Friday, July 13, 2012

This and That


                                                The ladies of Team USA at the ranch.


The Russian gymnasts leave for London.  I live for their lack of smiles during their send off in front of the press.  The eyes they give one another are to die for.


The Russian leotards for the games.  The red and white ones look lovely.

Token feature on the Shibutanis performing in Sun Valley.

The Russian coaches have confirmed that Mustafina will 'jump 2.5 screw' at the Olympics, but only at the Olympics.  It looks like she will bust out an Amanar, as expected.

Translation of Rodionenko Interview:

Gostrener Russian women's team gymnastics Rodionenko Valentine said in an interview, "Soviet Sport", that the complexity of their programs, their performance in terms of the vice-world champion in the all-around and uneven bars world champion at the Victoria Komova is the undisputed favorite of the upcoming Olympics.
"The first three main contenders for the women's all-around gold is as follows: Komova, Mustafina and American Douglas, which is called the" flying squirrel ". Why do I have now put in this preliminary scenario above Komov Alia Mustafina? Alia is grown in the last year, and no longer shows the class in performance, as we saw two years ago at the World Championships in Rotterdam. But at the same time from Mustafina can expect anything, and its character in any case can not be ignored! ".
In the team finals against American girls all decide to vault: if our girls will be able to jump 2.5 screws jump Yurchenko, then it will give them a huge advantage on points in front of an American. Otherwise, this advantage will be an American, confidently performing a jump Yurchenko.
"At the moment, this makes great leap Maria Bee Farm - says Valentina Rodionenko. - And thanks largely to a jump Yurchenko, she came to the team. Vic jumps Komova it through training. Alia, received on this daunting leap severe injury, it will jump only in London. Of course, you can not take risks and make the 2 screws instead of 2.5. But we believe that the risks need. We're going to take that risk because he is acquitted. "


Translation of a Komova Interview:

Gymnast Victoria Komova, world champion in 2011 in an exercise on the parallel bars, in an interview with "Soviet Sport" has admitted that the upcoming Olympics she does not want to speak or think,
- I do not like being called a favorite. I do not think a favorite. And Alia Mustafina, for example, the same favorite, as I do. I am the way, really like that we train in the same room. When I see something that Alia's good at it, I 'looking for some ", I immediately want to go out and do, at least, not worse!
- Is it true that your main rivals in London will be the first American woman? What do you think of them?
- I like their mental toughness. They go on to the platform in the "impenetrable" mood, they do not sobesh. But too much I do not think about them. There is no hatred towards them I have not. I'd like to beat them, and we are quite capable. That they hate us. As they looked at us at the last world championships in Tokyo! About how to say hello when they met, there was no question, they deliberately did not talk with us. This is after our victory in Rotterdam.When they managed to beat us, they are relaxed and even came up at a banquet to congratulate you. With silver medals ...


The ethnicity of our ambiguously-raced Olympian is revealed.
Baby Kyla's musculature wasn't the only striking thing about her. Her look reflects the multi-racialism of Hawaii. Her father is black and Japanese. Her mother is Filipina, white and Puerto Rican.

Four years ago, Miss Val was all about Nastia when she was recruiting the elites of her day.  No surprise, she is now a big Jordyn Wieber supporter and the reigning World Champion is set to be an Undergraduate Assistant Coach at UCLA.  The best question may be who UCLA is trying to recruit as most of Wieber's closet friends on the National Team are professional.  It certainly gives the "you can go to the Olympics if you attend UCLA" recruiting mantra and air of credence.

Mai Murakami Training Clip



Twenty Questions with Jake Dalton

36 comments:

  1. I wont believe Jordyn/UCLA until I hear it from Jordyn. I think her mon speaks out of her butt. Or do you have inside info.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is from an article from a Lansing newspaper.

      Delete
  2. Russia is blinded by amanars, and I fear for these girl's knees.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think the fact that they are counting out Wieber is a BIG mistake. She will most likely sneak up from behind and take gold.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. >I think the fact that they are counting out Wieber is a BIG mistake. She will most likely sneak up from behind and take gold.

      I'm sure they're not. They clearly have their reasons for not mentioning her name.

      Delete
  4. Good to hear that Rodionenko has faith that Maria Bee Farm can also jump the 2.5 screws when it counts.

    God, I love online translators.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That needs to be her nickname from now on.

      Delete
  5. "I think the fact that they are counting out Wieber is a BIG mistake. She will most likely sneak up from behind and take gold."

    wieber has a bars deficit vs Aliya, Vika, and Douglas. She will lose about a point there, to Komova, and Mustafina. I think the Russian coaches are right on to be more worried about Douglas.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jordyn can make that up on beam & floor. Komova has been scoring in the low fourteens on floor & has beam issues. If Jordyn goes back to her old beam routine & maybe keeps one or two of her upgrades, she can win. The wild card is Gabby, if she hits she wins. Over Aliya Mustafina & Komova with her FX score & Jordyn with her bars. The one big advantage Jordyn has is mental toughness. She has been on top for THREE years now. Only Aliya Mustafina comes close on that.

      Delete
    2. Jordyn cant actually make up anything on beam or floor. Vika now hits 15.3 beam routines and yes her floor might be a bit lacking but her 16.2 bars will give her a significant lead. Wiebers beam has been rather shaky lately and her floor SERIOUSLY lacks artistry which will actually count in London unlike the US. I do think she does have a chance if someone else struggles but she is in no way the leader or likely to win gold in my eyes. Oh and she didnt even compete in 2010 so she WAS on top for 2 years but her mental toughness is now deteriorating, as seen during trials.

      Delete
    3. What? Where are you getting those numbers? Komova is very inconsistent on beam. Wieber's coach said they are taking out the connections that have been giving her trouble lately.

      And Wieber's floor does not SERIOUSLY lack artistry, she is just not a ballerina. And besides her floor 'counted' in Tokyo, why would it be different in London?

      Her mental toughness is deteriorating how? By hitting 4 bar routines in a row and not falling all through nationals and trials? You're reaching.

      Delete
    4. Unlike the worlds, the Olympics draws upon a bigger and wiser variety of audiences. That is why the sport is under so much more scrutiny. Shawn Johnson wasnt deducted in 2007 but "everyone" at FIG rejoiced when Nastia was crowned AA champ because she represented everything the code had aimed to deliver re artistry.

      Both Wieber and Komova are inconsistent in terms of beam connections. Regardless of who is and who isn't deteriorating in terms of mental toughness is irrelevant currently. What matters is who will hit in London. I believe that unlike Wieber who has has the all the praise and glory this year, Komova has been kindling that loss from last year. It will be an awesome showdown in the end.

      Delete
    5. I complete agree with you! There is NO doubt that Komova will have te better execution scores! She is artistry incarnate. Sorry if not all gymnasts can't look like ballerinas, but there IS a type they favour at the Olympics. Worlds doesn't count. Johnson scored higher consistently prior to Beijing. And she didn't even have major errors in the Olympics. Nastia was regarded as the more artistic gymnast.

      Also there is NO freaking way the Russians are gonna send Komova with a crappy SV in beam and floor considering the top 6 are so close in difficulty. She will hit in London. Did you know she's a medal favourite according to the Russians on beam with a high SV and execution to match!!!

      Delete
    6. How do execution scores = artistry?

      Delete
    7. No you have the equation wrong.

      It's artistry = execution scores.

      Delete
    8. Haha ^^^^

      I thought that was a given! The anon at 3.17am is a noob.

      Delete
    9. Artistry is way overrated. Clean execution over "artistic" routines any day.

      Delete
    10. Komova Russian Cup, 16.137, 16.200 bars, 15.067, 15.325. Show me the inconsistency in that. Stop basing her performances on LAST YEAR (yes I know she missed at EC)
      Wieber placed 6th on floor. Her D score is 6.0 Afanaseyva won. Her D score is 6.1. Afanaseyva did not win because of her difficulty. She won because of her artistry (and I dont just mean dance moves, but the coreography, personality, execution)
      Shawn scored 16.0 16.050, 16.200 16.125 during Trials and Visas 08. Then scored 15.5 with the same routine no changes, due to artistry.
      Wieber used to be rock solid. Now she is completely shaky on beam, missing her connections, much more wobblys and second guessing. Yes her bar SKILL has increased but that isnt because of her mind.

      Delete
    11. Artistry is NOT overrated - which is why there is precisely a fan base for Komova and Mustafina etc for London. There is almost a nostalgic feeling watching these graceful gymnasts. Also, it's called "ARTISTIC" gymnastics for a reason!

      CLean execution - do you mean the landings? Because the last time I checked, execution can still be marred by lack of basic techniques i.e. stretched legs, pointed toes etc.

      Delete
  6. If the Amanar claims are true and everyone brings their A game, then Jordyn is toast. Gabby can still wins gold but Komova will likely run with it. Iordache for silver and Douglas for bronze.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Agree. I think Komova will be AA champ, and Iordache and Douglas will fight for silver/bronze. But who knows!

      Delete
  7. I'm having a difficult time fully understanding Komova's translation, especially about what she thinks of the American girls. My interpretation is this: The Americans are nice to the Russians as long as they (the Americans) win. Can someone who speaks Russian better translate that for us?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. my russian isn't that great. but I think she is saying that the American's don't aren't really social until after the competition. The gist of it, if I am correct, is that during the competition they are intense but after they are nice.

      Delete
    2. oops *Americans

      Delete
    3. Thank you. That makes sense.

      Delete
    4. Hey
      I speak Russian and the post above is pretty much correct. She says that the Americans go onto the podium with a "you cant touch us" attitude. They are not snobbish and I do not think much about them. I dont hate them, Id like to beat them and we are quite capable. They hate us by the looks they gave us at Tokyo. We went to say hi to them and there was no question, they deliberately did not talk to us. But that was after out victory in Rotterdam and after they beat us the relaxed and even came up to congratulate us on our silver medal.

      Delete
  8. I think that some of the comments on here do not reflect reality - Wieber and Douglas both have technical difficulty that far exceeds the Russians. Since Wieber is so mentally strong, she will likely take the AA. The Russians have nice form, but it does not look so lovely when they fall (which they do; repeatedly). All of the pointed toes and lean builds in the world can't make up for these deficits.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Last time I checked it wasn't Komova that had a major error in the All Around it was Jordyn. Obviously if Komova has a major error she won't win. And low 14s aren't normal beam scores for her. But with Komova's new Amanar, new upgrades on the other events, she will be able to afford to be a little shaky on beam like she was at Worlds AA and still come out on top of Jordyn.

      IF Komova/Mustafina have amanars than I think absolutely Jordyn's going to be relying on mistakes from Komova/Mustafina/Douglas in order to win. Now is it possible-sure but I think its abosolutely the case. But once again I'd like to know when the last time Komova made a major error in an All Around competition.

      Delete
    2. The difference last year was due to the difficult difference Komova had to be "picture perfect like she was in prelims to win" Of course given lack of training, nerves was a little bit less so. Now that a lot of her difficulty is back, she won't have to be as perfect. Having the patterson dismount too will help things immensely if she hits it. Because its NOT a connection.

      I mean really you can bring up Komova's beam issues but Jordyn's more than capable of screwing up bars. Hasn't done it in recent US competitions-sure but Komova's looking more stable in beam at internal competitions too. That one goes both ways.

      We can only look at what happens if both girls HIT. Without an Amanar the judges considered Komova/Jordyn pretty close together. Jordyn couldn't beat her when both went perfect in prelims, and barely beat her when both had hiccups in the All Around. Now that Komova has upgraded, and Jordyn has no signficant upgrades. Its hard to imagine that Jordyn is somehow going to withstand it if Komova hits her routines. And I think people are overexaggerating Komova's inconsistency because once again Komova has a pretty strong track record of not making significant errors in all around competitions. I think Komova IS far more liklely to mess up team finals.

      Delete
  9. Oh. my. gosh. Yes, the Russians have nice bodies, nice lines and nice choreography for the most part. What they do not have is consistency, mental toughness and good technique. Their form on vault alone is atrocious, and let's not even talk about their twisting technique in general. Also, they are dependent on Paseka, a hit or miss gymnast, and Aliya Mustafina, a girl who's time seems to have passed her by, to make Amanars when it counts. I think they will be lucky to get silver.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you. There is a lot to love about Russian gymnastics but they are not God's fucking gift to the world. The Americans can learn a lot from their gymnastics, just like the Russians can learn from the Americans. There is not one team that is perfect, they all have their strengths and weaknesses.

      And I find it funny when people harp on the USA for having 'ugly' gymnastics while those same people turn a blind eye to Mustafina, who probably has the worst twisting form I've ever seen.

      Delete
  10. This seems to be the best translation of the Rodionenko interview: http://rewritingrussiangymnastics.blogspot.com/2012/07/viktoria-komova-is-favourite-for.htmlinterview with Valentina Rodionenko from Sovietsky Sport, translated by Lupita :

    Valentina Rodionenko announced in an interview with Sovietsky Sport that Viktoria Komova, thanks to the complexity of her routines and the level of her execution, is the favourite of the next Olympics. Read on ...

    "The three candidates for gold in the women’s all-around are: Komova, Mustafina and the American, Douglas. Why do I rate Komova over Mustafina? Aliya has grown taller over the last year and doesn’t show the same level of execution she had two years ago in Rotterdam. At the same time, we can expect anything from Mustafina and we can’t count her out.
    In the team competition everything will depend on vault in the struggle with the Americans. If our girls can perform a Yurchenko with 2.5 twists, they’ll have the edge over them. Otherwise, the Americans perform the Amanar confidently and they’ll have the edge.
    Currently, Maria Paseka performs this vault excellently. She was named to the team thanks to her vault. Vika Komova performs it in training. Aliya, who got seriously injured when performing this vault, will perform it in London. Of course, it’s possible not to run risks and perform 2 twists. But we think we have to run the risk, it’s justified”

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anybody know the competition format for London? Okay, you would have to have been living under a rock to not have heard it's 3-up,3-count for team finals... But what about prelims? How many up and how many count? And am I correct in assuming team prelims is the qualifier for AA and IE's?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. the prelims is 5-4-3 (5 team members-4 up-3 count)
      and yes, prelims serves as aa and ef qualifications.

      Delete
  12. Thanks, Anon at 6:50 !

    ReplyDelete