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Former level 10 gymnast turned huge fan.

Chalk Talk Tuesday: Jennifer Pinches

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Jennifer Pinches

Interview conducted by Elisa Emanuelli

via www.examiner.com

via www.examiner.com

Jennifer Pinches began gymnastics at age 6. She trained at the City of Liverpool gymnastics club and became a senior in 2010, competing for team GB as an all-arounder in both the 2010 and 2011 World Championships. At the 2012 British Championships, she won silver in the all-around and gold on beam. A strong all-arounder known for her power, she was chosen to represent team GB at the 2012 Olympics. They finished in 6th place as a team, then Jennifer surprised many by announcing her retirement shortly after the Olympics. She hasn’t slowed down one bit in retirement though, with a jam-packed schedule this past year including a trip to Ecuador, school, and staying involved with the sport of gymnastics. Read on to find out what she’s been up to, becoming a fan of the sport, and nerd fighting-

We love listening to your insight and hearing you commentate. Do you have any plans of pursuing that in the future?

via twitter, www.twitter.com/jempin515

via twitter, www.twitter.com/jempin515

Thank you, I would love to! I especially like writing about the things I am interested in, which is why I have a blog (www.jenniferpinches.blogspot.com). I also loved helping Matt Baker during the Olympic Games. I’m not sure what my future career will be. From a young age I have wanted to be a Blue Peter or TV presenter- I feel quite relaxed in front of the camera and it looks like so much fun! I also enjoy acting and writing. I think it might be quite hard to get into the media and/or television business however, so I’m not sure how realistic it is.

We love how excited you still get about the sport of gymnastics and how you seem to have transitioned from athlete to a big fan. Did you always follow gymnastics even while competing, or did you become more of a fan after you retired?

Interestingly, while I was competitive I wasn’t really a fan like I am now. I think because I was training so many hours a day, that when I wasn’t training I just didn’t want to think about gymnastics, so that I had a separate time to relax.  Of course I used to admire seeing great gymnasts and competing against them but it’s only since I have retired that I’ve started to love and follow it!

What I didn’t realise before is that gymnastics is a big part of my identity- but with a lack of being in the gym every day I suddenly felt excluded from the ‘gym world’ and missed it more than I expected to. I started to spend my spare time keeping up with gymnastics world news, watching gymnastics videos, and trying to stay involved with the community. I now fully appreciate beautiful gymnastics and feel even luckier to have had the international experiences I have had.

With the pro gymnastics challenge a few weeks ago, have you thought at all about doing any kind of exhibition or professional gymnastics?

I feel so unfit now (in comparison to my Olympic fitness level) that the thought of competing again is a scary, but exciting! The PGC looked SO cool though, I think you should definitely watch this space.

What are some of your favourite memories from the London Olympics? What was it like getting to meet Prime Minister David Cameron and Kate Middleton?

via zimbio.com

via zimbio.com

My favourite memory is finishing competing on Floor and Vault in the Team Final. I got personal best scores and was so exhilarated that I had been able to pull off good performances, especially after falling off the Beam in the first rotation.

Besides gymnastics memories I enjoyed meeting many celebrities: Miranda Hart (British comedian), Ronnie Wood (of The Rolling Stones band), Jessie J (music artist), Rowan Atkinson (known for playing Mr Bean), the Prime Minister (who by chance was there to watch Katherine Grainger and Anna Watkins win gold with us at Team GB House), Princes Harry and William, and also Kate Middleton who is absolutely lovely and so down-to-earth.

Congratulations on finishing up exams! Can you share with us a little about what you’ve been studying and what else you’ve been up to in the past year?

Thank you- such a weight off my shoulders! I’ve been trying to make it to this position for three years now! I was studying the English Language and Psychology (that doesn’t mean I can read your mind), which are both interesting subjects. I only took two because I was planning on finishing them in 2012, and the idea was to put less stress on me. As it happened I finished them this year instead.

Besides school work my life has been pretty chilled compared to what I have been used to. I’ve been enjoying the freedom and not taken on too many projects but there are a few different bits and bobs I have done. I have visited many schools, gym clubs and competitions presented some awards, I’ve gladly attended the UK Book Tour of ‘The Fault In Our Stars’ by John Green, I’ve helped the BBC a little, I’ve visited the Houses of Parliament and I’ve taken part in a photo shoot for the Barnaby Festival Exhibition to name a few.

Can you tell us a bit about your experience in Ecuador last year? Do you have any plans to do more volunteer work in a foreign country?

Ecuador was incredible. The two month trip was just what I needed after the Olympic Games to avoid the shock of it all being over, and there were so many highlights.

I climbed a mountain, floated down the rapid current of the Amazon River as a monstrous rainstorm began to lighten, and went swimming with giant sea turtles, sharks and sea lions in the clear turquoise water off the coast of the Galapagos Islands.

Not only that but between the moments of paradise, I helped to improve the lives of many others around South America.

Part of our volunteering included teaching and providing people with the opportunity to learn English in remote areas where this would benefit them greatly. We also worked to support endangered marine animals and protect the habitats of the indigenous wildlife along the equator.

All the people I met were good natured, welcoming and grateful. When we finished building a playground for a primary school in Las Tunas, the children put on a show of dancing to thank us. On top of all of that, I even learnt to speak a little Spanish.

A picture went around the web of you flashing the nerdfighter sign at the Olympics. Can you tell us a bit about what was behind that and how you became a nerdfighter?

Screen Shot 2013-06-12 at 8.26.50 PMI did the hand signal meaning ‘Don’t Forget To Be Awesome’ which originates from the ‘nerdfighter’ online community. It is just a positive symbol and shows I am a fan of John Green (bestselling author) and Hank Green (musician).  The brothers also are very popular video bloggers on Youtube and have set up many things such as SciShow and CrashCourse education. My friend Tamsin introduced me many years ago and I like it because the group represents good solid values: celebrating your unique qualities, broadening your mind and being interested and enthusiastic about stuff!

Do you have any predictions for the upcoming World Championships?

I will enjoy watching them.

Have you ever been starstruck by any of the athletes you’ve competed or worked with?

Well as I said before I didn’t used to be such a big gymnastics fan and I also don’t tend to get starstruck, although when I was younger every British elite gymnast inspired me, especially Imogen (Cairns) who I looked up to within my own gymnastics club at the time, and Beth (Tweddle). Also, I was super excited to see Shawn Johnson and Nastia Luikin at the Beijing Olympics (from a distance). My favourite gymnast at the moment is Aliya Mustafina.

What’s something your fans would be surprised to know about you?

I used to collect Beanie Babies (‘ty’) and still have around 400.

 

 

Fast Facts:

Favorite Food- Homemade Macoroni Cheese

Favorite Musician/Band- SO VARIED. Newton Faulkner, Michael Jackson, The Feeling, Justin Timberlake, Maroon 5, Beyoncé, Alt J, Train, Green Day, Mumford and Sons, Black Eyed Peas, The Beatles, Take That, Macklemore & Ryan, Ed Sheeran, Disney (!) the list goes on and on ………………………

Dream Job- See Question 1

Favorite Movie- The Lion King

Super Power you wish you had- Teleportation

Favorite skill to perform- Double straight (a.k.a ‘double layout’) off the tumble track.

Dream travel destination- The Bahamas

Favorite gymnast- Aliya Mustafina

Word your teammates would use to describe you- Bubbly

Word your coaches would use to describe you- Powerful

 

Thank you for the interview, Jennifer! We know you’ll continue to be successful wherever life takes you.

 

Weekend Elite Gym Catch Up

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Weekend Catch Up

by Elisa Emanuelli 

Andreea Iridon, Andreea Munteanu & Mădălina Blendea at the France-Romania Friendly (via Blythe Lawrence)

Andreea Iridon, Andreea Munteanu & Mădălina Blendea at the France-Romania Friendly (via Blythe Lawrence)

With the European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) and World University Games coming up in July, selection processes continue. Last weekend, there was a friendly meet between French and Romanian juniors and another one between Brazilian and British juniors and seniors. Meanwhile, in Japan selections for World University Games continue with another all-around competition. Finally, there was a meet in Slovakia that served the purpose of nationals but also had some famous international names.

France vs Romania

This friendly meet between the two countries was part of the selection process for the EYOF. There was a team competition, an all-around, and event finals. The team competition was won by Romania led by the amazing Andreea Munteanu. Munteanu then dominated the all-around and despite a fall on bars, she still came out on top with a 55.6. In addition to her gold AA medal, she also took home golds on vault, beam, and floor and unveiled a new DTY vault. Romanian Andreea Iridon also had a good weekend, finishing in third in the AA and winning gold on bars and silvers on beam and floor.

The French had a few struggles, but Claire Martin delivered strong performances throughout. She finished in second in the AA and then added to that bronze medals on bars and floor. Her teammate Louise Vanhille was the only other French competitor to medal. She finished with a silver medal on vault, but also worth a watch is her bar routine which gained the highest score during team finals.

Full results: http://gymnasticsresults.com/2013/eu/fra/fraroujun.html

Andreea Munteanu on BB:

More Videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/fatalbeauty/videos

Great Britain vs. Brazil

This meet was a trial meet for the British in preparation for EYOF. Brazil was also in attendance and some seniors from both teams competed. There was a junior all-around competition, which was won by the Brazilian Rebeca Andrade. Andrade is fresh of her victory from the Brazil Trophy and performed an amanar vault, which previously we had only seen in practice. Her 15.7 on vault helped catapult her team to victory. In the junior all-around she was followed by British hope gymnast Tyesha Mattis. Mattis perfomed a Silivas on floor, becoming the first British gymnast to successfully compete it.

In the senior all-around competition, Brazilian Jade Barbosa came out victorious, followed by Brazilian Adrian Gomes.  Ruby Harrold was also in attendance, representing her club The Academy, but unfortunately she did not appear to have had the best competition.

Rebeca Andrade’s Amanar:

Full Results: http://www.eastlondongym.co.uk/events/2013/2013-06-08-brazil-invitational

NHK Cup

The NHK Cup is a Japanese all-around competition. The purpose of this meet is for selection for the World Univeristy Games in July and then the World Championships in September. Olympian Asuka Teramoto won the all-around with a 55.00. She was followed by Natsumi Sasada, who won the AA at nationals. Finally, in third came Mai Murakami, who also finished third at nationals. Murakami, as always, shone on floor finishing with a 14.25 (6.0 SV).

Full Results: http://www.jpn-gym.or.jp/artistic/2013/result/pdf/13nhk_w2.pdf

Full NHK Cup:

Gym Festival in Trnava

            Age seemed to be the key to success at the Gym Festival in Trnava, Slovakia. The International all-around was won by Oksana Chusovitina (56.050), followed by Anna Pavlova (55.200) and Barbora Mokosova (52.750). Chusovitina also took home gold on vault and silver on beam. While Pavlova medaled on all apparatuses: gold on floor, silver on vault and bronze on bars and beam. Slovakian Mokosova won gold on bars and bronze on floor during event finals and she also won gold at the National all-around Championships.

Full Results: http://www.gymnasticsresults.com/2013/eu/svk/gymfestival.html

 

The Victorian Championships also took place last weekend. For a great recap and videos, check out this article on The Couch Gymnast.

Chalk Talk Tuesday: Giulia Steingruber

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Chalk Talk Tuesday: Giulia Steingruber

Interview by Elisa Emanuelli

via www.zimbio.com

via www.zimbio.com

Before 2012, most would have associated Giulia Steingruber with her powerful vaulting. However, the Swiss gymnast has since upgraded her routines to become an all-around threat. In the 2012 Olympics, she finished in a record 14th place in the all-around and then finished 4th in the 2013 European Championships. She continues to be a force to be reckoned with on vault, winning gold at both European Championships and La Roche-sur-Yon World Cup this year. Read on to find out about her experience from the London Olympics and how she got started in gymnastics.

 

Congratulations on winning vault at Euros this year, what an amazing accomplishment! Can you tell us what the experience was like?

Thank you, it was amazing and also a good motivation to go on and try to get higher and higher.

 

Some have thought of you as a vault specialist in the past, but you’ve shown impressive growth on the other 3 events and have proven yourself as a force to be reckoned with in the all-around. How have you worked to improve your other events?

Vault and floor were always easier for me while bars and beam needed a bit more time, but I just wanted to improve on every event, so I worked hard to become a good all- arounder.

 

You competed in your first Olympics in London and finished a record 14th place in the all-around, what did you learn from being constantly surrounded by top class athletes in all types of sports? Once the gymnastics competition was finished did you get to enjoy any other events?


I learned again how to work with pressure from myself, and it was a big experience. First I was concentrated on my own competitions, but after all my events I went to look around. One volleyball match was cool, just the weather wasn’t so good :)

Screen Shot 2013-06-04 at 8.17.51 PMWhat keeps you motivated to keep going at such a high level? Did you ever consider retiring or taking time off after London?

I had a lot of motivation after the Olympics. I couldn’t accomplish all my goals so I wanted to work hard again to make them come true.

What’s it like being from a country not traditionally known for its gymnastics? Do you feel like you face any additional challenges that competitors from the major countries don’t have to deal with?

We are a small country, but we are on a good way to grow up. We don’t have as many gymnasts as America, but we can’t change that we have to manage it. And every gymnast has to start from zero.

What made you decide to train a Rudi and a full twisting tsukahara vault versus the ever so popular yurchenko vaults?

I really don’t know, I tried yurchenko but at the time it wasn’t “comfortable” for me so I took the tsukahara, and this rudi was good from the beginning.

(via www.zimbio.com)

(via www.zimbio.com)

What goals would you like to accomplish in gymnastics, are you working on upgrading any of your routines?

I have to upgrade my second vault, and also my other routines. I try after each big competition to improve something more.

How did you get involved in gymnastics and who has been your biggest inspiration in the sport?

I was first in a lower level but my neighbour was in gymnastics and did some skills outside and I wanted to do the same, so I went once with her in a training and was so impressed. And Svetlana Khorkina was a big inspiration for me!

If you could trade lives with someone for a day, who would you choose?

Just with a “normal” worker, I want to know how it is if you have to work all day.

If you passed your favorite celebrity on the street, who would it be and what would you do?

(via www.zimbio.com)

(via www.zimbio.com)

It could be any celebrity like rihanna, justin timberlake or someone else, I would ask if I can take a photo with him/her.

What would you do if you won the lottery? 

I think I would give some to my sister, cause she’s handicapped. The rest I would keep on the side.

 

Fast Facts:

Dream Job- Something with health

Favorite Movie- Pitch Perfect

Dream Travel Destination- L.A.

 

Thanks for the interview, Guilia! Keep on showing the world what small countries are made of! 

Nationals Everywhere

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Nationals Everywhere!

by Elisa Emanuelli

 

Over the past few weeks, Nationals have been taking place all over the world. Some nations saw the crowning of seasoned veterans while others had surprising victors. Below is a quick overview of the results from each competition, with some must see routines.

 

Germany

In Germany, Elisabeth Seitz defended her all-around title. Though Seitz was absent from Europeans due to exams, she returned to training three weeks ago and was able to beat Katharina Hill (silver) and Kim Bui (bronze) to win her 4th consecutive all-around national title. She also claimed gold on beam and floor and bronze on uneven bars. Olympian Kim Bui added to her AA bronze medal a gold on vault and silver on floor. While Sophie Scheder, who only competed on beam and uneven bars due to a hip injury, won gold on uneven bars.

Italy

The Italian assoluti (nationals) happened last weekend and favorites Vanessa Ferrari (recovering from injury), Carlotta Ferlito (taking time off for exams) and Enus Mariani (back problems) were all missing. This left the competition wide open and saw 14-year old-Tea Ugrin taking the all-around title, beating seniors Elisa Meneghini and Giorgia Campana who finished second and third respectively. Ugrin is a tiny gymnast with beautiful form. You can watch her floor routine below which gained her another gold medal. Event finals were less surprising with Campana regaining her uneven bars title. Arianna Rocca won on vault and also got an unexpected silver on beam. Elisabetta Preziosa claimed gold on beam and silver on floor.

 

Japan

In Japan there was also a new all-arounder crowned; Natsumi Sasada won her first title. She was not on the 2012 Olympic team last year due to injury, but this year she has a new coach, her mother, and was able to clinch the title in front of Olympian Yu Minobe and fan favorite Mai Murakami. Murakami always has innovative elements in her routines, you can watch her quad turn on floor below. Also worth watching is Sasada’s beam mount, a garrison mount, which is the most difficult beam mount in the CoP with a G difficulty value.

Natsumi Sasada – Garrison mount

Mai Murakami – Quad turn

 

China

At Chinese nationals, the all-around was won by Yao Yinnan, followed by Shang Chunsong. Chunsong won gold on beam and tied for gold on floor. The uneven bars final was one of the most riveting to watch. He Kexin, who has won the title for the past couple of years, was beaten by Huang Huidan (see routine below). Huang Huidan will probably be Mustafina’s biggest competition at World’s. She has an impressive 6.6 start value, .3 higher than Mustafina at Euro’s, but Mustafina does have higher execution.

 

Canada

Ellie Black dominated at Canadian Championships, winning the all-around and also claiming gold on beam. She then added a silver on floor and bronze on vault. Maegan Chant finished third in the all-around and then won gold on vault. Kaitlyn Hofland claimed the uneven bars title and Gabriella Douglas the floor title. 2012 Olympian Victoria Moors competed generally watered down routine, but did debut a double twisting double layout on floor, which you can view below. If she were to compete it at World’s it would be named the Moors.

 

Brazil

Last week the Brazil Trophy took place and 14-year-old Rebecca Andrade claimed the all-around title. She had the top score on every apparatus and won by over a 3 point margin. She first won the Brazil Trophy last year at age 13, beating world and Olympic veterans. She was the 2012 junior pan-america all-around champion and is Brazil’s rising star. She is best known for being able to perform the amanar vault at the age of 13! You can watch her training the amanar and her beautiful DTY from last years Brazil Trophy.

USA

A couple of weeks ago, J.O. nationals took place in Minneapolis. With 8 age divisions, there were many winners. You can check out videos of the various winners on USAG’s youtube channel here:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJBt-Bl-D7naLTsiv2KGi22gGzhVAP_L9

 

So what is the consequence of winning nationals? Well it depends by country, for some countries this was just a chance to prove that you are the best gymnast in the country. For other countries, e.g. Japan, nationals served as trials for this summer’s University games in Kazan, Russia. While the Chinese nationals served as a qualification event for the quadrennial National Games in September. Overall, keep in mind that this is the start of a new quad and many gymnasts are still adjusting to the new CoP. The World Championships this year should prove to be very interesting.

 

Chalk Talk Tuesday: Hannah Whelan

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Hannah Whelan 

Interview by Elisa Emanueli

via hannahwhalen.com

via hannahwhalen.com

Since becoming a GB senior in 2008, Hannah Whelan has had an impressive career, including selection for both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic teams. She is also a two time British all-around champion.  Known for her wonderful floor and beam routines, she earned medals in both of these events at the 2012 European Championships and 2010 World Cups. She trains at the City of Liverpool Gymnastics Club with her new coach Claire Duffy. Read what she has to say about her experiences at both Olympics and what rule she would change if she were queen of gymnastics.

You have had the opportunity to compete in both the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2012 London Olympics, what are your favourite memories from both of these Olympics?

I was very young and inexperienced at the Beijing Olympics so I remember the whole of the Olympics being an overwhelming and fantastic experience! One of my favorite experiences was having photos taken for newspapers back home with the tallest member of team GB and me, the smallest member of team gb! Also, the village I remember the village being huge! It was so spread out it was like living in our own little town for 3 weeks.

For the London Olympics, I have so many amazing memories; the two that stick out for me is the atmosphere in the arena when we marched in and out for our competitions. The support from the crowd was amazing and I will never forget people standing up and clapping as we marched out from team finals! The second memory is watching the men’s pommel final whilst sitting next to and chatting to Kate Middleton! To meet the princess and for her to be so interested in what I had to say was an unbelievable experience that I will never forget!

After the Olympics many gymnasts decide to take breaks or retire, what made you decide to continue training?

Hannah at the Glasgow World Cup (via f2images.wordpress.com)

Hannah at the Glasgow World Cup (via f2images.wordpress.com)

I still love doing gymnastics, If I didn’t enjoy it anymore, I would retire, but I still enjoying training and competing. I admit it hasn’t been easy to start training again after the Olympics but I have a new coach and new training partners and I am still loving being in the gym and that’s all that matters!

This year you won the AA at English Championships, and then silver on beam at British Championships. What did you learn from these experiences?

As I said before, it hasn’t been easy getting competition fit after having some time out after the Olympics, The English championships and British were very early in the season this year and I wasn’t completely competition fit as I had some new skills and connections. I’m still getting used to my new coach who has helped me so much and a different type of training since the Olympics, and I’m still not quite where I want to be yet, but training is going well and it was great to get back out there again, try some new skills and work with my new coach Claire Duffy.

What are your plans for this quad, upgrades and competitions wise?

I’m hoping to go the World student games this summer, I think it would be a fantastic experience and a great competition to try some new connections on beam and bars. I am also training towards the commonwealth games next summer in Glasgow which will also be a fantastic competition!

If you were queen of gymnastics for the day, what rule change would you make?

I would bring back the lunge on floor, I think it helps bring out the artistry of gymnastics as gymnasts are sometimes trying so hard to land tumbles dead their chests are low and legs apart so it doesn’t look as good.

What has been your favorite place to travel? (Either for gymnastics or outside of the sport)

I would have to say Tokyo for the 2011 World championships. We were out there for a good 3 weeks to get over jetlag and it was the most amazing and different place! I also had a really good competition and I was out there with some of my best friends so I really enjoyed that trip!

Where would you go in a time machine?

I would go back to Beijing Olympics and London Olympics just to relive the whole experience, I was so young in Beijing I almost couldn’t appreciate where I was!

What’s an interesting fact about you or something fans would be surprised to learn?

I was born in Singapore.

 Screen Shot 2013-05-14 at 7.32.29 PM

Fast Facts:

Favorite Musician/Band- Beyoncé

Dream Job- Beyonce’s back up dancer

Favorite Movie- Pitch Perfect

Super Power you wish you had- Flying

Favorite Skill- Free cartwheel on beam

Dream Travel Destination- Anywhere in America

Favorite Gymnast- Nastia Liukin

Word your teammates would use to describe you- Supportive

Word your coach would use to describe you- Clumsy

 

10 Must-See Routines from Euros

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Top 10 Routines from the 2013 European Championships by Elisa Emanueli

 

The 2013 European Championships were a mix of the expected (Russian and Romanian domination) and the unexpected (Paseka). Some routine were hits and others just didn’t quite make the cut.  Here is a look at my top 10 routines from Euro’s.

 

10. Carlotta Ferlito (ITA) Floor Final

When most people think of Ferlito, they think beam. While she’s wonderful on that event I have a soft spot for her floor routine! She doesn’t have the hardest tumbling, but her choreography and music always get to me. After the disappointment of finishing 4th in beam EF, it was great to see her do a flawless floor routine with a smile on her face.

9. Elisa Meneghini (ITA) Beam All-Around

Meneghini just floats on beam! It was a shame that she fell during EFs, but during the all-around she performed a great routine, which led her to a 7th place finish; a great result for the first year senior. 

8. Giulia Steingruber (SUI) Vault Final

Steingruber had an amazing European’s, especially with her 4th place finish in the AA, but her standout event will always be vault for me. I love her rudi and she always hits when it counts, allowing her to become the European gold medalist. 

7. Anastasia Grishina (RUS) Beam All-Around

After falling on beam during qualifications, I was hoping that she would hit her routine during the all-around. She did not disappoint and performed well, which allowed her to grab the bronze AA medal. She has one of my favourite beam combinations: onodi + illusion turn.

6. Jonna Adlerteg (SWE) Uneven Bar’s Final

I have to admit before the final I had never seen Adlerteg compete, but I was pleasantly surprised. She had a beautiful routine and I swear the girl must use superglue because her legs were perfectly together the entire time!

5. Diana Bulimar (ROM) Floor Final

Two words come to mind when thinking of Bulimar on floor: energy and perfection. She has definitely adapted to the new code and she hits all of her tumbling passes so well. I cant wait to see what upgrades she will add in the run up to worlds.

4. Larisa Iordache (ROM) Balance Beam Final

For so early in the quad, Iordache already has a high SV (6.4) and apparently that’s her at only 70%! Her routine was impeccable, nailing pretty much every move, and I loved her bhs + tucked full combination.

3. Maria Paseka (RUS) Uneven Bar’s Final

After having fallen on both vaults in vault finals, I thought that the disappointment would affect her UB routine. Instead, she had a clean routine and finished in an unexpected third place! Bonus: Mustafina and Grishina’s reactions to her routine. You can really see the team spirit and I swear Mustafina looked happier for Paseka’s bronze medal finish then her own gold!

2. Ksenia Afanasyeva (RUS) Floor Final

Not many gymnasts can combine beauty, artistry, and power quite as well as Afanasyeva can. She still needs to make a few changes to adjust to the new CoP, but nonetheless her floor routine is one of my favourites to watch.

1. Aliya Mustafina (RUS) Uneven Bar’s Final

She doesn’t quite have her Olympic routine back, but for so early in the quad there’s no need. Her UB routine is always amazing and definitely the best in the world right now. To be honest, Mustafina is always a joy to watch!

  

Chalk Talk Tuesday: Gabby Jupp

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Chalk Talk Tuesday: Gabby Jupp

Interview by Elisa Emanueli

Screen Shot 2013-04-23 at 9.15.32 PM

Before the start of 2013, Gabby Jupp was the British junior all-around champion, uneven bars champion, and the junior European bronze medalist on floor. This year, she became a senior and burst onto the international scene with a great performance at the American Cup.  She then had an amazing weekend at the British Championships where she became the senior British all-around champion, also adding golds on floor and beam along with a silver on bars. Her break-out year continued at the Doha World Cup where she won bronze on beam and bars. Gabby competed at the European Championships last weekend and suffered an unfortunate injury to her knee after an awkward landing on her beam dismount. Despite her fall, her score of 13.566 would actually have put her in the European beam final. The latest news is that Gabby returned to Great Britain to get an MRI and will begin her recovery. Here’s our interview with the talented up-and-coming star-

The British Championships were undoubtedly a great success for you! Did your win affect how you felt/competed at your next competition?

Yes, it definitely gave me more confidence knowing I was British Champion. I was a bit more relaxed and just really wanted to enjoy it.

You had an amazing senior debut at the American Cup, what was it like competing on such a big international stage?

I was extremely nervous to compete in front of so many people, but I gained so much experience and met some really fantastic gymnasts.

You are known for your consistency, how do you keep your nerves in check at competitions?

I do lots of numbers of routines so when it comes to performing it in competition I feel more confident. I also visualise my routines a lot.

How did it feel getting to watch the Olympics in your own country? What are your feelings towards the age limit for the Olympics?

(via www.dailymail.co.uk )

(via www.dailymail.co.uk )

It was so inspiring watching the Olympics, the atmosphere was incredible. I think there should be an age limit otherwise you don’t get to enjoy taking part in junior competitions like junior Europeans and EYOF which gave me so much experience.

Are you planning on any upgrades, maybe an extra twist to your FTY?

I’m working double twist on vault and it is going well but I will only compete it when it’s ready. I’m also working on some more difficult tumbles, which I hope to compete later in the year. I hope to upgrade my bars with another release and a few extra elements and I am just working on perfecting my routine on beam at the moment.

What are your goals for this quad? Are you looking towards Rio 2016?

My main goal is to stay fit and healthy and keep working as hard as I can to get some new elements into my routines and see where it gets me. I would love to do a few world championships and my dream is to go to Rio.

What would you say has been your greatest moment in the sport so far?

Performing at the American Cup in front of such a big crowd and against some amazing gymnasts was one of my highlights. Also, becoming Senior British champion was a dream come true.

Which gymnast(s) inspires you the most?

(via tumblr)

(via tumblr)

Obviously Beth Tweddle is a huge inspiration, her bar routine at the Olympics was absolutely amazing. Shawn Johnson is also one of my favourite gymnasts, I loved her power and style.

What’s an interesting fact about you or something fans would be surprised to learn?

I have a twin brother called Luke.

If you could trade lives with someone for a day, who would you choose?

I would love to trade lives with Shawn Johnson to see what life is like as an Olympic champion.

 

Thank you for the interview, Gabby! We wish you a speedy recovery and know you’ll be back at the top of the leader board soon.

 

Chalk Talk Tuesday: Laurie Hernandez

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Chalk Talk Tuesday: Laurie Hernandez

(via tumblr)

(via tumblr)

At just 12 years old, Laurie Hernandez has already turned heads in the gymnastics world. Currently a junior international elite, it’s hard to believe she competed as a level 6 in 2010! Last year, she placed second on beam at the American Classic, then finished sixth on floor and seventh on beam at the US Classic. She also competed at the 2012 Visa Championships. So far in 2013, she finished 2nd at the WOGA classic and is currently gearing up for the elite season this summer. It just so happens that Laurie turns senior in 2016, perfect timing for Rio. Read what she has to say about upgrades, future goals, and something you might not know about training camp-

 

What upgrades do you have in the works? Anything new we should expect to see in your routines this summer?

I’m training my Yurchenko double full for vault. On beam I’ve added a BHS LO LO and switch leap 1/2. For floor I’m doing a double Arabian-Sissone and full in. And on bars I’ve added a stalder Hect, Stalder 1/1 before my reverse Hect, and my front giant requirement is an endo 1/2.

Can you take us through a typical day in the life of Laurie? 

I have practice from 8:30-12:30. Then I do school at the gym until 2:45, and then 2nd practice from 3:00-5:15. I train with my younger teammate, Ari, who just qualified International Elite, and another girl who switched to my gym hoping to qualify elite, and 4 level 8′s.

When I get home, I eat dinner and then finish up my schoolwork until about 7pm, then I shower and go to bed!

Your floor routine was a big hit last year. Will you be using the same routine this year? How did you develop such confidence and style on the event?

I got a new floor routine for this season, and I’m really excited to show everyone! This is my favorite floor routine yet, because I get to really show it off. My coach thinks dance is REALlY important, so she is constantly correcting every little detail and making changes to my routine to make it better!

What are your short and long-term goals in gymnastics?

This year my goal is to make National Team and to hit all my routines at Championships.  And I want to go to the Olympics and compete for the USA!

You’ve been with your coach, Maggie, since you started gymnastics. What’s your relationship like with her?

We’re like best friends! We work really well together about 95% of the time, lol.  We spend a lot of time together, because she coaches me on every event-everyday, and does all my flexibility, conditioning and choreography! She’s the only coach I’ve had since I was 5 years old.

Laurie at the 2012 Visa Championships (via gymnastike)

Laurie at the 2012 Visa Championships (via gymnastike)

How do you like going down to camp in Houston? Is there anything about the ranch fans would be surprised to know?

Well…The Internet connection at the ranch is getting better and the eggs are amazing!! And there are camels and peacocks walking around everywhere.

I love going to camp every month and getting to see all the girls. It’s like we’re all sisters.

What are your favorite things to do away from the gym?

I like to do my nails (like everyday). And I like to draw. I try to go to my teammates competitions as much as I can. And that’s about it, because I spend more time in the gym than out of the gym!

If you could guest star on any TV show or be in any movie, what would it be and why?

I would love to be on Dancing with the Stars or So you think you can Dance. Because I love to dance!

 

Fast Facts:

(via dev.monmouthgymnastics.com)

(via dev.monmouthgymnastics.com)

Favorite Food: Eggs at the Ranch.. Just kidding, Spaghetti

Favorite Musician/Band: One Direction

Dream Job: Doing Choreography

Favorite Movie: I haven’t really seen any movies lately

Favorite Skill: My Double layout that I’m training on floor, for next year

Dream Travel Destination: Brazil.. Rio ;)

Favorite Subject: Science

Favorite Gymnast: Shawn Johnson

Word your teammates would use to describe you: I just asked them, and they said “crazy, funny and silly”

Word your coach would use to describe you: I just asked her and she said “refreshing”

 

Questions for Laurie’s coach, Maggie:

Marta Karolyi congratulates Laurie at camp (via dev.monmouthgymnastics.com)

Marta Karolyi congratulates Laurie at camp (via dev.monmouthgymnastics.com)

What’s it like training your first international elite gymnast? Have you had to change the training plan at all to accommodate the rigors of elite?

I love being involved in the elite world. It’s where Laurie and I belong. Since Laurie was about 9, I knew this was the plan for her, so we’ve been training this way for a few years now. The biggest adjustment has been going to camp every month an trying to make sure my other gymnasts are ok.

What’s Laurie like to coach? What’s her training personality like?

Laurie is very refreshing to coach. She has never complained or questioned anything I ask of her. Laurie has really matured in the last few months, and we are in this together and have a common goal.

Laurie is happy in the gym, so it makes for a great environment.

 

Thank you for the interview, Laurie and Maggie! Good luck to Laurie this summer and beyond. We see a very bright future ahead of her! 

 

European Championships Preview 2013

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European Championships Preview by Elisa Emanuelli

 

April 17th marks the start of the 2013 European Gymnastics Championships in Moscow, the largest international meet since the Olympics. There will be no team competition, but there will be All-Around and Event Finals. Each country can send up to 4 gymnasts to compete and a week ago the nominative list of the gymnasts competing was released here.

Let’s go through the major countries, take a look at who they’ve chosen, and see what we can expect from them.

 

Russia

Aliya Mustafina (via www.womenfitness.net)

Aliya Mustafina (via www.womenfitness.net)

The Russian federation has chosen Aliya Mustafina, Anastasia Grishina, Maria Paseka and Ksenia Afanasyeva to send to Moscow. So far this quad, Mustafina has already won the AA at Russian Nationals and at the Stella Zakharova Cup. She’s posted some high scores on both beam, 15.450, and uneven bars, 15.450. She is one of the top contenders for the AA gold medal, but her knee seems to be giving her a few issues, so this might hinder her capacities. It has recently been announced that Afanasyeva will also be competing in the AA and has upgraded her DTY vault to an Amanar. If she can successfully complete the Amanar, it’ll be a big advantage for her in the AA! She will also be attempting to make EF finals for beam and floor. So far this year she has already won gold, 14.633 (SV 6.000), on floor at the French World Cup. If she manages to stay on the beam and repeat her performance at Russian Nationals on beam where she got 15.133 (SV 5.600), she could also be a top contender for a beam medal.

Meanwhile, Paseka will be vying for a vault medal and is apparently also competing on uneven bars. She won bronze on vault at the Olympics and her main competition, Sandra Izbasa, is not competing. It’s likely that she’ll be the only vault finalist competing an Amanar, so she has a very high chance of coming away with gold on that event. Grishina will be competing in the AA and a few event finals. She won gold on beam 14.600 (SV 5.8) and UB 14.375 (SV 6.1) in Cottbus.  At Russian Nationals she finished second in the AA, but her readiness has been put into question by Russian coach Valentina Rodionenko. You can read what she say’s about Grishina and the rest of the Russian team at Rewriting Russian Gymnastics.

 

Romania

Larissa Iordache (via olympics.time.com)

Larissa Iordache (via olympics.time.com)

Larisa Iordache and Diana Bulimar will be the only gymnasts competing for Romania. Iordache pulled out of a few meets early this year for undisclosed reasons, but now appears strong and has some very high start values. She dominated at the Doha World Cup winning gold on beam with a15.500 (SV 6.7) and silver on both vault (14.675-VT1 SV 5.8, VT2 SV 5.2) and floor (14.425-SV 6.1). She will be a real threat in the AA, but will also be a top contender in EFs. Bulimar will have a very good chance of making floor finals, having come in first (14.625-SV 6.9) at the Doha World Cup and second (14.533) in the French World Cup. At the Doha World Cup, she also competed on beam finishing fourth (14.350-SV 5.7) and on uneven bars finishing fifth (13.750-SV 5.500).

 

Great Britain

Ruby Harrold (via confessionsofagymfan.blogspot.com)

Ruby Harrold (via confessionsofagymfan.blogspot.com)

The GB team consists of Gabby Jupp, Charlie Fellows, Ruby Harrold and Becky Downie. Jupp and Fellows will be competing in the AA, having come first and second respectively at British Championships. Jupp also has great potential in uneven bars, beam, and floor finals. She could be in contention for a beam medal given that won the event at the British Championships and came in third at the Doha World Cup. Harrold will be competing for an uneven bars medal and if she manages a clean solid routine, she could well come away with a medal. She’s currently tied for the highest SV with a 6.3 (same as Mustafina) and got silver with a score of 14.500 on UB at the Doha World Cup for her unique routine. Downie is the most experienced of the four and will be aiming to make UB finals. She won gold on UB at the British Championships with 13.066 and has a SV of 6.2.

 

Italy

Vanessa Ferrari (via tumblr)

Vanessa Ferrari (via tumblr)

The gymnasts chosen to represent Italy are Vanessa Ferrari, Elisa Meneghini, Carlotta Ferlito, and Giorgia Campana. Ferrari sustained a minor injury at the Jesolo Trophy competition and had to pull out of the Tokyo Word Cup. She appears to be back in shape, as in a recent Italian camp she was chosen for the competition. We can expect her to compete on floor, her specialty, and depending on her readiness possibly also the AA.  First year senior Elisa Meneghini has been dominating the AA in the Serie A meets, placing first twice and also finishing right behind the Americans in Jesolo. At the Tokyo World Cup, her first big international competition as a senior, she had quite a few errors leaving her in seventh place. She will also be aiming for a beam medal, having won bronze last year at junior European Championships. Carlotta Ferlito will be competing in beam and floor finals. She won beam with a 14.300 (SV 5.8) at the French World Cup and finished third (13.733-SV 5.5) on floor. Giorgia Campana is the best senior Italian bars worker and she’ll be aiming to reach the final in her specialty. She could also be seen competing in the AA, having finished first in the unofficial AA in the Seria A competition in Firenze last Saturday.

 

Other gymnasts to keep an eye out for are:

Giulia Steingruber from Switzerland, who will be aiming for a vault medal. She came in third (14.662) on the event in Doha and first (13.433) at the French World Cup. She also performs a nice rudi vault (SV 6.2). Lastly, she came in first on uneven bars at the French World Cup with a score of 13.600.

Also aiming for a vault medal will be Netherland’s Noel van Klaveren. She finished second (14.400) in Cottbus. At the same meet, she finished fourth on beam with a 13.525 (SV 5.1) and third on floor with a 13.475 (SV 5.4).

This will be the first major competition with the new CoP and it will be interesting to see how it goes. The all-around competition is shaping up to be a battle between Mustafina and Iordache, with another Russian vying for the third spot. On vault it should be an easy medal for Paseka, with Steingruber, Iordache and van Klaveren also in contention for a medal. On uneven bars Mustafina should be the clear winner as she’s had the highest execution of the year so far, while Harrold, Grishina and Iordache all have a possibility of winning a medal. Beam should be an interesting battle with Mustafina and Iordache who have the highest SVs. Other contenders for a medal could be Jupp, Grishina, Afanasyeva and Ferlito. Finally on floor it should be Afanasyeva’s time to shine, but she will have to battle it out with both Romanians, Iordache and Bulimar. Tune in on Friday April 19th to watch the all-around final and April 20-21 for EFs. If you are not able to watch it on TV there will be a livestream here: http://eurovision.digotel.com/ueg/index.html

Final Results from Serie A

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Final Results from Serie A by Elisa Emanuelli

The Italian Serie A competition came to a close on Saturday with the final meet happening in Florence. Leading up to the competition, the team Gal Lissone was at the top of the leader board, followed by Brixia and Olos Gym.

Team Gal Lissone with Trophy

Team Gal Lissone with Trophy

Team Gal Lissone came away with the win (163.500) and the tournament title. This was their third consecutive title and 12th overall. The team was led by Carlotta Ferlito who finished second in the unofficial AA. She had an incredible vault (14.550)-the second best of the day-and had the best score on floor (14.100) of the day. Elisabetta Preziosa contributed to the team’s win by performing a spectacular beam routine earning a14.950, the highest score of the day. Elisa Meneghini, who came first in the unofficial AA the past two meets, was absent from this competition as she was competing in the Tokyo World Cup.

Olos Gym 2000 (161.300) finished in second place at the competition, earning them third overall in the tournament.  This victory was in great part due to Giorgia Campana’s consistent performance throughout the tournament. On Saturday, she finished first in the unofficial AA, performing clean routines on all apparatuses, especially on beam (14.550).

In third place was Brixia Brescia (161.200), who overall finished second in the tournament.  Team captain Vanessa Ferrari missed the meet, as she’s still recuperating from her minor injury sustained in Jesolo. Erika Fasana had her best competition so far and teammate Martina Rizzelli had the best vault of the day 14.650.

In fourth place finished the team Artistica ’81 (152.600) followed by Pro Lissone. Enus Mariani finished first on bars again (14.400) but this time had a lower SV of 5.6. She unfortunately fell on beam again. In sixth and seventh place finished the teams Forza e Virtu and L’Estate 83 respectively.

Enus Mariani’s bars:

The teams that finished in ninth and tenth place, World Sporting Academy and La Rosa Brindisi, are moved back to Serie B. World Sporting Academy had Anna Pavlova as a guest gymnast, who greatly helped the team in the last meet. Unfortunately, she seemed to have a small injury that prevented her from competing on floor and she did a simpler vault. Despite this her beam (14.250) was still beautiful to watch.

The next meet with the Italian gymnasts will be European championships. The team will be decided during a camp from April 10-13, invited to this camp are Giorgia Campana, Erika Fasana, Vanessa Ferrari, Elisa Meneghini, Carlotta Ferlito and Elisabetta Preziosa. Then on April 25th and 26th there will be the Campionati Nazionali Assoluti, this a competition with an AA and event finals.