The senior event finals took place Sunday in Jesolo. The rules of qualification were changed a little bit and this time three gymnasts competed per country. For the vault final only one vault was required.
It was a US sweep of the gold medals, with each title going to a different gymnast:
MyKayla Skinner thew her Amanar which looked better than the day before. She won the vault title.
Ashton Locklear had yet another excellent routine to win the bars title. She presented her usual pike stalder full, Komova, Pak, Maloney, Bail, pike stalder half to Jaeger, full in dismount and the only visible error was the step on the landing.
Another thrilling gold medal winner of the day was Laurie Hernandez who won the beam title with a gorgeous routine: aerial to two jumps, flick – layout stepout – layout stepout , full turn, sheep jumo, punch front to leap, side aerial, switch leap to switch leap half, switch ring leap, stuck double pike. Hernandez also won a medal on vault for a good DTY.
Aly Raisman won floor with a very well executed routine: full twist half to double Arabian to front layout, Arabian double pike, stuck double layout, stuck double pike, very good passes no visible landing deductions for this routine. 15.05/6.3. She also won a bronze medal on beam where she hit everything as well, but it seems that it was not enough today: pike front, bhs – layout to two feet, side aerial, switch half back pike, punch front to jump, L turn to full turn, very secure Patterson dismount (14.75)
Other shining performances came from:
Ragan Smith – twice silver medalist, on beam and floor. On beam she was almost flawless starting off with a double wolf turn, her series was back handspring to layout to two feet, then a well landed full back tuck, punch front, aerial, sheep jump, almost stuck double pike dismount. She receive a big hug from Martha at the end (15.200). On floor she stole the show with her energetic routine: DLO , 1 1/2 to double full, double Arabian to stag, double pike (14.650).
Gabby Douglas also had a good day, winning the silver medal on bars and the floor bronze. On bars she had her usual routine – pike Tkachev to Pak salto, an excellent Chow transition to high, double layout stuck to dismount, very efficient work (14.900). On floor she did well too, starting the routine with a controlled pirouette combo – double L to L, then her Arabian double front to stag, followed by the full in, double Y turn, double pike , double back, small hop on the last pass (14.500). I must confess that compared to other team mates of hers she seemed a bit tense when competing – not sure whether she was just focusing on what she had to do or whether something was truly bothering her.
Loan His won the bars bronze, and the only non-American medal of the day, for an excellent routine: Van Leeuwen, Jaeger, pike Tkachev, Pak, Maloney, bail, Ray, full in dismount with just a hop (14.25). Other good French performances came notably from Marine Boyer on beam – round of layout to two, switch leap, switch half, aerial to jump, side aerial, L turn to full turn, leap side somi, double pike dismount (14.700). Marine finished 4th. I thought she worked with patience but could have used a bit of extra amplitude here and there. Louise Vanhille finished 4th on bars for her routine with Chow transition to high, Jaeger, Pak, Maloney, Bail, Ray, full turn, stuck double layout (14.200). France is very strong on bars this year. Marine Brevet also managed a good beam performance for a routine with switch leap – switch half, aerial (wobble) leap, leap, Y turn, flock, loso, side aerial, side somi, double pike with a step back 13.8
The Italians had a mixed day: the lowest point of the entire competition came on beam when Carlota Ferlito missed her foot on the dismount and fell on her neck. It was an awful fall and she looked in great pain, although she looked to be moving her arms and legs. This terrible mishap came at the end of a very nice routine too so it was completely unexpected. Enus Mariani was very brave to go up there on the beam right after her team mate’s injury. She had a good routine with aerial to aerial to scale, flick to layout stepout, Y turn, Johnson leap, side somi, side aerial, switch jump, double pike dismount (13.85). Enus also performed well on floor: full in, double back step, switch full, Memmel turn beautifully executed, double pike, steps forward (13.750).
Desiree Carofiglio competed on vault (Yurchenko 1 1/2); she also replaced Carlota for floor finishing last after a fall on the opening pass (pike double front). Tea Ugrin fell on her bars dismount. Alessia Leolini finished 4th on floor. Georgia Campana was 7th on floor after a watered down routine – double back tuck, 2 full, switch ring leap, ring leap, double L turn, tourjete, double pike (12.950).
The Brazilians didn’t compete with the same flair as the day before: Flavia Saraiva didn’t manage to win a medal for her daring beam routine (flick – stepout – stepout , round off – layout to two feet, 2 leaps, switch ring leap, sheep jump, punch front to wolf jump, aerial- aerial , missed connection to side somi and then had a small wobble, double pike dismount – 14.400), or for her floor (not enough difficulty in this field). Rebeca Andrade competed on bars only and fell on the pike Tkachev in the middle of the routine (12.900), Jade Barbosa stayed on but she too had a mishap after the Pak salto and muscled her way though the rest of the routine. Carolyne Pedro finished 6th on floor (full had twist to double back – out of bounds- switch ring leap, Arabian double front, ring leap, 1 1/2, double back pike, 13.100).
Here are the results:
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Uneven Bars
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<td>
1 Ashton Locklear 15.250
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2 Gabby Douglas 14.900
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3 Loan His 14.250
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4 Louise Vanhille 14.200
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5 Emily Schild 14.00
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6 Jade Barbosa
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<td>
7 Tea Ugrin 12.950
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8 Rebeca Andrade 12.900
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<td>
Floor
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<td>
1 Aly Raisman 15.05
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2 Ragan Smith 14.650
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3 Gabby Douglas 14.500
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4 Flavia Saraiva 14.05
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5 Enus Mariani 13.750
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<td>
6 Carolyne Pedro 13.150
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<td>
7 Georgia Campana 12.950
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<td>
8 Desiree Carofiglio 12.250
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Article: Bea Gheorghisor