It is very hard to make predictions regarding who will make the cut for the balance beam final. We’ve seen in the past years how relatively easy routines have not only qualified for finals but also won medals, and how too risky elements don’t always pay off.
Considering a mix of possible D-scores, the shape the gymnasts have shown in the early spring meets and World Cup competitions in 2015 and some good old wishful thinking, my pick for the eight finalists:
Eythora Thorsdottir
Maria Kharenkova
Diana Bulimar
Andreea Munteanu
Giulia Steingruber
Claire Martin
Carlotta Ferlito
Sanne Wevers
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When it comes to beam, there are no locks. The recent history of staying on the apparatus will remain a good indicator, however. Based on this, Maria Kharenkova, a gold medalist last year, looks to be favourite this year as well. Her difficulty tipped at a 6.8 at the recent Russian Championships in March and she managed to stay on the apparatus in the three days of competition, even though at times she had to rely on spectacular saves. She looked like she had been training this event non-stop since Worlds and she seemed ready for any challenges.
A gymnast that has a good history of hitting beam is Romania’s Diana Bulimar. She was also the 2013 silver medalist at Euros on this event. She also never missed a routine for Romania during team finals or qualifications, since 2011 Worlds. On the not so promising side, her difficulty score this year was only a 5.7 (at Doha). It is worth mentioning that there were some missed connections so there is still room for improvement.
Giulia Steingruber is another gymnasts more likely to show consistency on this event. With a solid 6.0 difficulty, she managed a score in the mid to high 14’s at the Austrian Cup. At Doha, although she defeated Diana Bulimar (Giulia got silver after Phan), she was less consistent in her execution.
The wild cards
Andreea Munteanu was a gold medalist at the 2015 Cottbus World Cup, after a routine from 6.1 D, but I hesitate to add her to the “favorites” list. Andreea is finding her way to top shape after a string of injuries so her performances here are not backed by the consistent training. The triple full dismount will be a challenge to pull off (due to limited number of repetitions) and the stress of having to end with a difficult skill might raise the pressure throughout her routine and affect other much more consistent (although difficult) skills, such as her back full or her side somi.
A regular presence in European and even World balance beam finals, Carlotta Ferlito could be a major player on this event in Montpellier. She showed a routine out of 6.0 for a 14.300, as recent as Jesolo – and these scores are very competitive at this point. But she too, has had a 2014 riddled with injuries and has not competed consistently in a while. We need to wait and see if everything will come together in Montpellier.
With a difficulty score of 6.5 on this event, Eythora Thorsdottir looks to be ahead of most of the competition from this point of view (with the exception of Kharenkova). She proved she has the goods when she scored as high as a 15.15 in her country’s Euro trials. She has an amazing routine composition and is breathtaking in the way in which she flows from one element to the next. Unfortunately, at the more recent international competition she took part in (Ljubljana Challenger), she did not hit her beam routine in either days of competition.
Other that have a good chance to qualify:
The local Claire Martin has a difficulty score of 5.8 – 5.9 and can be a favorite of the judges when she hits, she could produce a score in the low 14s and qualify for the final. While the Dutch Sanne Wevers has different assets: she’s probably the best gymnast in the world at pirouettes and connections on the beam and she has a crazy routine composition which can boost her D score up to a 6.4. Unfortunately she has been very inconsistent lately.
Other possible finalists include: Andreea Iridon was a silver medalist in 2014, as a junior, but she will have tough competition from team-mates Munteanu and Bulimar, to qualify under the two per country rule; Claudia Fragapane has some impressive elements but execution-wise she tends to miss out on important points; Kim Janas is another beautiful beam worker but is just finding her way back after struggling with injury in 2014, her D score is out of 5.9. And of course Vanessa Ferrari should also be on this list somewhere, although she has been struggling with illness over the past few months, so it’s tough to predict where she’s at in her preparation.
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Your turn: Will Kharenkova defend her title? Who else could make a good showing in qualifications?
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Article by: Bea Gheorghisor
Photo cover: Nadia Boyce