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Gymnastics Routine to Sia's Chandelier

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British gymnast Ellie Botterill and her coaches worked hard to have a routine ready for Nationals. The song choice was one of the hits of 2014, Chandelier by Sia, which gained fame for the choreography done by Dance Moms star Maddie Ziegler. The music video has an eerie feel and uses contemporary choreography set in an abandoned home. Botterill does an amazing job taking this choreography and making it her own. So much so, that I've actually watched the routine several times just because I'm amazed at how well the choreography translated on to the floor exercise mat.



After sharing this routine on tumblr, different members of the gymternet have come forward saying that Botterill has recently performed in Matilda on the West End as Amanda (source). Twitter user ItzAFez66 linked to this video of Botterill singing in a cover of "It Can't Be True" from 13 the musical here. The next thing on her agenda is a trip to Qatar to play in The Sound of Music. Talented in singing, acting, and, obviously, dance, Botterill's future looks bright and we wish her the best of luck in all her future endeavors.

Below is the official music video of Chandelier that won Best Choreography at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards.


Gymnastics Injuries Nov/Dec 2014

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It is with great sadness that we learn of the retirement of Ukraine's Mariya Livchikova. Unfortunately, her knee injury prior to Worlds was a confirmed ACL tear and after this 3rd tear, Livchikova decided to call it quits with gymnastics. Now that she is no longer competing, she will focus her energy on her education and her long term goal of becoming a coach. We wish her the best of luck with this process.

With a turn for the positive, a lot of junior/new senior hopefuls have returned to competition. Germany's Kim Janas (senior 2015) returned at the Bundesliga competition and showed an excellent UB. Her D-score was in the 5s without a proper dismount so this is promising. Eythora Thorsdottir of the Netherlands has returned from a back injury and has already competed three times. Her balance beam and floor exercise are just as beautiful as before. Brazilian Rebeca Andrade (senior 2015) joins this amazing trio of athletes back from injuries. She recently won Brazilian Junior Championships and continues to show proficiency on her Amanar. Enus Mariani of Italy has also returned to competition after over a year away from gymnastics due to a back injury. All of these gymnasts are a pleasure to watch and I'm glad they're back to competition ready performances. Now, we can look forward to their performances in the next competition season.

*USA Updates: While this list keeps track of returns to competition, a few of the American girls have returned to camp which means they have some baseline level of routine readiness and fitness to train in front of National Team Coordinator Martha Karolyi. Sabrina Vega, Bailie Key, and Rachel Gowey have all returned to camp.

A MAG injury list has been compiled by Full Twist here.

Name (Country)InjuryReturn to Competition
2014 Injuries
Elisa Cherino GERFractured cervical vertebrae (Mar)FB; site
Loan His FRA jr??? (Jun)Nov 2014
Miriana Almeida MEX??? (Aug)
Sandra Collantes PER??? (Sep)
Maelys Plessis FRA??? (Sep)
Anne Kuhm FRACollarbone (Jan)
Simone Biles USAShoulder (Feb)Jul 2014
Kirsten Beckett RSAShoulder surgery (Aug)
Peyton Ernst USADislocated shoulder + surgery (Aug)
Ida Gustafsson SWEShoulder (Aug)
Louise Vanhille FRAElbow (Mar)Nov 2014
Rebecca Tunney GBRElbow (May)
Bailie Key USA jrElbow (Jul)*
Alyssa Baumann USAElbow (Aug)Sep 2014
Ayelen Taribini ARGDislocated Elbow (Sep)
Yuna Hiraiwa JPNBroken Finger (Sep)
Kyla Ross USABack (Jan)Mar 2014
Elisa Meneghini ITABack (Oct)
McKayla Maroney USAKnee surgery (Feb)
Jade Barbosa BRAKnee surgery (Aug)
Diana Bulimar ROUKnee surgery (Aug)
Cintia Rodriguez ESPKnee surgery (Nov)
Vanasia Bradley USA jrTorn ACL & meniscus, broken patella (Jun)
Nadine Jarosch - GERTorn ACL surgery (2013)
Torn ACL surgery (Jul)
Janine Berger - GERTorn ACL surgery (Aug)
Mariya Livchikova UKRTorn ACL (Aug)retirement
Maria Paula Vargas ESPTorn ACL & partial meniscal tear (Sep)
Anastasia Grishina RUSTorn meniscus & broken patella (Apr)
Laurie Hernandez USA jrFractured wrist (Jan)
Torn patellar tendon & dislocated kneecap (Jun)

Maggie NicholsDislocated kneecap (Aug)
Carlotta Ferlito ITACalf strain + medical issue (Mar)Sep 2014
Tyesha Mattis GBR jrAnkle (Mar)
Wendy de Jong NED jrAnkle (Jul)
Giulia Steingruber SUIKnee bone bruise (Mar)
Ankle ligament sprain + 2 stress fractures (Nov)
May 2014

Ksenia Afanasyeva RUSAnkle surgery (Apr)Nov 2014
Viktoria Komova RUSAnkle surgery (Apr)Aug 2014
Gabriella DouglasAnkle surgery (Aug)
Rachel Gowey USAAnkle break (Aug)*
Sophie Scheder GERSprained ankle + 2 torn ligaments (Mar)May 2014
Maria Paseka RUSSprained ankle (Sep)Nov 2014
Maria Bondareva RUS jrSwollen ligaments in ankle (Apr)May 2014
Lexie Priessman USAAchilles tendon strain ('13)
Torn fibular ligament (Aug)
Mary-Anne Monckton AUSTorn peroneal tendon (Oct)
Evgenia Zhukova RUSTorn Achilles (Apr)
Valentine Sabatou FRATorn Achilles (Sep)
Francesca Deagostini ITAFoot injury/fracture (Jun-Aug)
Elisabeth Seitz GERFoot injury (Aug)
Foot surgery (Nov)
Sep 2014

Giorgia Campana ITAFoot injury (Nov)
Rebeca Andrade BRA jrToe injury (Jul)Nov 2014

2013

Name (Country)InjuryReturn to Competition
End of 2013
Katelyn Ohashi - USAShoulder surgery + Back
Sabrina Vega USAShoulder surgery*
Julie Croket - BELElbowAug 2014
Sarah Finnegan - USAElbow surgery
Enus Mariani jr - ITABack injury (May)Nov 2014
Eythora Thorsdottir - NED jrBackOct 2014
Gabby Jupp - GBRTorn ACL at Europeans; surgeryAug 2014
Kim Janas GER jrACL; surgeryOct 2014
Chantysha Netteb NEDACL
Lisa Ecker AUTR PCL and meniscusAug 2014
Luo Peiru - CHNAchilles & fractured kneecap
Céline van Gerner - NEDAnkle surgerySep 2014
Adrian Gomes - BRA
Koko Tsurumi - JPNAchillesNov 2014
Resolved
Gabriella Douglas - CANShoulder surgeryMay 2014
Giorgia Campana - ITAElbowFeb 2014
Lou Nina - CHNElbowApr 2014
Maria Paseka - RUSBack painApr 2014
Anastasia Grishina - RUSBack pain/pinched nerveApr 2014
Diana Bulimar - ROMKnee injuryMar 2014
Youna Dufournet - FRAKnee surgeryMar 2014
Elisabetta Preziosa - ITAKneeFeb 2014
Adriana Crisci - ITATorn ACL after DTYFeb 2014
Ana Lago - MEXTorn ACL; surgeryMay 2014
Erika Fasana - ITATibiaFeb 2014
Marine Brevet - FRATorn Achilles tendon; surgeryMar 2014
Wyomi Masela - NEDTorn achilles tendon; surgeryJun 2014
Ksenia Afanasyeva - RUSAnkle surgeryApr 2014
Madison Kocian - USAAnkle sprain at P&GsFeb 2014
Jessica Lopez VENAnkleFeb 2014
Cintia Rodriguez ESPAnkle; surgeryFeb 2014
Jade Barbosa - BRALigament ruptureMar 2014

We wish all these athletes a speedy recovery and best of luck with their rehabilitation.

Raisman Returns: Better Than Ever

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Two time Olympic Champion Alexandra Raisman recently sat down with USA Gymnastics to talk about training for Rio. Apparently, Raisman always knew that she would return for a 2nd Olympic cycle even before the 2012 Olympics had finished. After a much needed break, she has worked with her coaches Mihai and Sylvie Brestyan for her comeback. The Brestyans are no strangers to comebacks having coached Alicia Sacramone to a successful comeback after a year off where she became a world champion on vault.

In this video, Raisman manages to show some of her old skills along with some new ones. On floor, she is working a double layout. Raisman mentions working the 1.5 through to double arabian but has not worked in the arabian punch front yet just yet. We see her training her triple twist and piked double arabian onto a soft surface. On bars, she showed a Maloney (toe-on Shaposhnikova) as well as some toe-on giants. I'm most impressed with beam and the fact that she has her Patterson dismount back. She also shows that she's adapting to the code adding leaps to some of her beam acrobatic skills.

I'm also impressed with how Aly looks. Although this was just a short video and we haven't seen routines entirely put together in a pressure situation, she seems much more controlled and much more precise in everything she's doing. We know she's heard the criticism about 180 degree splits, pointed toes, etc. and in this video, it seems like we're starting to see some of these changes.

The ultimate question is where will Aly fit on the team. Honestly, who knows? Right now, the United States has a beam deficit that is actually worse than our bars. Aly could fill that spot easily if we assume her difficulty is comparable to her Olympic routines (or will be come 2016). She mentions the all around 3rd place tie break and how that was also a motivator for this comeback. How and if she fits into the all around situation will be interesting to find out but I, for one, am excited.

Gymnastics Rehab: Mary-Anne Monckton

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edit by pikedtkatchev on instagram


Australian gymnast Mary-Anne Monckton returned from the 2014 World Championships with a nagging pain in her ankle. After visiting the doctor and multiple tests, she learned that the injury that had been bothering her for some time was peroneal tendon tear. The Commonwealth Games Silver Medalist on balance beam had to have surgery. She has since decided to make a youtube video diary of what her rehab looks like on a weekly basis.

Here's the intro from the first video:
Following the 2014 World Championships in China I returned home and underwent surgery on my left ankle, which had been bothering me for about a year and became so painful that it hindered my training and competition performances. Turns out that one of the peroneal tendons was ruptured, so the surgeon had to attach it side by side to the tendon next to it.
You can find Monckton's channel here and watch the first video below. She's now off crutches and is already more than 4 weeks post surgery.



Here she is at Doha Challenge Cup earlier this year where she earned a 14.700/16.300, just .15 behind Romania's Larisa Iordache for the silver medal.

Glasgow World Cup 2014 Live Blog

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A live blog of the Glasgow World Cup 2014. Looks like they're doing 2 flights and the first 4 are warming up currently.

Live video here (need proxy, zenmate and tunnel bear work)
Live results here

VAULT
Erika Fasana - DTY - she's happy. Good block. Just a lost of leg form in second twist. It'll only get better as she gets more confident with it. 5.8/14.633

Mai Murakami - DTY - good form, maybe not as great height? She makes it around well just a small hop back. Good form throughout. 5.8/14.566. Hmm, thought it was better than Fasana.

Jessica Lopez - DTY - good block. Pikes down a bit for landing. Salutes quickly. 5.8/14.800

Pauline Schäfer - FHS layout 1/2 - very straight in block, just a little pike for the landing. 5.4/14.133 (5.0 if piked, will check official results later)

Ellie Black - FHS layout 1/2 - good vault. decent block, also a little pike for landing. It's hard to really judge vaults I'm not used to seeing... 5.4/14.400

Larisa Iordache - DTY - good block and form just a little hop in place. K, in slow mo, some crossed ankles in 2nd twist. 5.8/15.000 - damn.

Georgina Hockenhull - FTY - good block for a FTY, pikes for landing, small hop in place. I believe she could add at least another half twist. She was reserve for the World Championship team. Commentator Christine Still is her coach. 5.0/13.833

Vanessa Ferrari - DTY - yikes! Didn't get the best block and she's shaking her hands afterward. She tucks her last salto as she's been doing but she didn't make it all the way around either. Hope she's ok. 5.8/13.566 (if they credited her with DTY). She's first up on bars then.


UNEVEN BARS
Vanessa Ferrari - she took out her piked jaeger. did giant 1/2 to L-grip giant, to full pirouette to straddled jaeger. then some toe-ons. a little hesitation in handstand before dismount. not a bad routine for her. I really wish they'd reqork it just because l-grip isn't great for her but this was definitely one of her better routines, I'd say. 13.466

Georgina Hockenhull - starts on low bar hop grip change to endo 1/2, stalder, chow (stalder shaposh), bail, stalder full with loss of form, shoot to high; tkatchev a little low. DLO. Seems to let go a little early but get's it around fine. 13.833.

Pauline Schäfer - high bar, toe on giant to gienger, huge; kch 1/2, full pirouette, giant?, giant 1/2 to straddled jaeger, clear hip, bail to handstand, toe on shoot to high; ooh Moors. I have no clue when they're laid out vs. not. Really nice. Best execution so far without a doubt. 13.133... I don't know what her D is so...

Ellie Black - clear hip-Shang; hop grip change to Jaeger to pak. under bar change thingy. toe on giant, toe shoot to high; full pirouette. Moors. Nice nice. I am eagerly awaiting that Shaposh yo. 13.833.

Mai Murakami - clear hip-toe on-giant 1/2- piked jaeger caught close; bail shoot to high; full pirouette; full twisting double layout. She has room to connect things in there but it was clean. She high fives Fasana :D 12.500. Really need some D scores.

Erika Fasana - Maloney - immediate 1/1, giant 1/2, L grip gets kind stuck. toe on Tktchev. comes over on bail. comes off to get back on the other side. shoot to high. DLO. poor girl. So on her Maloney and in L grip she bends her legs (like an exaggerated set for a Jaeger) so she loses the straight line.

Jessica Lopez - piked tkatchev-pak leg sep; missed handstand, Maloney, uprise 1/1, straddled Tkatchev to Gienger; kch 1/2 to straddled Jaeger; a little late on 1/2 pirouette prior to double front dismount. Not her best routine but I think all but 1 of her connections was there. 14.200

Larisa Iordache - stalder 1/1, toe on, toe on shaposh; late on her 1/2 also so low/late straddled jaeger; gets her Ray to pak; toe on shaposh; full twisting double layout. definitely not her best routine. She struggled a bit in her connections. 14.433.


BALANCE BEAM
Erika Fasana - bhs-layout 2 feet; switch leap-back tuck;  switch ring nowhere near ring; full turn-Y turn was solid; side somi grabs herself and manages to stay on. front aerial leg wobble. split jump - wolf jump. ro-double pike. she survived. 13.100

Vanessa Ferrari - bhs so-bhs-so, layout 2 feet. switch split-ring leap not at ring per me.... sissone. missed connection i think to front aerial-sheep. switch 1/2 done well. ful turn. solid. switch ring was better. confused split-wolf-split? double pike, low. 13.600

Mai Murakami - bhs-bhs-layout 2 feet-sheep jump. side aerial. double turn. solid. <3 front aerial.  bhs-loso. wobble. korbut. "good body tension. good technique." switch split wobble. split jump-sissone. not great at 180 in my opinion. double pike. best dismount of the 3. I was gonna say "Do it for Asuka" but didn't want to jinx her haha. 13.400

Pauline Schäfer - oh she does the backwards mount to split. cool. bhs-loso. She has some really nice lines and extension. comes off on that. front aerial-side somi. a pretty one if I may say so. double turn wobble and step back but stays on. solid Schafer. side aerial. switch split-sheep. nice.  gainer straight dismount. 13.366

Georgina Hockenhull - bhs-loso just a little wobble. switch split. breaks a connection. switch straddle 1/4. front aerial - sissone? - wolf. full turn with a little flourish.  side aerial solid. she has such calm choreo. switch 1/2. side somi. nice height. double tuck dismount. 13.466

Ellie Black - double spin with a little wobble. ASac's the front pike as per usual :) bhs-layout 2 feet just a little wobble but stays on. bhs-tuck full. steps back and wobbles but stays on. switch split-switch 1/2. good connection. front pike. 2.5 hop forward. 14.833

Jessica Lopez - wolf-split solid. switch side 1/2. wolf full. side aerial. front aerial wobble. bhs-bhs-layout. another leap. full turn. 2.5 and flies forward a bit. 13.633

Larisa Iordache - bhs-tuck full. bhs-layout. loss of leg forma  bit. double turn. steps forward to save it. switch split-switch 1/2. solid connection. front aerial-split jump-sissone.  side somi. solid. Larisa smiling at the end of her routine. Triple twist. a little short i'd say... She waves to her people. 15.166.

Just .233 separating Ellie Black in 2nd from Jessica Lopez in 3rd.

FLOOR EXERCISE
Erika Fasana - double layout with just a hop. full in nice. double Y to illusion. switch ring to switch full. switch 1/2. she has some dramatic choreo moments. haha. and uses her face too. solid double pike. just stays in. step forward. 13.733

Mai Murakami - i love this routine for her. Double layout a little short so she hops forward.  solid triple twist. 1.5 punch front full. Christine said quint spin?! #cray. Definitely a lot and well controlled. solid 2.5 routine. Glad to see her doing well again. 13.833

Vanessa Ferrari - double layout. too low in full in to do the back tuck which she warmed up. double tuck. switch ring-switch full. front aerial. Ferrari leap. another leap but I don't understand how far around it was. double pike. steps oob. potentially 2 feet. 13.400

Pauline Schäfer - handspring double front. double tuck. large step back. ring leap-switch ring. triple I think. Front layout full. another leap. Double pike. Step forward. Christine said a bit static and I agree. She has such beautiful lines but a lot of her choreo is very slow especially for such fast paced music. 12.733 for 4th place at the moment.

Georgina Hockenhull - double arabian. 2.5 punch front. switch ring - split full. double tuck.  solid double turn. double pike. 13.266.

Jessica Lopez - whip triple. super solid. switch? full. double L turn. 2.5  with a hop but goes straight into choreo. solid switch ring and switch 1/2? double turn and full? haha I'm a mess clearly.  double pike. takes a step forward. solid. 13.266. seems low maybe? but i don't know Ds.

Ellie Black - 2.5 through to double twist. front full to double tuck. one foot OOB I think.  double twist to stag. Didn't seem to get off the ground enough? We'll see! 13.566

Larisa Iordache - it looked tucked - tuck full in. k. piked full in. triple? quad? split leap switch split full. solid triple. double Y hop back. solid double pike. LOVE <333333333



This Week In Training: Around the World

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edit by flipsandgrips16 on instagram

USA
Deanne Soza is recovering from her eye injury and is hard at work in the gym. Looks like she has most, if not all, of her skills back. Here she is working a double arabian that is beautiful.
A video posted by Deanne Soza (@deannesoza_2020) on


Morgan Hurd is working a 2.5 punch front full. This is her gym's instagram (fsgym) and has videos of her and a teammate, Cameron Machado, working some UB upgrades as well.
A video posted by First State Gymnastics (@fsgym) on

Maggie Nichols is coming back from her knee injury and shows her Chow (stalder Shaposhnikova variation) on uneven bars. She recently stated in a youtube video that her rehab is going well and that she's actually ahead of schedule. I wish her the best in her recovery.
A video posted by Maggie Nichols (@swaggiemaggie2016) on

Jazmyn Foberg and Laurie Hernandez recently committed to the University of Florida. Both won't graduate high school until after Rio so we have plenty of time to continue to enjoy their elite career. Here is Jazzy working a double double.
A video posted by Jazmyn Foberg (@jazmynfoberg) on


Italy
Sofia Busato stole my heart and the hearts of many at last years European Championship with her lovely floor exercise. Here she is working a triple. She is also one of the Italians with a DTY.
A video posted by Busy❤ (@sofia_busato) on

Carlotta Ferlito is slowly coming back from her slew of illnesses. She recently showed a full in on floor which she brought back for the first time since her junior days. She is also working a double layout. Things in Italy are getting intense and she will have to upgrade everywhere to guarantee an all around spot.


Erika Fasana is has recorded footage of her working a Ray (toe on straddled Tkatchev). IG: erika_fasana


France
Mira Boumejmajen has been working her Van Leeuwen and now shows how it will fit into her routine.


Laura Longueville also posted a video on bars but with the title "Remember." Not sure if she's injured but it's a nice combo - Ray; toe-on, toe-on full, to bail. IG: lauralongueville

Great Britain
Becky Downie is working a van Leeuwen. It might help her get rid of her pre-dismount clear hip half. You should also watch this video because it made me laugh (here)
Une vidéo publiée par bdownie92 (@bdownie92) le

Australia
Mary-Anne Monckton - if at first you don't succeed, try and try again. Monckton is still rehabbing after her peroneal tendon repair. She's been working some bars with the light boot and managed to learn a new skill. Here she is with her new Deltchev.


Netherlands/This Week in Bloopers
Chantysha Netteb is still on the mend after her ACL tear at 2013 Worlds. Although she's made an appearance at many vault event finals, she's a solid all arounder for the Dutch when at full health. Here she is working uneven bars and the shaposh craze. The first Van Leeuwen attempt didn't go so well though... Check her account for a bars combo and her also working a double double on the ropes.
A video posted by Chantysha Fahrelle Netteb (@chantyshanetteb) on


This Week in Training: Before the Holidays

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Simone Biles edit by jordynslefteyebrow
More christmas icons here


I keep forgetting to include this gymnast so I'm not forgetting this week! Margzetta Frazier of Parkettes is working a whip through to triple. You should also check her instagram for some pretty neat bars upgrades (stalder-pak-stalder-Chow here). IG: margzetta
A video posted by Margzetta Frazier (@margzetta) on

After her knee injury, Maggie Nichols is working hard on the uneven bars. She shows both a Chow (which I believe is new) and Maloney.
A video posted by Maggie Nichols (@swaggiemaggie2016) on


Simone Biles posted a video on instagram of her double twisting double layout, named after fellow American Cup competitor Victoria Moors. Simone has such ease with her tumbling and her double double is finished so high that it was only a matter of time until the Moors came to be. I am glad.


Youna Dufournet is working a new balance beam mount. She has chosen to work the round off - layout step out onto the beam. Very few gymnasts choose to do difficult mounts. Vasiliki Millousi competes this mount and Natsumi Sasada does round off - layout full onto the beam. Youna posted video afterwards of her Def!!! I'm amazed because it was in connection.


Marine Brevet's account is set to private but she is working a full twisting layout.

Nia Dennis' piked Tkatchev is back! Scratch that. Nia Dennis has a Church (toe on piked Tkatchev). The teammate of Gabby Douglas is hard at work.
A video posted by 💋Nia💋 (@niaadennis) on

2014 World Bronze Medalist on Vault, Mykayla Skinner continues to work bars and keep her name in the USA all around discussion. She shows a new section with Maloney (toe on Shaposhnikova) to Pak salto, and also a Van Leeuwen (toe on Shaposhnikova with 1/2 turn). That might just be her new beginning (not metaphorically, literally).

Giulia Steingruber posted video of her working a new skill - a Church (toe on piked Tkatchev). I'm curious to see where this will go as she currently has a Shushunova (full twisting Tkatchev) that lacks some height. Will she swap the two or make some new connection? This is from her facebook page where she also shows her bhs-layout.




In Italy, two stars are working different dance skills. Vanessa Ferrari is working a switch ring on the low beam. For some reason, I thought she already had one but I guess not. Enus Mariani, known for her dance and flexibility, is working a Mustafina on floor - the triple Y turn.


Looking Back: New Seniors of 2014

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Ashton Locklear and Coach Qi Han at the 2014 World Championships


It's always nice at this time of year to take a moment and reflect on this crazy sport and who managed to survive. On the list of New Seniors, there were quite a few seniors that were part of the conversation as juniors. They were toted as "the next big thing." Looking at European Championships, World Championships, and other competitions, it's interesting to note which gymnasts lived up to the hype and even some that flew under the radar.

Senior in 2014 (born in 1998)
Australia
Alexandra Eade
Brazil
Lorrane dos Santos
Mariana Oliviera
Canada
Heaven Latimer
Isabela Onyshko
Kirsten Peterman
Aleeza Yu
France
Claire Martin
Sarah Pais
Louise Vanhille
Italy
Enus Mariani
Netherlands
Eythora Thorsdottir
New Zealand
Charlotte Sullivan
Romania
Andreea Munteanu
Silvia Zarzu
Russia
Maria Kharenkova
Viktoria Kuzmina
Sweden
Emma Larsson
USA
Veronica (Nica) Hults
Amelia Hundley
Polina Shchennikova

Lived Up To The Hype
There were quite a few gymnasts who did really well.  Isabela Onyshko and Aleeza Yu competed at the World Championships while Kirsten Peterman competed at Pan American Championships and was named alternate to the World team. Onyshko did well qualifying to the all around final at the Commonwealth Games. Yu was on track to be one of Canada's all around gymnasts at World Championships but unfortunately suffered a knee injury in the first rotation.

I first became aware of Charlotte Sullivan at the 2012 Pacific Rim Championships where she made the beam final shortly after the Christchurch gym in New Zealand had been destroyed by an earthquake. Although a few other Kiwi gymnasts have come into the spotlight, Sullivan attended the Commonwealth Games where she placed 16th in the all around finals. She was a member of the 2014 World Championships team that placed 22nd and competed on all 4 events.

Of the 3 Frenchwomen, I'd have to say Claire Martin had the most successful senior debut. The French team was badly hurt (literally and figuratively) by injuries. The team was probably 2 injuries away from calling Isabelle Severino out of retirement. Claire Martin did well at European Championships where she placed 7th in the balance beam event final. At Worlds, she helped France to a 13th place finish and a team berth to the 2015 World Championships. She continues to show strength on balance beam and floor, where she really shines.

Romania had to deal with the untimely injury of Diana Bulimar and it was hard to rally around a team that had a big hole to fill. Of the new seniors, both Munteanu and Zarzu did an excellent job. Munteanu particularly scored a 15.2 on beam in TF that would have won the balance beam event finals. They're a young team and have room to grow hopefully only aided by the return of Bulimar.

Kharenkova... she's a bit of a mix of living up to the hype and falling apart in my eyes. Maybe it's because I was never a true fan so I apologize. Kharenkova was the 2014 European Balance Beam Champion beating out teammate Aliya Mustafina. Unfortunately, injury kept her from being 100% at the time of World Championships where she had a disastrous routine in qualifications. She redeemed herself in team finals, however.

The Swedish team is definitely one that is one the rise. Emma Larsson has done a superb job filling the holes where needed. She's a beautiful and lively floor worker with an exciting uneven bar routine as well. There are some countries where you just hope they qualify a team to the Olympics because you don't want to deal with picking only one athlete. Sweden is definitely one of those teams!

Unfortunate Injuries
The unfortunate injuries group actually covers the entirety of the US girls that are listed here. Polina Schennikova had an elbow injury that kept her out of Nationals. Amelia Hundley had surgery earlier in the year but she never seemed to return to Hundley-form. She was able to do the all around but with a 1.5TY. Nica Hults had injuries that kept her from competing in the all-around.

Heaven Latimer is probably one of the most hyped Canadian juniors now senior because of her lovely triple series on beam that ended with a layout full. Unfortunately, she had an injury that kept her out and she returned to Canadian Nationals only on uneven bars. Hopefully she can come back to form and aid her team.

Probably the 2 most heart-breaking injuries for the gymternet were those of Enus Mariani and Eythora Thorsdottir. Both had "back issues" - Enus to the point where she was off the National Team and everything about her injury was kept very quiet. However, they're both back now and that's what counts! Italy is doing really well so Enus will need to add some difficulty but a strong all arounder, especially one who thrives on uneven bars, could only help Italy. The Dutch team has a tight group of girls but Eythora's prowess on beam and floor are sure to help. She is also a solid all arounder but those 2 events are where she stands out.

Under the Radar
Alyssa Baumann and Ashton Locklear were not on my list to say the least. Locklear had been attending camps but I guess I always brushed it off. I was wrong. I think after Bross, Ohashi, and Kocian being injured, I was very skeptical of WOGA which clearly I should not have been as they had two girls on the Worlds team (Baumann and Madison Kocian). Baumann was crucial to the USA on balance beam, where they showed a relative weakness in terms of depth compared to previous years. Baumann secured her spot as the lead off on balance beam in team finals with her 6.0D. Her qualifications score was enough for 14th place in the event.

Early on in the US domestic season, it became aware Locklear would be on the team for her uneven bar skill level and impeccable execution. Her legs go for miles and she's also managed to optimize the code with connections that, even when missed, still give her above a 6.0 difficulty. She finished the World Championships competing three solid uneven bar routines. Her effort in the event finals left her in 4th place. We've already seen video of her working a Ricna. I''m sure her uneven bars will only continue to improve and hopefully she's healthy enough to add back the other events.

You can find the list of New Seniors for 2015 and 2016 here. 2017 will start to be added this year.

What were your impressions of the 1998 group - the new seniors of 2014?

Looking Back: Interviews of 2014

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Photo Credit: USA Gymnastics

2014 was a busy year but I still managed a few interviews that I was very excited about doing. Hope you enjoy/enjoyed them!

Author Interview: Julie Cross Part 1 and Part 2 - I had the opportunity to interview Julie Cross, the author of a great coming of age story of a gymnast entitled Letters to Nowhere. The book was amazing and Cross had great insight into the world of elite gymnastics having been to the Ranch a few times as a coach. I would strongly recommend her books. They're labelled as "young adult" and everyone I know has loved it, including World Champion Simone Biles!

Kirsten Beckett (RSA): Hungry for More - Kirsten is someone that I started to follow closely after Doha 2013, when she won me over with her lovely floor exercise. She continues to be a staple in South African gymnastics, having made every event final at the Commonwealth Games.

Brenna Dowell: I Moved On Part 1 and Part 2 - This interview was done early in 2014, prior to the 2014 world selections. She talks about how she felt after being named to the 2013 Worlds team and then being delegated alternate. Since then, she's ready to start her collegiate career at Oklahoma but has not ruled out a return to elite gymnastics.

Spotlight on Thema Williams (TTO) - Thema Williams is a star for Trinidad and Tobago gymnastics. She was the first gymnast to compete a Tkatchev in her country. She attended Worlds 2011 and has even been to the Karolyi Ranch a few times. At the time of this interview, she was training at Geddert's Twistars and has since decided to stay longer, hoping to continue improving her skill set and achieve her goals.

Thank you for all these interviews and I hope to do more in the future!

Nansy Damianova: I Would Do It All Over Again

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Nansy Damianova in one of her favorite Utah leotards
Photo Credit: Gym Shark Photo


Canadian gymnast Nansy Damianova just finished her four year gymnastics experience at the University of Utah. Born in France to Bulgarian parents, Damianova moved to Montreal, Canada at just 4 months old. Both of her parents were on the Bulgarian National Team for different sports - her mother in rowing and her father in taekwondo. They decided to enroll their daughter in gymnastics, hoping to find a safer option for the toddler who loved jumping on their bed.

Damianova's earliest memories of wanting to pursue elite gymnastics and possibly compete at the Olympics started after watching the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. "There were 2 girls from my club Gymnix, Julie Beaulieu and Emilie Fournier, that competed there and I was able to watch them on TV. [I] remember watching Khorkina." Damianova recalls another teammate, Amelie Plante, that competed in Athens 2004. "I just remember from that moment watching them and I really wanted to be like them and go to the Olympics and be on TV one day and that [lit] the fire. I didn’t know I had the potential but that moment definitely made me want to strive towards that. I guess once I made it to the National Team and I realized I'm getting slowly better, I think I can have the chance to eventually have my dream come true."

In 2007, Damianova helped Team Canada to a 14th place finish at the World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany. She contributed on both vault and floor exercise. Her dream did come true as Damianova was selected to represent Canada at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. "That year was just a crazy year. We had so many competitions. We traveled a lot just to qualify for the Olympics." And qualify to the Olympics, she did. Damianova competed in the all around in qualifications where she finished 38th and was 4th reserve to the all-around final.

"My coaches back home, they had a few Olympians go from our club to the Olympics. They just told me you have 4 minutes out there once you compete. No matter what happens, just enjoy every moment there because you've worked your whole life for 4 minutes pretty much. Definitely competing on floor, being there with my leotard having the Olympic rings on one side and the Canadian flag on the other one. The moment I really realized I was at the Olympics was the Closing Ceremony because I've watched it so many times on TV. Just being in the middle of the crowd, that was really breathtaking. I just remember everything like it was almost yesterday."

Damianova continued to compete elite in 2009 but things did not go as planned. "It’s just that after the Olympics, just going there was my biggest goal and suddenly when I came back home, I didn't have another goal and the Olympics were in another four years. It was such a fun event. So much hype. So much energy that when I went back to my old gym I didn't feel the same. I missed that energy. It was hard to train. I gained weight a little too after the Olympics so that changed all my movement, my technique. I realized that I didn't have energy to train as much. Things weren't really going as I was hoping. I was hoping to, right after 2009, go for World Cups and continue on with the National competitions but I got injured a little bit, my shoulder. It was time for me to try something new."

Different collegiate coaches had been in contact with Damianova's coach but her focus had always been on her elite career and making it to the Olympics. It wasn't until her post-Olympic experience that Damianova decided to look into NCAA gymnastics. "I wasn't ready to quit gymnastics because I loved it so much. I thought I needed something new so I contacted Utah in 2010, at the beginning of the year, asking them if they still had a spot available for me for that year and they said yes. I went to visit. I knew Gael Mackie so I was able to get a lot of reference from her just telling me how things are going there, [about] her experience. So, when I came to visit [Utah] I felt good about it. I saw myself training with the team. I liked the coaches. I liked the environment. So I didn't even bother looking at other schools after that because I just thought it was a good feel for me."

Nansy Damianova after receiving her Perfect 10 (in her other favorite Utah leo)

Nansy Damianova went on to have a successful NCAA career. During her freshman season, she scored season highs of 9.9 on vault and floor and was also the Regional Champion on those two events. As a sophomore, she scored a season high 9.925 on floor and was the Pac-12 runner up on floor exercise. In her junior year, Damianova scored a season high of 9.925 on not only floor exercise but also the uneven bars. She also qualified to the NCAA event finals for bars and floor where she placed 9th and 8th respectively. As a senior, Damianova had an excellent season. She helped her team to win their first Pac-12 Championship and was the Pac-12 floor champion. One of the biggest highlights of Damianova's final year competing as a Ute was her perfect 10 on floor exercise. You can watch clips of that routine and meet here.

"Greg [Marsden] kept telling us our senior night is not going to be perfect, it’s not going to be a fairy tale and that was true because vault went fine and then bars I made a mistake. Greg just reminded me to have fun on floor because he knows that whenever I try too hard, I end up not doing as well as I could. He came and talked to me before and at that point, in my head, I was like 'Well, it’s my last time at home. My family’s here. My coaches from home came to visit. So just have fun.' I ended up being in the right mindset… I ended the way I really wanted to end. I had tears at the end because it was the last time and I was just really happy that the team won and that I finally got a 10 which was something I've always wanted in my career."

Throughout both her elite and collegiate career, Damianova has often been praised for her artistry and presence. She mentions her ballet training as a major source of her elegance. "When I was much younger, my mom involved me in ballet for 2 or 3 years. She just knew that it was a good thing because she knew European gymnasts back home did a lot of ballet and had good posture, and being more elegant when you dance. I think all of it helps [a gymnast] become more graceful... The lady that choreographed my routines for the Olympics taught me how to interact with the crowd and look at the judges and not just dance and look at the floor. She works for Cirque du Soleil but she was also a coach in my club before. She definitely taught me how to move differently."

Currently, Damianova is at Utah doing an internship with the marketing department which she enjoys as it keeps her actively involved in sports. "Whatever marketing promotions we have for sports, I’m helping out with that – for example, choosing pictures for our gymnastics posters. I’m finishing up school and I’ll be graduating in May and I’ll have to figure out what I do afterwards but, for now, I go to gym pretty much every week. I go jump on the trampoline and things like that. I try to keep my gymnastics shape to an extent because I’m considering trying out for Cirque du Soleil either next year or the following year after."

Since Damianova has been around the gym, she's had some time to see the new freshman and how they fit into the 2014-2015 Utah team. "I met the new freshman and I think they look classic, they look amazing. They're all healthy and that’s really fun to have. I think that they're going to replace the 4 seniors that left really well. I think they have as good of a chance as we’ve had to win another Pac 12 and be very competitive."

When asked what she'll remember most of her career at Utah, Damianova mentions four things: winning Pac-12s, building bonds with her teammates for the last 4 years, performing at home in the Hunstman arena, and her Perfect 10 on floor. "I had a great experience at The U and it’s definitely one of the best decisions I've made. Just coming there, I was a little worried because, you know, I was never away from home for more than a couple of weeks but the fans are so so nice and appreciative of us that it really made me feel like I was at home when I was here. That really helped a lot. I definitely thank all of our fans because most of the memories that I have are because of them too."

"The coaches – just having to deal with me [laughs] because I was pretty hard headed towards the beginning, so just being really patient with me. And I have a really great relationship with them right now. So I’m just happy about the whole experience and really thank them for making me a part of it and giving me a scholarship. It’s definitely something, if I could relive it again, I would. Before leaving for summer back home, I had that dream where NCAA rules changed and you had a fifth year and I told Greg [laughs] and he was just laughing because he knows that I love it, I had a great time. If I could go back, I would do it all over again because it was so much fun."

Thank you, Nansy, so much for the interview and we wish you the best of luck in the future!

Simone Biles Ready for 2015

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The latest update with Simone Biles shows some exciting upgrades. The most surprising one is the "Mustafina" uneven bar dismount or a 1.5 twisting double tuck dismount. Biles also shows a new wolf jump - front tuck combo on beam along with a front tuck half on the low beam. The piked Tkatchev-Pak has returned and she hopes to compete the Cheng this season.



Her floor exercise currently consists of a double double tuck/Silivas (H), double layout half out/Biles (G), double layout (F), and full twisting double tuck (E). Assuming her dance stays the same at D, D, D, B that totals - 1.4. Her tumbling currently totals to 2.6 with the additional 2.5 for composition requirement gets her current D score of 6.5. I used this video for her D score (x).

Biles' possible new floor passes include a Moors/double double layout (I) and a Chusovitina/double layout full out (H). If she truly maximizes her D score, she would keep the Silivas and Biles and replace the DLO and full in with the Moors and Chusovitina. The order could possibly be Moors (I), Chusovitina (H), Biles (G), and Silivas (H). Although I can't reasonably come up with an order when all your passes are G-level or higher. That totals her tumbling to 3.2, same dance at 1.4 and composition requirement of 2.5 for a total of 7.1. Can I not do math because this is insane?


Adult Gymnastics: Dare to Dream

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One of my hopes for the blog in the new year is to bring my adult gymnastics experiences to you.I don't know where I'll be after graduation and there's a very real possibility that I won't have the time to attend or won't have a class nearby. So, I made a goal of having a floor exercise by the end of the school year. Operation back handspring has gone on for far too long! We'll see what happens.

Great Britain has done an excellent job of advertising gymnastics to all ages and all disciplines. You can find very inspiring videos on their Discover Gymnastics page. Here is the video that was made for adult gymnastics.

Bonus video with Tumble winner Bobby Lockwood

Gymnastics Victoria, one of the Australian gyms, shared this video of their adult gymnastics class.

Wesley Lions Adult Gymnastics from Gabriel CHER on Vimeo.


As someone who started after my teenage years, I can tell you gymnastics is indeed for everyone! The people in my class range from high school kids who want to learn a back flip to parents in their 40s and 50s who want to see what their child is experiencing. Our experience range is all over the place too from people who are learning cartwheels to people relearning double backs. It's fun and you should try it too :)

The Gym Max Family

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Kyla Ross and Felicia Hano
edit by vmkedits

I had the opportunity to visit Gym Max Gymnastics in California. The gym, owned by Howie Liang and 2014 US World Team Coach Jenny Zhang, is the home of Kyla Ross - 2012 Olympic and 2014 World Team Champion and 2014 World All Around Bronze Medalist. The Gym Max family continues to grow as National Team member Felicia Hano and cheerleader turned artistic gymnast Laney Madsen joined the top group.

Gym Max is an amazing enterprise and the gym was full of students ranging from the littlest level 3s to the elite girls, all practicing at the same time, all getting to experience world class coaching. The attention to detail was intense even for the youngest girls - there were pointed toes everywhere and Howie came by to correct the positioning of the younger girls as they lined up for their assignments. 
The camaraderie was easily evident amongst the level 10/elite training group and the "friendly competition" was also a clear motivator. Both Kyla and Felicia were very supportive of each other throughout all of practice.

When I got there, the girls had already started practice and completed floor and were working their way through their beam workout. From what I saw, their elite routines at the moment look about the same with Kyla's routine being slightly adjusted to protect her back. The two girls were very calm and worked very diligently. Laney was also in this group and was a fearless little firecracker. She worked her back handspring - tuck full and if she fell, she jumped right back on the beam quickly and tried again. The girls worked dismounts too and I noticed what incredible height Kyla gets on her double tuck. [Also, even from where I was, Kyla's switch ring is amazing.]

Felicia and Kyla then went to the rod floor with a pit at the end. Kyla worked some upgraded and new dance elements. They still seem pretty new as the rotation wasn't complete or she fell out of them early but I'm sure she'll master them in time. Felicia was working 2.5s and triple twists onto a mat. The 2.5s looked really good so I wouldn't be surprised to see that or the triple in her routine. The high beams, bars, and vaults were on the far end of the gym. Felicia and Kyla came over to where I was to work on the low beams to work front tuck half. This was definitely where the friendly competition came into play. You could tell, "Congratulations, you stood yours up! I better get mine too!" Each turn, the girls were pushing themselves to do better than the previous attempt.

Then the girls went to bars (again on the far side of the gym) with Howie. I haven't seen Felicia compete bars since 2013 so I was very curious to see what she had been working on. Turns out to be very interesting! She's working a Ray (toe-on straddled Tkatchev) to Pak and the connection was very solid. She lost some form on the Pak so kept reworking those. Kyla's continuing to work her toe-on skills as the in bar stalders are hard on her back. I saw a lot of the skills we know but she's clearly reworking the routine. For example, the toe 1/1 was on the low bar connected to Maloney to pak. The van Leeuwen followed but is not yet connected. She's hoping to incorporate a new skill this year - a full twisting Pak salto! That wasn't in the routine yet as Kyla and Howie are working really hard to get the technique right so it won't hurt her back. It looks amazing though!

Jenny had a moment to sit down with me as her group had a quick water break and warm up session. Jenny is such a sweet and lovely (and hilarious) woman! She mentioned how proud she was of Kyla to be able to keep her focus during the 2014 World Championship all around final and not compare herself to the other athletes. It was that focus and determination that put her on the podium. We spoke about Felicia who is such a positive force in the gym and how she's come back from injury to become such a strong all around gymnast.

I didn't get to interview Laney because Laney's still very young and new to the sport. She's a 2001 baby (turning 14 this year) who only recently made the switch from cheerleading to artistic gymnastics. She has such a passion for the sport and did have some basics from cheerleading but a lot of the little things had to be fixed - proper hurdle technique, learning how to walk on the beam, etc. On bars, she had to start from scratch with the level 3s. Only time will tell how Laney will do in the future but she's clearly very excited about the sport.  

Lastly, the girls went to vault to finish up practice. I was amazed at how quickly they worked up to solid double twisting Yurchenkos. Both girls have stuck their vaults in competition and it's apparent how proficient they are.


Photo Credit: Christy Ann Linder

KYLA ROSS
... on 2014
I think 2014 went pretty well. I know that the beginning of the year was pretty hard because I was coming back from a back injury but I pushed through that and I was happy to be able to compete at the Jesolo meet and do well. Coming into P&G Championships, I know that I didn't have that high of a start value but I just wanted to come out and do my best. I know that the first day went pretty rough in that competition but I was glad that I came back strong and finished well. Going into Worlds camp, I'd been training really good so I felt confident going into that. Then, unfortunately a little bit right before we headed out to China, I hurt my hamstring and that was something I really had to push through throughout the whole training coming up to World Championships. We had really good trainers that were helping me throughout the way so I was able to compete all 4 events in team which is a pretty big deal and a lot of pressure but I was able to handle it and I think that went well. I was really happy to come up with the bronze in the all around. I know I really wasn't expecting much because I had lower start values than the year before but I just persevered through the whole meet and came up with that so I was really happy. Coming back from Worlds, I've been training a little bit of new skills and just trying to clean up and get stronger on all the events.

... on injuries
I'm doing pretty good. I know right after Worlds, my back was a little bit stiff since I was working some new skills on bars and it's a lot better. I've been able to keep working and just trying to improve all my start values. My hip got a lot better right when I rested it a few weeks after Worlds. That healed up really quick.

... on her proudest moment
Of course I'm going to say the Olympics because that was a huge deal and something I really worked for all my life. That feels like forever ago so definitely winning team at Worlds last year was a pretty big deal because that was only the second team since London. That was my first World team so that was a really special moment too. Especially to be out there with a lot of the new girls - it was their first time - and seeing their reaction and how proud they were. That was a really special moment.

... comparing Worlds 2013 and 2014
I think Worlds 2013, that one went pretty good because my start values were a little bit higher so I knew that I was a little bit more of a contender for the medals. They both went pretty well and I was able to come back pretty strong. Last year, on beam finals I was a little disappointed. Hopefully I can work on that and give that a shot next year.

... on going into the Worlds 2014 AA EF in 5th
Yeah, I did think about it. I knew that I didn't have a strong chance for being part of the medal count but I knew that I just had to focus on myself and just really do my best and I was able to just hit all of my routines as best as I can. I know I really didn't focus on anyone else because that's really what can distract you from your goals.

... on goals for 2015
I think one of my biggest goals is really to improve my start value on bars. I've been working a lot on that. That's really one of my strongest events so I want to try and push that as hard as I can. I know i've been working to get my whip double arabian to back on floor so that's something I've been really anxious about. Vault I'm pretty much gonna keep my double but I know... maybe I'll do 2.5 in the future [laughs] but not really right now. Beam I'm working front tuck 1/2 but it's kinda far away. That's pretty much what I've been working towards this year. I haven't been working it recently but hopefully if I can get my double full stronger maybe I'll train it in the future. Oh I haven't worked [side aerial - layout stepout on beam] in a while. Consistency wise, it was really risky and Martha wants me to really help the team so she didn't really like that series.

... on college
This year has been a lot of pressure because everyone's like "Oh my gosh, she still hasn't committed anywhere" and it's been on my mind a lot especially after Worlds. I went on a college visit to UCLA and then a college visit to Stanford. Those are really my top 2 picks. After seeing both ... I think I'm more leaning towards Stanford. I love the campus there and I love the team and the coaches. But I mean I also love Miss Val cuz I've known her forever but I don't fit in as much there. But I didn't apply this year so that's why nothing's official. I'm deferring next year for 2016 but I'm also not applying til next November. Hopefully, I'll get in next year [laughs].

... on 2016
That really has been what I've been working for all these years after 2012 and I'm really going to push myself that year, especially being able to not have any more school. To be able to be done with that, I'm really going to put 110% into my gymnastics and gear up for the 2016 season.

... on team dynamics now with Felicia and Laney
Yeah! [laughs and her face lights up with a smile] It's been a lot of fun being able to go to camp and have Laney and Felicia there with me and it's also helped here in the gym push me more and sort of take me even farther. So I think that's really good to have a little bit of competitiveness at home so everyday you're just pushing your best. So that's been fun. Also, to be able to sort of lead them and show them how elite senior really is and help them is really fun too.

... how would you describe yourself
I think I'd describe myself as really ... I'm really a perfectionist and also very determined. I know I'm not very showy and stuff but I like to ... I more express myself through my gymnastics.

... favorite event
Bars. I do like doing floor. I can't wait! I'm getting a new floor routine in a few months. Dominic [Zito] is searching for music and I'm so anxious. He told me he found music but he still hasn't shown me yet so I'm so anxious [laughs].

... to her fans
Thank you for always supporting me!


Photo Credit: Christy Ann Linder

FELICIA HANO
... on starting gymnastics
I saw it one day on TV and I told my mom that's what I wanted to do and she enrolled me in some classes.

... on picking between trampoline and artistic [Felicia Hano trained both trampoline and artistic gymnastics for some time]
I stopped TnT in 2009 after World Age Groups and then I've focused on artistic only after that. I really like trampoline and tumbling but I knew there's only so far you can go and you couldn't get a college scholarship. That's really what I wanted and artistic could give me that. I definitely miss seeing everybody cuz I've known them since I was really little and I also miss tumbling because I really liked tumbling a lot. That's what I probably miss the most.

... on switching to Gym Max
I knew that Howie and Jenny could take me where I wanted to go in elite and that they could help me reach my goal of making the National Team.

... on her favorite thing about Gym Max
Definitely the atmosphere. Everything is so upbeat and so light. I work better in that environment where the energy is so high.

... on 2014
I would deem 2014 as a great year. I mean, it was probably my most successful year in gymnastics, making the National Team and then making the Pan Am Championship team. That was just really amazing. [laughs]

... on Pan Ams 2014
It was up to the last second, like we didn't know who was going to be alternate but I'm kind of glad that I was alternate just so I could see how an international competition goes. It was a really great experience and I had a lot of fun.

... on her proudest moment
Definitely making the National Team. I've always wanted to make National Team so it was really great.

... on 2013 UB [During Day 2 of 2013 Nationals, Felicia fell off the UB on a toe on skill and had a concussion. In 2014, she competed UB at the American Classic at the Ranch but not at Secret Classic or P&G Championships]
Yeah, was not expecting that. Right before, about a week before Nationals in 2013, I was doing a front tuck on beam and I landed [wrong] and I had to get stitches. So I competed at nationals with stitches in my foot and I had my foot heavily taped and I just wasn't used to it on bars and they just slipped. I was a little bit cautious going back into the gym but I knew I had to get over that to push forward and hopefully do bars soon. My bars have definitely improved.

... on a 2nd vault [Felicia was working a Kasamatsu]
I'm still training them but right now my main focus is trying to get 2.5 consistent but it's definitely in the works.

... on picking UCLA Bruins for college
I just really loved UCLA and I love Miss Val and the team and the location is pretty nice too. So that was definitely a big factor but I just love everything about it. It feels like home, a second home.

... on her favorite event
My favorite event is vault. Floor is definitely the closest to vault for favorite, they're up there, since it's more similar to tumbling.

... on her goals for 2015 and the future
My goals for this year would be to make National Team again and get more international assignments and more experience. Rio is definitely at the back of my mind. If it happens, that'd be great and if it doesn't, I'm just really grateful for this whole experience as an elite gymnast.

... to her fans
After Nationals, I was so overwhelmed with all the support and I just feel so grateful for everything.

... upgrades for 2015
I was working whip double layout on floor but I've been upgrading a lot. My floor, I have some new things, 3 new passes that I've never competed before. Beam is probably the same, maybe one or two upgrades. Bars, just competing bars is an upgrade! [laughs] Maybe not within the next 2 or 3 months [on competing the Amanar] but hopefully by Championships.


Thank you so much Kyla, Felicia, Denise, Lenny, and Jenny! I had an amazing time at Gym Max and wish all the athletes the best of luck in the future!

Team GB Appreciation: Max Whitlock and Sam Oldham

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Max Whitlock and Sam Oldham celebrate as they realize they will receive a team Olympic medal
Photo Credit: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images Europe

Arguably the biggest star of British Gymnastics this year was 2014 World Championship All Around Silver Medalist Max Whitlock. Whitlock was a member of the history making GB Olympic team that won bronze, the first team medal for the men since 1912. He further made history when he joined teammate Louis Smith on the podium for pommel horse where he earned the bronze medal. At the 2013 World Championships, he placed 4th in the all around. Success continued in 2014 at the Commonwealth Games where Whitlock brought home 5 medals, 3 of them gold. At the 2014 World Championships, errors led him to 14th place in the all-around in qualifications, behind 2 British teammates. Due to an injury, Niles Wilson withdrew from the all around qualification allowing Whitlock to compete. And he did just that. Whitlock earned the silver medal to gymnastics great Kohei Uchimara with the closest margin to Uchimura since his World and Olympic reign began.

Whitlock gives thanks to his fans in the video below - a recap of the whirlwind that was Max Whitlock's 2014.

Sam Oldham was also a member of Team GB's historic 2012 Olympic Team. At the 2014 European Championships, Oldham helped Team GB to a silver medal in the team competition. Individually, he earned the silver medal on high bar. Things were looking up for Oldham as he headed to the Commonwealth Games with Whitlock and other GB teammates. Unfortunately, he had a severe ankle injury that kept him out of that competition and took him out of contention for the World Championship team. Oldham has been persistent with his rehab and is now back working the leg events - vault and floor. His rings have improved drastically and he contnues to show upgrades on his instagram.

Oldham made a video to say thank you to his fans and coaches. There are quite a few upgrades in there including a triple tuck on floor and as a dismount off rings and high bar (one of them even seems to be a full in).


Follow Max Whitlock: @maxwhitlock1|| IG: maxwhitlock
Follow Sam Oldham: @Oldham93 || IG: oldham93

This Week in Training: No Rest for the Weary

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My last post was before the holidays and I thought we wouldn't see much immediately after and boy was I wrong!! These aren't in any particular order...

Asuka Teramoto is working double doubles - both on floor and as an uneven bars dismount!
A video posted by TERAMOTO Asuka (@teramoto_asuka) on
Farah Ann Abdul Hadi is working a double twisting Yurchenko! It's onto a mat in the pit at the moment but it's a work in progress (as are all of these upgrades).

Noel van Klaveren is working a bhs-tuck full on beam and it looks really solid!


Jazmyn Foberg is showing a FTDLO onto a soft surface.



Ana Filipa Martins of Portugal is working a Bhardwaj! Martins won Portugal's first WAG medal at the Anadia World Cup in Portugal on floor exercise. At Worlds, she was Purtuga's first ever women's gymnast to make the all around event final. Things are looking exciting for her and her country! If you go through her IG, she's also working a toe-on shaposh in the very early stages (IG: filipa_gym)
A video posted by Filipa Martins 💎 (@filipa_gym) on


Laney Madsen is the 14 year old from Gym-Max who made the change from cheerleading within the last 2 years and is already competing Level 10. She still has some things to clean up but she's an exciting little gymnast to watch! Madsen was just recently at the National Team Camp at the Ranch with her teammates Kyla Ross and Felicia Hano. I'm not sure if we'll get video on her but here's a video she made of some of her routines and upgrades she's working on.


Deanne Soza made a name for herself during her performance at 2014 US Secret Classic. Unfortunately, after P&G Championships, she contracted an eye infection that nearly left her blind. She has since recovered/is recovering and is back to doing her beautiful gymnastics! Here is a bit of her story along with some upgrades. She was also at the recent camp so maybe we'll see some videos from her as well.


Erika Fasana cntinues to work her full twisting double layout. She'll be competing at the American Cup so maybe we'll see it in competition if it's ready!


Morgan Hurd and her gym (IG: fsgym) post quite a few updates! Check out this one of her impeccable form on bars with in bar stalder combinations to a Tkatchev.

A video posted by Morgan Hurd (@morgihurd) on


Next time this is posted, it might be with some camp videos!

Elite Canada 2015

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Shallon Olsen (left) and Rse-Kaying Woo (right)
Photo belongs to Shallon Olsen


The first meet of the Canadian elite season has just wrapped up. Elite Canada had some surprises with a few returns and the addition of a few Rio-eligible juniors to senior ranks. Canadian women's national team direction Dave Brubaker said, "I asked all of the athletes eligible for the next Olympic Games to become seniors this year because they need the experience. It’s certainly nice to know we've got more girls coming into the mix."

Rose-Kaying Woo is one of the juniors asked to join the senior ranks early and she ended up winning the competition over 2014 World Team and Commonwealth Games Team member Isabela Onyshko. Shallon Olsen was the other junior asked to move up early. She first made a splash as a 12 year old with a very impressive double twisting Yurchenko. She finished the all around competition in 6th but went on to win the vault event final and earn the bronze medal on the floor final. Youth Olympic Games competitor Sydney Townsend made her senior debut and finished tied for 4th place in the all around.

Athletes returning to competition was a highlight of the meet. Victoria Moors, who abruptly left the 2014 Commonwealth Games came back to competition on vault and floor. Ella Douglas is back from multiple injuries and rehabilitation on the uneven bars. Sabrina Gill, who recently committed to Oregon State University, was back on the uneven bars and ended up winning the event final with a 5.9D/14.250 routine.



Missing from the competition were World Team members Aleeza Yu and Jordyn Pedersen who are both recovering from injuries. Ellie Black compete on just the balance beam which she won in the event finals with a 6.4D. Victoria-Kayen Woo, older sister to the all around champion, was also present and went into the uneven bar finals in first but had some mistakes that left her off the podium. Maegan Chant was also present but did not have a strong competition.



All Around
1. Rose-Kaying Woo ('00)54.800
2. Isabela Onyshko53.650
3. Audrey Rousseau52.650
Uneven Bars
1. Sabrina Gill14.250
2. Émilie Dumont13.750
3. Audrey Rousseau13.450
Balance Beam
1. Ellie Black14.950
2. Rose-Kaying Woo ('00)14.500
3. Isabela Onyshko14.300
Floor Exercise
1. Hélody Cyrenne13.850
2. Sydney Soloski13.800
3. Shallon Olsen ('00)13.350

Only single vault scores were listed with the order as Shallon Olsen ('00), Maegen Chant, and Hélody Cyrenne.

Full results can be found on gym-score-depot.
Additional video is available on Gymnastics Canada YT channel - currently has Ellie Black BB and Hélody Cyrenne FX, Sydney Townsend FX AA.

This Week In Training: Thrill of the Skill

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Cintia Rodriguez (ESP)


This week is full of twists! New skills with twists. Upgrades with twists. Kohei being Kohei and being insane with twists. Enjoy :)

NEW SKILL ALERT
Spain's Cintia Rodriguez is recovering from knee surgery but that has not stopped her! She posted a video of her working a new skill on the uneven bars - a stalder shoot to high with a full twist! We're seeing a lot more Bhardwaj's and we know about the Seitz but we haven't seen extra twists added to the "conventional" shoot to high. Could be interesting if she gets to compete it!

Agnes Suto, the Hungarian gymnast who competes for Iceland has just moved to Finland. She is still training in the gym and working new skills. She links to a video of her working a Bhardwaj on her tumblr.


Mary-Anne "Mez" Monckton of Australia is still on the mend after her peroneal tendon repair surgery. Her boot was just removed and she continues to post videos of her rehab and training. Below is a video of her training exercises now that she can walk again. One of the great things about Mez's videos are the workouts that we couch gymnasts can do! My favorite video for exercise ideas was her med ball video that you can find here. Make sure to subscribe to her channel!


Varvara Zubova is a young Russian gymnast starting to make a splash on the gymternet. A lot of people love her opening floor choreo that you can find here. On instagram, there is video of her training a layout Gienger.
A video posted by варя (@varvara_gym) on

Dorina Boczogo says she is just playing around as she debuts a new Podkopayeva (double front tuck half out).
A video posted by Boczogo Dorina (@dorinaboczogo) on


An ankle injury kept Great Britain Olympian Lisa Mason out of contention for the Commonwealth Games. But nothing stops her! She continues to train high level skills. Make sure to follow her on instagram! Here she is showing a triple twist dismount off beam. - looks like it was taken down but it was a triple in the very early stages.


Shilese Jones is a young US gymnast who recently moved to Buckeye Gymnastics - home of Nia Dennis and Gabby Douglas. After the recent move, she is already posting video of her new skill - a Pak salto.
A video posted by Shilese Jones (@shicanfly) on


Gymnastics great Oksana Chusovitina is in training with her coach, who is also great, Svetlana Boginskaya. Chusovitina is working a new front pike mount onto beam. Boginskaya also posted video of Chuso doing a front pike on beam with weights (I assume) to work on height of the skill.
A video posted by SvetlanaBoguinskaia (@svetlanaboguinskaia) on


Chantysha Netteb has been out for over a year recovering from an ACL injury. Hopefully this is the year we'll see her back in competition. Known for her vaulting ability, Netteb was a strong all arounder for the Netherlands. Here she is on uneven bars working a Shaposhnikova to Pak and Maloney (toe on shaposh 1/2) to bail to handstand.
A video posted by Chantysha Fahrelle Netteb (@chantyshanetteb) on


Celine van Gerner has really impressed me with her comeback. She achieved her goal of making it to the Olympics in 2012 but she is back to help the Netherlands qualify a team to the Olympics. She was back strong in 2014 making the Worlds team and she's still working hard. Here she is showing a new full twisting double layout.


MAG
USA's Alex Naddour, best known for his pommel horse work, is upgrading his vault to a Tsuk double pike. IG: alex_naddour

Alexander Shatilov of Israel is upgrading his high bar showing a Walstrom - a full twisting Yamawaki. IG: alexander_shatilov

Edgar Boulet has created a training montage of the French men in training. It's a short video but it features a few of the French gymnasts and there might be more videos to come.

There has also been video of Kohei Uchimura training a QUADRUPLE twisting double tuck. It looks like a full in triple out but you'll have to help me. link



Related Posts
Last "This Week in Training" - No Rest for the Weary
You can also search this season's training upgrades by using the "upgrades" tag

What do you think of the new skill?

International Ramblings: Ponor and Yao

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There have been quite a few pieces of big news around the gymternet.

Catalina Ponor might return - and maybe Izbasa too!
Things were concerning for Romanian gymnastics last year, most notably when they lost a pre-Worlds Friendly Team competition to Germany. It became apparent that the 6-5-4 setup for qualifications could hurt the team and sure enough, it did. Romania finished qualifications in 7th place putting up only 4 gymnasts on vault and uneven bars and having to count a not-so-perfect 10 on the uneven bars. Team finals went much better, relatively speaking. Romania was leading Russia going into the final rotation, however, Russia was headed to vault and Romania was headed to the balance beam. The final score was 171.462 to 170.963 landing Romania in 4th place and off the medal podium. A fall by Stefania Stanila led her to tears when she saw the results.

"I'm sorry.""We'll just try harder next year."

 Romania does have quite a few juniors coming up - Laura Jurca was the 2014 Youth Olympic Games competitor and Andreea Iridon may help save some balance beam and uneven bar troubles. There are also quite a few gymnasts who will turn senior in the Olympic year. However, the situation at the moment is dire. Romania had exactly 7 uninjured senior gymnasts to take to Worlds - enough for a team and 1 alternate. Diana Bulimar was injured so that affected the team lineup and left a large portion of the work on Larisa Iordache's shoulders, which she handled excellently.

The return of Catalina Ponor (and potentially Sandra Izbasa) is exciting from a medal perspective. They have both done the "comeback thing" once and can do it again. Both also have personal unfinished business. Both Olympic Champions that were unable to defend the title they most wanted - Ponor on beam (and floor really as 2nd place is never easy) and Izbasa on floor.

Izbasa is perhaps the most interesting to me. Her 2013 comeback seemed purely about that floor exercise medal. Unfortunately, she fell on the exact same pass she fell on in the 2012 floor exercise final. Will she come back again to change the story the 3rd time around?

Ponor, after an extended hiatus, was able to make a balance beam event finals at the World Championships in the year of her comeback and was able to make floor and beam event finals at the Olympics. I can't help but imagine what kind of force Ponor is in the gym - older than the new seniors enough to serve as an older sister mentor but also focused and determined enough to reach her own goals and help carry the team to theirs. In my eye, she was always very supportive of her teammates while constantly pushing herself to be better at the same time.

In my opinion, having Ponor (and potentially Izbasa) back is a good thing. Rather, it can be a good thing. Elite athletes have an intense focus and drive. In theory, these gymnasts should be motivated rather than discouraged by the addition of another gymnast to compete against. Another gymnast to force them to do and be better. I look at Stefania Stanila who was in tears after essentially blaming Romania's 4th place finish on herself. We will work harder. She must work harder. She joined Iordache as Romania's 2nd all arounder in the event final and did reasonably well. Hopefully that will motivate her to push harder. To not be the one at fault in the future. To make herself desirable and trusted in the lineup. I hope that having someone like Ponor who has had success but also heartbreak can be a reminder that it is possible because Ponor has shown that it can be done, not once but twice.

Maybe third time's the charm and she'll help Romania to a team medal and her own individual medal on beam and floor. You never know.


Yao Jinnan is out for the year pending shoulder surgery
Yao Jinnan of China is reportedly trying to get visa issues figured out so she can come to the U.S. for shoulder surgery and expects to be out for the 2015 season. As always, if there was a year to be out, it's this year. Having Yao out, changes a lot for China. They use an all arounder individually and a contributor on all 4 events for the team. In some ways, this allows some of the other athletes to step up, Tan jiaxin for example being 2-per countried out of uneven bars event finals. Even Shang Chunsong. I'm not familiar enough with the Chinese team to say if this is really a disaster or merely a bump in the road but I do know they have a few juniors coming up. I don't think there's a top 5 all arounder coming up but definitely a few event final worthy new seniors. It's too early for me to say for sure but the door is certainly ajar for Romania at the very least. Should be an interesting year.

This Week in Training: Never Give Up

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Youna Dufournet

This week (last week, sorry!) in training, we have a lot of gymnasts that are coming back from injury - Youna Dufournet (a long time ago but still), Maggie Nichols, and Sam Oldham. Hope you enjoy the upgrades!


Youna Dufournet is working her new connected bar routine. On her instagram, you'll also find video of her working an Ezhova. She might be going a total Tweddle route with insane connections!


Maggie Nichols is back from her knee surgery and recently posted video of her training a full twisting double layout (as a full out).
A video posted by Maggie Nichols (@swaggiemaggie2016) on


Nadia Cho, a WOGA gymnast who is a new senior, recently posted video of her working a new Tkatchev which has a great amount of height and distance from the bar on her catch. What I'm showing here, however, is her whip to full in because that's super impressive! It's from 2 months ago so I must've missed it.


MAG
Kenzo Shirai was bored and figured a 3.5TY would keep him intrigues... It's in the early stages but it's February and he has a lot of time to perfect it. I wouldn't be surprised in the least to see it come Worlds. (Just because I remember thinking triple twisting Yurchenko! Ha, please!)
A video posted by @kenzoshirai on


NEW SKILL ALERT!!
I don't have eyes for things in MAG so you'll all have to help. Alexander Shatilov showed an instagram video of a new skill he's working on that "pushed the hand" of Sam Oldham to show what he's been working on. Shatilov seems to do a Rybalko (hop 1.5) to 1.5 twist one armed giant. Oldham seems to do a hop full to double twisting one armed giant. Both insane.

A video posted by Alexander (@alexander_shatilov) on


Oldham calls his a double turn to one armed giant. Maybe direction of the giant doesn't matter?

Last Week in Training - "The Thrill of the Skill"
You can also search this season's training upgrades by using the "upgrades" tag

At the Ranch: "Junior" Team

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Emily Gaskins
Photo Credit: Christy Ann Linder


This week, we saw the start of the USA training camp videos coming in. We had 10 videos - 9 featuring specific juniors and 1 highlighting the first year seniors. In the group of first year seniors, we have Bailie Key, Alexis Vasquez, and Nia Dennis and Martha's opinions on each of the athletes. Bailie Key is the star of the group after being the 2013 Junior National Champion and winning every all around competition she entered that season. Key's greatest quality is her consistency. She has high difficulty but is also able to hit her routines time and time again and US National Team coordinator Martha Karolyi values that.

Alexis Vasquez was plagued by injuries throughout 2014 that kept her out of the all around at Secret Classic. She did manage to compete all around at 2014 P&G Championships and won the balance beam with a 14.7 on both days. Karolyi acknowledges Vasquez's early season injuries but also notes her ability to push through the injuries and compete at a high level.



Nia Dennis has been one of the strong and most discussed juniors for the past few years - the exclamation point being the height on her Tkatchev on uneven bars. Despite finishing in 2nd place, Dennis had some trouble at Nationals. Karolyi sends a very clear message: "She has some big skills... On her we need to work on her consistency level and to realize not only big skills are important but we have to have the patience and the consistency on working on details and doing the number of repetitions which are necessary to build up the consistency." Dennis is an athlete who, like Key, has the difficulty but, unlike Key in 2013, needs the consistency if she hopes to make a team. Her upgrade video only shows her on uneven bars and her ankles are heavily taped. Hope she's healthy come the domestic season.

Of the videos, Ragan Smith was probably the most interesting to me. Her standing layout full looks better than the instagram video we saw a few months ago. The way the code stands, it won't recognize a standing pike full so she'll likely get credited as a standing layout full and get deductions for body position. Smith has a double layout that is new along with a Dos Santos II or piked double arabian. It will be interesting to consider which ones she shows in competition which could be as early as March at Jesolo. The most interesting for me with Ragan Smith is how she's so young and so little but very clear about her goals. I feel like she genuinely, in her heart of hearts, sees herself at the Olympics and is doing everything in her power to let everyone else see it.



Of Chow's girls, I have a special place in my heart for Alexis Vasquez. She has a Maloney (toe on Shaposhnikova) to immediate uprise full pirouette. She's also upgraded her balance beam dismount from a 2.5 twist to a double pike. There was a lot of talk about Norah Flatley's video and a skill in her uneven bar routine. To me, it seems like she's going for a sole circle (L-grip toe-on giant) but just missed her feet. It would be cool if it was an in bar stalder but, honestly, in a code that doesn't require as much L-grip as in the past, I think she should just drop the whole thing. L-grip isn't quite working for her at the moment. Of note, she's working a DTY so she won't get that FTY deduction. Victoria Nguyen looks amazing but she's a 2001 baby and will miss out on Rio. She's working a Li Ya (Jaeger 1/2) which isn't shown in the video. They do show her switch split-Onodi-split which is fabulous.

It's great to see Laurie Hernandez back from her knee injury. She's back on all events and doing well. She's grown some so it'll be interesting to see how she looks doing a full routine. Her most interesting skill is a front layout to front 2.5. In an era without much front tumbling in elite, it's interesting to see.

The other highlight for me was Emily Gaskins who connects her lovely beam mount to a back handspring-layout stepout. It's a truly beautiful piece of gymnastics. Gaskins left CGA and is back in Florida training with her old coach. Hopefully we get to see her beautiful gymnastics at Jesolo.



What were your highlights from the junior/new senior camp videos?
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