Sunday, December 30, 2012

The Curse: Vault Finals

We all know about "the curse" surrounding the all around world champion from the year before the Olympics, but does that curse stop at all around finals?
The All Around curse dates back to the 1950's, broken only by LilyPod in 1995-1996. In this post, I'm going to look at the Vault finals, and look for a similar curse from 1996 onward.

Atlanta 1996
Going into the Games, Simona Amanar lead the field after winning the World Championships in Sabae Japan from 1995. In Atlanta, Simona held onto her title and won the gold medal on vault.

Sydney 2000
One of the few competitions in Sydney in which the results are valid, Elena Zamolodchikova came into the Games as the one to beat from the Tianjin World Championships. In the vault final, Zamolodchikova reclaimed her title once again, proving thus far, the curse doesn't exist in the vault finals.

Athens 2004
Going into Athens, the then 28 year old Oksana Chusovitina took the gold on the vault after 2 amazing vaults, the same ones she competed in London, the Handspring Rudi that bears her name and the Tsukahara Rudi.  One year later, after crashing on her first vault, Chusovitina lost her title to Romanian Monica Rosu, establishing a modern day curse.

Beijing 2008
Going into Beijing, Chinese vault superstar Cheng Fei was the HEAVY favorite after dominating the quad, winning the world championships in 2005, 2006, and 2007, with her super difficult 6.5 Amanar  and Cheng vaults.  This just goes to show that anything can happen in gymnastics, and difficulty    equals risk, which doesn't always equal reward (as we'll see in London).  After falling short on her  second vault, North Korea's Hong Un Jong, the fourth place finisher from 2008 took the gold.

London 2012 
I highly doubt there is anyone reading this that doesn't know this story, but for arguments sake, here it is.  American McKayla Maroney came into the games as the best vaulter in the world from world championships in Tokyo 2011.  After a near perfect Amanar in team finals, McKayla had all the confidence that came with that, as well as a lot of pressure.  She didn't get enough height, fell on her second vault, the Mustafina, and "settled" for silver, while Sandra Izbasa came and took the gold by .2.  

As you can see by the analysis above, the curse that exists in the all around final wasn't truly established until Athens.  We'll just have to wait and see until Rio.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

The Gymternet Awards

We have so many bloggers doing awards for the gymnast, but what about us die-hard fans who follow the sport so carefully?  He deserve some love too!  So introducing, The Gymternet Awards!  Below you will find an award, with a description.  It will be your job to read the description and nominate some one from the gymternet who you think best fits the description.  All nominations will be due by Friday, December 21.  Then, the gymternet will decide who wins!  Let's get started!

Best Informational Blog
This blogger or bloggers work tirelessly day and night delivering the latest news in the gymternet, and sites are updated by the minute.  The first place to look for the most recent news for most gymnastics fans.  They Often provide quick hits for major and minor competitions, and are the most reliable source around.

Best Twitter Account
Whether this person makes you laugh, holds games and contest, or over all your favorite tweets to read, you always look forward to seeing what this account does next.  You often find yourself on their page just re-reading old tweets or messages.  Your favorite person on twitter to talk to, laugh with or just read what they have to say.

Favorite Tumblr
Whether this person has the best gifs, funniest sense of humor or best photo sets, you love seeing this blog appear on your dash.  These people always post or reblog the coolest looking gifs or photo sets.

Most Opinionated Blogger
They have opinions about everything, not that that's a bad thing!  Some opinions you agree with, other not so much, but this blogger isn't afraid to share their opinion!

Most Open-Minded Person
This person will listen to all of your problems with out judgeing you, and will offer opinion when you need it.  You know you can go to this person for anything and don't mind telling them what you need help with.  This person values every ones opinion and doesn't care if your opinion doesn't match theirs, I'm other words, nicest member if the gymternet.

Best Gymnast on the Gymternet
We are all here because of the sport, and some gymnasts love watching the sport and talking about it as much as they love competing it!  This person is an active member of the gymternet as well as competing for the best sport!

Best Montage Maker
This person truly has a gift for making montages.  Their montages are clearly a step above all other and often give you shivers while you watch their art.  You often find your self waiting anxiously for the next video, and no video is ever a disappointment.

Best Photo Editor
This person's edits are so beautiful that it looks like it is professionally done.  You also sometimes wonder how making a picture so beautiful and breath-taking is possible.  You can't believe how one person has so much talent.

Most Inspirational Blogger
This person's posts are so thought provoking and well written they inspire you to think from a different perspective.  They inspire you to see things in a different light.

Headrest Worker
This person dedicates all free time to the gymternet and making their work as perfect and great as it can be.  They work as much as possible to make the gymternet better, in other words, most dedicated member.

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Skills I DON'T Want To See

There has been a lot of talk over the gymternet over skills everyone is excited to see this quad.  So I thought I'd change it up a bit, by explaining skills I don't want to see this quad, or ever.

Triple Twisting Yurchenko
Even 4 years after the Amanar became normal, it terrifies me.  Something about seeing a gymnast twisting into the ground doing a vault they clearly aren't ready for doesn't exactly appeal to me.  So seeing said gymnast sacrifice form and their knees is not something I would enjoy.  However, if a gymnast *cough Maroney cough* has an Amanar so amazing, or possible perfect, then I wouldn't mind seeing a triple from her.  But, I have the same philosophy with triples that I do with Amanars, if it looks like it belongs in a horror movie, you should probably downgrade.

Double pirouettes
So this may be pushing it a little bit, but we are definitely seeing more and more 1 and 1/2  piroettes.  I don't know how long it will be until we see a double.  So many gymnasts have problems finishing a full on top of the bar, let alone a 1 and 1/2.  I just see the double being a mess, finishing way passed the handstand.  I'm just not ready for chucked pirouettes for the sake of D scores, like we see on the other events.

Double Layout Beam Dismounts
These days, beam routines that don't end with the very common double pike dismount stand out.  What annoys me to no end are the double pikes that look like they were squashed by a truck (awful and terrible comparison, I know), and if those look so bad, imagine what a double layout would look like (shudders).  The truth is that many gymnasts barely get their double pikes around, so what makes people expect that they can get the double layout around with out falling on their face, or making it  look awful?  Of course, like with the Triple Twisting Yurchenko, there is an exception.  Bridget  Sloan had a gorgeous double pike, and maybe she could've been one to pull of the double layout.  But otherwise, I don't think my eyes are ready.

Triple Memmel Turn
I like the Memmel turn a lot, when Chellsie did it.  Now we are seeing many gymnasts chuck it (what else is new?) and makeing it look awful.  We see a full turn and a little bit with the leg by their ear, and then falling.  I can't even imagine what another full turn would look like, or if it would even get credit.  I just can't see it, not that I want to, any time soon.

There you have if, the skills I don't want to see this quad, we will just have to wait and see.  Let me know in the comments what skills you don't to see this quad!