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It wasn't a disaster. I always like to expect that the Russian meets are a disaster, because it's easier that way. Keep you expectations really low and you won't be disappointed. So I wasn't disappointed. Who can be disappointed when there are 15s flying in every direction, people staying on the beam and Aliya competing?
Our top 3 in AA from today.
First I'd like to thank my Tsaritsa Aliya for showing up and being her usual self, miss perfect. Her "watered down" (D: 6.1) uneven bars routine was great and had no visible errors. It was the same routine from last year, connections and all, just without inbars. So yeah, she looked amazing, a lot better than I expected. On beam she was, ummm, let's say hesitant with her connections and she had a troublesome flight series of front aerial to side aerial that she actually almost made. The dismount took forever but was worth the wait. But even that routine was great, because it was as good as the routine she won the bronze with in Nanning :D Hopefully there are no further interruptions to her training, so she can kick ass in Rio.
Princess Tut was planning to upgrade her bars even more, but ended up being a disaster. Whatever, because she hit beam the second time this year. That's 2/2 and those are better stats that she has ever had. The side half bothers me a bit, but otherwise she's perfect, makes it look so easy (reminds me of Shawn Johnson...). And a surprising upgrade, full twisting double pike dismount! I don't remember seeing it since Catalina Ponor's better days. I was mad at them last year because they switched out her beautiful 2 1/2 twist to that wild out of control double pike that took so many deductions over the difficulty gap of just 0.1, but now I see they had a plan. It was low, but that was the first time she performed it. Hopefully she'll get her chest up eventually, so it'll be worth the change. Floor was vault were okay, nothing special.
Daria Spiridonova was really not making a case for herself. She had a really uncharacteristic mistake on bars, had to do an extra cast and crashed her dismount right after. Her hit beam routine was only barely above 14 and she fell on floor. Melka is definitely coming for her.
Angelina Melnikova didn't have any major mistakes, and qualified first to the AA with a score of over 60. I'll take at least a point off of that with the extremely questionable scoring (15s everywhere), but still impressive. She might just make a top all arounder one day, something Russia hasn't had since Aliya and Vika were competing. Her rival Natalia Kapitonova had a beautiful bar routine, but was left behind Melka elsewhere. It was a good competition for her too though.
The others...
Maria Kharenkova was back to her old self after her struggles last year and I'm happy for her. She really seems like such a hard worker and vault is her only true weakness. Alla Sosnitskaya unfortunately hasn't gotten her vaults back, and isn't ready for competition yet. Maria Paseka had a good bar routine, but sat down her vaults. Evgenia Shelgunova was the mystery she tends to be, I never have any idea how she's going to perform on any given day. Today she had a hit day, but is definitely capable of better. Daria Skrypnik was okay, but hasn't improved in the last few years. The same for Anastasia Dmitrieva. Ksenia Afanasyeva did a watered down floor routine, but is clearly nowhere near ready for competition yet. And a shoutout to Tatiana Nabieva for outscoring most of the national team. She's definitely not retired. :D
I'm really looking forward to the AA final, the young are girls are going to battle it out, any mistake will be a big one because they are so close to each other on scores (Melka on top, Seda and Masha on a joint second and Natalia third with Shelgie just a few tenths behind her). So it's also going to be nerve wrecking. But I love watching when anyone can win, it's a bit like a scary movie, masochistic pleasure. My bets are on Melka, but selfishly I want Seda to go and get it. Why do I like her so much? It's a mystery really. I think a wrote a post about that, maybe I should go and read it.
This meet is supposed to be the qualifier and the gymnasts of this quad really shined today, while the veterans (and already named Olympians) weren't ready. So if the competition goes as today, we should have a really young euros team. My first though was yay, new people to the mix! And I then I realized that new people meant we don't get the old people. And then I felt terrible, I'm not ready to give them up yet! Why can't we have everyone make the team? Mixed feeling, so many mixed feelings... But even though this meet is the official qualifier, I think that the Rodionenkos are going to send the team they want. If their favorites are performing terrible now, but ready before Euros, they're going to get the spots. It's camp that really counts, just like with Marta.
It's going to be a good weekend for gymnastics. Pac Rims and Russian Nats, all smashed together for a perfect gym cocktail. Hopefully my heart won't die of it.
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LINKS:
Videos from today's routines are here. The recordings of today's streams are here. The complete results of today's competition are here.
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Oh, and want to hear a funny story? Ironically, my former psychologist called me in the middle of the competition to catch up with me and asked me how I was. I wanted to go with anxious (there were people on BEAM for god's sake), a bit depressed (definitely missing Vika), and excited (because gymnastics in general) and this combination of feelings was so terrible that I was binging on comfort food and having arrhythmia, but I went with "fine". Gymnastics is bad for me on so many levels. My weak mind and weak heart just can't take it.
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