The first two teams to enter the Olympics qualifying meet were Australia and Romania, starting on vault and bars respectively.
Australia finished ahead with a total of 218.428, while Romania only gathered 2016.669 points.
In the first rotation, Austalia managed a total of 56.532 for three solid FTYs (Brown, Mizzen, Nedov) and a beautiful DTY from Emily Little. In the 2nd rotation, on bars, they were far from perfect but still much improved compared to last week at the Pac Rims: Miller was the top scoring gymnast with a 14.2, followed by good but conservative performances from Georgia-Rose Brown (13.666) and Rianna Mizzen (13.833). Emma Nedov only contributed with a 13.2 while Munteanu missed her routine (12.666). Beam was the event where Australia struggled the most: Emma Nedov had the best performance (for a 13.733), while the low 13s scores for Brown and Little indicate that they had many wobbles. Mizzen posted a 12.733 while Munteanu scored only a 11.733. On floor Larissa Miller delivered a beautiful performance (14.100) while Little and Nedov also hit, although not without mistakes (13.500 and 13.366 respectively).
Romania started with a super fearful bars rotation. They put only 4 gymnasts up (Zarzu didn’t even get to compete) and their petrified performances only brought a 12.866 for Holbura, 11.733 for Bulimar (with a fall), a 13.200 for Ocolisan and a 12.800 for Vulcan. Romania ended their first rotation with a 50.599 total and they were already 6 points behind Australia. The dug themselves a hole too difficult to climb out of. Beam had its ups (a 14.600 from Ponor, a 14.141 for Bulimar) but also downs (Vulcan fell – 12.733, as did Ocolisan – 12.566). Floor was similarly uneven with bright performances but also unexpected mistakes. The good were a 14.300 for Ponor, who threw a DLO on the first pass for a 5.8 D score, 14.033 for Bulimar, in characteristic steady fashion. The unexpected performances were the routines by Zarzu and Vulcan, who both missed and scored in the 12s. Maria Holbura, a newcomer to the team, kept her cool despite the growing tension and hit her routine for a 13.541. The drama continued on vault where Bulimar and Vulcan threw steady FTYs, but Zarzu, who had had major issued with her DTY in practice only scored a 13.991 for her vault (although didn’t crash it, according to Lauren). Ocolisan had one of her worst DTYs for a 14.300. The final gymnast up was Catalina Ponor. In an attempt to boost the team score, in an all or nothing move, she tried to throw a DTY, which she didn’t complete and crashed, for a 12.333.
Here are the team results after the first rotation:
The individual competitors:
Zsofia Kovacs is sitting first in the all around ranks after the first subdivision. She is a strong gymnast with great acrobatics and great vaulting. She received a 14.700 for her DTY today and had scores in the 13s for the rest of the events although she is capable of much more. At the 2016 Doha World Cup she impressed with a floor routine that contained both a DLO and a full in, while her beam tumbling, although not very clean, was also quite complex (round-off layout to two feet, front aerial to split leap to side somi etc.).
Zhang from China was impressive on beam (although pretty wobbly according to Lauren from the Gymter.net), but only scored in the low 13s for her bars.
The two Polish gymnasts, Katarzyna Jurkowska-Kowalska and Gabriela Janik scored within a few tenths of each other (53.440 to 53.333). Jurkowska was better on beam while Janik had a better bars routine, with very similar scores on vault and floor.
Dipa Karmakar received a 15.066 for a very low Produnova vault. Here are the all around results after the first rotation:
Article: Bea Gheorghisor
Photo Source: Nadia Boyce