What a week-end it was. Between the amazing juniors from Top Gym and the seniors competing at Stuttgart DTB Pokal (this one with two competitions, both for MAG and WAG), s0 many interesting things were happening at the same time. There was even TV coverage and live streaming. Needless to say, it felt overwhelming but we loved it.
DTB Pokal: the World Cup and the Team Event
Pauline Schafer‘s beam routine is much more than just the named-after element. But “the Schafer” does add an element of surprise and extra spice to an otherwise smooth as silk routine:
Aliya Mustafina had a less fortunate meet in Germany at the Stuttgart World Cup (finishing 5th). The fact that she added back the much-hated triple twist (in a whip-whip connection) did not go well with the audiences. Hopefully it will not be a permanent move; but the rest of the routine looked good:
When most competitors had their own m toini-meltdowns on beam, Jessica Lopez rose to the occasion (and her acquired level of experience) and hit this:
While Larisa Iordache earned the highest score of the WAG competition with this little number:
After an entire year out of competition, and no less than three ankle interventions, Ksenia Afanasieva tumbled and spinned like no other, in the Team competition at DTB Pokal (Stuttgart):
Also in the team event, this was a fine routine by Ekaterina Kramarenko. It is a bit crazy to think that she would still not be one of the top choices in an ideal Russian like-up despite the fact that she can fly and turn like this:
(or maybe after hitting it in the TF at Nanning things have changed?)
Top Gym
Angelina Melnikova won the all around gold in Top Gym after this floor routine (among others):
Confession time: I am not mad about Melnikova‘s style. Not that there is anything wrong with it. She is precise and has (mostly) good execution, but she doesn’t stick, I am left with little memory of what I saw after the routine is done. But she is one to watch and hopefully she will add the much-needed dependability to Russia’s overflow of originality:
Team mate Anastasia Dimitrieva, on the other hand, was a bit nervous. But her round-off layout to two feet is something that I will remember her for (and I am not talking about the wobble):
The all around competition at Top Gym was not the best for Amy Tinkler but hitting this floor routine almost made up for all the trouble:
(she went to win three event finals medals the next day, all is well)
Olivia Cîmpian – the 13 year old Romanian training at Deva with the “younger” juniors has a bright future on all events. This autumn, however, she was particularly successful on floor, winning the event final at Top Gym and and a silver medal at Elite Gym Massilia:
Ioana Crișan (born in 2001) also training at Deva, won a bronze medal in the all around at Top Gym. She showed that Romania still produces some of the finest beam workers in the world: Watch it here.
The 13th: Meanwhile, over at MAG, Andreas Bretschneider competed an H element on high bars and he is the first gymnast to do so:
Article by: Beatrice Gheorghisor
Cover Photo: Nadia Boyce