Monday, October 10, 2011

This and That



There is nothing these skaters seem to enjoy doing less than giving a press conference at the end of a long draining competition day.  Note how bored and almost annoyed the skaters all get by the journalists who are obviously huge fans.  Even Alex Shibutani has a bit of Scott Moir in him at the end of a long day.  It must be difficult to put on a happy face for questions you've gotten a thousand times when you're hungry, tired and just want to go out to eat.  Note: Queen Tessa Middleton looks magnificent.

A recap of yesterday's practice session for Team USA.  As always, Martha was the true star.  Anna Li hit her bar routines yesterday and today, but they are not putting her in the lineup.  If team USA loses, this will come back to be a questionable decision.  It doesn't sound like Vega has been hitting, but all is well when your coach is Teodora.  Then again, when Martha and Co. are able to wheel and deal a 14.000 on bars for Raisman, the names of the gymnasts competing and the skills they do may not have very much to do with the outcome.

Women's Team Final Lineups  (Discuss)

The Chinese men finished in third behind Team USA (ouch.)






Part 2.


Doing it like Volchkova...

Dominique Moceanu interviews Yuka Sato at Worlds.



Golden Skate Awards...

Bottom Buttle likes it harder, faster, stronger...



Lambiel continues to improve.



I've missed Aliona.



Skate Canada should be like South Korea and not force Joannie Rochette to compete at Canadian Nationals.  She can be the de facto champion and compete internationally whenever she wants.


Cappellini and Lanotte

9 comments:

  1. During qualifications Vega scored 14.366 on beam. Douglas scored 14.000. Vega was still shaky during practice, per TCG. Obviously Marta doesn't trust Douglas.

    Marta also doesn't trust Li being ready for the World stage. Despite losing Alicia's rudi and watching Vega struggle through bars she's still leaving Vega in. IDK. Seems like a risky call.

    Would love to see a comparison of qualification scores for USA/Russia/China, scores of the three girls in finals line-up. (Too lazy to analyze myself). I wonder if Team USA is far enough ahead to not need Li's potential bar score.

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  2. The coaches vote on the ultimate lineup. As Martha said last year, she didn't want to use Larson; the coaches did.

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  3. USA team total with top 3 scores from qualification 177.496, RUS: 175.613, CHN: 175.296.

    A little under 2 points over RUS and a little over 2 points for CHN.

    I haven't done with the scores of the girls in the TF lineup yet.

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  4. I want to say that Martha is trying not to make the "Mattie mistake" by choosing consistency of difficulty. However, that's hard to say because this team is fairly young and the only true consistent individuals are Wieber and Raisman. Also, she's choosing to put Maroney in the floor line up over Vega. I just hope Maroney changes that 3rd pass--she begins the execute the pass too far into the center of the floor and the form on the double tuck is horrendous. (Note: Maroney is from the same gym as Mattie. I'm suffering flashbacks now).

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  5. Since only one Chinese man even competed
    all-around in qualification (coming in 18th),
    it may be even more of a downer for them
    that the reason Horton won't be in the
    all-around is not because he did badly
    in qualification (he was 5th), but because
    two of his teammates outdid him.

    Even more embarrassing: the US men outscored
    the Chinese on horse! (In fact, the only apparatus where the Chinese men outdid the US
    was in pbars, where they were 1st.)

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  6. Yes, I am questioning the McKayla choice too. If she doesn't go OOB on that third pass, if she keeps it as is, I'm a zebra.

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  7. lol I was wondering why Tessa was the only one dressed up. She really has great taste in clothes.

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  8. Aliona/Robin's LP has the potential to be completely brilliant. Love V/T but I don't think they can hold a candle to them artistically yet.

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  9. Are they on crack?? Tan Sixin on 3 events?

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