Sunday, October 16, 2011

2011 Worlds: MAD PROPS

To all our gymnasts, coaches, judges, medics, delegation members, reporters, gymparents and gymfans for a wonderful 2011 World Championships campaign for Australia. I'm sure a lot of valuable experiences will be taken away from it.

A+ 100% double mad props to young Jack, for making this groovy gif!



May everybody have a safe journey home and a restful sleep (that includes AGB nightowls!) after a nutty week of gymnastics action! Watch out London, we're coming for you!

2011 Worlds: EF LIVE!!!

From approximately 5:30pm as the floor final kicks off.

Lauren was training on the podium in the black and purple prelims leotard, accompanied by Peggy.

Try here for a livestream: http://www.zuumptv.com/2010/06/sportv.html

The popup ads are very annoying. Click on large red x's or 0's in squares that you see to remove them. Some of the ads have a tiny, almost single-pixel-looking x. It's a very little speck, but click on it and it should get rid of the ad for you.

5:52pm AEDST

After men's p-bars and a perplexing series of Brazilian ads, here come the ladies!

Lauren definitely in black and purple.

I AM SOOOOOOOO NERVOUS

Here she goes!

GREAT double arabian to stag. slight shuffle on piked full in but kept it in. Great 2.5 to front lay, slightly low changement out of it. Sells the choreo! Nice double pike with sissone. She worked in two extra jumps before the end post, hope it helps her!

GOES INTO FIRST PLACE WITH 6.3/14.733 - GA reports she actually missed a skill? Didn't look like it to me, might've been a dance element, and explains why she and Peggy stood with a pad and pen after the routine and Lauren rattled off what she performed.

... after a tense final in which the first five performers were all toppling eachother, Lauren finishes a very admirable 5th. Onya Loz! You can still hold your own with the best of them!

Saturday, October 15, 2011

2011 Worlds: EF Day 2 Preamble

We're into the home stretch!

Lauren Mitchell puts her world title on the line tomorrow afternoon (approximately 5:40 AEDST)

Unfortunately, even with Stealthy in place, I couldn't get the BBC stream working today. At all! So I'm a bit disappointed but will try it again tomorrow, and bring you updates from social media sites as the competition unfolds.

An updated start list indicates that Lauren will compete second behind Jordyn Wieber. Good luck, Loz!

2011 Worlds: EF Day 1 Preamble

Another opportunity for Aussie gold this evening, as pommel prince Prashanth Sellathurai tries once again for a maiden world championship on his best event.

See the start list and schedule here. It'll be on around 4:45pm AEDST.

If he makes it to the medal dais, his qualifying scores on pommel, rings and p-bars should (fingers crossed) see him through to London on an individual placing.

And, according to an update by The All Around, the Romanian camp has confirmed that Diana Bulimar will be withdrawing from the floor final now that she has had a medical assessment. We wish her a speedy recovery from her foot injury, and the best of luck to Lauren Mitchell who is to compete in her place.

*****************************

4: 42 AEDST It's just about that time! C'moooooooooooon Proshie! Go you tiny good thing!

With the first competitor falling and Louis Smith fumbling, Proshie could be in with an even better chance!

Japanese superstar Uchimura ALSO falls! Could Prosh pull a 'Bradbury' with a hit routine???

Ah,

apparently not.

IG just said he fell. Gymnastike said he caught his foot. Nooooooo! Managed a 14.3 but is definitely out of medal contention. He finishes in 6th place.

*sigh*

I'll be over in the corner, rocking back and forth...

Friday, October 14, 2011

2011 Worlds: NEWS!

You might be interested to learn that I passed.


Also?

Floor final? Mitchell in, Bulimar out!?




OMG YOU GUYS

OH

TO THE EMMEST

OF GEE'S


Here's her stellar floor from the all-around. The top score on floor for the entire competition so far, I hear!

Certainly hope she can repeat this kind of performance on the night.




A lovely interview with Lauren post-aa can be found here.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

2011 Worlds: WAG AA

Hi all,

I am writing this as I've dashed in the door and am about to dash out again.

Unfortunately the BBC stream won't work for me tonight with Stealthy so I don't know what to do (not that i can hang around to watch anyway) so chat amongst yourselves and share if you find one.

I'm going to miss most of the competition but hopefully I'm back before the end.

Just saw

Emily BB 13.566
Mitchell laboured bars, 13.133

BYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE *dashes leaving a Mez-shaped dustcloud*


Later:

Lauren finishes 8th, congrats Loz! With a phenomenal floor score to boot! This is the 3rd world championships at which she's placed 10th or higher, smashing job. Emily finished in 23rd.

Sounds like it was a bit of a fall-fest! Maybe I'm glad I wasn't home to follow it after all!

For anyone who didn't see streams (and I include myself), this was the leotard:

Good Vibes 2

Having a bit of a fail day myself, so...

Wherever you are and whatever you're doing...

SMILE!


Wednesday, October 12, 2011

2011 Worlds: WAG AA Premable

Australia is shooting for medals again on the women's side. All the very best to Emily and Lauren as they take on 22 other fierce competitors.

See the start list here.

Lauren is in group 2 starting on bars, Emily in group 3 starting on beam. It'll kick off at 8:00pm AEDST.

I don't know if I will be doing a live blogalong tomorrow night (or, at least, a post-mortem after the competition), as I'm doing final preparations for my driving test on Friday morning and will need my sleep!

2011 Worlds: WAG TF Post-Mortem

I get a reprieve from liveblogging tonight as Australia laments not making the men's team final.

Last night was a bumpy one, not least for those actually competing! I have to admit I feel a little deflated but in every team final somebody has to come last. On this occasion it was Australia. The only way is, of course, up.


GA has an update with photos here. An extended gallery is here.

The Couch Gymnast's take on the night is here. A bizarrely-titled feature on Em Little is here and you can read some of Peggy Liddick's hopes now the dust has settled here, or here.

'It was not a lack of effort from the girls.

'We went into this and we said, listen, the fact that we are in the teams final, we are going to celebrate it and we're just going to go out and do what we can do'.

'We're still going to the Olympics and there's nothing can change that.'



If you're interested in non-watermarked press photos, head to Daylife.com and type in "australia gymnastics" or the name of the gymnast you're interested in seeing.

Dear Australia 2


Um... You left the house looking like this.


Jussayin'.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

2011 Worlds: WAG TF LIVE!

From 9pm AEDST

Follow live scores at the sources I've linked to in previous posts. There are too many!

Your best bet for watching a stream is to download Stealthy add-on for Firefox; that way you can configure your network settings for the UK, and should be able to watch the BBC iPlayer live feed of the final tonight.

But you didn't hear that from me...

*taps finger to nose*


Gymnastike has a video from the training hall here. The girls look damn fine on beam! I think they're beyond ready for this!

****************************************


Australia leo- GA has posted at facebook that we will "not miss" the girls out on the floor. Err... should I expect good or bad then!?

I am watching here using Firefox Stealthy add-on:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/gymnastics/15235274.stm

here we goooooooooooo

Australia is in ORANGE AND PINK! I swear that's what I glimpsed! I feel like Russia's dark green on black should be Australia's!



Beam:
Brennan - IG says Ash hit, with a wobble and step on dismount. Stayed on! 13.9?
Monckton - fell on LOSO, overcooked double pike.
sorry to be vague, guys, my feed keeps chopping and my computer craps itself any time I change tabs so i can't see all quick hits! 12.93
Mitchell- very cautious. Slight error again on her switch leap but stays on. big step on dismount

Ironic - Britain;'s union-jack-with-diamentes leo looks like an Aussie flag!

BBC SHOWS LOZ! Yup, fluro pink and metallic orange with black/dark purple slashes. Orange scrunchie. Acro and wolf turn great. Cautious in jumps. nearly comes off on front tuck. 14.566


Floor:
Miller- Aus is up first. I hear larrissa's music on the stream but don't see her. From IG:
Miller--AUS--Floor--triple turn, tuck Arabian double front to leap, layout front to double twisting front, front full punch front full, 2 1/2 dismount and just barely finished with the music--5.4/13.70
Brennan- Also 13.7
Mitchell- Introduced as the 2010 gold medallist. the announcer has been mentioning past achievements of gymnasts as they're on deck. Sounds like a looooong wait for her music? Just keeps first pass in (she's on the feed! fierce face!) by millimetres. good height in jumps. Really great 2.5 to front lay with changement jump. getting great hieght tonight FANTASTIC! Gets right into the corner on the double pike but hits it, sold the choreo amazingly! GO LOZ! 14.8

I am trying make a screencap, gaah!

We hear arena announcer say lauren's floor d-score has been upgraded 6.2 to 6.3 after an enquiry

(In the pic, Rissa is wearing her track pants)

I refuse to believe the whole team was ok with that leo. MOI, JE LE REFUSE!


Vault:
Brennan- Tsuk full only? 13.76 She was zooming by in the background of a Romania fx on the feed.
Little- 14.533 for her Baitova, nice!
Mitchell- hands down on hers!? 13.2

Aus goes into 6th, GB hit a great bars rotation so they might have the advantage? Onto bars and hopefully the kind of rotation we had the other day! (oh boy, BBC team just told us Britain are in FOURTH. Oh boy, talk about a bitter pill to swallow!)


Bars:
Brown- 13.8, sounds like it was a nice routine. (5.6/8.2)
Mitchell- 5,2/13.366
Miller- COME ON RISSA! Sounds like... she hit! she hit! Stuck dismount 14.075!

Ack, now my feed is jumping like crazy. Keeps cutting to half routines.

The US were in a league of their own tonight. Australia is to be commended for holding it together at their last apparatus and deserve to be in the top 8 in the world. I just feel like some work really needs to be done as we roll on to London.

Aus will finish 8th on 166.739

Onya girls. You're still going to the Olympics. Take away some lessons from here and keep on shining.

DEAR AUSTRALIA

GO


YOU


BIG

RED

FIRE

ENGINE

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Monday, October 10, 2011

2011 Worlds: MAG Qualification Post-Mortem

Unfortunately, the team missed qualifying slots for the team final and the test event.

HOWEVER! Fortunately! Happily! All is not lost!

Prashanth Sellathurai, as has been hotly tipped, made it into the pommel horse final, to be contested later in the week. GB darling Louis Smith and stalwart Kristian Berki will encounter our pint-sized superstar once again. You probably don't need reminding that individual medallists automatically qualify to London 2012.

THE ULTIMATE POMMEL SHOWDOWN OF ULTIMATE DESTINYYYYYYY.

On the media front, an article is here and you can see unwatermarked press photos here.

2011 Worlds: WAG TF Preamble

Quick interlude!

Longines has put up the women's team final start lists. Australia's are as follows:

BB: Brennan, Monckton, Mitchell
FX: Miller, Brennan, Mitchell

VT: Brennan, Little, Mitchell

UB: Brown, Mitchell, Miller




Gymnastike is putting up some training videos.

2011 Worlds: MAG Qualification LIVE!!!

Update 6:21 AEDST: If you or someone you know was listening to 3AW Radio in Melbourne just now, yes, that was my mother calling up the evening sports show to give a shout-out to the gymnasts competing in Tokyo.
Yes, she did it without me knowing
Yes, she spoke without any prompting
Yes, she is aware she got the competition days wrong
No, she didn't say Lauren was from SA on purpose, she genuinely forgot!
No, I probably won't get to partake in the cake shop voucher she won.

And now for tonight's competition...

You, just like me, can follow live scoring here and quick hits here or at any of the social media resources I've cited in earlier posts. Gymnastics Australia are updating Facebook and Twitter simultaneously.


You'll have to forgive me, men's gym is really not my strong suit so my attention may waver.


Parallel Bars -
Sam O kicks Australia off with a 13.833. Hooray!
Two for two - Prashanth gets a 13.7, with a step on the dismount like Sam (eek!)
Luke WOW-atowski, I reckon!
Sticks dismount for 14.45
Tom P keeps the good vibes going with a stuck dismount for 14.666
Josh just a 14.53 but a commendable routine.
Go Australia, you made it through p-bars superbly!


High Bar-
Luke 'Wadsy' Wadsworth leads off on high bar. Clean but lacking the theatrics of the powerhouse nations. 12.33, eep! That might hurt!
Sam O rocks a kovacs (I love those) 13.533
Tom P clean routine, dismounts with double lay full. 13.33
No boys have come off yet (touch wood). Phil Rizzo would be proud!
Josh 13.3333 (recurring!)
Team anchor Luke Wiwatowski goes up... hoping for the stuck dismount he did in Commonwealth team final... catches his releases a little close, apparently, struggles, one step on layout double double dismount. Good enough for a 12.333 OWCH!


Floor-
Wadsworth leads off again. Near stick on last pass. Clean for 14.00
Sam O - stuck double layout! 13.866
Josh J clean but landing errors 13.733
Luke Wiwatowski - Puts feet oob on one pass 13.633
Floor anchor Tom gets "mostly stuck landings" according to GA! 14.666


Pommel-
Australia's bogey apparatus, but a chance for pommel wunderkind Prashanth Sellathurai to shine.
Jefferis is up first. IG gives me a heart attack, as I read the quick hit "slices through his routine, a tad loose in the legs" as "slices his leg open"! But makes it through, 12.766
Bugger. Wadsworth runs out of steam as has to dismount prematurely
Wiwatowski fares better, stays on, but iffy on the dismount 12.933
Tom also stays on and avoids major form breaks 13.1
COME ON PROSHDOG!
Good reviews from IG, they said he "rips through it" and that it was superb... and it's a... 15.566! This puts him just behind Berki and Smith. Doubtless a finals spot.


Rings-
First up is Wiwatowski for 13.733 (GA says he was wobbly)
Tom good positions, dismount is double back with 1.5 twist 13.833
Josh pikes down dismount and hops, but gets us over the 13's. Scores 14.533!
Prashanth nice job, double lay dismount, 14.433 IG says he is "putting on a strength clinic", haha! Watch and learn, fellow competitors! Prash is the man!
Offord takes a large hop on dismount but made it through. 14.666


Vault-
Luke Wadsworth tsuk double for 15.433 great stuff!
Same in name and vault - Luke Wiwatowski also a tsuk double for 15.366...
Josh has to take a step on landing, 15.2
Tom 15.3
Last up is Sam... 15.366! IG and GA very happy with the effort on his Yurchenko double.
We finish 15th after our subdivision.

Well done, boys. Be proud of yourselves. Now we play the waiting game!


2011 Worlds: MAG Qualification Preamble

Let's hear it for the boys!

Australia competes tonight for a maiden Olympic team berth. We wish them the very best of luck from back home.

The Aus Olympic team website has a feature on Sam Simpson and his Tokyo teammates here.

The guys compete at 6:30pm AEDST and start on parallel bars.



A start list can be found here.

Gymnastike has a couple of videos of the boys in training. Check Gymnastics Australia's Facebook page for training photos.

Update 4:52 AEDST

Pommel scores have been getting better and better throughout the day, with the likes of Smith and Tomassone making steady routines in their subdivisions. Prashanth has his work cut out for him, but here's hoping he benefits from being a later session! *resumes biting fingernails*

Saturday, October 8, 2011

AUSTRALIA IS GOING TO THE LONDON OLYMPICS

LET'S PARTY!!!!!!!!!!!!



GA posted the following pic of the team upon learning the news...



AUTOMATIC TOKYO TEAM FINALLISTS
AND LONDON 2012 OLYMPIANS
AFTER 10 ROUNDS OF PRELIMS...


1. USA 234.253
2. Russia 231.062
3. China 230.370
4. Romania 227.228
5. Japan 223.543
6. Australia 221.846
7. Germany 221.163
8. Great Britain 220.553

Lauren Mitchell and Emily Little will contest the all-around final

Lauren is first reserve for the floor final


There is a nifty photo gallery featuring the purple Aussies here.

2011 Worlds: Pick of the Pics

It will be a nervous wait to see if Australia has qualified to the team final (and London Olympics) today. So, have yourself some pretty distractions in the meantime!


Unwatermarked press photos from Daylife/Getty are here.

The Gym Examiner has a gallery of Brigid's photos here.

Gymnastike has the Lauren Mitchell interview from a different side here (with bonus background Peggy!)

Gymnastics Australia have also added photos to their World Championships 2011 album at Facebook.

Update 8:26pm

Word is, the Monckton has been approved for the Code of Points!

There are some Australia photos in the event's Facebook gallery



Update 9:06pm

I am being distracted from James Nesbitt's lovely face to inform you that we're still in 5th going into the last subdivision so to all intents and purposes... AUSTRALIA'S INTO THE TEAM FINAL!

Update 9:19 With the second-to-last subdiv officially over, and only three full teams remaining in the last, I can confirm WE'RE IN WE'RE IN WE'RE IN WE'RE IN WE'RE IN WE'RE IN WE'RE IIINNN!!!

Friday, October 7, 2011

2011 Worlds: WAG Qualification Post-Mortem

Well then!

Not an utter disaster but definite room for improvement. I certainly hope Lauren is ok after her beam slip.

The FIG are very diligent, and have put up video already of Lauren's floor and Larrissa's bars at their channel.

While we anxiously await the standings after tomorrow's qualification rounds, let's not forget our guys are gearing up for their Tokyo campaign as well. Check out Luke Wiwatowski's really quite super duper floor from podium training, courtesy of Gymnastike!

Update, midnight: Yes, I am still awake! And Houston, we have prelims vids!

Aussie fan Ange has made the trip over to Tokyo to cheer on the team.

She is vigilantly uploading videos here.

Smashing stuff. Thanks, Ange... Thange.

Update, 12:43am

Still up.

Inside Gymnastics did a quick interview with Lauren after prelims. Check it out. She comes across as very calm and articulate (and talks upgrades)! Smart girls are smart. Smart and cool.



(photo credit: Brigid McCarthy. More can be seen here.)

2011 Worlds: WAG Qualification LIVE!!!

Any moment now...

Just keep hittin' refresh on...
http://www.the-all-around.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=257:2011-worlds-wag-qualifications-3&catid=4:news&Itemid=22


Brigid says "purple shiny leos"!

TA-DA!



Beam:

Little: front, turn in tuck stand, free walkover – ff – layout, CL leap, tuck back, stuck double pike 13.533

Brown: Two for two! Small wobble as well (on side somi) but stays on.
Switch, back tuck. Full turn with leg at head, turns an extra quarter turn but OK. Front aerial, bhs, layout, probably not connected, but smooth enough and no wobbles. Side aerial. Side somie. Roundoff, double full, small hop. 13.266 had a long wait for score.

Monckton: HITS!!! side somi. front aerial. switch+back pike. L turn good. switch 1/2 shy 180+back pike wobble. Dbl pike. (Brigid said her aerial combo was "insanely good"!) 14.166 YAY MEZ YAY YAY YAY

Brennan: front aerial+switch leap+gainer layout, cool! switch 1/2+back tuck. side somi. switch ring. bhs lay wobble. aerial. dbl pike 14.125 the team goes 4 for 4!

Mitchell: Absolutely NO pressure on Loz, of course! bhs+bhs+2ft lay. split+wolf. Mitchell turn wow. switch 1/2 not 180+back pike. front aerial+switch leap "splits the beam!!" (oh no!)comes right back with standing front tuck though, almost like it was nothing. Two bhs to double pike, a little low. 14.033

Floor:
Lauren's warmed-up piked full in to sissone has a good review from Gymnastike. Fingers crossed we can make up ground on floor!

Little: Great full in. Bounce back out of dble back (Brigid corrects this to say full in?). Dble turn-okay, fell sideways a little. Sticks dble twist. Leaps not quite split. Peggy clapping her through last pass. Dble pike, one small jump back. Pretty good! 13.1

Brown: dbl pike. Perfect Memmel turn! 1.5+front tuck+gorgeous stag. Tall, elegant gymnast. dbl tuck bounced back & hands down 12.500

Miller: Good reviews from sources. "IG says: triple turn, tuck Arabian double front to leap, layout front to double twisting front, tuck front full to layout front full to leap, 2 1/2 that barely finished with the music--Again a very clean routine--These ladies look really prepared for this, and they look healthy--5.4/13.60"


Brennan: full in. double tuck+stag. handspring+front full a tad low. stuck double pike and a delayed scissone jump. nice routine. Also 13.600

Mitchell: Again... no pressure! Blythe says: "Lots of "come on, Loz!" from Aussies around the arena. She's got to be Whip to Arabian double front with single stag out, good. But then puts one foot OOB on full in pike. Recovers well with good 2.5 to front layout. She's an interesting dancer -- at times her movements are very fluid, while at others they don't seem so much. Double pike to a little split jump -- that one didn't really work." Scores 14.391, second highest so far.


Vault:
Monckton: FTY one step back. 13.466

Brown: FTY nearly stuck. 13.633

Brennan: Tsuk full 5.2/13.766

Little: Baitova with a jump back. 14.533

Mitchell: Baitova with a crouched landing. 14.3


Bars:
Little: toe on toe off blind to Jaeger, toe on toe off full, double layout dismount (good landing) 13.566


Monckton: Successfully did The Monckton!One intermediate swing on bars -- had to kip off and re kip to handstand on low bar. Good double layout dismount. Only 12.500 though!?

Brown:
"Full turn to Geinger, excellent. Jaeger, very good! She has been so impressive today. Lovely bail to toe hecht and good dismount!" 13.600

Mitchell: stalder blind to Jaeger, toe on toe off full, toe one toe off blind to double front STUCK COLD--13.60

Miller: Also hits! Inside stalder full to Gienger, inside stalder blind to Jaeger, stalder full to immediate tuck full twisting double--14.30--A very nice routine swung very well

Brigid reports the team have gone into a huddle. Mitchell overall AA score 56.324, second behind Romania's Haidu so far.

Onya girls. No beam or bars falls. Be proud, and fingers crossed you make finals!

2011 Worlds: WAG Qualification Preamble

Today's the day!

(Godjira t-shirt by thinkgeek.com. Bad hair by self & bad hairdresser)


Australia's session is in a little over an hour's time. GAH!

I will be cross-posting quick hits here, but if you'd like to follow along without having to put up with me, the people of the gymblogs below will be updating live, as they have been all day:

The All-Around (plus live scores here)
The Gym Examiner

as well as Fulltwist Gymnastics Blog, Brigid The Couch Gymnast McCarthy and The All Around at Facebook.

I already have 4 windows open, I expect to have several more once the session starts!


(If you'd like to kill some time, GA has put up an update from men's podium training, including some routines filmed by Gymnastike. And, it might interest you to know, our own Peggy Liddick took part in the Coaches' Pledge read before competition started today!)

(They have also updated about Worlds broadcast dates on Fox Sports. Yahooo!)

(They further report that vault warmup looks good, as do the new leos! HOMG YOU GUISE IT'S TENSE)

(Super tense... THUNDER JUST STARTED OUTSIDE! And rain! Do not waaaaant.)

Thursday, October 6, 2011

2011 Worlds: WAG Qualification

Hi all.

Australia's women are in preliminary competition tomorrow - 3:45pm Tokyo time, so 5:45pm AEDST. I'll do my best to advise you of streams, or cross-post whatever information I can.

I hope that by the time you read this new article, the thumbnail is actually of Lauren and not some bearded guy.


You can read Brigid's report from yesterday's training session, and see some of her photos, here.



7:01 AEDST

Hello from my new working laptop!
Australia has just kicked off another WAG training session.

They've started on beam again, and all signs point to good! Mitchell just did a layout dismount though... at floor, Miller is excelling. Has apparently stood up her double arabian to stag twice and showed one standout triple turn. Monckton is resting her ankle in a brace (eeep!)
Vault - a real mixed bag but some nice ones in there according to Brigid's reports. I don't love hearing that there is balking going on. Ash great Tsuk 1 1/2s.
Bars also turns out to be a mixed bag with hits and misses across the board. Little the standout with two good completed routines. Miller much more shaky than previous sessions on this apparatus.

I'm going to be so nervous tomorrow!

UPDATE 10:02 AEDST - prelims lineup announced


Australia has announced its lineups for the preliminary competition tomorrow.


Beam: Little, Brown, Monckton, Brennan, Mitchell
Floor: Little, Brown, Miller, Brennan, Mitchell
Vault: Monckton, Brown, Brennan, Little, Mitchell
Bars: Little, Monckton, Brown, Mitchell, Miller

Brigid has supplied a training report.

Highlights:

Georgia Rose Brown’s perfect Memmel turn.

Larissa Miller on floor in general.

Mitchell’s DTY sticks.

Ash Brennan beam in general.

Little’s full-twisting double tuck.

Monckton sticking FTY, despite what are possibly sore ankles.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

2001 Worlds: WAG Training 4

Achtung achtung!

Brigid says Aussie WAGs hit the training hall again in approximately 4 hours. I'll update you as much as I can.

In the meantime, you can see new photos of Lauren and Maryanne in this gallery at Inside Gymnastics (thanks to the wonderful Grace Chiu).

3:36 AEDST
Brigid reports that Australia has started training beam in the Yoyogi arena. I suggest you 'like' Brigid The Couch Gymnast McCarthy at Facebook for a detailed report as the session unfolds.

Beam - All the girls recorded at least one fall, but generally improved upon repetition of skills. Brennan and Brown the best of the lot. Lauren having wolf turn, acro and switch ring difficulties. Mihai Brestyan and Marta Karolyi watched Lauren's routine.

Floor - Also shaky. Not altogether a write-off, but not as good as podium training. Mitchell serious issues with front layout.

Vault and Bars - the best apparatus on show today, going by B's brief notes. Everyone got through their routines okay but there are still some nerves on show. She says she will have a detailed report up tomorrow. I believe there was some visible distress on their faces.

Sorry to be so vague, everyone. I was writing this post in my last hour of work, then had to come home and try wrangling my modem (which, after much wringing of hands and cables, I have now done).

An extended podium training gallery by Brigid McCarthy can be seen here.

2011 Worlds: MAG Training

The boys have not been forgotten!



GA have put up a brief update and some photos of the men's team as they prepare for Podium Training. I thought this was a nice touch:

Our Men's and Women's Teams will be wearing special patches on their GK competition uniforms to recognize the tremendous hardship that our friends in Japan have had to endure since the tsunamis that rocked this island country earlier this year. It will be our small way of acknowledging the resilience and fighting spirit of the people of Japan.
Good luck, guys!

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

2011 Worlds: WAG Training 3

Good morning, comrades!

Photo credit Brigid McCarthy


The Couch Gymnast has really come through for her fellow Aussies, staying for the rest of yesterday's podium training session when everyone else dashed off to cover the rockstars of Team USA. She has put up a nice photo gallery.

On the men's side, there is a GA update about their prospects here.

The ladies of team Aus are back in the training hall at 10:30AEDST so stay tuned!


(Awwwww!)

Edit - Brigid says the Aussie team is not in the training gym. So she may have accidentally got the time wrong, or they've opted out like the USA did the other day. Either way, I will keep my ear to the ground and update once they're in action again. Many apologies!

If you would like a nice, detailed listed of who has been filmed and on which events thus far, check out the excellent directory here.

GA have made a sub-page for Tokyo news here and made the following remarks about the podium training session:

A number of highlights from the Podium session were:
  • Consistent performances from the whole team on our starting apparatus Beam
  • Numerous comments from the judges on our Artistry on Floor (many thanks to Stacey Umeh and Lisa Bradley)
  • Some fantastic vaulting performances - in particular from our 2/1 twisting Yurchenko athletes Emily Little and Lauren Mitchell
  • Larrissa Miller’s performance on Bars
  • Ashleigh Brennan’s leaps on floor
  • Mary-anne Monckton had an opportunity to show her 1/1 twisting Tkatchev
  • Georgia-Rose’s artistry and gracefulness on floor
  • Reserve Nikki Chung had an opportunity to gain experience on the World Championship Podium.

Tomorrow the girls will have a slightly lighter training session, and then begin their final preparations for Team qualification on Friday.

Unfortunately, I can't say much about the men's side except that they have had a training session in the Yoyogi stadium (training gym).

Monday, October 3, 2011

2011 Worlds: WAG Podium Training LIVE!!!

Australia stretch their legs again in approximately one hour's time.



(pic courtesy of Gymnastics Australia. Click for larger)



Edit: I'm following TCG and TGE's Facebook updates 6:00pm AEDST. I'm kind of amalgamating their observations so forgive me!

Australia is in the red and black leos from last Worlds and rocking that famous unified walk. Martine thoroughly sussed out the beam before the gymnasts had even marched out.

Beam: Good reviews for Brown.
Monckton one hand down on a flight series but got it the second time around. Mitchell sticks BHS -flic-layout. Came off on the ring leap but got it on another attempt. Little great double pike dismount. Brennan "very sure of herself... Australia is lucky to have this routine"! All signs point to good for our bogey apparatus!


Floor:
Brennan warms up a full-in with a spot, adds a split jump afterward; 2.5 twist to sissone. Nice double tuck to finish. Also a double arabian in there? (Blythe is unsure)
Little stuck all her tumbles - tucked full in. Double tuck to good landing. 1.5 twist to double full twist. Double pike with a small hop. "Very good" says Blythe!
Monckton double tuck with a shuffle back. 2.5 twist to punch front, stag jump. Switch ring to tour jete full to tuck full. Double full to a high straddle jump [I am guessing she means pirouette?], double pike.
GRB her striking music with vocals. Double pike, had trouble controlling the landing. Front double full to single stag. Memmel turn? Brigid says "gorgeous" ring leap! 1.5 to front tuck to another single stag. Double tuck to end, a little low.
Brennan "huge" tuck full-in. Double tuck to stag. "Nice, just like a pro". Front layout, front lay full, sissone. Double pike slightly under-rotated and had to step forward.
Mitchell - whip to arabian to stag jump, earns a "WOW!", heehee. Crashed her 2.5 twist to front layout, tucking the layout and landing on her bum. Double wolf turn. Ends with double pike to split jump.
Miller double arabian to stag, stands it up. Front lay to double full. Double turn. Hands down on 2.5 twist at the end.
Chung - (we finally get a look at our exciting alternate!) Double pike to open, nice and high. Single wolf pirouette on floor. Punch front through to double full. Nearly lost it on double tuck at end.
Mitchell re-performs her 2.5 to front lay nicely. Miller re-does her 2.5 twist, first connected to a front tuck, then a front layout. Redid her full-in as well. Monckton practising her pirouettes.

Vault:
Maryanne - Yurchenko full a little low.
Georgia Rose - Yurchenko full piked down slightly.
Ashleigh - Brigid says 'half on full off?' with one step to the side. Could this be her Tsuk 1.5?
Emily - Baitova with slightly bent legs, lands with one small step.
Lauren - Baitova, lost form a little in the air, landed in crouch.
Nikki - "Very nice" Yurchenko full
Mez VT2 - no indication of the vault (whether or not it was the Yurchenko again), deep landing. Brigid compares her style to that of snappy Swiss expert Kaeslin.
Georgia Rose VT2- Pikes the landing a little, has to jump back
Ash VT2 - "Great, one little step but very nice"
Emily VT2 - Better, nice and high Baitova
Mitchell VT2 - Very good, a bit low on landing.
Mez VT3 - "Totally stuck" Yurchenko full!
GRB VT 3- Same vault as last. Struggles with landing.
Ash VT3 - Near stick, one step to the side.

I am assuming they all did one vault three times...?
(EDIT: Brigid says yes, they all vaulted the same thing three times)

Bars:

Ash is prepping the bars while the girls line up.

Little - neat but low jaeger. Stuck double layout dismount.
Monckton - caught shush and tkatchev, split legs on pak salto, lost it a little but kept going (banana back I guess?), small leg separation on DLO dismount but stuck it!
GRB - Low geinger but nice jaeger. Wonky stalder, giant half to double front with a spot.
Mitchell - Lot it on first pirouette, came off, remounted for just her double front dismount.
Miller - stalder, full turn to geinger good. Had to pause in her handstands a few times. Full twisting double off (Brigid is unsure about this).
Little - same as before, sticks DLO again. Messy feet on straddled moves.
Monckton - Lost her swing, walked away, did not reattempt.
GRB - Foot flexed in geinger, lost it in the giant after her jaeger and finished up there
Mitchell - Lost it again, on the first pirouette. Dismounted, is being coached about it.
Miller - repeated stalder, giant full, geinger "GREAT!", jaeger very high this time. Crouched a little on dismount.
Little - "Lost it, walked away".
Monckton - full routine. Hit shush, very high tkatchev. Same leg form on pak, haf to be spotted through full pirouette on low bar. Stuck DLO again but with low landing.
GRB - "Was doing really well but lost it on her upswing to high bar. She is back on and landed ok, just a couple of shuffle steps."
Mitchell - Straight to high bar. Did her jaeger. She did the rest of the routine but it was a little slow and slack, and she sat down her double front.
Miller - "Exquisite" giant full into her dismount, which was stuck.
As the music came up for the session to end, Lauren re-attempted her routine. Still a bit off, but landed her dismount to her feet.

Oh boy.

Hang in there, team, you can do it! We're all cheering for ya!

2011 Worlds: WAG Training 2

The Couch Gymnast has an extended training hall report and lovely photos up, including a couple of purple-clad Aussies. Thanks, Brigid!

(I hope the world falls in love with this girl, like they did with Hollie Dykes...)

The VWHPC at Facebook also has some rather nice photos of the girls in training as well. These guys are always good for on-the-scene updates, so if you've not already liked their page, do it do it do it do it!



And, not to be outdone, the ever vigilant fan site Gymnastike has videos! Woo, as I rightly hear you say, hoo!

Sunday, October 2, 2011

2011 Worlds: WAG Training

The Couch Gymnast, The Gym Examiner and Gymnastike are all inside the arena in Tokyo tapping, filming and snapping as fast as their fingers will allow!

Brigid (TCG) Facebooked the following brief remarks from Aussie podium training who are rotating as we speak!

Emily Little pounding out a solid beam set. She looks quite polished on her back tumbling and switch side. Nice high double pike off.

Mez Monckton training terrifically. Solid skills, great back pike, best leg up full turn today. Fell on switch half but got it again and AWESOME double pike dismount!

Mitchell BB looks fab... Combined wolf turn with single pirouette. Great ring leap! Timer off. Yep, the slow cook approach works for her. She is IN form.

GRB beautiful on beam as ever, but having trouble with full turn in split.

Missed a bit of floor [had battery issues]. Miller sat down two passes, but recovered her double arabian later. Mitchell crunched toes on a pass but generally looked okay. Chung fell on double tuck but looked very pretty. Missed HPC girls.

While Blythe (TGE) adds...

This team has two first-time Worlds competitors in Mary Anne Monckton and Georgia Rose Brown, and both look to be adapting to this climate very well, particularly Monckton, who was all power and drive on beam (very nice double pike dismount).

Props to Ashleigh Brennan of Australia, who looks totally fit and in control of her gymnastics here. Her floor is very nice (full in, front layout to front full to single stag third pass) and she's one of the steadiest on beam.

Seeing some nice tumbling on floor from the Aussies, particularly the powerful Emily Little (great half in half out) and Lauren Mitchell, who appears to be getting a handle on her whip to Arabian double.


No word on leos yet.

Gymnastike hopefully gets some Aussie-related videos!

Check this page at FullTwist for an excellent breakdown of competition session times.

Now, just a quick note to the Pedantic Pollies who like to pop up now and then.

1. Please don't take what happens in training as outright indication of how the team will perform later. That's just presumptuous and pointless.

2. The people reporting from this event are being extremely gracious with their time and resources (I do also point out my one known Aussie contact cheering on the team in Tokyo who will probably have some nuggests for us as well). They could very well just sit and watch the competition but instead they are in dedicated fan mode and getting information for other fans around the world as it happens.

Please please PLEASE do not pipe up with, "I think you'll find x-gymnast does Y-skill, NOT z-skill!" or "BUT WHY DIDN'T YOU MENTION X-GYMNAST/TEAM!? THEY'RE THERE TOO YOU KNOW!" or "You spelled that wrong, duh!" and things of that nature. It's just rude, and says more about you than it says about gymbloggers. Mistakes do get made in reporting due to speed - you've sat in a gym competition, you must know there are multiple things going on at once - and the author usually does their best to correct errors as soon as time permits during or after live coverage. Something like a World Championship is a fast and furious time and they do the best they can under the circumstances. I myself made an honest mistake this afternoon and was VERY RUDELY advised of it in comments. Thanks so much for that! Hope you get spoken to in that manner one day and can learn how it feels!

Please keep comments civil, and be mindful how much work is being put it in to bring you coverage of the event.

There. I'm off my grumpy stool now. Back to the gymnastics.

2011 Worlds: Australia in Prelims

Ok, hit a slight snag setting up my ADSL modem *untangles self from cables* but the good news is I should having working internet at home by Wednesday evening. Which, happily, is right before prelims kick off!

Australia WAG: Subdivision 3, Friday October 7th. Starting on beam.
Australia MAG: Subdivision 7, Monday October 10th. Starting on p-bars.