Excuse me while I take this great opportunity to rave about Seda Tutkhalyan (because I take any opportunity to rave about her). My girl hit 4 for 4 this weekend, won some medals to top it off and I'm so happy for her! Apparently she was sick prior to the meet so she only competed on beam and bars, but she competed excellently. And this means she didn't ruin her chances for Euros!
It was a good weekend for all of the Russians actually, except for a tiny hiccup for Kapi.
Just look at this beam routine from Maria Kharenkova!
It's basically as perfect as it gets and she just keeps proving that last year didn't happen and she's the most consistent beam worker on the planet (and I just noticed she fell during qualification, never mind, I guess she's ride or die like Seda). If I have to find something wrong with this, there's the ugly split ring leap (and it's not even as ugly as most split ring leaps) a missed connection after the layout and chest low on landing and low front tuck but that's just incredibly nitpicky. Because as a whole this routine is just amazing. The confidence and air of ease is something so rare. It's actually relaxing to watch her on beam and that balance beam should just be grateful to have experienced Masha flipping on it. She scored 14.925 (6.3) and her expression on that thumbnail is how I feel about this getting silver. I couldn't find Ellie Downie's routine (she won by 0.025), but it better be spectacular. [Edit: I found it and it is pretty spectacular, if not for that strange and out of place choreo which I'm going to refer as alien space dance from now on.]
As I wrote earlier, Natalia Kapitonova had a tiny hiccup during uneven bars final and lost to both Ellie and Seda (14.450 (6.4)). That gold was hers for taking and I feel a bit bad for her. There weren't any major mistakes, jut tiny things building up. She has been really consistent, so hopefully this was just a bump on the road. She did surprise during floor final, taking a silver medal (14.100 (5.8)). I'm still not a fan of her floor routine, but she has switched it up a little bit and it's getting better. They obviously want to stick to the traditional classical floor routine and it's a good choice for her since she's quite pretty to watch and clean, but they need better choreography. And she's a lifeless performer, if she wants to make it work, she needs some presence and performance value.
And now that we're covered the others, let me get back to Princess Tut. As said, apparently she had been sick but she obviously knew Valentina was out to get her and did her best. Winning silver on uneven bars before Kapi (14.525 (6.0)) is quite an achievement, and hitting two beam routines in a row is something she really needed. She took out the Church, but hit her Bhardwaj beautifully. It's nice and floaty and her legs are glued together, slight rhythm problem with the following cast. She has also gotten completely rid of her leg separation on the shaposhnikovas and no dead hang after tkachev. I'm proud. So proud. Now she can just put in the Church and maybe turn the double front (did I mention her double front is also pretty?) into a double front half for spotting the landing and this will be a killer routine for AA purposes.
She won bronze on beam with another good routine. She had a major balance check after her layout full in the finals, but saved it well. She also took out the full in dismount, but I'm sure it will be back in if the makes the Europeans Championships. She could have made it now with all the power going to waste on that landing. And is it just me, or do her switch leaps look so much better? She usually rushes the switch half, but gets good air and split here. After the nationals I petitioned for Aliya to have a workshop on how to do good leaps and looks like Seda participated. Hopefully they focus on her switch ring at the next one.
But like Masha, she looks like she's born on the beam. So confident and everything looks so easy for her. These two are really something special and I hope Valentina stops putting half dead gymnasts on teams and gives these two the spots they've earned. They could both earn several medals at Euros, Masha could even reclaim her gold on beam. I don't think Kapi is quite ready yet, but next year it's time for individual AA at the Euros and the young Russians could fight for death for those two spots in the final.
I'd also like to congratulate the girls for good leo selections. The green one is clearly Seda's lucky one, and the one Melka wore at national is also pretty. It reminds me of those leos the Russians wore a lot during 2010-2011. The sporty style looks good on Masha and no one can wrong with the London leo.
All in all, a good competition. Special mention goes to Ellie Downie for dominating the comp and sweeping the gold medals, what an amazing performance.
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THE WAG MEDALISTS:
Vault:
1. Elissa DOWNIE (GBR) 14,850 (5.6)
2. Tjasa KYSSELEF (SLO) 14,200 (5.0)
3. Rose WOO (CAN) 13,638 (4.6)
Uneven bars:
1. Elissa DOWNIE (GBR) 14,675 (6.3)
2. Seda TUTKHALIAN (RUS) 14,525 (6.0)
3. Natalia KAPITONOVA (RUS) 14,450 (6.4)
Balance beam:
1. Elissa DOWNIE (GBR) 14,950 (6.1)
2. Maria KHARENKOVA (RUS) 14,925 (6.3)
3. Seda TUTKHALIAN (RUS) 14,650 (6.4)
Floor exercise:
1. Elissa DOWNIE (GBR) 14,525 (6.0)
2. Natalia KAPITONOVA (RUS) 14,100 (5.8)
3. Yana HOROKHOVA (UKR) 13,850 (5.4)
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The complete results are HERE.
Many of the routines are HERE.
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May Day was surprisingly peaceful. Maybe because I didn't leave home at all? There were a few parties in my house and I actually considered crashing one of them, but in the end didn't have the guts :D Or enough alcohol in my blood...
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