Russia Prepares

Rewriting Russian Gymnastics has linked to some beautiful photos of the Russian gymnasts in training prior to the world championships, at a controlled workout attended by the Russian minister for sport.

The photos show Aliya Mustafina also in training, although she is not back to full strength yet. Interestingly Tatiana Nabiava is pictured in the same new competition leotard but no photos of her actually doing gymnastics! Could there be a team shake-up in the pipeline?

The rest of the team includes Viktoria Komova, Anna Dementyeva, Yulia Belokobylskaya, Ksenia Afansyeva, Yulia Inshina & Alyona Polyan.
View the Couch Gymnast's Get to know the team article here.

Happy Birthday Aliya Mustafina!

 
Russia's injured diva is 17 today.

Following her ACL repair and long rehab Aliya is back training with her team-mates and almost back to full level difficulty. We wish her a successful and adversity-free road to 2012

Romania without Izbasa

Universal Sports and Gymnastics Examiner have reported that European Floor and Vault champion Sandra Izbasa has withdrawn from next week's world championships due to a sore achilles tendon. If this is the case she is a smart girl. Sandra tore her achilles in 2009 and returned to almost full strength for the 2010 worlds.

She is to be provisionally replaced by Catelina Ponor. The rest of the team includes Ana Porgras, Amelia Racea, Raluca Haidu, Diana Chelaru, Diana Andrei and Diana Bulimar.

Izbasa's absense may hurt the team score somewhat but they are still in contention for a team medal and event titles on beam and floor.

Here's hoping for no more last-minute injuries!
Countdown to Tokyo: 7 Days!

Japan Open 2011

The worlds best gymnasts are beginning to descend on Tokyo for the world championships. Team GB is flying tonight, Team USA is already there, but that's not all happening in Tokyo this weekend.

The Japan Open is the only major international pro-am event (where professional and current elite skaters compete with and against each other) As well as giving nostalgia by allowing us to see retired skaters back on competition ice, it's a good measuring stick for some of the world's best.

The event is a team competition for singles skaters between Team Japan, Team Europe and Team North America.This years roster is as impressive as ever.

Team Japan
Miki Ando (2 time and reigning world champion)
Akiko Suzuki (Narrowly missed out on the Japanese World Team)
Takahiko Kozuka (2011 World Silver Medallist)
Daisuke Takahahi (2010 World Champion)

Team Europe

Sarah Meier UPDATE injured

Elizaveta Tuktamisheva (2011 Jr World Silver Medallist)

Alena Leonova (4th at 2011 Worlds)
Florent Amodio (2011 European Champion)
Artur Gachinski (3rd at 2011 Worlds)


Team North America
Joannie Rochette (2010 Olympic Bronze Medallist)
Alissa Czisny (2011 US Champion)
Patrick Chan (2011 World Champion)
Jeffrey Buttle (2008 World Champion, now retired)

The most exciting match-ups will probably be amongst the men, all of whom have been on or near the world podium and particularly the match up between Chan and the Japanese men could be a preview of what to expect this season.

Personally I'm looking forward to directly comparing Buttle and Chan again, the two best mens skaters from Canada for the last decade, they've skated in shows but not competed directly since Buttle's retirement in 2008.

Interesting not to Mao Asada here. Hopefully it's a sign that she is hard in training for the upcoming grand prix and not that she is nursing an injury or backing away from competition this season.

Mirai Wins Nebelhorn Trophy

Finally Mirai Nagasu has held it together to take gold at a major international. If she skated close to her potential she should have easily won over a largely European field at Nebelhorn Trophy.

Mirai fell on her opening 3 Loop - 2 Loop combination but made all the rest of her routine to score 109.08 in the free programme and 167.46 overall.

Medallists (Full Results to follow)
1. Mirai Nagasu (USA) 167.46
2. Elene Gedevanishvili (Georgia) 146.92
3. Joshi Helgesson (Sweden) 138.73

Mirai's true test may come next month at Cup of China - the event where she has twice won the short programme comfortably and bombed in the free skate. This season is key for Mirai, to prove she is no longer the talented but inconsestent youngster but a contender with the longevity to make it throgh to 2014.

Russia's Ksenia Makarova had to withdraw before the free skate with an aggravated hib injury. Hopefully she will be recovered enough to contend on the Grand Prix Series.

Watch Mirai's short programme here.
Full Nebelhorn Results

BBC Worlds Coverage

Becky Downie tweeted this morning - Excited to be going home today !!! 2 sessions to go and we are done :) then only 3 days till we fly to Tokyo :O :O

It's getting very close now and thankfully the BBC will have (almost) full TV coverage of the event. Olympic Sports reporter Ollie Williams will also be there in advance to report on qualifying. Below are the timings of BBC Sport's coverage.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Tokyo
Tuesday 11 October
Women's Team Final
1050-1310, BBC Red Button/online
1300-1500, BBC Two/online
Wednesday 12 October
Men's Team Final
0950-1240, BBC Red Button/online
1330-1530, BBC Two/online
Thursday 13 October
Women's All Around Final
0950-1155, BBC Red Button/online
1300-1500, BBC Two/online

Friday 14 October
Men's All Around Final
1050-1350, BBC Red Button/online
1300-1500, BBC Two/online
Saturday 15 October
Individual Apparatus Finals
0520-0830, BBC Red Button/online
1630-1800, BBC Two/online
Sunday 16 October
Individual Apparatus Finals
0550-0905, BBC Red Button/online
1600-1730, BBC Two/online

New gymnasts join US National Team.

After Martha Karolyi was required to invite extra gymnasts to the selection camps to fill the teams for 2 major international events back to back (by the end of camp she only had 9 healthy gymnasts on the national team and about 14 spots to fill). It's not surprising that 8 new names were added to the national team roster yesterday.

• Bridgette Caquatto, Naperville, Ill./Legacy Elite
  (I thought Brigette was already on the team - she was in the team photo!)
• Jessie DeZiel, Rogers, Minn./Twin City Twisters (Univ. of Nebraska)
• Brandie Jay, Ft. Collins, Colo./GK Gymnastics
• Anna Li, Aurora, Ill./Legacy Elite
• Grace McLaughlin, Allen, Texas/WOGA
• Hallie Mossett, Los Angeles, Calif./West Coast Elite
• Bridget Sloan, Pittsboro, Ind./Sharp’s Gymnastics
• Mackenzie Wofford, McKinney, Texas/Zenith Elite

All of these gymnasts are either team members or alternates for Worlds or Pan-Ams.

Also  (and this is disappointing for all die hard Memmel fans) Grace McLaughlin (pictured) has replaced Chellsie Memmel on the Pan American Games team due to Memmel's nagging shoulder injury. I can't help thinking this was Memmel and her dad's strategic planning made after the world team announcement. She probably would have battled through if she was on her way to Japan.

Here's a question for you readers - do national team members get automatic qualification to next year's nationals? 

Pretty Leotard Watch

USA (and Cincinnati) Gymnasts Lexie Priessman and Amelia Huntley went 1-2 at the Japan Junior international competition in Yokohama this week.

Could this be one of the USA leotard designs we see in Tokyo? I think it's a nice change from the norm, more akin to the european teams styles.

I also think the Japanese gymnast's design is lovely!

(Photo credit - Mary Lee Tracy's Facebook page)

Team GB!

At 12.00 today British Gymnastics Announced it's world championship teams - It may be the strongest squad we have ever sent.

Men’s team

Daniel Keatings – Huntingdon

Daniel Purvis – Southport YMCA

Kristian Thomas – Earls

Louis Smith – Huntingdon

Max Whitlock – South Essex

Ruslan Panteleymonov – Hinckley

Sam Oldham – Huntingdon

Women’s team

Beth Tweddle – Liverpool

Danusia Francis – Heathrow

Hannah Whelan – Liverpool

Imogen Cairns – The Academy

Jennifer Pinches – Liverpool

Laura Edwards – Dynamo

Rebecca Downie – Notts

Great to see Becky Downie is well and truely back and young Laura Edwards making the team.
Good luck team GB!

Nagasu leads at Nebelhorn

As I've said in many previous posts, If there is one skater I REALLY wish success to it is Amerian firecracker Mirai Nagasu. Following yet another madly timed setback at last years Nationals she is back with a vengeance, winning the free short programme at Nebelhorn trophy with a very respectable 8 point lead over the field.

Now, a goal for the competition and for the rest of the season- Hold it together in the free skate!!
Mirai is due to compete at Skate Canada and Cup of China in the Grand Prix.

Full Nebelhorn Results

1	Mirai NAGASU	USA	58.38	1
2	Elene GEDEVANISHVILI	GEO	50.56	2
3	Sarah HECKEN	GER	49.07	3
4	Shion KOKUBUN	JPN	49.07	4
5	Joshi HELGESSON	SWE	47.91	5
6	Ksenia MAKAROVA	RUS	45.95	6
7	Joelle FORTE	USA	45.80	7
8	Yretha SILETE	FRA	45.41	8
9	Viktoria HELGESSON	SWE	43.36	9
10	Nathalie WEINZIERL	GER	40.58	10

Nebelhorn Trophy and the great figure skating shake-up.

The first major senior event of the skating season is kicking off in Germany with the Neblhorn Trophy. A new season always brings new thinks, but this season more than most, the competitive field will look very different.

Kelli at State of the Skate has posted this summary of the great partner switch that has been going on, particularly with the US and Canadian pairs and ice dance couples. Add to that the retirement of the Kerr siblings (GB) and the retirement and subsequent un-retirement of Faiella & Scali (Italy) and this years skating season could be full of surprises!

1) Pairs team Denney/Barrett (of U.S.) split
2) Pairs team Dube/Davison (of Canada) split
3) Dube teams up with Sebastien Wolfe (still of Canada)
4) Pairs team Yankowskas/Coughlin (of U.S.) split
5) Dance team Piper Gilles/Zach Donahue (of U.S.) split
6) Dance team Madison + Keiffer Hubbell (of U.S.) split
7) Coughlin teams up with Caydee Denney (still of U.S.)
8) Dance team Crone/Poirier (of Canada) split
9) Dance team Chock/Zuerlein (of U.S.).split
10) Dance team Samuelson/Bates (of U.S) split
11) Chock/Bates team up (still of U.S.)
12) Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier team up (Gilles now representing Canada)
13) Madison Hubbell/Zach Donahue team up (still of U.S.)
14) Emily Samuelson/Todd Gilles team up (still of U.S.)

Several of those not mentioned in new partnerships are retired or taking time out to focus on studies or coaching. Notably however US champ Caitlin Yankowskas (pairs) and Canadian champ Vanessa Crone (dance) partnerless at the start of the new season.


Several of these new pairings are competing at Nebelhorn Trophy this weekend. Hubbell & Donahue currently sit second in the ice dance competition following the short dance.
Full Results Here. 

1	Nelli ZHIGANSHINA / Alexander GAZSI	GER	55.03	1
2	Madison HUBBELL / Zachary DONOHUE	USA	54.82	2
3	Kharis RALPH / Asher HILL	CAN	52.03	3
4	Isabella TOBIAS / Deividas STAGNIUNAS	LTU	49.06	4
5	Cathy REED / Chris REED	JPN	47.90	5

I'll update further results as they come in later this evening. Dube & Wolfe and Denney & Coughlin are due to compete in the pairs short programme tonight.

Thoughts on team USA

Unlike the dedicated Katie from Full Twist (who like me is on GMT) or many of the North America based bloggers, I didn't stay up until 3am to find out who Martha and others had picked for the World and Pan-Ams teams, but I did check first time this morning -

2011 Women's World Championships Team
Oct. 7-16, 2011, Tokyo, Japan
Gabrielle Douglas,
Anna Li
McKayla Maroney,
Alexandra Raisman
Alicia Sacramone
Sabrina Vega
Jordyn Wieber

Non- traveling alternate: Shawn Johnson
Head coach: John Geddert of Geddert's Twistars USA
Asst. coach: Jiani Wu of Legacy Elite

2011 Women's Pan American Games Team
Oct. 24-29, Guadalajara, Mexico
Bridgette Caquatto
Jessie DeZiel
Brandie Jay
Shawn Johnson
Chellsie Memmel
Bridget Sloan

Replacement athletes
Grace McLaughlin, Allen, Texas/WOGA Gymnastics
Hallie Mossett, Los Angeles, Calif./West Coast Elite Gymnastics
McKenzie Wofford, McKinney, Texas/Zenith Elite Gymnastics Academy
Head coach: Marvin Sharp of Sharp's Gymnastics
Asst. coach: Jiani Wu

My heart goes out always to those who just missed out - Particularly Shawn Johnson who, knowing the USA's habit for last minute injuries may still get her chance at worlds. Shawn said on twitter afterwards Came up an inch short but you know what look at the progress Ive made! So I wasnt the best pick for the team...YET! But I will be. 


The team for Tokyo is an interesting one, particularly as a building block for the Olympics. Only Sacramone and Raisman are worlds veterans. All 4 of what I considered the 'high profile new seniors' (Wieber, Maroney, Douglas and Vega) made the team despite having mixed fortunes at Visa Championships. There is room for several nervy errors to occur in Tokyo and this could harm USA's grasp on the world team title.

Anna Li is also a wild card here, I'm sure picked purely for her ability on bars. I do wonder if everyone else is showing good bar form she may be an easy pick to drop when they get to Tokyo (7 athletes have been named, only 6 will actually compete). Although it may be a kick in the teeth given that her coach Jiani Wu has been named team coach.

I'm very sure had she not sprained her ankles Mackenzie Caquatto would have been named to a team (probably Anna Li's spot on the Tokyo team). Like Rebecca Bross she will have to wait, rest up and hope her time will come in 2012.

I like the look of the Pan Ams team - a mix of new names (and rather long shots for 2012) with 3 former world AA champions on their way back to form. This team should do well and give Martha something to think about on the way to 2012. It will be great to see Shawn and Bridget back and hopefully doing more than we've seen so far this year.

So, Countdown to Tokyo....... 15 Days!
Look forward to the GB announcement tomorrow!

Wow! Beth Tweddle's new tumbling pass

A new video has appeared on youtube (not sure of the original source) showing Beth Tweddle training a double Arabian FULL OUT! She hasn't performed it in competition yet but it's sure to be a jaw dropper if and when she does.



As mentioned in my last post the GB worlds team is to be named Friday. As I see it Tweddle, Whelan, Pinches and (if she is injury free) Francis are locks, leaving 2 spots open to the rest of the team hopefuls.

First olympic athletes named (and a gymnastics update)

Image:  Iain Percy, Annie Lush, Nick Dempsey, Lucy Macgregor, Hannah Mills, Ben Ainslie, Kate Macgregor, Bryony Shaw, Saskia Clark and Andrew Simpson of Great Britain pose during a photocall at the announcement of the first athletes to officially join Team GB ahead of the 2012 Olympics at the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich on September 20, 2011 in London, England. (Daylife.com

The first athletes to be named to Team GB for London 2012 have been announced. The British Sailors have been picked including 3 time olympic champion Ben Ainslie. Sailing is one of GB's strongest medal events, with 4 golds from Beijing.

It's interesting that due to the more consistent nature of sailing, the athletes can be nominated so far in advanced, compared with many sports where national teams are picked in the month leading up to the games. These athletes can now focus their training on preparation rather than qualification.

Speaking of qualificaiton, the Team USA gymnasts are at the final selection camp for Worlds and the Pan American games. The team should be announced soon after the final competition tomorrow. There is rumour that one gymnast (supposed to be Mackenzie Caquatto) has injured both ankles on a double pike. If so this is a real shame as of the USA's nominated 'bar specialists' she was one of the best all-arounders. Link here (on facebook so you will have to logon).

The British gymnasts are also at the final worlds training camp in Lilleshall, the final teams for MAG and WAG are to be confirmed on Friday.

London 2012 Paralympic Medals

First of all apologies on my blogging absense. Placements and life have both kept me rather busy recently and it's all too easy to fall off the blogging horse after a while!

Today the London 2012 organising commitee unveiled the medals for the upcoming paralympic games, tickets for which are also on sale at this time. I'm not sure what exactly is going on with the front side design but the reverse is elegant and as I said before the general medal design is pretty likeable and not too enormous or out there. Whilst I liked the sentiment and originality of the medals at Vancouver 2010 - the medals were HUGE!

Blogging should get busier in the coming weeks with the gymnastics worlds and grand prix of figure skating approaching fast. The GB women's gymnastics team is due to be announced some time this week.

China leads at JGP Latvia

The first official day of the new skating season kicked off today with the ladies, mens and pairs short programmes at the JGP Volvo Cup in Riga Latvia. Chinese skaters have taken the lead in all 3 disciplines. Full Event Results

In the ladies event Zijun Li has taken a narrow lead over russian Polina Agafonova. 14 year old Li is the 2010-11 Chinese national champion and was 9th at the 2011 Junior World Championships. She landed a clean 3Flip-2Toe combination and a 3Lutz with an edge call. She trains in Beijing under Mingzhu Li (Former coach of Lu Chen and Caroline Zhang) and but has some american influence with her programmes choreographed by Karen Kwan-Oppegard. American Ashley Cain sits in 3rd place, a clear 5 points behind the 2 leaders.

1	Zijun LI	CHN	55.09	1
2	Polina AGAFONOVA	RUS	54.60	2
3	Ashley CAIN	USA	49.14	3
4	Gerli LIINAMAE	EST	48.90	4
5	Polina SHELEPEN	RUS	47.92	5
6	Yasmin SIRAJ	USA	46.75	6

3 Asian skaters sit atop the mens standings after the short programme. Separated by a little over a point He Zhang (China) leads over Ryuju Hino (Japan) and June-Hyoung Lee (Korea). All of these skaters are relative newcomers, but have strong jump arsenals to build on. Sadly Canadian wonderkind Nam Nguyen botched his jumps and sits in 12th place with a score of 47.08. Perhaps this one will just have to go down to experience.

1	He ZHANG	CHN	59.26	1
2	Ryuju HINO	JPN	58.10	2
3	June-Hyoung LEE	KOR	58.06	3
4	Timothy DOLENSKY	USA	56.52	4
5	Jiaxing LIU	CHN	55.20	5
6	Pavel IGNATENKO	BLR	54.87	6

The pairs event was much more decisive. Sui & Han hold an 8 point lead over second place skaters Petaikina & Kurduykov of Russia. Sui and Han are knocking on the door of senior world medals this season, particularly if they can add mature style to their arsenel of tricks. The junior grand prix should very much be a warm-up act for them. The 3 american pairs sit 7th, 8th and 9th.

1	Wenjing SUI / Cong HAN	CHN	54.22	1
2	Ekaterina PETAIKINA / Maxim KURDUYKOV	RUS	46.30	2
3	Xiaoyu YU / Yang JIN	CHN	44.32	3
4	Margaret PURDY / Michael MARINARO	CAN	43.95	4
5	Tatiana TUDVASEVA / Sergei LISIEV	RUS	41.31	5
6	Ekaterina KRUTSKIKH / Vladimir MOROZOV	RUS	40.55	6

Full Event Results