This weekend the 1° Novara Cup took place in Italy, where four teams competed to prove their readiness for the World Championships. Italy had 8 gymnasts in the field, 6 competing for the team ,Vanessa Ferrari, Elisa Meneghini, Lavinia Marongiu, Lara Mori, Martina Rizzelli and Erika Fasana, and 2 competing just for the AA , Giorgia Campana and Sofia Bonistalli. A notable absent was Carlotta Ferlito who, despite a regular training, doesn’t appear to be ready after a two months break earlier this year.
The Spanish team included fan favorite Roxana Popa, Cintia Rodriguez, Ainhoa Carmona,Maria Paula Vargas, Claudia Colom, Ana Perez and Marta Costa (individual) while Belgium brought another loved gymnast, Julie Crocket , Lisa Verschueren, Gaelle Mys, Laura Waem,Eline Vandersteen, Dorien Motten (individual) and Lin Versonnen.
The Swedish team was pretty exciting too, with a great UB worker like Jonna Adlerteg , Emma Larsson, Kim Singmuang, Lovisa Estberg and Kim Wanstrom.
The Italian team won the competition (222.45) almost 8 points ahead Spain (214.60), while Belgium was third (213.40) ans Sweden fourth (206.00).
Italy had 3 DTYs on vault, one from Vanessa Ferrari who placed 1st in the all around. but on vault she had the recurring problem – bent legs in the second twist (14.70); another DTY came from Martina Rizzelli, slightly messy (14.40) and the best one from Erika Fasana (14.70), who’s only problem is that she starts the rotation way too early on the table. Elisa Meneghini went for a Yurchenko 1 1⁄2 with bent legs on the landing (14.30), Sofia Bonistalli with the same vault scored a 14.10 while all the other girls performed some nice FTYs.
You can tell bars is still the Achille’s tendon of the team, who presented routines with low D scores. Ferrari presented a new piked Jaeger and, despite some leg form, earned a good score (14.30), Erika Fasana, 2 performed her best bars, she has a lot of potential but hitting seems her challenge. Meneghini had some major troubles with a missed handstand and other breaks ( 12.65), Lavinia Marongiu and Lara Mori had clean routines ( 13.4513.15).
While beam used to be Italy’s best apparatus, without specialists like Carlotta Ferlito and Francesca Deagostini the rotation this time was not great. Vanessa again was the best of the team, very stable, even if her switch half was bad (14.10), Marongiu and Fasana did their job and (13.40 – 13.15), Mori was very tentative (13.10) and both Meneghini and Rizzelli had shaky routines and fell ( 12.65 & 11.70). Giorgia Campana who didn’t compete for the team scored a good 13.75.
Floor was good even if apparently the floor mat was too hard. Meneghini hit her new pass, a brand new double layout, and had very stable routine (13.95), Vanessa had some problems with the landings doing big steps and going OOB on her double-double (14.20), she didn’t add the upgrades she was supposed to, but I’m not too worried about her. Erika Fasana had a great routine despite not performing the double double (14.80), she has a nice rock music that makes you want to watch her. Mori has an interesting routine ( fullin, whip triple twist, double tuck and double pike) but the lack of control in her landings hammers her score (13.00).
Spain’s Roxana Popa had a good competition,placing 3rd – on vault she received a 14.90, she had a great floor routine with stuck passes (13.95) and a clean bar set (14.05). Too bad she almost fell on beam on her Y turn and also went overtime (12.45). The other girls performed nice FTYs on vault and Maria Paula Vargas had a terrific routine on bars (14.00). Routines on beam and floor had some low scores on both the E and D score, the highest score on beam was a 13.15 form Ainoha Carmona and all the other routines were on the low 13s mid 12s.
Belgium was quite good, coming close to defeating the Spanish team. Waem placed 4th in the individual competition with clean and well done routines, a FTY on vault (14.05), great bars and beam routines (13.70 – 13.50) and a nice floor too (13.20). Julie Crocket, who just came back from an injury, competed very simple routines, but looks promising especially on floor (13.00). Veteran Gaelle Mys , 8th in the AA, had a nice competition too with a peak on beam (13.45) and Verschueren was nice on bars (13.50).
Sweden didn’t have the best competition, their best routine was Jonna Adlerteg’s bars. She didn’t have the cleanest execution, some problems with handstand, leg form, open legs on the Pak (14.35), but with some changes she can be a world finalist on this event. Singmuang was the highest scoring gymnast, placing 12th in the all around.
I have too say I wasn’t too impressed by this performance of the Italian team. Not many upgrades, not great executions, many mistakes. These girls are talented but, in my opinion, the coaches seem not to be working the code in the right way. Vanessa Ferrari, the “granny” of the group, is still very competitive, but take her out and the rest of the girls are lost. I hope next week at the Golden League we will see something different because in order to be one of the best 8 teams in the world, there is still some work needed.
Results: Team [Link], All around [Link]
Video of the entire competition:
Article by: Giuly Holzer
Photo cover source