Tag: 2012 Visa National Championships

Who’s Who in 2012: Anna Li, the Baroness of the Bars

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And now it is time to take a look at our different bars specialists. First up, Anna Li. After an enormously successful NCAA career, Anna Li returned to elite gymnastics. She made the World Team in 2011, but after an abdominal injury became to painful, she was relegated to alternate. Her upbeat attitude and constant smiling support of the team as an alternate at the 2011 World Championships was as impressive as her incredible bars routines.  At the 2012 Visa National Championships, Anna Li posted a difficulty of 6.7 and 6.9. This is by far the most difficult bar routine in the US.  For comparison, Gabby Douglas posted a 6.5 and 6.6. She has recently blogged that she is working on her 7.1 routine. The only other gymnast posting that high of difficulty is China’s He Kexin (who may or may not be at the 2012 Olympics).

Anna Li also competes beam. But her difficulty scores are way too low to be used in a team finals situation. If Anna Li can upgrade her bars difficulty to a 7.1 AND improve her E score to be in the 8.9 range, she will make an incredibly strong case for herself as a bars specialist. This, along with another gymnast who can bring a high vault score and beam score might get her on the team.

Anna Li impresses me as a team leader, an incredibly sweet spirit and someone who can score the high bars scores we would need to keep a minimal gap with Russia on bars. She will need to bring her very best to Trials and compete two well-executed, high difficulty, hit routines.

Anna Li has also choreographed on of my very favorite floor routines with her mother. It is still to be seen if she will ever compete this routine again after a rough start at the US Secret Classics, but even the dance through was worth it. It gave me chills!

Floor

And just for fun…

Me and Anna Li after Visa’s

Who’s Who in 2012: The Artistic American

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Sarah Finnegan. Photo Credit Heather Maynez

American gymnasts are often accused of lacking artistry. But such is not the case of the sublime Sarah Finnegan. Finnegan commands the floor as if it was her stage. She is mesmerizing from her triple wolf turn, through her exquisite front tumbling to her dazzling finish.

Finnegan has top difficulty on floor and beam. She can compete this difficulty with incredible form, beautiful artistry and attention to detail. Others have done the triple wolf turn on beam and floor, but no one makes it look like she does. Finnegan is a true joy to watch.

Finnegan has had flashes of brilliance on both floor and beam this year. She has the highest start value of any senior on beam in the world! She has a .4 advantage over the next highest Americans. On floor, she has the second highest start value  of all the other Americans and the third highest in the world.  But right now she hasn’t been consistent enough on either floor or beam to put her up in team finals over other gymnasts. Her highest floor score is .1 lower than Gabby’s highest floor score, and her average score is just below Gabby’s. On beam she has basically the same average as Kayla but Kayla has put up a higher score.  Right now she just doesn’t bring the advantage over other gymnasts competing with her for that 5th spot on the team.

However, I think she COULD! She has perfect form and execution. If she goes out and really hits two beam routines and two floor routines without wobbles and bobbles and steps, she has the difficulty to bring in very high scores. In addition to that,  she has the beautiful lines and artistry that international judges love. If Sarah could add .7-.8 to her combined floor/beam scores from Visa’s by sticking her landings and going wobble free on beam, she could really make a case for herself.  Or if Gabrielle Douglas does not show consistency on floor at Trials, or our bars/beam specialist ends up being a bars specialist only (like Anna Li) someone like Sarah becomes much more valuable to the team score. She will have to bring her best!

Here is a great montage of her. One of my favorites! by 13Shifter

Which do you like better, Sarah’s floor or beam? What do you think about her chances of making the team?

Who’s Who in 2012: The Queen of Clean

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Photo Credit USA Gymnastics

Kyla Ross, the Queen of Clean. Kyla Ross has quietly and steadily come onto the center stage in her senior debut year.  She didn’t explode onto the scene or take the gymnastics world by storm.  Though she has plenty of difficulty on three of the four events, there is nothing flashy about her gymnastics or her skills that just jump out at you and demand your attention. But somehow, every time you wonder who is in the running, she is there. And just like she competes her beam routine – steadily, slowly and surely- she is making her way onto this Olympic team.

Much of this is owed to her incredibly clean execution. She doesn’t have breath taking form like a Courtney McCool or a Sarah Finnegan. But she does everything, well, almost perfectly. Beautiful splits, great amplitude, always pointed toes. You just can’t take much off. She squeezes every tenth out of her difficult routines by being… clean.

Though Kyla is still in her first senior year, she has already begun to make a reputation of dependability. It doesn’t make me nervous to put her up on beam in an Olympic team finals. I feel confident that she will do what she always does.

Kyla makes quite a case for herself by being one of our top bar workers and being a high scoring,  dependable beam routine. Unless someone else is able to come along and show higher difficulty with solid routines each day on bars and beam at trials, it is highly likely that Kyla will fill the bars/beam spot on our team. Because you can bet that she will go to trials and be the Queen of Clean each and every time.

Who’s Who in 2012: Raisman the Rock

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Aly Raisman, Visa Championships 2012. Photo Credit Heather Maynez

Stars are great. They shine brightly, illuminating the sport of gymnastics to the rest of the world. Stars like the fierce competitor Jordyn Wieber, who inspires us with her ability to never give up and come through with high flying skills on floor and vault and incredible difficulty on beam. Stars like the effervescent Gabby Douglas, who entertains us as much with her personality as with her breathtaking bars work. But in a three up three count team finals scenario, you don’t just want stars. You want a rock.

Aly Raisman, donned by NBC’s Alexa Ainsworth “Reliable Raisman” is our rock. She is the one you can depend on to go out and hit time after time. She has an incredible ability to be in the moment – not allowing herself to feel any more pressure when she is competing than when she is training. Since her senior debut in 2010, Aly has proven herself again and again to the gymnastics world and most importantly to Marta. Marta said this weekend of Aly:

“…[Aly] always wants to prove herself to me! She looks in my eyes before competition and I just nod: ‘Everything is perfect, Aly.’ I really love to have this type of gymnast. She’d give her heart to be good.” –Gym Examiner

And she is more than good. She is great! She does one of the hardest floor routines in the world. Her first tumbling pass is absolutely unbelievable in its level of difficulty. And her second pass is so high you wonder if she is ever going to come down.  Aly won two national event titles this weekend (Floor and Beam) and placed third in the all around. She continues to gain our trust even as she captures our heart with her humble attitude, sky high tumbling, sweet smile and loyal friendships with the other gymnasts. Check out Aly’s routines and her interview after the first night at the Visa National Championships. (For a more recent post about Aly after the Olympics, check out Aly Raisman Rises to the Top.)

Who’s Who in 2012: ASac is Back!

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It has been only eight months since Alicia Sacramone tore her achilles tendon on floor, just days before prelims at the 2011 World Championships. It didn’t seem possible that someone could come back so quickly, but if anyone can do it, it’s Sacramone. She doesn’t sugar coat the process, saying again and again that she worked incredibly hard to make it back. And make it she has.

Alicia Sacramone Beam Prelims at the 2012 Visa Championships. Photo Credit: Heather Maynez

Sacramone competed on vault and bars at the 2012 Visa National Championships prelims. She came back looking like she always does: powerful, confident and reliable. Her vaults weren’t quite at the world champion level they  were before her injury, but they are very close. She did the most solid beam routine of the competition, wowing the crowd with her aggressive, fluid style on beam.  She also added a sheep jump – and a very nice one at that!

Sacramone knows that to make the team, she has to bring even more. She hopes to add her connections back in and hit her vaults perfectly. She is also trying to upgrade her vault for Olympic Trials. She reportedly was going to do an upgraded vault in vault finals at the World Championships last year before she was injured. She is contemplating bringing floor back for Trials as well. She says she has the skills but just is not quite yet able to put them all together.

Sacramone is an incredibly talented athlete and an inspiring personality. She speaks her mind and always gives authentic, candid interviews, making her a well loved gymnast. Here are some of her routines and interview from Prelims.

Sparkles Galore – Junior Women’s Prelims 2012 Visa National Championships

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The first thing I noticed when I walked in was all the sparkles. Really, it is hard to miss! But the second thing was how much more businesslike the women are. Even these little juniors. There were definitely some stand outs and the future of USA gymnastics is looking great. For a full effect, read through Gym Examiners quick hits and check out all the routines on USAGymnastics youtube.

Overall Impressions

I think that US gymnastics has heard the complaints of no artistry. There were so many beautiful, well danced, polished floor routines out there today! It was a delight for this floor lover’s heart. Also, Texas Dreams is a force to be reckoned with. Kim Zemeskal’s girls look awesome on every event. Polished, with great attention to detail. She is also delightful to watch with her girls.

Standout Gymnasts

Of course, you can’t ignore Lexie Priessman with her almost 2 point lead after night one. Her floor routine was on fire- she REALLY danced it up and did some incredible tumbling to boot. Her 15.25 outclassed the rest of the field by over half a point!   Priessman, Amelia Hundley and Katelyn Ohashi all look like seniors out there. They just have a different quality to their competition and will be ready for next year without missing a hitch. And then there is Bailie Key. It is hard to believe she is only 13. She competes with the finish and professionalism of a senior, and has the difficulty to match her poise. It is hard to imagine how incredible she will be by the time she finally becomes a senior if she continues on this pace.

Three other gymnasts must be mentioned. First up, Simone Biles.  She is just a little bundle of dynamite! What power! Even when she is just walking across the floor she looks like she could combust. She is a delight to watch on every event. Second is Nia Dennis. This little girl is a young Awesome Dawsome.  She has beautiful dance and tumbles and does release moves on bars up in the rafters. Last but not least is Lauren Hernandez. I must say, she is my new favorite junior. The girl can dance! And every movement is finished with precision and grace. I love watching this one! She didn’t have the best day, but I can’t wait to see her again.

Standout Routines

Current Standings

All-around:
1. Lexie Priessman, Cincinnati, Ohio, 59.200
2. Bailie Key, Coppell, Texas, 57.550
3. Simone Biles, Spring, Texas, 57.400
4. Madison Desch, Lenexa, Kan., 57.200
5. Amelia Hundley, Hamilton, Ohio, 56.750
6. Katelyn Ohashi, Plano, Texas, 56.650

Women’s Vault:
1. Simone Biles, Spring, Texas, 15.800
2. Lexie Priessman, Cincinnati, Ohio, 15.700
3. Bailie Key, Coppell, Texas, 15.000

Women’s Bars:

1. Polina Shchennikova, Arvada, Colo., 14.650
2. Katelyn Ohashi, Plano, Texas, 14.350
3. Lexie Priessman, Cincinnati, Ohio, 14.150

Women’s Beam:
1. Amelia Hundley, Hamilton, Ohio, 14.300
1. Madison Desch, Lenexa, Kan., 14.300
3. Bailie Key, Coppell, Texas, 14.250

Women’s Floor:
1. Lexie Priessman, Cincinnati, Ohio, 15.250
2. Bailie Key, Coppell, Texas, 14.700
3. Katelyn Ohashi, Plano, Texas, 14.400