The 2016 Glasgow line-up suffered quite a bit of modifications since it was first announced – with Maegan Chant being replaced by Madison Copiak and Lieke Wevers replaced by Vera van Pol, while Maria Kharenkova from Russia ended up not travelling at the last minute due to administrative issues.
But despite the fact that some of the more decorated gymnasts were replaced by less experienced team mates and despite the loss of the Russian fan-favorite, the competition still managed to be an interesting one to watch.
MyKayla Skinner won, with 56.99 points. She set herself apart from the beginning though a massive Amanar vault that brought her the highest score of the meet (15.566). She turns a bit early on to the table and seemed to be “biting” a quarter rotation right there, but the vault is strong and high and the flight form quite good. Although she is not renown for her bars abilities, she managed a routine that was not bad, out of 6.1 difficulty (Weiler kip, Maloney, Pak, Van Leeuwen, inbar Tkachev, toe on Tkachev, full in) – she had good rhythm and good handstands but broke form at times – a flexed foot here a bent knee there. The stuck landing was a nice touch (14.300). MyKayla gave a nervous performance on beam, but despite some big bobbles she managed to stay on: flick- full back tuck, side aerial, switch leap – switch half, back pike, double tuck to dismount (13.500/5.6). On floor she started her routine with the Moors (double twisting double layout) which seemed to have landed out of bounds (or she stepped out?) – she continued with impressive tumbling though, a great double double, a full in as a third pass and a triple full (that didn’t seem fully turned though) (13.633/6.2).
Elisabeth Seitz had one of her better AA meets and placed second due to her consistency, although her overall difficulty hadn’t positioned her as a favorite to win in Glasgow. She started off with a good FTY (13.933/5.0). On bars she had the best routine of the day (and the most difficult): Maloney, Ricna, straddle Jaeger, a pike Tkachev variation to immediate Pak, Van Leeuwen, toe on full turn to full in dismount (14.8/6.6). On beam she had a solid performance and the 2nd score of the day on the event: punch front, flick – back pike, side somi, front aerial double turn, side aerial, switch leap to split jump, Gainer layout to dismount (13.766/5.5). Floor was her weakest event, but nonetheless all the tumbling, leaps and choreo were quite well executed; her passes were 2 1/2 twists, 1 1/2 to double back tuck, double full and double pike to finish (13.233/5.3).
Claudia Fragapane (third place) was one of the most exciting people to watch throughout the meet, with the good and the bad. She received a 14.466 for her double twisting Yurchenko vault which had some form issues (bent knees, low landing). She also had some big struggles on bars, falling on a pike Jaeger and then re-taking her routine with a tuck Tkachev to Pak. She dismounted with a flat double layout (12.5/5.9). On beam she presented the most ambitious routine of the evening (out of a 6.5)- standing Arabian, switch leap to sheep jump, flick to full layout (to be fair, this one seemed a bit piked), standing back tuck full, side aerial, flick – bhs – double pike to dismount (14.066). Her floor routine is always interesting to follow due to massive tumbling and catchy choreo and today she had a hit routine: full in double layout, Arabian double front to stag, triple full and double layout to dismount (14.366/6.2).
Asuka Teramoto had an understated and perhaps a bit under-rared performance and finished 4th. She did a good front handspring with half twist on vault (14.233/5.4). On bars her routine was a full turn to inbar Geinger, stalder 1/2 to Jaeger, stalder full to overshoot to low bar, she dismounted with a massive (and stuck) full in. On beam she had a few noticeable wobbles and lost connections: double turn, Onodi, side somi, flick-flick- layout stepout, switch half, switch leap to side aerial, aerial walkover to split leap, dismounted with a 2/1/2. On floor she did a triple full, Memmel turn to full turn, 2 1/2 to punch front (after which she took quite a step landing oob), 2 1/2 twists as a third pass and then a double pike to dismount (13.033/5.3).
Enus Mariani finished 5th with a quite clean overall performance but without much difficulty either: she did a good Yurchenko full at the beginning of the competition, for a 13.933/5.0. She looked polished on bars and I was surprised by a 7.8 E score… a close release, a short handstand here and a step on landing were quite costly. Maloney, Bail, Stalder full, Stalder half to Jaeger, Ricna, double layout to dismount, for a 13.666/5.8. On beam she looked to be attempting a Yang Bo off the top (or maybe not, it was a strange jump ), she then did a leap to aerial walkover, flick to layout stepout, Y turn, split jump to side aerial, side somi, roud-off to double pike to dismount (13.40/5.4). On floor she had one of the most striking routines, with nice choreo; as passes she did a full in, followed by a double tuck and a double pike to dismount (13.433/5.4).
Madison Copiak looked very good as well and she maintained herself in contention up until the second half of the competition, then due to lower difficulty she lost contact with the pack contending for bronze. She started off with a 1 1/2 Yurchenko for a 14.2/5.3, followed by a 13.3 for a bars routine out of 5.7 difficulty. On beam she did a switch leap back tuck, double full tun, side aerial, switch leap half, side somi, flick, layout stepout, Gainer layout to dismount (12.900/4.9). On floor she presented a routine with just three passes: full in 2 1/2 twists, double pike (for a 12.833/5.1).
Vera van Pol started with a 13.833 for her Yurchenko full. On bars she received a 12.7 (5.8) for a routine with Tkachev to Pak, Maloney, overshoot to handstand, Jaeger and a double front dismount (fall). It was not the best day for van Pol, who also fell on beam (12.366/5.4): flick – layout stepout – layout stepout, switch leap to Johnson, Kochetkova attempt (fall), back tuck, Johnson 1/2, 2 1/2 to dismount. On floor, she received a 12.566/5.0 for a routine with three passes: Arabian double front (large step), a 2 1/2 twists; she dismounted with a double pike.
Results:
1 MyKayla Skinner 56.999 2 Elisabeth Seitz 55.732 3 Claudia Fragapane 55.398 4 Asuka Teramoto 54.765 5 Enus Mariani 54.432 6 Madison Copiak 53.233 7 Vera Van Pol 51.465
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Article: Bea Gheorghisor
Photo Cover: MyKayla Skinner, by Nadia Boyce