Tsuk the Pain

We've Moved!!

2011-09-07T21:16:00.002-04:00

I've been debating switching formats for a while now, and I've bit the bullet. Tsuk the Pain has now moved to Tumblr!

Here is the address;

tsukthepain.tumblr.com

Tumblr allows for greater interaction with gym fans, and allows all of you other couch commentators to contribute to the site as well! Don't forget to change the address.

See you all on the flip side!

Balance Beam Monday: Liufang Wu at Ghent

2011-09-05T17:26:00.002-04:00

Wu won the beam title at Ghent this past weekend, scoring 14.975. Her d-score was credited as 6.3. Will that be enough for spot on the world beam podium?

Balance Beam Monday: Catalina Ponor 2011 Romania Championships

2011-08-29T12:17:00.002-04:00

Here is Ponor's balance beam set from the 2011 Romanian Championships. She is back and looks extremely confident. However, the dismount is still scary (and it's only a double pike), the double turn needs to go (it looks uncontrolled and very weird), and some of the leaps need work.

Many feel that Romania is on the verge of winning the 2011 Gold. Who knows!

Shawn Johnson Beam Upgrades

2011-08-24T10:02:00.003-04:00

Blythe at the Gymnastics Examiner interviewed Shawn at the tail end of the Visa Championships last week.

This is what our beloved Shawny J had to say about upgrades:

"I dunno if I can share all of that!" (laughs) "The few skills that I had on the beam at this event, I've been practicing them in the training hall -- I just didn't compete them. I have a switch side half turn, front tuck to sheep jump connection and then a standing full [to] back handspring instead of a standing tuck [to] back handspring. Again, we just have been playing it safe, especially with the knee and everything. We really wanted just clean routines and to show Martha that I can be consistent when she needs me to be."
- Shawn Johnson after the second night of the Visa National Championships

All of these upgrades sound great minus the sheep jump. Shawn just doesn't quite have that skill yet -- some argue she never had that skill.

I just wish she gave us a clue about bars upgrades. She really could contribute to the team if she threw in some more difficulty.

Balance Beam Monday: Shawn Johnson 2011 Visas Night Two

2011-08-22T09:42:00.002-04:00

She's just one L turn and full twisting back tuck away from reigning supreme on beam again. Alternatively, she can throw in a full twist to her flight series. I am super super impressed with Shawn, and I think she has a strong shot at nabbing an alternate position for Worlds.

2011 Visa Championships Night Two: Fright Night

2011-08-21T10:29:00.004-04:00

What made last night particularly frightening to USAG? It wasn't because of the falls. There weren't many. It wasn't because of how great everyone performed. There were only a few great performances. It wasn't because of a vampire swooping in and devouring some gymnasts. Although, it may help to have vampire gymnasts at this point.

It was because of potential injuries to Rebecca Bross, aka the Rock, and Chellsie Memmel. Bross' unsurprising injury on vault happened first, sucking the air out of the entire arena. NBC was so stunned, they didn't know what to do -- show the poor girl crying in pain or get five minutes worth of reaction shots from every gymnast in the arena. In the end, they opted for both. Memmel's "injury" came during the last rotation. She was on bars when she felt her shoulder move in and out. She immediately hopped off, chalked up, and got back on. When she felt it happen again, she jumped off, looked at her dad, nodded, and then saluted the judges. Seeing Chellsie walk off the podium with a potential injury after seeing Bross doubled over on the vaulting mat was the equivalent of getting notice that your dog died on the day of your grandma's funeral.

USAG is saying Bross' injury is a knee dislocation, but I would not be surprised if it was even worse. Marta was also quoted by Gymnastike as saying "Certainly mentally she was not as tough during this whole competition as she used to be before." The quote has caused outrage among some fans, who are caught up in the OMGZ Bross NOOOOES moment. However, it rings of truth. We all knew Bross wasn't ready. That's why she dropped out of Covergirl classic. That's why she bombed bars and beam and barely got the vault to her feet in night one. Night two saw another bomb on beam. It was clear that Bross was having major issues on vault all week. She did not need to vault at Visas. It was a bad coaching decision, and it was a bad mental decision if Bross tricked herself into thinking she absolutely had to do it.

The bottom line is this: whether it's a lack of confidence or lack of interest in the sport, Bross was not all there this week, and that was frightening.

Chellsie is not actually injured, thankfully. She was just being extra cautious and will resume full training in a few days.

Maroney capitalized on Chellsie and Bross' withdrawal as well as an emotional beam set from Raisman. She delivered exactly when the pressure was off, and unfortunately she placed 2nd overall. Maroney is a great vaulter, but she lacks consistency on the other events, especially floor, and does not have the ability to deliver a decent bar score. She can only be used on Vault in the team finals, but her high placement virtually guarantees her a spot on the team barring a major injury.

Raisman was as solid as ever despite a wobbly beam set. She gets credit for not falling off and putting on a good fight. She is tough as nails and belongs on the US team.

Alicia changed her third pass (amen). It worked great for her. We need more difficulty, though.

Jordyn was a true beast and proved just how tough of a competitor she can be. She was leading by more than two points after night 1. She could have just played it safe on night 2, but she didn't. She dominated every event. Look out Komova. That gold is Jordyn's!

Finally, the national team was comprised of the top 8 All Around competitors PLUS Sacramone, Johnson, and Bross. That's 11 people, or 10 gymnasts and 1 dead girl walking...er limping. Many are freaked out that Li and even Sloan weren't added right away, but never fear. Both will surely be added in the next few days as well as some others. Marta has two 7 member teams to fill. Simple math tells us she doesn't have the gymnasts to do it based on the national roster. We'll find out soon enough!

Visa Championships Night Two LIVE Chat: 7:30 PM EST.

2011-08-19T23:21:00.000-04:00

2011 Visa Championships Night Two

Making the Team Part Two: Visas Night One

2011-08-19T19:46:00.014-04:00

Here is the second part of three in the Making the Team experiment. For background information, click here. For part one of the series (bonus points from Covergirl classic) click here.

The top five from each event will get bonus points added to their scores in part three. This is in addition to any bonus points earned from Part One (covergirl classic).

The ALL AROUND

Wiebs gets 5 points bonus added to night 2 score. Raisman gets 4, Memmel gets 3, Bross 2, and Maroney 1.

The VAULT

Maroney gets 5 bonus points added to her vault score in night 2. Wiebs gets 4, Asac gets 3, Aly 2, and Shawn 1.

The UNEVEN BARS

Li gets 5 bonus pts added to her bars score in night 2. Macko gets 4, Memmel 3, Wiebs 2, and Douglas 1.

The BALANCE BEAM

Asac gets 5 bonus points added to her beam in night 2. Memmel gets 4, Raisman 3, Johnson 2, and Wiebs 1.

The FLOOR EXERCISE

Aly gets 5 bonus points, Wiebs gets 4, Bross 3, Memmel 2, and Vega 1.

What does this all mean?! It seems that the team has taken shape. Looking at the top 3 on each event: Memmel, Aly, Asac and Wieber make two or more appearances. These are our locks for the team. With two spots missing, we look to fill in any other holes. What holes? BARS. Li fills in nicely. And of course BROSS will not be left off the team.

The roster: (Prelims)

Vault: (Memmel) (Bross) Raisman Sacramone Wieber
Bars: (Memmel) Bross Li Wieber (Raisman)
Beam: (Raisman) (Memmel) Sacramone Bross Wieber
Floor: (Sacramone) (Memmel) Bross Raisman Wieber

2011 Visas Night One: ReCrap

2011-08-19T02:20:00.003-04:00

Were the bars too far apart? Did the floor have some missing springs? Was the beam mysteriously thinner this evening?

These are questions that may seem silly, but tonight's preliminary competition was nothing short of a Sydney Olympic Disaster. What the hell happened? Only three all around competitors managed to stay on their feet. THREE. Thankfully, they're the top three, but unfortunately, it's bad news bears for the rest of the competitors, including Bross. These girls need to up their mental game if they want to make the Worlds team.

Here are the standings after night 1:

1 171 Jordyn Wieber 1 59.850 0.000
2 167 Alexandra Raisman 2 58.000 -1.850
3 165 Chellsie Memmel 3 57.350 -2.500
4 151 Rebecca Bross 4 56.900 -2.950
5 163 McKayla Maroney 556.300 -3.550
6 153 Mackenzie Caquatto 6 56.000 -3.850
7 152 Bridgette Caquatto 7 55.600 -4.250
8 170 Sabrina Vega8 55.250 -4.600
9 164 Grace McLaughlin 9 54.700 -5.150
10 160 Sophia Lee 10 54.450 -5.400
11 157 Brandie Jay 11 54.300 -5.550
12 155 Gabrielle Douglas 12 53.450 -6.400
13 166 Hallie Mossett 13 51.750 -8.100
14 156 Jessica Howe 14 50.600 -9.250
15 168 Alicia Sacramone 15 43.750 -16.100
16 159 Shawn Johnson 16 43.700 -16.150
17 162 Casey Magee 17 39.200 -20.650
18 154 Jessie DeZiel 18 38.800 -21.050
19 161 Anna Li 19 28.900 -30.950
20 158 Amanda Jetter 20 28.250 -31.600

The Good:

Chellsie Memmel. Holy cow she upped her game! It's not a surprise, but still. It's quite nice seeing such a fierce competitor hit her routines. She biffed floor a bit with the piked double arabian, but that double layout was insane! Chellsie is sitting quite pretty right now -- she's 3rd in the AA and 3rd on beam.

Shawn Johnson. She really is back. Shawn hit bars with a stuck double layout full. She hit vault (well somewhat considering her lack in training there). She "hit" beam, since she's tied for 3rd with Chellsie and Aly, but she had quite a large bobble that should have knocked her down a few more tenths + she went over time.

Aly Raisman. She hit floor, and it was incredible. She was low balled on the score and sits in 3rd on the event, BUT she really hit bars, which was incredible considering nearly everyone else fell AND it's her worst event. She has really upped her mental game.

Anna Li. Who cares about her crap beam. That bar set was quite good, but the dismount was sloppy even after she "watered" it down. Great score, though, and I am coming around to her.

The Bad:

Becca Bross. Where was the tough competitor we're so used to seeing? She messed up bars. She messed up beam. These are her events, and she caved into pressure. I'm sure more practice will help, but it was obvious that Becca Bross was not ready for Visas. She should not have competed the all around.

Gabby Douglas. Oy. My heart hurts so bad for this girl, who quickly became my new favorite up and comer after the covergirl classic. She needs to toughen up and STAT, because if she does not go 4 for 4 tomorrow, she may not even make it to training camp.

Sabrina Vega. Ouch. She needs to step it up, because her difficulty isn't high enough to make an automatic bid to the Worlds team. She needs to rely on her consistency, and that didn't happen here. She botched almost every event.

The in between:

Jordyn Wieber. Great floor and vault, but she was very tentative on bars and beam. She needs to eliminate those shakes fast.

Asac. Get rid of that 2.5 to punch front laid out. It hasn't work in over 5 years. It will not work this year or next. You have a nice arsenal to choose from to replace it. Nice beam set, though.

Visa Championships LIVE CHAT tonight @7:45 EST

2011-08-18T09:03:00.000-04:00

Visa Championships Night 1

The Comeback Kids

2011-08-13T20:14:00.008-04:00

Shawn. Chellsie. Alicia. They are known as the Comeback Kids. All three are fighting for a spot on this year's National and World team. All three are fighting for one of only five spots on the 2012 Olympic Team. They are fighting fears, doubts, age, and injury. They are all former Olympians dreaming of one more chance to get that medal they couldn't get, the team gold, and the individual achievement they have always wanted. For Shawn, it's the all around gold. For Chellsie, it's an individual medal of any color. For Alicia, it's to make the vault podium. Whether they succeed is up in the air.

Next week's VISA Championships should give us an indication. Until then, take a look at this Comeback Kid montage I slapped together.

Nationals Predictions

2011-08-09T21:32:00.002-04:00

Can you believe that Visas are just around the corner? The national champion will be crowned in a little more than a week. That means 2011 Worlds is creeping closer, and then 2012 Olympics not long after! This next year will be a complete whirlwind for us gym fans. My advice? Grab something, and hold on for dear life. We are in for a wild ride!!

Predictions for the 2011 National Championship -- AA and event titles as well as other random predictions.

First prediction deals with will they or won't they AA edition featuring Bross and Johnson: Rebecca Bross will only compete bars and MAYBE beam. I don't see AA happening because she cannot successfully defend her title and may want to save herself for Worlds. Shawn Johnson, fresh off her rough start at Classics, will compete AA and be mildly successful.

Second prediction deals with the AA rankings featuring a bunch of runner ups to Jordyn Weiber.
Yes, Jordyn will totally smash every girl out there. But who will come in 2nd? 3rd? Here's my random thoughts:

1. Weiber
2. Raisman (just barely edges out #3)
3. Douglas
4. Memmel
5. Vega

Johnson will probably place 6th or 7th.

Third prediction deals with the event podiums in which Weiber, Bross, and Asac dominate.
Vault -- 1. Asac. Duh. I'm not sure who else can place, though.
Bars -- 1. Weiber, 2. Bross, 3. Li, 4. Douglas, 5. B. Caquatto
Beam -- 1. Bross, 2. Weiber, 3. Asac, 4. Raisman, 5. Johnson
Floor -- 1. Raisman, 2. Weiber, 3. Asac, 4. Vega, 5. Memmel

Balance Beam Monday: Oana Ban 2003 Worlds TF

2011-08-08T19:54:00.001-04:00

Can't say much else about this except Woah! Great tumble run with the layout full. Excellent form. I just kinda wish her dismount was a bit more difficult than a double back.

Buttshelves & Glitter: "Vaulting"

2011-08-06T19:13:00.002-04:00

Balance Beam Monday: Nelli(e) Kim 1977 Europeans

2011-08-01T14:19:00.002-04:00

Kim wasn't a particularly graceful gymnast, but she often made up for that with a great degree of difficulty for her time. In this performance her lack of extension is evident, and though there is actual choreography here, she doesn't do it too well. This is still worth the look!

The 1st (and LAST) Post on Make It or Break It.

2011-07-31T15:24:00.004-04:00

I do not watch this show. Actually, I did not watch this show...until I cam across Spanny Tampson's glorious recaps. I am now intrigued enough to catch some of this hot mess on Netflix Instant. I will not, however, give any commentary. I'll leave that for experts, like Spanny.

Here's a sneak peak at one of Spanny's recaps:

"Lauren once again mounts the gigantic Big Betty beam, complete with attached crotch cam...She continues on with her inappropriate choreography, and does an Okino before stepping into the requisite butt shelf."

picture from Spanny's blog.

Check out Spanny's Big Fake Smile blog for more recaps & other gymnastics related posts.

UPDATE 8/1/11 --> I cannot believe I am already 12 episodes into the first season.

Buttshelves & Glitter: A "Comic"

2011-07-30T15:33:00.005-04:00

In an attempt to be more creative, I started making a series of single frame "comics."
Here are the first few entries. (click image to enlarge)

I will try and get some new entries at least once a week. Enjoy!

Making the Team: Part One -- Covergirl Classic

2011-07-29T14:19:00.008-04:00

This is the first post of a three part series that ranks the gymnasts using their direct competition results in addition to several subjective factors. Confused? Look here to read more about the system.

These rankings are for bonus points since not all of the girls competed at the Classic. For the AA, I only ranked the top 5, since any other AAers are not likely to make the national team, let alone selection and training camp.

The All Around Rankings (click the image to enlarge)

What does this mean? Raisman receives 5 bonus points to be added to her overall Nationals score. Memmel receives 4 bonus points, Vega receives 3, Wofford receives 2, and B.Caquatto receives 1.

The Individual Vault Rankings (click the image to enlarge)

These vault scores and rankings are based on the 1st vault performed (if two were performed). The emphasis of this system is on the team, not individual success. Sacramone receives 5 bonus points for her Nationals vault score. Raisman receives 4, Vega receives 3, Memmel receives 2, and Jay receives 1.

Uneven Bars Rankings (click image to enlarge)

Wieber receives 5 bonus points for her total Nationals bars score. Douglas receives 4, B.Caquatto receives 3, Memmel receives 2, and M.Caquatto receives 1.

Balance Beam Rankings (click image to enlarge)

Sacramone receives 5 bonust points for her total Nationals beam score. Wieber receives 4, Memmel receives 3, Raisman receives 2, and Wofford receives 1.

Floor Exercise Rankings (click image to enlarge)

Raisman receives 5 bonus points for her total Nationals floor score. Sacramone receives 4, Vega receives 3, Memmel receives 2, and Maroney receives 1.

What does it all mean?!

It is too soon to tell at this point, since not everyone competed at CGC & those that did compete did not showcase full difficulty or perform on all of their events. However, using these scores (and these scores alone) my team of three AAers, two 2 to 3 event specialist, and one 1 event specialist looks like this:

Raisman, Memmel, Vega, Sacramone, Wieber, and Douglas.

Team roster looks like this (indicates prelims only):

Vault: (Memmel), Vega, Raisman, Sacramone
Bars: (Raisman), (Vega), Memmel, Douglas, Wieber
Beam: (Vega), (Memmel), Raisman, Sacramone, Wieber
Floor: (Memmel), Vega, Raisman, Sacramone

**Remember that this roster is based solely on the CGC results. Once we incorporate nationals, things will get much more interesting.

Making the Team: The Scoring & Background Info.

2011-07-29T13:47:00.007-04:00

We all love to predict who will make the cut for Worlds and the Olympics. It's part of being a gym a fan, and it's a fun way to pass the time between competitions. This past week I created a tracking and ranking system that will incorporate competition results and subjective scores based on difficulty, form, mental toughness, and likeability. The system will incorporate 3 competitions -- Covergirl and the two nights of the Visa Championships. The emphasis IS on the Visa Championships since not everyone competed at the Covergirl Classic. The top 5 individuals from each event at Covergirl will receive a bonus (based on their rankings) that will be added to their overall score from Nationals. I am hoping this system gives us a clue into which combination of girls would create the best Worlds team.

I chose to incorporate subjective scores, because that is actually part of what gymnastics is: a subjective sport. We all know that gymnasts with higher difficulty get a little cushioning from the judges due to their difficulty. It's also true that a girl who radiates on an event is likely to get a little boost, and someone who competes cleanly leaves a good impression in the minds of judges. The final subjective factor is more about getting into Marta's mind than judging. She wants a girl who will keep her cool. All subjective scores are based entirely on the specific competition.

THE SCORING
Each of the subjective factors are based on a score between 1 and 5, with 5 being the highest.

For difficulty, I came up with these guidelines:

All around difficultyIndividual Event difficulty

The girls who competed at Classic will receive a bonus for each event they place top 5 in. The bonus is based on their ranking on the event and will range from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest.

The rest of the scoring comes directly from the results.

So to sum it all up: a girl's total score will be results + subjective + Bonus. The girls will be ranked according to AA and each individual event.

**If anyone is interested in partaking in this experiment (using this system), then please let me know either in the comment section or by shooting me an email. It would be interesting to compare individual rankings with the averages/rankings of several others. **

The Covergirl Classic results will be posted shortly.

Readers' Visas Prediction -- It's a landslide!

2011-07-28T16:29:00.003-04:00

Earlier this week I posted a poll to gauge the general consensus of who will become a national champion next month. The results were interesting, if not obvious. There were 42 participants who split their vote between only THREE gymnasts.

When given the choice between Bross, Memmel, Raisman, Vega, Johnson, Wieber, Wofford, and Maroney, 83% of the voters believed Jordyn Wieber was destined to be the next National Champion. Wieber received 35 votes. The only others to receive support were Memmel and Raisman, who received 12% and 5% of the vote respectively.

Lingering doubt about whether Bross and Johnson would compete in the AA surely played a role in voting process, and Vega, Wofford, and Maroney are competing at their first senior nationals--a daunting task given the competition from more experienced seniors.

Did you vote? Disagree with the results? Sound off below! I'm interested in hearing some feedback.

4 HIGHlights from the CG Classic

2011-07-25T00:54:00.002-04:00

Vault.

Could it have been anyone but Alicia? She is rumored to be debuting the handspring double full at Nationals. Maybe?! These vaults here are quite nice as usual.

Bars.

I did not mention Gabby in my original writeup, but talk about a great first impression. Look at the form. Look at the height on the releases! So clean & a stuck dismount! I can't wait to see more from her.

Beam.

Of course it's Alicia, again. What a great set! I hope she throws in some upgrades for Worlds.

Floor.

I know this may cause some debate, but there is no question that Aly has worked hard on bringing in new dance. I think you might be a little crazy if you don't see some artistry in this! Also, those wacky tumbling combos...wow!

The Good, the Bad, and the All Around

2011-07-24T02:09:00.006-04:00

Last night's Covergirl Classic was as sloppy as every other classic in US history, but there were certainly glimmers of hope and even a few hints of stars almost ready to sparkle in the spotlight.

The Good.
Holy cow did Alicia look mighty fine gymnastically last night. She rocked beam just as hard as the 2010 Worlds EF and has clearly been working hard on sticking that dismount. Last night she took a small step forward. I'm hoping she upgrades beam in the very near future, because with a few tenths more in difficulty and her crazy good execution, Asac can win some beam medals. Her vaults, as usual were also good, but what amazed me was her floor. Sure, she went went OOB three times, but her tumbling is still there. It still looks high and effortless. She just needs more practice time to get those landings in check, and when that happens, she will absolutely be a big contender for the World floor title. Why do I keep talking about worlds with Asac? Isn't it obvious? She is a near LOCK for the team and will be reaping in more world medals come October (barring any severe injury).

Also noteworthy were the two comeback stories of the night. This was not like Chellsie Memmel's 2009 go. She means business. Her beam set is high difficulty (but sloppy leaps). Her floor will get up there once she adds in her full diffiulty, same with bars, and vault. She was rock solid last night, and she could very well show up to Nationals with full difficulty. I look forward to that! Shawn Johnson was the other comeback kid story, and she did well for herself. Though Shawn touched her hands down on her bars dismount and fell on her opening tumble mount on beam, she showed BIG signs that the old Shawn is still there. The old Shawn just needs some more practice to get the nerves in check before she can truly shine through. I was pleased to see Shawn throw her more difficult dismount instead of playing it safe. However, unlike Memmel, Johnson did not qualify to nationals on her scores alone. She fell almost a full point shy of qualifying. Luckily (or should I say obviously) immediately after the classic ended Marta approved Shawn's petition. Shawn vows to do the all around in a few weeks.

The Bad.
When you have just finished a great NCAA career and have the urge to jump back into elite competition, please remember that your window of opportunity will be very, very small. Anna Li was all set to make a huge impression in Marta's mind last night, but a wild peel while doing a stalder on the low bar was not what Anna was hoping for. Sure she totes a hefty D score with some fancy elements, including a Khorkina II (OMG finally), but does she have the mental toughness and physical stamina to make a Worlds team? Based on last night, no. First impressions are lasting, but I will be glad to see Anna Li on a team if she shows up at Nationals much improved and has other events to show.

Aly Raisman. I don't know if I really have to say more, but since I have a deep respect for and truly admire Aly, I will discuss. Aly has grown up so much over the past year. Her leaps are looking very good (though she still needs some work). Her form has certainly improved quite a bit, and that floor exercise. That floor exercise was her saving grace for last night. We all know she can hit beam like no other, but that bars mishap and FUGLY Amanar (but I'm so glad she is competing one finally) really made a lasting impression. She can't keep messing up bars if she wants to make the Worlds and Olympic team, and last night has me questioning whether Aly Raisman is still an asset to the USA. With Asac coming out swinging and more viable bar workers and all arounders, will there be a spot for Raisman? At this time, I have to sadly say no.

Becca Bross scratched the meet entirely last night. She looked frazzled. I hope she is ready for nationals.

The All Around.
Well, there wasn't much of an All Around competition. Sabrina Vega did ok, as did Wofford, but neither were particularly memorable. Both finished behind Memmel, who placed second. Aly Raisman won by 0.3, and given her craptastic showing on bars and Mustyfied Amanar, that is quite a little miracle.

So on to Nats we go. Will Becca be ready for the AA? Will Shawn? Just how many upgrades can Chellsie squeeze into her routines with just 3 weeks to go? Will Aly's Amanar mirror Jordyn's or will it crumble to the depths of Nabieva? So many burning questions. No answers yet, except Alicia Sacramone will absolutely knock your socks off. Maybe your pants, too.

Covergirl Classic LIVE Chat!

2011-07-23T18:19:00.001-04:00

The chat goes live at 7:45 EST. Join me in discussing the covergirl classic!!!

&amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=5e4e1c9fcd" &amp;amp;amp;gt;Covergirl Classic Chat!&amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt;

It's that time again!

2011-07-23T18:06:00.002-04:00

First: Yes, I'm back. I don't know for how long, but I'll try and do my best to post through at least Worlds. During the slow season it's easy to lose track and slack off with posting (especially being a law student!!).

Anyway...

Covergirl classic is tonight, and it looks to be quite the exciting meet! First of all, Shawn Johnson has officially returned and is set to do (at least) balance beam AND uneven bars. That's not all, though, and this was probably the biggest shocker. CHELLSIE mutha-effin MEMMEL has returned to form. She will be competing the ALL AROUND.

Take a moment. Let that settle in.

I am shaking with excitement over seeing Shawny and Chel make their epic comebacks.

Tonight I will live blog the universal sports coverage. Stay tuned for my comments/critiques/omgasms!!

Balance Beam Monday: Kui YuanYuan, '96 Team Optionals

2010-11-08T17:55:00.001-05:00

Just awesome. Really. That lay out full is jaw dropping.

Top 151 Floor Sets

2010-11-01T21:25:00.002-04:00

TomFoolery from the IG Forums is counting down his favorite 151 floor exercise routines.

Highlights of the list, include:

Alyssa Beckerman at #149 from the 2000 Olympic Trials (TF chose the night 1 floor. I substituted it here with AB's far superior night 2 set).

and

Elvire Tezas at #52 from the 1996

TomFoolery just anounced #30-20. He expects to update with the top 20 routines soon.

Check out the rest of the list, here.

Balance Beam Monday

2010-11-01T20:48:00.003-04:00

I'm introducing some new segments to the blog. The first addition is Balance Beam Mondays, where I'll highlight some of my favorite beam sets, both old and new.

Who better to kick things off then Alicia Sacramone?

In just one year, Alicia has gone from burned out retiree to comeback superstar. Now that she's back, Alicia has never looked better. In the 2010 Worlds Beam Finals, she was up first and totally rocked the set. I would not hesitate to call this routine the best beam she's ever done. Not one wobble. Not one pause. The only mistake was the tiniest hop on her dismount.

Alicia was rewarded with the highest E score of the final, but it was not enough to overcome the girls with more difficulty.

Here's to you, Alicia. Rocking that 4 inch piece of wood like no other.

Here are this week's runner ups:

Produnova's 2000 EF set

and

Shushunova's 1988 AA set

The New Golden Girl

2010-10-23T12:27:00.004-04:00

Many have been speculating for some time now that Aliya Mustafina would become the Russian Savior. If her clutch performances in the team final did not convince you, then surely her outstanding performances in the all around will.

Musty did nothing but hit, set after set. Hardly any breaks. The most thrilling part? She has been competing non-stop since the preliminary rounds and shows no signs of stopping.

Here's her vault from the AA. All week I harped on her sloppy form. She seems to get better and better at this vault each time she competes it.

More updates later when I actually get to watch the EF competition...

Where did the US go wrong?

2010-10-20T22:13:00.002-04:00

Here.

This is Mattie Larson landing her third tumble, the 2 1/2. She normally punches into a layout to meet the requirement of front tumble. In prelims she was worried about going out of bounds and/or not getting the right punch, so she tucked the flip instead of doing a layout. That was fine. Here she did not. There was no reason for her not to do the layout. If she was worried, she could have tucked. She had the room.

What did she do instead? She took a huge step forward.

The US did not lose because Mattie fell. The US lost because Mattie failed to perform all of the elements of her routine.

Some will argue that the US could have made up the two tenths somewhere else -- on beam maybe? Well, the US qualified with the highest beam scores...and they also had the highest beam scores in the final. Also, every other gymnast (except Sloan) had more duties for the day. They had more responsibility, and each and every one of them performed to the best of their abilities. Some even exceeded expectations.

Mattie's sole duty for the team was to do her floor. She failed. The team lost. End of story.

Musty's much imporved Amanar

2010-10-20T18:39:00.004-04:00

Scored 15.633 --- much more accurate than the first day (and compared to Nabbi's fugly attempt).

This scored a 15.4.

2010-10-20T18:27:00.003-04:00

....... yeah....

2010 Nats Rewind: Top 3 Performances

2010-09-15T21:08:00.003-04:00

3. Vanessa Zamarripa's night 1 Cheng vault

Holy s@#t!

2. Alicia Sacramone's night 1 FHS Rudi vault

Higher and much cleaner than her Rudis in '08. Do some play-pause-play-pause action and look at how straight her body really is! No pike at all.

1. Mattie Larson's night 2 floor exercise

Wow. Wow. Wow. Solid, near-stuck landings. Great dance (and mostly great jumps). Just awesome. If she hits this floor (with an actual, creditable tumbling pass + jump combo) she can win the floor gold at worlds.

2010 Worlds Speculation (and we're back!)

2010-09-15T19:41:00.003-04:00

Well 2010 Visa Nats have come and gone. Becca Bross dominated, finally laying down 8 clean sets in a row. Sacramone launched one of the greatest recent gymnastics comebacks. And best of all, Mattie Larson matured into a beautiful, consistent gymnast who looks like a gold medalist.

This week is the 1st of two selection and verification camps at the Marta compound. It looks like Sloan is back to full strength & no reports (yet) of broken dolls. Who's going to make it?

I think we essentially have 5 locks -- barring injuries

1. Bross
2. Larson
3. Sacramone
4. Sloan
and to a lesser extent
5. Raisman

I think the general consensus is if one of these 5 are not on the team, it's because they broke their hip.

The 6th spot is up for grabs, and like many, I had my heart set on Vanessa Zamaripa taking it. She has a massive, clean Cheng plus an upgradeable yurchenko full. She would have brought in a huge score for the USA in just one event. Unfortunately VanZam and/or Val at UCLA opted to skip Worlds this year. I guarantee she's on Marta's blacklist, now.

So it comes down to 3 girls for a glorified spot to compete on pretty much one event (bars): Chelsea Davis, Mackenzie Caquatto, and Cassie Whitcomb

I strongly dislike Macko. It could be her bad, bad, bad beam and floor sets or just straight up bias. It doesn't matter to me. I just don't like her gymnastics. I love Cassie's lines and she is relatively strong on other events besides bars (she has a decent floor, at least). Chelsea isn't still pretty new to the game (she's been out for a while with an injury) and we really don't know what she's capable of.

I have a feeling that Cassie gets the last spot providing she doesn't aggravate her recent leg injury. At least Cassie can contribute in other areas when a team member inevitably gets hurt between team selection and team qualifiers.

And on a more personal note...
I do want to apologize for abandoning the blog and not renewing my domain name. It's been quite an interesting year. I recently started law school, and before that, I was too busy busting my butt to save up for law school. I'm glad to be back, though, and look forward to updating the blog. I can't guarantee a daily update, but I will do my best to channel my law school frustrations into posts here. Thanks for sticking with me/leaving when I left and hopefully checking back in not that I'm back.

Personnett is the Big Ten Gymnast of the Week

2010-01-13T17:56:00.004-05:00

For the 10th time in her NCAA career, Brandi Personnett was honored with the title of Big Ten Gymnast of the Week. The announcement comes on the heels of then #11 PSU's relatively shocking loss to #24 Michigan State this past weekend. It comes as no surprise because Personett - famous on youtube for competing a full twisting double layout in the NCAA Floor Finals - won three out of four events and the all around. Her only mistake came on bars, where she scored a 9.575.

Check out Brandi's full twisting double lay out below --> filmed by Gymnastic Coaching's very own Rick!

Penn State isn't usually considered a powerhouse in NCAA gymnastics. However, these past few years have been very fruitful for the team, which made it to Nationals last year before being edged out of the finals by two tenths! They also pulled a huge upset over Alabama last year - a meet that I personally attended (hail alma mater!).

I will be keeping my eyes on PSU, and you all should, too.

The Best Performance of the Last Decade

2010-01-12T14:09:00.002-05:00

Esther Moya's Floor Exercise in the 2000 Event Finals

Many people will scratch their heads or even object over this particular selection and placement. It is a little shocking, maybe even out there, but Esther Moya and this performance are so deserving of this recognition. Moya had the best music selection, the best choreography and dance, and some of the cleanest tumbles of the entire competition. She was on the cusp of winning Spain's first female gymnastic Olympic medal, but was shockingly denied. That distinction would go to a much less deserving gymnast on the same apparatus just 4 years later.

In 2000, Esther placed 4th, behind a so-so Amanar, who stepped out of bounds, and a decent Khorkina, who did the routine better but was overrscored to make up for the all around. Zamo, who did win the gold, was great, but her dance and choreography were painfully awkward.

This was meant to be Spain's shining moment, but because bigger names from more respected countries competed in the same competition, Moya was left out.

Here's to Esther and her 2000 floor: Tsuk the Pain's Best Performance of the Last Decade

The 2nd Best Performance of the Last Decade

2010-01-12T13:59:00.002-05:00

Cheng Fei's Floor Exercise in the 2006 Event Finals

Cheng Fei, already a master in vault, successfully captured her first (and only) world title on floor in 2006. Here, she tumbles, jumps, and dances better than she ever has before. Unquestionably, this was Cheng was at her peak. Solidifying herself as the gymnast of the decade by many bloggers (including Blythe @ the gymblog/examiner ), China's star makes her second appearance in the top 5 of Tsuk the Pain's list of 25 best performances.

The 3rd Best Performance of the Last Decade

2010-01-12T11:18:00.002-05:00

Cheng Fei's Vaults in the 2005 Event Finals

In 2005, Cheng Fei won her first of three consecutive world titles on vault. Hitting a near perfect Amanar and introducing the Cheng, her performance was unbelievable. With this gold, Cheng Fei announced to the world that China was no longer a two event team. They were bonafide contenders. Cheng Fei's 2005 performance is 3rd on the list of Tsuk the Pain's top 25.

The 4th Best Performance of the Last Decade

2010-01-12T10:45:00.002-05:00

Yelena Produnova's Floor Exercise in the 2000 Team Final

Yelena Produnova's 2000 floor was the perfect combination of dramatics, power tumbling, and stylish choreography. The split jump to the split landing on the floor is perhaps the one element that embodies the routine in its entirety. Produnova was a true warrior, and she is Tsuk the Pain's 4th best performance of the last decade.

The 5th Best Performance of the Last Decade

2010-01-11T19:42:00.002-05:00

Chellsie Memmel's Beam Set in the 2006 Team Final

Chellsie Memmel proved that she is the toughest gymnast this decade - if not of all time. Competing here just minutes after a major shoulder injury (that eventually took more than a year to recover from), Memmel fights her way through the routine - even landing a punch front with one foot on and one foot off the beam. Though Team USA did not win the gold here, Memmel's efforts helped the team secure a solid second place finish and cemented her place in USA Gymnastics history. Chellsie makes her second beam appearance on Tsuk the Pain's top 25 list.

The 6th Best Performance of the Last Decade

2010-01-11T18:08:00.002-05:00

Anna Pavlova's Floor Exercise in the 2008 All Around

Words truly cannot describe the beauty and execution of this routine. Stuck landings, elegant and intricate choreography...Anna Pavlova fully embodies the music to her routine and puts on a show so enthralling, that Khorkina's dramatics just may be forgotten. Pavlova's routine is Tsuk the Pain's 6th best of the last decade.

The 7th Best Performance of the Last Decade

2010-01-11T17:47:00.002-05:00

Elena Zamolodtchikova's Vaults in the 2000 Event Finals

Sydney will always be known as the "error-filled Olympics," but Elena Zamolodtchikova's performance in the vault event finals will always be remembered as the feel good story of this decade. After a so-so routine in qualifications, Zamo was out of this event. However, Queen Khorkina stepped aside and gave Zamo her spot in the finals. Elena made the best of it and took home the gold. Her perfect yurchenko double stamps Zamo's place on Tsuk the Pain's top 25 list of the best performances.

The 8th Best Performance of the Last Decade

2010-01-11T15:22:00.002-05:00

Nastia Liukin's Uneven Bars Set in the 2008 Team Final

Nastia's bar set, while far from flawless, is simply beautiful. She flows from element to element with ease and doesn't shy away from difficulty. After falling on her dismount in the qualification round, Nastia stepped up to the plate and gave her best bar routine of 2008. Receiving the highest score at the Olympics for any female gymnast, this set - at 8th - is Nastia's second appearance on Tsuk the Pain's top 25.

The 9th Best Performance of the Last Decade

2010-01-11T14:24:00.003-05:00

Svetlana Khorkina's Floor Exercise in the 2000 Team Qualifiers

This is perhaps the very first performance in which Svetlana's title of "Drama Queen" is fully realized. In Khorkina's floor routine during the Sydney qualifications, viewers can't help but be sucked in. With Khorkina, it's not just an exercise. It's a show. In 9th place, Svetlana's routine marks her second showing on Tsuk the Pain's Top 25 list.

The 10th Best Performance of the Last Decade

2010-01-11T01:40:00.001-05:00

He Kexin's Uneven Bar Set in the 2008 Event Finals

He Kexin flies like no other gymnast this decade. With virtually no form breaks, she wows the crowd every time. He Kexin's performance in the event finals is Tsuk the Pain's 10th Best of the last decade.

The 11th Best Performance of the Last Decade

2010-01-10T21:18:00.003-05:00

Sandra Izbasa's Floor Exercise in the 2008 Event Finals

Carrying on the Romanian tradition of winning at least one gold medal in every Olympics, Sandra Izbasa serves her country well. However, it's her beautiful and difficult tumbling paired with clean form and stuck landings (4 out of 5!) that makes this performance near flawless. Sandra dances her way to the 11th spot on Tsuk the Pain's list of the 25 best performances of the last decade.

The 12th Best Performance of the Last Decade

2010-01-10T20:32:00.005-05:00

Carly Patterson's Beam Set in the 2004 All Around

When Carly Patterson stuck this beam dismount cries screeched out around the globe. For most of America, Carly was just a single event away from doing what only one other American girl had done before: become the all around champion. For the gym die hards longing for the days and gymnasts of yesteryear, Svetlana Khorkina, the last remnant of a long forgotten era and style of Russian gymnastics, was in deep trouble. Today, the debate between who deserved to win rages on - making Carly's set the 12th best performance of the last decade.

The 13th Best Performance of the Last Decade

2010-01-10T19:18:00.002-05:00

Deng Linlin's Vault in the 2008 Team Finals

Little Deng Linlin made a huge impression when she stuck her yurchenko double in the team finals portion of the 2008 Olympics. It was a huge vault for such a tiny athlete, and it turned out to be one of the highest scoring yurchenko doubles in the entire competition. Deng is Tsuk the Pain's 13th pick for best performance of the last decade.

The 14th Best Performance of the Last Decade

2010-01-10T17:10:00.003-05:00

Daiane dos Santos' Floor Exercise in the 2003 Event Finals

For many gym fans, this is the moment that Daiane dos Santos finally broke through for Brazilian gymnastics. She tumbles like no other gymnast has before in both difficulty and audacity. With springs in her feet, Daiane is Tsuk the Pain's 14th best performance of the last decade.

The 15th Best Performance of the Last Decade

2010-01-10T13:54:00.004-05:00

Beth Tweddle's Uneven Bars Set from the 2006 Event Finals

Beth Tweddle fills her set with difficult skill after difficult skill, and to top it all off, she performs at such a quick pace that it's simply astounding to watch. Though not the cleanest gymnast, I dare say Beth - at one time - was one of the bravest gymnasts. Tweddle's jam packed 2006 set kicks off the top 15 performances of the last decade.

The 16th Best Performance of the Last Decade

2010-01-09T19:11:00.002-05:00

Andreea Raducan's Floor Exercise in the 2000 Team Final

Andreea Raducan will always be known by most gym fans as the real all around champion. With her wonderfully expressive routine, Andreea was the exception to the often stone faced Romanian squads of yesteryear. She shines through as Tsuk the Pain's 16th pick for the Best Performance of the Last Decade.

The 17th Best Performance of the Last Decade

2010-01-09T18:28:00.004-05:00

Alicia Sacramone's Beam Set in the 2008 Team Qualifier

Alicia Sacramone was never known for anything more than her powerful vaults and floor exercises. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, she proved otherwise. In her team qualification performance, Alicia's set was rock solid with a score high enough to qualify her 4th to the event finals (had she been from another country). Sacramone's uncharacteristically great beam set is Tsuk the Pain's 17th Best Performance of the Last Decade.

The 18th Best Performance of the Last Decade

2010-01-09T18:23:00.002-05:00

Svetlana Khorkina's Uneven Bars Set in the 2000 Event Finals

The Queen of gymnastics became a household name after her performances at the Sydney Olympics. In her event finals bar set, she proved that innovation plus long, clean lines is the standard for a beautiful bars routine. Winning her 2nd consecutive uneven bars gold, Svetlana Khorkina finds herself at number 18 on Tsuk the Pain's Top 25 list.

The 19th Best Performance of the Last Decade

2010-01-09T12:59:00.002-05:00

Shawn Johnson's Beam Set in the 2008 Event Finals

What Shawn Johnson lacks in grace and flexibility, she makes up for in power and form. Johnson rocketed through her beam set in the event finals without hesitation. Solid as a rock, Shawn is Tsuk the Pain's 19th Best Performance of the last decade.

The 20th Best Performance of the Last Decade

2010-01-09T12:50:00.002-05:00

Lauren Mitchell's Floor Exercise in the 2009 Event Finals

Lauren Mitchell finally lived up to the hype at the 2009 World Championships in London. On floor, she tumbled and danced the cleanest of the competitors and was rightfully awarded a world medal in return. Mitchell's beautiful and elegant floor exercise is Tsuk the Pain's 20th Best Performance of the Last Decade.

The 21st Best Performance of the Last Decade

2010-01-08T23:49:00.002-05:00

Mohini Bhardwaj's Vault in the 2004 Team Final

After stumbling in the team qualifications, Mohini Bhardwaj had a lot to prove. At 25, she was a dinosaur compared to most of her other teammates, and the whole reason she made the team was for vault. Mohini's double twisting yurchenko was near flawless. The height, the distance, and the form were perfection. Bhardwaj rounds out the bottom 1/5th of Tsuk the Pain's list of the Top 25 Performances of the Last Decade.

The 22nd Best Performance of the Last Decade

2010-01-08T23:40:00.002-05:00

Yang Yilin's Uneven Bars set in the 2008 Event Finals

Yang Yilin dared to challenge the frontrunners, Nastia Liukin and teammate He Kexin, with her brilliant and very clean uneven bars routine. Though she only scored high enough to win the bronze behind the aforementioned ladies, Yang's extraordinary performance and impeccable dismount still causes some people to claim she was robbed of the gold. Yang Yilin swings her way to the 22nd spot on Tsuk the Pain's top 25 Performances of the Last Decade.

The 23rd Best Performance of the Last Decade

2010-01-08T23:33:00.002-05:00

Monica Rosu's Vaults in the 2004 Event Final

Monica Rosu vaulted ahead of the pack with her beautiful tsuk double, but it was her Amanar that really left gymnastic fans around the world in awe. Performed with the right amount of power, Rosu's yurchenko 2.5 was near perfect. Monica is Tsuk the Pain's 23rd pick for Best Perfomance of the Last Decade.

The 24th Best Performances of the Last Decade

2010-01-08T23:28:00.003-05:00

Chellsie Memmel's Beam Set in the 2003 Team Final

Chellsie Memmel exploded onto the international scene when a series of injuries and illnesses winnowed Team USA's 2003 World's roster. In her team final beam set, Chellsie proves exactly why she deserved to make the team originally. With her difficult routine, Memmell finds herself in the 24th position on Tsuk the Pain's list of the 25 Best Performances of the Last Decade.

The 25th Best Performance of the Last Decade

2010-01-08T23:20:00.002-05:00

Nastia Liukin's Vault in the 2008 All Around Competition

Nastia Liukin opened up her meet by sticking a yurchenko 1.5 cold. With her lovely form and beautiful finish, she wowed the crowd and proved she was ready to win. Liukin lands in the 25th spot on Tsuk the Pain's list of the 25 Best Female Performances of the Last Decade.

Quick Facts on the Top 25 List

2010-01-08T01:19:00.003-05:00

Before introducing the bottom fifth of the list, I wanted to give you guys some facts.

1. Four gymnasts appear twice on the list.
2. Americans, Russians, and Chinese comprise 72% of the list.
3. Four Countries have only ONE entry in the list.
4. There are 8 FX routines, 6 Vaults, 6 Beams, and 5 bar sets.

Any guesses as to who made the list? Spots 25-21 on the list will be posted in a few hours!! Stay tuned!

Announcing the Top 25 Female Performances, 2000-2009

2010-01-07T11:44:00.002-05:00

Who will make the list? Who will be left out? Check back soon for the results!

Tell me some of your favorites in the comment section!

Happy 2010!!!

2010-01-06T01:15:00.003-05:00

Now that I've officially graduated college and Law Schools aps are in the mail, I will be returning to the blogging world on more regular basis!!!

There is much to discuss, debate, and appreciate!!!! For starters: the future of World Champion Bridget Sloan.

Will she or won't she make it to 2012? She's currently taking a bit of a break from gymnastics. Will she go on to college like her teammate and training partner, Sam Peszek?

THE Story of the Championships: KAYLA WILLIAMS

2009-10-17T09:09:00.003-04:00

Kayla Williams just won the vault individual event final. She is now a WORLD CHAMPION.

From deep in West Virginia, Kayla Williams rose from a level 10 junior to an elite US National Champion on vault to a WORLD Champion on vault all within 5 months. Incredible.

Congrats Kayla. You are amazing!

Ariella Kaeslin, SUI, won the Silver, and Youna Dufournet, FRA, won the Bronze. Congrats to all 3!

WAG 2009 World Championship AA Finals: LIVE Blog

2009-10-16T11:01:00.001-04:00

Check back at 1:30 pm EST for the live blog! The box below will activate at that time, and everyone can participate!

2009 World Championship All Around Finals

Online Vaulting Competition

2009-10-13T20:28:00.004-04:00

Remember the most addicting game ever? Well, there will now be a competition using Moss News' Vaulting Adventures game. The online competition is set to begin October 19th. Qualifications will end on October 26th. The top 8 scores will advance to the finals, which will be held October 27th-November 3rd.

For more information regarding rules and sign-ups, please check the site here.

Get your fingers ready!

American Prospects?

2009-10-12T21:38:00.003-04:00

The qualifications round for women are just a day away. There has been much hype about the American team - both good and bad. Can the USA make a repeat of last year's Olympic AA final? More comparable, can 2009 be just like 2005?

In all likelihood, Bridget Sloan and Rebecca Bross will be competing in the AA for Team USA. Kayla Williams will probably be on vault and floor, and that leaves beam and bars for Ivana.

What are the chances for the two AA prospects?

For Bridget Sloan, she has the distinction of posting one of the highest AA scores in at least 3 different meets (American Cup, USA vs. Germany, and US Nationals). She has the consistency and has reportedly upgraded beam, bars, and floor. Don't forget she is a former Olympian.

For Rebecca Bross, she has some of the most difficult routines for an AAer. However, she was recovering from an injury during the National Championships - arguably the highest pressure atmosphere she's competed in - and she fell apart. Has she recovered enough to be at her best, and can she be consistent?

What worries me about Bridget Sloan is her start values. She averages just above a 5.9. Many other competitors have SVs in exces of 6.2, but may lack the execution. This is where Bridget gains precious tenths on her competitors. Will it be enough? I don't know.

Rebecca Bross lacks the experience and consistency to be the champion. Is it possible for her to win? Yes. Do I think it will happen? I'm not confident. She lost her cool on the 2nd day of competition at Nationals. I can see something similar happening this week.

So what do you think? Will the US win at least one of the three AA medals? Vote in the poll, and then comment below!

Stretching Her Limits: Kayla Williams and the Issue of Flexibility

2009-10-10T18:58:00.004-04:00

Since her meteoric rise in the elite gymnastics world, many have been quick to take newcomer Kayla Williams down a few notches. She wasn't the most flexible gymnast, and to this day, she still lacks the grace of Nastia. BUT, she has noticeably improved.

Here's a a screen grab of Kayla's split during the 2009 Covergirl Classic:

And here's a screen grab of Kayla performing that same jump at the 2009 Nationals, just a few weeks later:

I know the angles of the jump are different, but even so, the improvement is remarkable. Of course the choreography still needs improvement.

It's just food for thought. Seems like Kayla is transforming before our very own eyes. I can't wait to see some podium vids!

World Championships Live Blog: AA Finals

2009-10-10T03:17:00.001-04:00

I will be live blogging the Women's AA Finals here on Friday. I know I've been away for a long time, but I'll do my best to make up for lost ground!

Tune in and get ready to dish about who was got what and why they didn't deserve it!

Check back for more details.

Thanks!

It's Only the Weight of the World

2009-10-09T22:45:00.006-04:00

Kayla Williams.

Her ascension in the world of USA Gymnastics is unprecedented. She jumped from a level 10 national champion to an elite national champion in less than three months, and now she has earned a coveted spot on the American World Team. Kayla Williams is no longer just a gymnast from an obscure, West Virginian gym. She is now Team USA's best chance at gold in London.

Bridget Sloan is great. She's the national champion and happens to be very consistent with each of her routines. However, she is also very forgettable and lacks the "wow factor" that many other gymnasts will bring to the world stage.

Rebecca Bross has the difficulty, but is very inconsistent. We all saw her crumble at nationals. Can she pull it together (on top of fixing her form issues) to make a significant impact in the AA?

Ivana Hong also has consistency issues. She hit two great beam sets at nationals, but she is known to falter when it really matters.

And then there's Kayla Williams, who already had the second highest vault average in the world - and that was before she upgraded both of her vaults. Now, she has the ability to perform a laid out rudi and an amanar - two of the most difficult vaults in the world.

The questions is...can she do it? I have a lot of hope for Kayla, and I think it's possible. We watched her catapult onto the world team, and I think we are about to see her amaze the international crowds (at least on vault). How will she handle the pressure?

Only time will tell...

Stay tuned, and don't forget to come back on Friday as I live blog the AA final.

2009 Visa National Championships: LIVE Blog Tonight!!

2009-08-13T18:33:00.003-04:00

Check back here at 8 pm EST to participate in Tsuk the Pain's live blog of the the 2009 Visas! The window below will be activated at 7:45 pm EST.

Everyone can participate!

&amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;amp;altcast_code=d655b97633"&amp;gt;2009 Visa National Gymnastics Championships&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

Podium Training - 2009 Nationals

2009-08-12T00:37:00.002-04:00

Once again, Gymnastike comes through with podium training videos! Among the huge selection is Bross, Bieger, and Kayla Williams.

The biggest (and most exciting) was, of course, Chellsie. Here's her beam:

Gymnastics Videos on Gymnastike

Obviously it isn't of the highest difficulty, but I am majorly surprised. She looks to be in very, very good shape. Now if only we can get a peak at her bars!

Missing from action these past few weeks was the odds on favorite to win, Bridget Sloan. Here's a snippet of one of her floor passes:

Gymnastics Videos on Gymnastike

and part of her bars:

Gymnastics Videos on Gymnastike

She's got the dismount down, at least.

Finally, Becca Bross is looking very good on floor:

Gymnastics Videos on Gymnastike

Could she be poised to upset Sloan? (Many say YES). I don't know about you guys, but I cannot wait until Saturday night!

Alicia Sacramone - She ain't singin' just yet.

2009-08-09T20:52:00.002-04:00

What would you do if your dreams crumbled around you? Would you give up and count yourself out when you've reached a low point in your career? Or, would you take time off to heal (physically and emotionally) and pursue another interest? Alicia Sacramone, like most female Olympic gymnasts, did just that. However, unlike 99.99% of her peers, she has decided to return to the sport.

2008 proved to be a year of extreme highs and all time lows for Sacramone. To no one's surprise, she made the Olympic team despite having a laundry list of injuries. Things looked great for the USA & Sacramone in podium training, but then things quickly changed. On her first routine of her Olympic experience, Alicia landed a tumbling pass out of bounds. It was a fatal error that cost her nearly a point in deductions and a spot in the floor exercise event final. Despite the shaky start, Sacramone quickly recovered on vault and beam - posting the 3rd highest score for V and the 4th highest for beam. She made the vault finals, and had an excellent chance at grabbing herself an individual medal. We all know the ending to her Olympic story. Alicia fell on both beam and floor in the team final helping the USA stumble to a silver. She was clean in the vault finals, if a little safe, finishing 4th just behind reigning World Champion Cheng Fei. Worst of all, though, the media helped the public dog Sacramone for her mistakes in the team competition. To this day, many people have an unwarranted hatred toward the talented gymnast and blame her for costing the US a team gold.

Shortly after the Olympics, Alicia announced her plans to retire from the sport. The move was unsurprising and absolutely expected. The gymnastics world had all but turned their backs on one of the last quad's most decorated and favored gymnast. She disappointed her team, her country, her fans, and perhaps most damning, herself. What could she do?

While taking leave from Brown University and dabbling in the LA fashion scene, Alicia began to heal. For a while, and much to my disappointment, it looked like she out for good. However, just days ago, Sacramone made an announcement that changed everything.

In an interview with Inside Gymnastics, she revealed:

“I don’t really know what happened,” Sacramone says of the slow realization she might not be done after all. “It kind of snuck up on me. It’s kind of weird. I was focused on just being done and then I went to [April’s] Classic in San Diego, just to see [my coach] Mihai (Brestyan). I was in L.A. at the time and he was like, ‘Just come down.’

“So, I get there, I’m hanging out, seeing everyone and he’s like, ‘You know, nobody’s vaulting. We could use you,’” Sacramone recalls. “I was like, ‘Ha, ha, ha. I don’t know about that.’ But, I don’t know, they instilled the idea. I think they had a secret plan. They tricked me.”

And just like that, the United States got their vaulter back. Though Sacramone does not have her eyes set on 2009, she does hope to become a vault and beam specialist for the 2010 competition season. Her former coach, Brestyan, will take the reigns and coach the World Champion and Olympic silver medalist once again.

Many fans across the web are split on what to think about Alicia's shocking announcement. Some think she's a hypocrite, others, like myself, are excited and happy for her return. I didn't think Alicia was finished with gymnastics. She still had a lot more to give, and now, hopefully she does just that.

I think it's really interesting to compare Sacramone to Memmel. Memmel has that unwavering thirst for gymnastics, coming back after numerous injuries and setbacks. Sacramone traveled a similar path, seeing her Olympic dreams end in 2004 at the National Championships. The very next year, Marta sent her to Melbourne, where she claimed the bronze on vault and became the World Champion on floor exercise. In 2006, Sacramone contributed heavily to the USA's 2nd place finish. She also took a silver on the vault. Like Memmel, she didn't give up. She retired for a year, but she could not part with the sport.

Good for you, Alicia. I can't wait to see you compete.

Olympic Champions Faceoff: 2000s Vault

2009-07-28T16:06:00.000-04:00

Introducing a new segment in which past Olympic champions face off in their respective events. First up is Vault 2000 vs 2004 vs 2008.

The 2000 Olympic Champion, with a double twisting yurchenko and a double twisting tsuk, Zamo!

vs.

2004 Olympic Champion, with an Amanar and a double twisting tsuk, Monica Rosu!

2008 Olympic Champion, with a Cheng and an Amanar, Hong Un Jong!

Who is the ultimate 2000s Olympic Vault Champion?

I love the difficulty of both Rosu and Hong, but I just have to stick with Zamo. Though she took a huge step with her tsuk, that yurchenko was great. Besides, her landings were still much cleaner than Hong.

Banner Contest

2009-07-28T09:03:00.000-04:00

Don't forget that I am hosting a banner contest!! There have been a few submissions so far, but I'd like a whole lot more!

The rules are simple:

keep the same sized banner as I have now
be creative, but also keep the layout of the blog and color scheme in mind
email it to me at kennedysorenstam@gmail.com

The winner of the contest gets to have their banner displayed at the top of the site throughout the entire month of August. Losers will still be considered for future months. All credit will be given to the creators.

US Champions Through the Years

2009-07-27T12:34:00.000-04:00

With the 2009 Visa Championships just weeks away, I thought it'd be fun to take a look back on previous 5 (6) champions.

Shawn Johnson: 2008, 2007

Nastia Liukin: 2006, 2005

Courtney Kupets: 2004
Carly Patterson: 2004

I have to say that 2006 win by Nastia was nothing but politics. She really did everything she could to lose, but somehow, it didn't work. I've heard the argument many times: US couldn't take a hit in reputation by going to Worlds with an unknown as a national champion. Guess what? Every other major country does that just about every year. Big names does not, nor should it ever, be taken over talent.

It's interesting to see that the post Athens Olympic year champion, Nastia, not only won the next year, but also continued on to the 2008 Olympic team. Looking back a few years, Tasha Schwikert did almost the same exact thing. She won in 2001 and 2002. She even was a part of the Gold medal winning team at the 2003 Worlds. However, she failed to make the 2004 team.

What will be the fate of this year's champ? Who knows. Bridget Sloan is the favorite right now (both statistically and Karolyi-stically). Does she have the ability to win in 2010? Judging by the enormous junior talent at this years Classic, I don't think she can/will. What about making it to the 2012 games? She is at the right age to do it, but I don't know. Nastia had the pedigree, the lines, the buzz, and the talent to make it all the way. I think we've seen too little of Sloan to make that same assessment.

Covergirl Classic Results

2009-07-25T23:19:00.012-04:00

Here are the top 5 results for the covergirl classic:

Rank.............................. VT -- UB -- Beam -- FX -- AA

1	215	Olivia Courtney Orlando Metro	Diff: Exec: ND: Final: Place:	5.800 8.800 __.___ 14.600 4	5.500 8.900 __.___ 14.400 2	5.000 8.950 __.___ 13.950 4	5.500 8.950 __.___ 14.450 2T	57.400 1
2	218	Ivana Hong WOGA	Diff: Exec: ND: Final: Place:	5.800 9.000 __.___ 14.800 3	5.700 7.400 __.___ 13.100 12	6.200 8.400 __.___ 14.600 1	5.200 8.750 __.___ 13.950 5	56.450 2
3	213	Kaitlyn Clark Precision	Diff: Exec: ND: Final: Place:	5.300 8.800 -0.300 13.800 11	5.400 8.600 __.___ 14.000 5	5.400 8.650 __.___ 14.050 3	5.000 8.500 -0.300 13.200 9	55.050 3
4	231	Cassandra Whitcomb Cincinnati	Diff: Exec: ND: Final: Place:	5.000 8.500 __.___ 13.500 15T	5.600 9.050 __.___ 14.650 1	4.400 7.700 __.___ 12.100 14	5.300 9.150 __.___ 14.450 2T	54.700 4
5	232	Kayla Williams Gym Nest	Diff: Exec: ND: Final: Place:	5.800 9.250 __.___ 15.050 1	4.300 6.550 __.___ 10.850 16T	5.200 8.650 __.___ 13.850 5	5.600 8.900 __.___ 14.500 1	54.250 5

I think Bridget Sloan has the National title in the bag. I mean, who else can legitimately take the title?

Kayla Williams: Destination London?

2009-07-25T23:11:00.002-04:00

At the end of the 2009 Covergirl Classic, a few things were very clear:

1) Nastia isn't ready.
2) Jana has gotten worse.
3) Ivana is still inconsistent.
4) Kayla Williams fills Alicia Sacramone's shoes very nicely.

Number 4 was something that I've been anxious to see for a long time. I am very pleased to see that she did well. Kayla placed 1st on vault and 1st on floor tonight (5th on beam!!). She successfully qualified for Nationals despite a sub-11.0 bar score. As has been reported previously, Kayla has caught the eye of Marta. Guess what? This girl is going places. Right now I feel very comfortable in saying that she has an incredible shot at making the Worlds team as a vault/floor exercise specialist.

Will she make it for sure? Who knows. This year's classic was filled with injuries and falls. Nationals will be a lot tougher. But who has two higher scoring vaults right now?

Classic Closed Practice Videos!

2009-07-25T11:26:00.004-04:00

Gymnastike user fUSAGcopyrights posted a bunch of videos from last night's closed training session.

Nastia on beam:

Gymnastics Videos on Gymnastike

Nastia on bars:

Gymnastics Videos on Gymnastike

Ivana on floor:

Gymnastics Videos on Gymnastike

Ivana on beam:

Gymnastics Videos on Gymnastike

Ivana on bars:

Gymnastics Videos on Gymnastike

Nastia looks like she's almost there with beam. I hate that full turn-full turn combo, but maybe it'll get cleaner (and prettier?). She looks great on bars, but she didn't do a full set...just pieces.

Ivana was a revelation. Wow. If she can hit her routines, then she will win the classic tonight. Sloan has to start worrying about her, now. I am very, very impressed.

Cover Girl Classic Sneak Peak!

2009-07-25T01:39:00.003-04:00

Live. Breathe. Love. Gymnastics has an exclusive sneak peak (from Mandusky) into Friday night's closed training session at the 2009 US Covergirl classic.

Highlights include:

Nastia:
beam is the exact same from olympics but added a full turn after her one with leg at horiz; dumped the wolf full and is doing the sheep after the onodi and ivana’s looking clean on beam, great mount; doing some floor tumbling warm-up but it doesn’t look like she’s gonna do a dance through or anything

Ivana:
ivana warming up a back 1.5+rudi; ivana just got spotted on a full in double pike; i guess she’s going for full in pike, either a gogean or split 1.5, switch ring switch side 1/2, back 1.5+rudi ends back 2.5+front layout, oh and also a double L turn, plus she flubbed the front layout this time around but did it fine in warmups

Apparently Bross injured her ankle while dismounting beam. It will be interesting to see if she competes AA tomorrow. Ivana, on the other hand, is sounding great. I may actually be starting to see the hype, now. I think she may actually be the one to beat, but we shall see.

In other exciting news, there are some (unconfirmed) rumors floating around that Kayla Williams has a 2nd vault! She already has a great double twisting yurchenko, but she now also has a piked rudi. There may or may not be an Amanar in her future, too...

Gymnastics is back, guys! Can you feel the excitement?!?!

No Parade for Alicia Sacramone

2009-07-24T02:50:00.003-04:00

Here it is, guys. My first montage. It took me all day (and many many hours to actually upload the thing), but it's finished. Check it out below:

The quality is not the greatest, but I will re-upload a HQ file when I have more time.

Can Ivana Hong Live up to the Hype?

2009-07-23T20:16:00.007-04:00

There has been a lot of talk lately about Ivana Hong and her chances at both this week's classic and next month's nationals. It seemed like a low rumble at first, but now,especially with the injuries and lack of readiness from major competitors, it seems like a roar that can't be ignored. Is Ivana a legitimate contender?

When Hong first broke out on the scene a few years back, I fell in love with her clean lines, flexibility, and grace. However, she lacked power and consistency. Even after making the 2007 Worlds team, I wasn't too impressed with Ivana's gymnastics. Her releases on the UB had no height and were performed scarily close to the high bar. She often tumbled over on her balance beam dismount. It became almost a game for me. Will she or won't she hit?

She won't. At least she didn't in the video above. Since then, Ivana has parted with her former gym & coach, Fong, and is now training alongside the likes of Nastia Liukin and Rebecca Bross at WOGA. Perhaps that's why she is being hyped. She's a WOGA girl now, and we all know the calibre of WOGA gymnasts.

If Ivana has gained enough confidence to become consistent, then I think she'll be a major factor at this year's nationals. She's got the talent and the look, but will she let the pressure get to her nerves? I hope not. We'll get a good indication this weekend, though. Here's to hoping.

No Parade: A Preview

2009-07-23T17:29:00.005-04:00

I began work on my first full-fledged montage earlier today and am very excited about the results so far. I thought I'd give you guys a little taste of what it will be like.

Here's a preview of "No Parade"

Memmel: "I'm training on everything."

2009-07-23T11:11:00.006-04:00

In a new article from Inside Gymnastics, Memmel revealed that her goal for this year's nationals is to compete bars and beam. However, she continued with, "but I'm training on everything."

Pick up your jaws, guys. Chellsie is not giving up. She admits that an AA comeback is far off but not out of question. She is currently following a new training plan that her dad has created and is very optimistic about the championships in 3 weeks.

What does it all mean? Chellsie's fighting back like she has before. History, as has always been the case with Memmel, repeats itself. I can't wait to see her at Nationals.

Olympic Rewind: 2008 All Around

2009-07-22T18:50:00.001-04:00

Halfway through re-watching the 2008 All Around I realized just how great this competition really was. Sure there were some inflated (and deflated) scores, but that's in every competition. What really amazed me was the crazy amount of beautifully performed routines - not even just from the top 8, but across the board. I also felt myself get more excited as each rotation passed. I knew the results, but so what? It's so hard not to let your jaw drop to the floor watching many of the AA sets, especially from Yilin, Yuyuan, Nastia, Shawn, Anna, and Ksenia. I think the competition itself was one of the most satisfying AA's in recent Olympic history.

There were stuck landings, tearful celebrations, and a 1-2 finish from my home country. What's not to love? I will always regard this as a classic. It's one that I can watch over and over again without ever getting bored.

Cheng Fei Out of Chinese Nationals

2009-07-21T23:12:00.003-04:00

According to International Gymnast, Cheng Fei will not be competing at this week's Chinese National Championships. Fei has been struggling to recover from a neverending achilles' tendon injury. Things got worse for the gymnast when she aggravated a right knee injury while training for the University Games earlier this month.

Though Fei will miss nationals, her coaches feel she will be ready for Worlds this October. Hopefully she can make a full recovery and regain her vault crown. It's a shame that Jong continues to win titles with a far inferior Cheng vault.

Start Orders: Do they determine the medalists?

2009-07-18T22:29:00.005-04:00

This very question was raised by Muffy over at the International Gymnast forums. I decided to investigate it myself. Does the starting order of each event final really help, hinder, or even determine the three Olympic medalists? Before starting this endeavor, I thought that maybe starting orders did have something to do with who medals. It seemed logical to think that those who go later in the roster have a better chance at scoring higher. This is usually the case in team competitions, but is it fair to say the same for individual finals?

This will be an ongoing investigation, but so far I have done the stats for the 2008 WAG Olympic finals. I will not reveal the initial results until I have compiled the data for the 2000 and 2004 Olympics.

Until then, what do you guys think? Post your theories and ideas in the comment section!

Favorite Beam Routines: 2008

2009-07-17T21:32:00.003-04:00

Before I even start...Wow. I think this was my favorite year for beam sets. The difficulty and the artistry were there in spades, and I really am in awe. In the past I have tried to limit my selections from a single country, but not this time. Sorry. Americans owned in beam this year (maybe not at the Olympics, but still). Anyway...here are my top 8 of 2008.

8. Sandra Izbasa, ROU
Sandra is so powerful here. I'm a sucker for aggression and grace on beam. She succeeds at doing at least one of those.

7. Ksenia Semenova, RUS
Ksenia is almost always incredible. I love, love, love her turn on beam.

At this point I'm just torn at deciding an order. I just have to cheat a little. Ok. Alot.

3. Anna Pavlova, RUS
Anna is one of my all time favorite gymnasts. She was awesome in 2004, and just incredibly graceful and elegant in 2008. Could do no wrong in my book!

3. Shawn Johnson, USA
Aggressive and so clean! I just wish she had better extension.

3. Chellsie Memmel, USA
Aggressive (again!). That dismount! The illusion! Awesome.

3. Li Shanshan, CHN
The hardest routine of 2008. It was beautiful and executed well. I just wasn't as excited by it as my top 2.

2. Alicia Sacramone, USA

Aggressive and graceful. One of my favorite routines of 2008. I just wish she hit it in team finals.

1. Nastia Liukin, USA

I mean...duh. She really had it all here, and it took my breath away.

Tsuk the Pain Banner Contest

2009-07-17T16:31:00.004-04:00

I don't know about you guys, but after a month or so, I get tired of the banner at the top of the page. I like changing it up, and I thought it'd be fun if you guys participated. It's a contest!

Anyone interested in participating post your submissions via link in the comment section (or email me at kennedysorenstam@gmail.com with the subject line 'Banner Contest').

The rules/guidelines:

1. Try to keep the banners around the same size as the current one (about 645 x 215)
2. Be original!
3. Use the title (Tsuk the Pain) and subheader (Gymnastics News and Commentary)

My favorite banner will win and be used for at least 1 month! The non-winners may also be used in the future with the permission of the creators.

Deadline: I am going to make the tentative deadline August 1, 2009.

Have fun! I can't wait to see the results!

2009 Visa Nationals: It's all about the Climb (Updated)

2009-07-16T20:58:00.003-04:00

No, not Miley Cyrus' pseudo inspirational anthem. I'm talking about Bridget Sloan. One year ago she was just a foreign looking girl with some nice lines that international judges may or may not love. We had seen it before, and we had seen it fizzle out(Jana B). Will Bridget be the same? No, but at the same, I don't know. Right now, she is Marta's favorite, which is more than I can say for Jana. She also made the Olympic team in 2008 and is the only team member who continued to train throughout 2009. Bridget was Marta's go-to senior for the past year, and she has also posted the hightest all around score in the world (yes, at the scam cup, but still...). It does seem obvious that she is the frontrunner to win the Visas, but there are other things to consider - mainly Nastia.

Over the past year, Bridget has been making her mark across the globe. More importantly, though, is the fact that she's healthy. She doesn't have to qualify for nationals (because of last year's Olympic selection camp), an at this time, she's busy getting ready for next month's championships, while everyone else is cramming for Des Moines. Come Aug, she will be well rested and ready to do what she's done all year - dominate. Her routines are solid, with very good D scores, and she has the confidence to execute them cleanly.

I have to admit that I was surprised by the poll results. I thought either Sloan or Liukin would have the majority of votes. I did not think it would be close, but I was wrong. It seems like many believe Nastia will be ready come nationals to regain her crown. I think it's possible, but I am not going to bet on it. There are conflicting reports: a few saying Nastia has been training and will be ready for all 4 events, and some are saying she probably won't compete on vault and floor but will still be considered for the AA spot at Worlds. The lack of information makes it really hard to take a guess. Regardless, I think it's important to note that Nastia has only been training for a few months. Bridget hardly even stopped.

For me, it's all about the climb. Bridget has gone from a no one, to an Olympic silver medalist, to the dominant American of the year. She will win the 2009 Visa Championships if she stays healthy and hits 4 for 4. Nastia can make a difference if she's ready, but I don't know. Even if she competes all 4 events, she may crumble - like she often did before the Olympics. Besides, she has the added pressure of being the Olympic AA champion on top of trying to come back from a long hiatus.

I'm saying it now. I'm throwing it down. Bridget will win. If it comes back to bite my butt, then so be it. My money's on the solid, safe, bet.

***UPDATE***

According to Inside Gymnastics, Nastia will only be competing on Bars and Beam at nationals.

Bridget's in. Nastia's out.

Lauren Mitchell Wins AUS Nationals

2009-07-13T23:52:00.006-04:00

Last month I posted on two Australian gymnasts to look out for. Lauren Mitchell was one of those gymnasts, and just this weekend, she won the Australian National Championship. Mitchell scored a decent 56.7 in the finals. Though it was not particularly noteworthy (it is probably top 15 in the world), what was remarkable was her balance beam set. The D-score was 7.2, surely one of the highest (if not the highest) D scores on beam in the world. Her execution marks were pretty low (8.175), but there is plenty of time to work on that.

It seems that Mitchell is on the verge of breaking through internationally. She did win the beam title at the 2008 World Cup Final, and this year she could be World Champion - or at least World medalist. The sign of a great national program is a neverending supply of incredible gymnasts. The US and China have it. Australia is getting there. Stay tuned for my Peggy Liddick post!

Everyone Loves Chellsie

2009-07-09T22:32:00.004-04:00

It may have something to do with her fighting spirit. It could be that she is always the underdog and never the favorite. Maybe it's because she's an incredible gymnast. For me, it's all three. How can you not love her? I have to cite the 2006 Worlds TF (again).

I am really pulling for her to make the Worlds team, and it seems like a lot of you guys are, too!

The Modern Day Cold War

2009-07-08T22:50:00.009-04:00

Do you all feel it? For the past four years, the tension at and before each competition featuring both the US and China has been incredible and unmistakable. For both sides it's go for gold or go home broke. There is no other opponent, no other challenger. This is a modern day cold war, and it is slowly bubbling under the surface, boiling over only when one gets the gold and the other does not.

Things have changed in gymnastics over the past 20 years. The Soviet Union fell, ending the reign of the USSR. Romania reclaimed and subsequently lost their position at the top within a matter of 10 years. Now, the Americans and Chinese - arguably the last two political superpowers in the world - find themselves in new territory: the top of the gymnastics heap. Today, these two countries represent the best of the best in elite gymnastics, and with the former great programs, Russia and Romania, in shambles, the rivalry has been solidified. No country today has the ability to challenge these two programs. In what is oddly reminiscent of the cold war, both China and the US are striving to build the hardest, highest scoring programs in order to win the gold. It's an arms race of sorts that has never been witnessed until recently.

Round one (now known as quad 1 [2005-2008]) started with the Americans claiming most of the golds and silvers in 2005. In 2006, the Chinese struck back but failed to repeat the following year. The round (and the race) culminated in Beijing at the 2008 Olympics, where China brought out the big guns. The US limped into the final with lower start values and older, injured athletes. They fell to a silver, scoring nearly 5 points more than the broken, 3rd place Romanians.

Round two begins this October in London. Who will step up? Who will fall down? And which country is going to challenge? It seems Blythe at the gymblog thinks the North Koreans are quickly becoming a legitimate challenger, but can they ever get over their country's brutal reputation? There's only one way of finding out: stay tuned. This is quickly becoming one of the most exciting eras in gymnastics.

The Case for Chellsie Memmel

2009-07-08T00:00:00.003-04:00

As the poll to the right keeps getting tighter, I've been thinking more and more about Chellsie and why I believe she will make the 2009 Worlds team. I don't think it's really necessary to pin point and list every single accomplishment that she has racked up, but it is definitely important to at least glance at her resume.

Who was Memmel in 2003? A no one. She was an alternate to the really deep World's team. Or at least that's how it would have been if almost half the team did not become injured or fall ill at the start of the competition. Chellsie was instantly thrown on to the team, where she proved she was more than worthy. She shocked the home crowd with her daring, difficult, and clean gymnastics. She actually qualified 2nd to the AA, ahead of Queen Khorkina and future Olympic AA champ Carly Patterson. Memmel also qualified for the beam and bars finals. In the end, the US won the team gold, the AA silver (Patterson),and the UB gold (Memmel tied with Vise). In the months leading up to the 2004 Olympics, there were three gymnasts that seemed destined to go: Patterson (2nd in 2003 Worlds AA), Kupets (current national champion), and Memmel. Unfortunately, Chellsie became injured and was named an alternate to the team along side 2000 Olympian Tasha Schwikert. In some ways, both Tasha and Chellsie shared a similar story. The biggest difference? Chellsie didn't give up. In fact, she roared back on the scene in 2005, winning the World AA gold and silver on both the beam and bars. Chellsie was only the 3rd American woman to win the World AA title.

Things were looking great for Memmel at the start of 2006 - or they were until she injured her shoulder at the Pacific Alliance Championship. Despite the setback, she did recover enough to make the 2006 World team. She actually qualified first in the AA, but then it happened again. During the team finals, Chellsie fell on the bars, tearing her right shoulder. She could have stopped. Someone else could have taken her place, but that didn't happen. Chellsie finished the meet out, and did very well. Look at that beam set she did. After landing her front tuck with one foot on and one foot off, she could have easily fallen. Did that happen? Nope. Chellsie worked it out, making the mistake hardly noticeably. Because of her injury, she could not compete in the AA or the finals, and she also spent almost all of 2007 recovering.

When the 2008 Nationals rolled around, no one expected much of anything from Chellsie. With all the noise Shawn and Nastia were making, there wasn't much room in the media for the comeback kid - maybe not even much hope. I remember seeing Chellsie open up on vault at nationals. It was a simple and clean FTY. She downgraded the vault, and at that point I thought she was looking at another alternate position for the Olympics. I was wrong. She rocked the bars, then the beam, and the floor - all of which were up to par in terms of difficulty. She finished 3rd at Nationals and trials, and we all know she made the Olympic team. For some reason or another, Chellsie broke her ankle while training in Beijing. Her Olympic dreams were dashed yet again, but she still competed on bars. Though she fell in prelims, she did deliver in the finals. Without her routine, the US would probably have been at least another half point behind the Chinese.

Since 2003, Chellsie has proven to be a tremendous asset for the United States. She has always pulled through - even when injured. It's been almost a year since her break, and there is little word about how she is doing. What we do know is that she is training and has her eyes set on London 2009. In the past, Chellsie has overcome injuries, overwhelming odds, and pure bad luck to get as far as she is. If she wants to be one of the four US representatives at the World Championships this year, then she will be. I understand she may not be completely ready for nationals. Even so, I would issue her an invite to the training camp without even thinking for a few reasons:

1. Chellsie is a rare breed of gymnast - one who has nerves of steel. Pain? What's that? She's almost like the US version of Chuso.

2. The "ences": Consistence and Persistence are just two of Chellsie's middle names. There's also "you can count on me" and "I stuck my bars dismount with a broken ankle."

3. If you tell Chellsie no, then she will make a fool of you (see 2003).

The question isn't whether or not Chellsie will make the team. It is whether or not she gets hurt before the Worlds prelims. So to the 29 who voted NO: beware of the Memmel. She may break every other year, but she is incredible nonetheless. Her journey isn't over yet.

New Features!!

2009-07-07T19:08:00.005-04:00

Hello hello amazing readers! You all have probably noticed a few changes in the site. I am working on making Tsuk the Pain more user friendly and interactive. I'll explain some of the cool new features:

1. Look at the top of the right hand side bar. There is a new "share this" button. It appears on the homepage and each article's page. If you like what you see, then click the share this link and..well...share it!

2. Also in the right hand side bar is a cbox chat. You do not have to register to use this! Just type in a nickname for yourself (your site and email if you want) and chat instantly with me or others using the site. If you take a look at the box right now, you will see that I will also use it to give quick updates about what I will be posting next and when.

3. At the very bottom of the page is a "Save as pdf" button. You can click this to save the whole front page as a pdf file (to print, for later reference, etc for whatever). If you click on each individual article, the button is also available at the bottom of the page.

I hope the addition of these features helps make the site better than before!

Favorite Beam Routines: 2004

2009-07-07T00:10:00.002-04:00

Here's the second installment of my favorite beam routines. It was actually really hard to choose just 8 sets for this year. My choices aren't as surprising this time, and I do feel a little bad that I ultimately settled on 6 of the 8 Olympic Beam Finalists. In the end, 2004 was a tough year to stray away from the obvious. Perhaps the beam final actually represented the best?

8. Allana Slater - AUS
Also love Allana. She was great here, but it wasn't as original as her past sets.

7. Alexandra Eremia - ROU
Great routine...if a little boring.

6. Li Ya - CHN
This is probably the cleanest beam routine of the year. Ya is beautiful here, but not as exciting as the rest of the list.

5. Anna Pavlova - RUS
That first tumble across the beam was just awesome and a great dismount!

4. Courtney Kupets - USA
This is a great set for Courtney at the US nationals before she aggravated an old leg injury at the Olympics. I would have placed her in the top 3, but her leg motions annoy me....alot.

3. Catalina Ponor - ROU

Great great great routine. I think the form could be better - especially with the dismount. Speaking of...that landing was a little low.

2. Carly Patterson - USA

Carly was so close to making the top of my list. Major props for the stuck dismount, but I wish her jumps could have had just a bit more flexibility.

1. Liudmila Ezhova

This isn't the cleanest routine, but it is the most exciting and memorable. Sometimes that is enough to push a gymnast to the top.

Invisible Theats: The Hunt for AA Gold Continues

2009-07-06T01:21:00.008-04:00

After having such a great response to my original post over at the Gymblog about the 2009 contenders, I knew I had to do a follow up. What about those who have not competed in any major international competition this year or have not left any big impressions thus far?

There's Nastia, Sam Peszek, Shayla Worley, Jana Bieger, and Becca Bross all from the US. I know 2007 AA Bronze medalist Jade Barbosa is recovering from a wrist injury. I wonder if she'll be good to go for Worlds... There's also Sandra Izbasa from Romania. She placed 3rd in the 2006 AA final, 8th at the Olympics, and she won the Nadia Comaneci Invitational this year(with a 12.0 on bars!). However, Izbasa is dealing with an ongoing heel injury. Of course there is Japan's Koko Tsurumi, who is well known for her beam routines. Can she get her head together to hit 4 for 4?

Nastia
Sam
Shayla
Jana
Becca
Jade
Sandra
Koko

who else?

Beth Tweddle Going for the AA Gold?

2009-07-05T21:41:00.008-04:00

Dim the lights. Cue the music. Beth Tweddle from Great Britain, you just added two more Golds on Floor and Bars to your display case. Will you make one more go for the AA at this year's Worlds?

Yes, she did it again. Beth Tweddle won the gold on the bars and the floor at the University Games. For those with a short memory, her performance this week mimicked that of the European Championships. First of all, can anyone challenge her for either of these events? Also, will she try one last time for the AA? The 2009 Worlds are in London, and this could be Beth's last legitimate chance to medal in the AA. On the positive side, she has two high scoring routines (bars and floor) and she has an ok, albeit low scoring, vault (1.5TY). The biggest con is actually beam. Some call it her arch nemesis, understandably so. She is incredibly inconsistent on the event. If she were to have a shot, she has to nail her beam sets. At the last three Worlds, she placed 4th (2005), 8th (2006), and 11th (2007). At the Beijing Olympics, she only competed on bars and floor. I wonder if she can still compete vault and beam. There are 3 months left to prepare...

Personally, I would love it if Beth gave it one last try. I think she really represents everything that gymnastics should be about (not the mediocre form but the perseverance). Also, she's yet another great example of Tsuk the Pain.

What do you guys think? Also...huge thanks to MS's comment at the gymblog, which sort of set this idea on fire.

The Hunt for the 2009 All Around Gold (Updated)

2009-07-04T22:00:00.000-04:00

With gymnastics at the Mediterranean Games coming to a close, I think now is a good time to start compiling a list of the top 8 contenders for the All Around Gold. Rankings are based purely on each gymnast's highest posted scores this year. I know it's really early to get any solid predictions, but I think there have been enough international competitions this year to start a running list of contenders.

1. Bridget Sloan - USA
(scored a 59.6 at the Tyson American Cup, a 59.55 at USA vs. GER, and a 58.95 at USA vs FRA)
2. Jiang Yuyuan - CHN
(scored 58.55 in the Prelims and 56.95 in the Finals at the University games)
3. Ksenia Semenova - RUS
(scored a 58.175 in the Euros AA final)
4. Youna Dufournut - FRA
(scored a 58.0 in the Prelims at the Mediterranean games)
5. Ksenia Afansyeva - RUS
(scored a 57.600 in the Euros AA final)
6. Ariella Kaeslin - SUI
(scored a surprising 57.275 in the Euros AA final)
7. Elisabetta Preziosa - ITA
( scored a 56.45 in Finals for Mediterranean games and 55.55 in Prelims)
8. He Ning - CHN
( scored a 55.7 in the Prelims at the University games)

Bridget has scored consistently in the 59s throughout the year. Her 59.6 was the highest AA total I've come across this year. She is a safe bet to make the US team for Worlds (nabbing an AA spot). Jiang Yuyuan posted a huge 58.55 in prelims for the University games the other night. She's up there with Bridget, especially if she is healthy come worlds (and has her 2.5TY, too!). Youna won the AA at the Mediterranean games and posted a high 58.0 in the prelims. If she remains consistent, she has a chance at making the podium. Both Kaeslin and Afansyeva are pretty inconsistent. However, when they hit, they can be a threat. Elisabetta and Ning both qualified 2nd in the AA at the Mediterranea and University games respectively. Their scores aren't great, and I really have no confidence in either one making the worlds podium. However, they are up there by default.

And then there's Nastia. Will she be up to par? Will she even compete in the AA? If Liukin can compete in the AA and is up to par with the rest in the world (besides beam and bars), then she is the odds on favorite to win. However, her first big AA competition of the year will be at Nationals in August. She is the biggest question mark.

I also have to admit that I was surprised about Sloan's scores. I remembered her doing pretty well this year, but I didn't think she actually had the highest scores. I thought she'd make the worlds team and place a respecful 5th or so in the AA. Right now she can win it all. I can't wait for the Visa Championships to see if she can become national champion.

Have I missed someone? I only briefly researched scores. I may have missed some. Let me know what you think!

What it Means to "Tsuk the Pain"

2009-07-04T01:17:00.002-04:00

Gymnastics is a demanding sport - not only physically, but emotionally. Most gymnasts injure themselves at least once in their competitive careers. Some never get over their mishaps and quit (either an event or the sport altogether), while others grit and bear it.

To TSUK THE PAIN is to just keep going, to keep fighting, to keep dreaming no matter what.

One of my favorite examples of TSUK THE PAIN

Shawn's Mom Clears the Air

2009-07-02T12:26:00.004-04:00

The past few months for Olympic Champion Shawn Johnson have been a blur. She not only competed on and won Dancing With the Stars, but she also had a taste of Hollywood. First, there was a stalker (on top of being hounded by the paparazzi). Then, the tv and film roles came flying her way. Before and immediately after the Olympics, she never dreamed of doing anything more than going back to her home high school to finish out her senior year. Things changed, though, once the Olympic tour ended.

Just this week Shawn revealed that she will not go back to her high school. She will finish her classes online. She also promised big media related news in the near future and asserted that she still wants to attend college (Stanford or UCLA). With the announcement, many fans of gymnastics have turned their backs on Shawn. I can't even recall how many blogs I've read that have criticized her for the press release. However, the vitriol isn't just coming from bloggers. Many of Shawn's harshest critics are coming from her hometown! For some reason, people think Shawn is being ignorant and ungrateful. Some even misinterpreted her release (perhaps on purpose) to make it seem like she is dropping out of school. Things are finally boiling over, and now Mama Johnson (Teri) is feeling the heat. Just today, Teri blogged on Shawn's official website to clear the air. She stated:

Shawn desperately wanted to complete high school with her graduating class, circumstances just won’t allow that. We researched and found an online high school that is compatible with the colleges that Shawn is interested in attending. This way Shawn can continue her travels and take advantage of the opportunities that are coming her way while completing high school.

Shawn's mom also admitted that the family was naive to believe that everything could get back to normal after the Olympics. I think Shawn and her family can be faulted to a degree because of their naivete, but I don't think it's necessary for false, misleading, personal, and hurtful words. Shawn is going to finish high school. Sure her road to graduation is unconventional, but that doesn't make it any less meaningful. We've all got our own journeys. This is Shawn's.