jordyn wieber has fallen 3 times on beam and once on bars. i think she may have a cold. poor jordyn
she also scratched floor.
Showing posts with label visa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label visa. Show all posts
Thursday, August 12, 2010
bridget sloan injurys update
Bridget Sloan's withdrawal from every event but beam is a disappointment, but not necessarily a big surprise. After all, dropping out is the trendy thing to do in women's gymnastics, especially when you're on top.
It does sound like Sloan is a bit beat up, and I am glad to hear she is still shooting for the world championships, as our team needs her dearly. But I have to say there has been a growing tendency - especially among our top gymnasts - towards being very, very conservative when it comes to saluting to a judge in competition, even if they're doing full routines in practice.
It is natural that as a gymnast becomes more and more successful, her standards for competing and need to always win become greater. Though many would consider it "poor form" to drop out of your own national championships unless it is absolutely necessary, I guess we can excuse Sloan...as long as she makes up for it at worlds, that is.
It does sound like Sloan is a bit beat up, and I am glad to hear she is still shooting for the world championships, as our team needs her dearly. But I have to say there has been a growing tendency - especially among our top gymnasts - towards being very, very conservative when it comes to saluting to a judge in competition, even if they're doing full routines in practice.
It is natural that as a gymnast becomes more and more successful, her standards for competing and need to always win become greater. Though many would consider it "poor form" to drop out of your own national championships unless it is absolutely necessary, I guess we can excuse Sloan...as long as she makes up for it at worlds, that is.
thanks universal sports
universal sports preview
Rebecca Bross is now the overwhelming favorite in Hartford, not only because of Bridget Sloan's withdrawal, but because her all-around D-score is about a point and a half higher than anyone else's. This means that Rebecca might be able to afford to fall and still win...although I'm sure she's not planning on it.
In the past year, Bross' bars has been rock solid, her vault rarely gives her trouble, her floor has shown more maturity and better landings, and her beam is...well, still unpredictable. Chronic problems with her double Arabian dismount and some risky elements in the routine will probably make beam a bigger challenge to winning her first national championship than her competitors will be.
Should Bross make a couple of large errors, though, there will be a few challengers waiting to seize the opportunity. Recent CoverGirl Classic all-around champion Mattie Larson could certainly put some pressure on Bross, as her confidence is likely higher than ever. With world class routines on all four events, Larson will be looking to prove she's not only world team material...but also one of the very best all-arounders for the U.S.
Brestyan's Aly Raisman has had a stellar breakout year, with numerous impressive international showings, including 2nd behind Bross at the American Cup. Though she crashed a gutsy - and somewhat dangerous - Amanar vault at the CoverGirl Classic, Raisman has become one of the best and most consistent all-arounders in the USA.
Kytra Hunter from Hill's will likely make the world team because of her floor and vault, but her all-around potential is not too shabby either. Her beam is typically very solid with a strong D-score and her bars, if she hits, isn't all that bad.
And CGA's Cassie Whitcomb and Amanda Jetter were impressive at the CoverGirl Classic, actually leading the competition in 1st and 2nd before both missing beam in the last rotation. Though their best shots for the world team depend on bars, their well-balanced all-arounds could place them high in the final rankings.
Alicia Sacramone sizzled at her comeback debut at the CoverGirl, winning both vault and beam and essentially stamping her passport to Rotterdam a couple of months early. With as fit and powerful as she looked in Chicago, it's almost impossible to envision her not making the world team, especially considering the recent retirement of her biggest vaulting rival - 2009 world champion Kayla Williams. Sacramone will undoubtedly be a fan favorite in Hartford, and can focus on shooting for the world vaulting title and fine-tuning her beam routine to help Team USA as much as possible.
Just as in 2008, a third spot on bars for Worlds is up for grabs. Contenders include Mackenzie Caquatto, Samantha Shapiro, Cassie Whitcomb, Amanda Jetter, Mattie Larson, and possibly Chelsea Davis or even Vanessa Zamarripa - at least if some of the others make mistakes.
The Women's Visa Championships will be broadcast tomorrow at 7pm EST on Universal Sports...be sure to tune in!
In the past year, Bross' bars has been rock solid, her vault rarely gives her trouble, her floor has shown more maturity and better landings, and her beam is...well, still unpredictable. Chronic problems with her double Arabian dismount and some risky elements in the routine will probably make beam a bigger challenge to winning her first national championship than her competitors will be.
Should Bross make a couple of large errors, though, there will be a few challengers waiting to seize the opportunity. Recent CoverGirl Classic all-around champion Mattie Larson could certainly put some pressure on Bross, as her confidence is likely higher than ever. With world class routines on all four events, Larson will be looking to prove she's not only world team material...but also one of the very best all-arounders for the U.S.
Brestyan's Aly Raisman has had a stellar breakout year, with numerous impressive international showings, including 2nd behind Bross at the American Cup. Though she crashed a gutsy - and somewhat dangerous - Amanar vault at the CoverGirl Classic, Raisman has become one of the best and most consistent all-arounders in the USA.
Kytra Hunter from Hill's will likely make the world team because of her floor and vault, but her all-around potential is not too shabby either. Her beam is typically very solid with a strong D-score and her bars, if she hits, isn't all that bad.
And CGA's Cassie Whitcomb and Amanda Jetter were impressive at the CoverGirl Classic, actually leading the competition in 1st and 2nd before both missing beam in the last rotation. Though their best shots for the world team depend on bars, their well-balanced all-arounds could place them high in the final rankings.
Alicia Sacramone sizzled at her comeback debut at the CoverGirl, winning both vault and beam and essentially stamping her passport to Rotterdam a couple of months early. With as fit and powerful as she looked in Chicago, it's almost impossible to envision her not making the world team, especially considering the recent retirement of her biggest vaulting rival - 2009 world champion Kayla Williams. Sacramone will undoubtedly be a fan favorite in Hartford, and can focus on shooting for the world vaulting title and fine-tuning her beam routine to help Team USA as much as possible.
Just as in 2008, a third spot on bars for Worlds is up for grabs. Contenders include Mackenzie Caquatto, Samantha Shapiro, Cassie Whitcomb, Amanda Jetter, Mattie Larson, and possibly Chelsea Davis or even Vanessa Zamarripa - at least if some of the others make mistakes.
The Women's Visa Championships will be broadcast tomorrow at 7pm EST on Universal Sports...be sure to tune in!
podium training picture
omg! i am so annoyed! i could only find 1 photo i liked that wasnt copyrighted! here it is
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
rebecca bross on the olympics and WOGA
Mention the name Rebecca Bross and one of two statements invariably follows. In 2012, she could become the third straight gymnast from her gym - World Olympic Gymnastics Academy (WOGA) in Plano, Texas - to become Olympic all-around champion. And last year, she narrowly missed the chance to become world all-around champion, falling on the final skill of her final routine.
But Bross isn't willing to let either of those storylines define her. While others may be eager to name the 17-year-old as successor to Carly Patterson and Nastia Liukin, her focus is elsewhere - at least for the moment. "I really don't think about it much at all," Bross says. "I take everything day by day and the Olympics is still another two years away and I just want to do my best now."
Still, she admits Liukin's journey to Olympic gold in Beijing made an impact. "It did motivate me. I work out with her everyday and saw what she went through... It's what I would have to go through if I wanted to do the same."
In fact they have already gone though many of the same things. Besides sharing a gym and a coach (Valeri Liukin, Nastia's dad), each missed out on an early Olympic opportunity because she was born in a year after an age cut-off. Bross won't make her Olympic debut until age 19, which means that - like Liukin in the last Olympic cycle - she'll have to outsmart injury and hold off an emerging younger generation of talent. And four years before Bross was defeated for the 2009 world title by Bridget Sloan, Liukin was even more dramatically edged out by a teammate - she lost by .001 (essentially an artificial margin created by rounding of scores) to Chellsie Memmel.
Where the two Texans most differ is in their gymnastics - Bross is the daredevil to Liukin's ballerina - but both exhibit a striking intensity. It's probably the thing that most stands out about Bross on the competition floor, where she often stares trance-like before beginning a routine. "It's one thing that's always been kind of easy for me," she says. "I just know it's keeping focused and not letting my brain go loose completely... It's what I've always done and it's just a habit."
But don't take that to mean she's icy. In fact, Bross believes that's the biggest misconception about her sport. "Most people think that we're all serious gymnasts and kind of put off from the world, but we're all really nice girls and we all love to compete against each other."
Bross, who has already claimed two major all-around titles this season (American Cup and Pacific Rim), will attempt to win her first senior national title in Hartford, Conn., starting on August 11. The U.S. junior champion in 2007, she missed the chance to defend that title in 2008 when she broke her foot. Later that year a dislocated knee cap and bone chip set Bross back further, causing about five months of missed training. When she returned to the U.S. Championships last year for her senior level debut, Bross finished third after a costly error, peeling off uneven bars on the second day of competition.
About those falls. Bross's brand of gymnastics is based on taking risks. And those risks can lead to spectacular mistakes. In each of her last two competitions she has fallen on balance beam, and ending that streak is high on her list of priorities for Nationals. "I've been competing this year a lot and I have to make sure I focus on everything I'm doing," she said last week. "I need to do everything right."
Like many gymnasts competing in Hartford, Bross's stated goals are to hit her routines and put herself in a strong position to make the U.S. team for the World Championships in October. "This year it's a team competition instead of just individual," Bross points out of Worlds, "So I'm excited for that."
As for claiming that individual all-around world title she let slip away? "It would be great to be able to get that after how I barely missed out on it last year and messing up on my last skill," Bross allows, before hedging slightly. "But just being able to go and represent my country again would be a great experience."
But Bross isn't willing to let either of those storylines define her. While others may be eager to name the 17-year-old as successor to Carly Patterson and Nastia Liukin, her focus is elsewhere - at least for the moment. "I really don't think about it much at all," Bross says. "I take everything day by day and the Olympics is still another two years away and I just want to do my best now."
Still, she admits Liukin's journey to Olympic gold in Beijing made an impact. "It did motivate me. I work out with her everyday and saw what she went through... It's what I would have to go through if I wanted to do the same."
In fact they have already gone though many of the same things. Besides sharing a gym and a coach (Valeri Liukin, Nastia's dad), each missed out on an early Olympic opportunity because she was born in a year after an age cut-off. Bross won't make her Olympic debut until age 19, which means that - like Liukin in the last Olympic cycle - she'll have to outsmart injury and hold off an emerging younger generation of talent. And four years before Bross was defeated for the 2009 world title by Bridget Sloan, Liukin was even more dramatically edged out by a teammate - she lost by .001 (essentially an artificial margin created by rounding of scores) to Chellsie Memmel.
Where the two Texans most differ is in their gymnastics - Bross is the daredevil to Liukin's ballerina - but both exhibit a striking intensity. It's probably the thing that most stands out about Bross on the competition floor, where she often stares trance-like before beginning a routine. "It's one thing that's always been kind of easy for me," she says. "I just know it's keeping focused and not letting my brain go loose completely... It's what I've always done and it's just a habit."
But don't take that to mean she's icy. In fact, Bross believes that's the biggest misconception about her sport. "Most people think that we're all serious gymnasts and kind of put off from the world, but we're all really nice girls and we all love to compete against each other."
Bross, who has already claimed two major all-around titles this season (American Cup and Pacific Rim), will attempt to win her first senior national title in Hartford, Conn., starting on August 11. The U.S. junior champion in 2007, she missed the chance to defend that title in 2008 when she broke her foot. Later that year a dislocated knee cap and bone chip set Bross back further, causing about five months of missed training. When she returned to the U.S. Championships last year for her senior level debut, Bross finished third after a costly error, peeling off uneven bars on the second day of competition.
About those falls. Bross's brand of gymnastics is based on taking risks. And those risks can lead to spectacular mistakes. In each of her last two competitions she has fallen on balance beam, and ending that streak is high on her list of priorities for Nationals. "I've been competing this year a lot and I have to make sure I focus on everything I'm doing," she said last week. "I need to do everything right."
Like many gymnasts competing in Hartford, Bross's stated goals are to hit her routines and put herself in a strong position to make the U.S. team for the World Championships in October. "This year it's a team competition instead of just individual," Bross points out of Worlds, "So I'm excited for that."
As for claiming that individual all-around world title she let slip away? "It would be great to be able to get that after how I barely missed out on it last year and messing up on my last skill," Bross allows, before hedging slightly. "But just being able to go and represent my country again would be a great experience."
thankyou so much universial sports!
photos from rebecca bross official website
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