Well, what a shit show that was for Russia, and for Mustafina in particular. It's no secret that I'm rooting for Aliya to win gold in London, but today was not her finest hour by a long shot. 1 out of 3 events two months before the Olympics is concerning, but considering the last time she was at Europeans she blew out her knee, I wouldn't call it an apocalyptic moment. I'd certainly rather have her melt down today than in Olympic qualifications.
I am still completely convinced that she's got it in her, though, and while there are plenty of people calling this a sign of Dobre-itis (namely, how a major injury can take the spark out of a gymnast) I think that's way too early to call. Gym fans are so fickle (Aunt Joyce is one of the worst, tbh, though their commentary can be divine. See also their feelings towards Liukin, Nastia), that it doesn't shock me that a lot of people are taking this as a sign of doom.
Personally, I have faith in Aliya. This may prove to be misguided, but I sincerely hope not.
As far as those other Russians go, Grishina hit 3 for 4, which is about par for the course for her, and still managed to qualify 2nd in the unofficial all-around...so not an entirely disastrous day for her. Sidorova has proven herself a very steady beam worker, something Russia could really use, but imploded on floor. Paseka is entirely unremarkable, if you ask me, and Komova nailed bars but was wobble city on beam- better than Tokyo, but still not as good as her junior days.
Romania, on the other hand, rocked the house. Not a missed routine, and Iordache and Ponor were in especially stellar form. Iordache was the top all-around contender, breaking the 60 point margin, and killing it on floor and beam especially. If that girl can get herself an Amanar, I would probably put her at the top of my AA contender list, over any Russian and American you care to name. Even without one, her difficulty and consistency definitely makes her a podium contender. There's a spark to her gymnastics on every event that is a rare and wonderful quality.
Romania, unlike Russia, has dealt pretty well with their overall lack of depth. Bulimar has grown a lot since worlds in terms of her consistency, her bars routine and her steadiness on beam, making her, aside from vaulting, a pretty good Izbasa substitute. Izbasa only competed on vault in quals, which I think was a smart move. Ponor is the baddest most fabulous beam worker out there, if you ask me, and her value to this team is astronomical. I wouldn't be surprised at all if the team Romania took to Euros turns out to be their Olympic team. Chelaru at this stage brings way less to the table than Haidu, despite her international experience, and unless she can add a point's worth of execution to her bars routine in the next 2 months, she'll be the alternate.
Aside from these two teams, the highlight of these Euro quals for me was the return of Livchikova of Ukraine. Even though she's not eligible to head to the Olympics, her delightful floor routine and original combinations on beam make her one of my favorite gymnasts in the sport today, a reminder of how expressive and beautiful gymnastics can truly be. Thrilled that we'll be seeing her in floor finals!
I am still completely convinced that she's got it in her, though, and while there are plenty of people calling this a sign of Dobre-itis (namely, how a major injury can take the spark out of a gymnast) I think that's way too early to call. Gym fans are so fickle (Aunt Joyce is one of the worst, tbh, though their commentary can be divine. See also their feelings towards Liukin, Nastia), that it doesn't shock me that a lot of people are taking this as a sign of doom.
Personally, I have faith in Aliya. This may prove to be misguided, but I sincerely hope not.
As far as those other Russians go, Grishina hit 3 for 4, which is about par for the course for her, and still managed to qualify 2nd in the unofficial all-around...so not an entirely disastrous day for her. Sidorova has proven herself a very steady beam worker, something Russia could really use, but imploded on floor. Paseka is entirely unremarkable, if you ask me, and Komova nailed bars but was wobble city on beam- better than Tokyo, but still not as good as her junior days.
Romania, on the other hand, rocked the house. Not a missed routine, and Iordache and Ponor were in especially stellar form. Iordache was the top all-around contender, breaking the 60 point margin, and killing it on floor and beam especially. If that girl can get herself an Amanar, I would probably put her at the top of my AA contender list, over any Russian and American you care to name. Even without one, her difficulty and consistency definitely makes her a podium contender. There's a spark to her gymnastics on every event that is a rare and wonderful quality.
Romania, unlike Russia, has dealt pretty well with their overall lack of depth. Bulimar has grown a lot since worlds in terms of her consistency, her bars routine and her steadiness on beam, making her, aside from vaulting, a pretty good Izbasa substitute. Izbasa only competed on vault in quals, which I think was a smart move. Ponor is the baddest most fabulous beam worker out there, if you ask me, and her value to this team is astronomical. I wouldn't be surprised at all if the team Romania took to Euros turns out to be their Olympic team. Chelaru at this stage brings way less to the table than Haidu, despite her international experience, and unless she can add a point's worth of execution to her bars routine in the next 2 months, she'll be the alternate.
Aside from these two teams, the highlight of these Euro quals for me was the return of Livchikova of Ukraine. Even though she's not eligible to head to the Olympics, her delightful floor routine and original combinations on beam make her one of my favorite gymnasts in the sport today, a reminder of how expressive and beautiful gymnastics can truly be. Thrilled that we'll be seeing her in floor finals!
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