We are half way into the Olympic cycle and teams are pacing themselves into Olympic peak shape for 2016. Mexico is also preparing its gymnasts for this major meet and the last three months were the proof of how well they are doing.
In August, at the Youth Olympic Games, we saw the future with Stephanie Hernández. She’s a 1999 born gymnast that can deliver on all four pieces; she can really be an asset for the team at the next world championships. She was an all-around finalist placing 15th, a bars finalist (8th) and beam finalist (7th) at the YOG.
For a change, you can watch here Stephanie’s floor routine [Link]
In September we had the Pre-Panamericans. Mexico, that was the bronze medallist at the 2011 Pan American Games, managed to maintain their position earning bronze again in the team competition.
Individually, Alexa Moreno had the highest all-around finish with a 54.600 that placed her 6th, plus Mexico had three gymnasts compete in the apparatus finals. Amaranta Torres, who was the sole representative at the 2013 World Championships advanced to the floor final where she finished 7th, Alexa Moreno competed on vault placing also 7th, and on bars Ahtziri Sandoval claimed a bronze medal. She had the fourth highest D-value of the final.
You can watch here Ahtziri Sandoval performing on bars in her native Guadalajara (2011 PanAms city) earlier this year: [Link]
In October at the World Championships the team formed by: Elsa García, Alexa Moreno, Ana Lago, Ahtziri Sandoval, Amaranta Torres and Karla Retiz achieved the best ever result for Mexico with a 14th place. Their best event was vault where they finished 9th.
Ana Lago, who was the PanAmerican champion on floor in 2011, is still in recovery after her torn ACL last year and did not do floor. Alexa Moreno, who was a vault finalist at the 2011 Worlds, qualified again to the final and finished 7th. Her vaults have a 6.0 and 6.2 difficulty values.
Watch here Alexa Moreno at the vault final in Nanning China: [Link]
Veteran gymnast Elsa García, advanced to the all-around world final where she finished 22nd with a 52.031. She had already advanced to the all-around final before, during the 2009 Worlds. Elsa is the silver medalist on floor at the 2013 Universiade and this apparatus was her best piece in qualifications at worlds, when she placed 21st.
You can watch Elsa García on floor at the 2014 Worlds here: [Link]
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<strong>Article by: Isabel Iz</strong>
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