA Gymnastics

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of their country. (Wikipedia)

This Labor Day, we celebrate all the gymnasts who work hard, day in and day out, holiday or no holiday, striving to be the best they can be.

USA Gymnastics - Roar
TheBluejay34
US Nationals wasn't too long ago but we now have a chance to celebrate USA Gymnastics... from the start. I love that every era is represented whether it's Mary Lou Retton or Bridget Sloan, Annia Hatch or Sarah Finnegan, many of the "greats" in USA gymnastics history are here. I particularly love the ending with our newest golden girls.

Elisabetta Preziosa: Talented Beauty

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Elisabetta Preziosa is an Italian gymnast best known to fans for her amazing flexibility, lines, and toe point. Recently, she had her inherent dance ability put on display in a photoshoot. Betta, as she is affectionately called, placed some of these photos on her instagram after a shoot with Giada Napolitano, @giady03.


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Preziosa was named to the 2012 Olympic team where she competed on balance beam. Unfortunately, she fell in both team qualifications and team finals. With a strong crop of new seniors, it is hard to know where she falls on the Italian team since her difficulty score isn't always competitive with her teammates. However, no one is really able to match her elegance and what she may not have in difficulty, she earns with excellent execution.

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
Follow Sports2Visuals for updates
Noel van Klaveren Amanar

What do you think?

Gymnastics Calendar to Worlds

We have quite the lineup of meets before 2013 World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium from Sept 30-Oct 6. This will be updated as we get more information on the various meets.

Worlds Definitive Registration here - number of spots open per country.


DatesMeet Info
Aug 30-Sep 8Chinese National Games
More info: here
Sui Lu, Deng Linlin, He Kexin, Huang Quishuang, Wu Liufang may all retire at the end of these Games
Results/Links/Videos: chinesegymnastics on tumblr
Aug 31-Sep 1International Friendly; Alphen aan den Rijn, NED
More info: here; Nominative List: here
Countries include Romania (Izbasa, Bulimar), Netherlands, Germany, Great Britain, Austria, Sweden and Belgium. This will also serve as the 2nd World Championships qualifying event for the Netherlands.
Sept 6 - 8Romanian Nationals
More info: here
Sept 7 - 8Magyar Grand Prix, HUN
More info: here
Competitors include Kriztian Berki and Epke Zonderland along with up-and-comer Noemi Makra on the women's side.
Sept 12 - 16US Worlds Team Selection Camp; Texas, USA
More info: here
Athletes: Biles, Maroney, Price, Nichols, Milliet, Skinner, Ross, Desch, Dowell, Ernst, and Baker.
Sep 13 - 15Osijek Challenge Cup
Nominative list: here (updated 9/11)
GBR is sending both Rebecca Tunney and Downie, Noemi Makra of hungary and Elsa Garcia of Mexico are listed in the all-around. Four Dutch girls will be competing in what appears to be a very probable Worlds team. Millousi will grace us with her presence on beam. Russia is sending Sosnitskaya and Rodionova and South Africa will be represented by Claudia Cummins and Kirsten Beckett.
Sept 14GER-ITA Friendly; Vigevano, ITA
Info/Italian competitors: here
German competitors: here
Ferlito, Ferrari, and Meneghini are set to compete. Campana and Fasana are both listed but both are reported to be injured. Francesca De Agostini, who just fell short of making the Olympic team will also be there
Sept 19-25Japan Junior International; Yokohoma, JPN
More info: WAG, MAG participant lists
USA will be sending Bailie Key and Laurie Hernandez. GBR will be sending Catherine Lyons and Georgia Mae-Fenton. Brinn Bevan, who impressed at EYOF, will compete in the men's competition with Nile Wilson.

Experience US Nationals MAG

I had the delight of also going to the men's competition and I'm glad I did. I thought I may never have the chance again but I've decided that I'm going to another meet.



I realized I left out some coach sightings. Was Chow on the floor for the seniors? He might've been. Either way, someone said I love you and he turned and blew a kiss to the crowd. When Mihai came over to the Hilton, all the little kids went up to him. There we are towering over 3 rows of 10 year olds. Mihai has a box in his hand and was looking for his wife. Then the little girl said, "Mihai, may I please have your autograph?" How could you deny someone so cute - that was literally the reaction on his face. He tried moving but the crowd moved with him. Then another little one asked politely. Chalk It Up and I looked at each other and decided we were never getting Mihai's autograph because we'd never be as adorable as a polite 10 year old. He walked away soon after anyway. 

On my way to MAG, I saw Chow smiling as he walked down the street. I didn't say anything because I was in my car and what would I say? "Hi, Chow!" So I went on and parked. 

I got to MAG late and I guess I missed shirtless warmups because you guys took too long to guess that I got Valeri's autograph. It's ok. 

The meet was insane! Not sure if you followed my attempt at live tweets but my face was literally like :O the entire time. 

Legendre's first pass
Seeing a "man prod" (handspring double front). 
Seeing a stuck man prod. 
Seeing a Dragulescu. 
Seeing Orozco's Liukin (full twisting laid out Tkatchev). 

Me:
source: alwaysthewriter
PLEASE DO NOT REPOST


Maybe you thought I was crazy when I said in getting a lot of chalk on me. I'm at a gymnastics meet, what did I expect? In my defense, there are 2 extra apparatus with MAG so that much more chalk. AND it wasn't just me! The Michigan boys like the chalk a certain way as does one of their coaches.  


My favorite coach sweeping chalk off the parallel bars podium. Also, ALL the Michigan boys had to help chalk the bars. It takes a village to raise a child and it takes an entire team to chalk for Michigan.

See, it wasn't just me!
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