Stuff and Nonsense

Things Are Happening – November 4, 2016

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A. Halloween training landslide

If there’s one thing NCAA gymnastics can’t resist, it’s a theme. Halloween-based intrasquads are all the rage this forever, and since the actual season will be upon us in just two short months, the pace of training-video posting is becoming all the more feverish.

Here’s the highlight video of Alabama’s annual Snapchats v. White Suspenders (I guess…) intrasquad that I mentioned yesterday. Apparently, the Snapchats won. Overall, it was a really good showing for Back of Unidentifiable Blonde Head. She had a great meet.

https://twitter.com/BamaGymnastics/status/793282399865929729

Florida also held a Heroes v. Villains intrasquad last week, though the teams seemed to be differentiated only by different-colored plastic masks. Someone didn’t really get into the spirit of villains there, did they? In this video, we see the DTY from McMurtry, a DLO from Hundley, and the hs pike 1/2 from Slocum, among a number of other bits and pieces.

Weirdly, UCLA didn’t create any sort of elaborate Halloween intrasquad video. When has UCLA ever passed up an opportunity for hamming it up while wearing costumes?

We did, thankfully, get to see Peng saving bars. Phew. Peng’s bars work is my safe space.

And Ohashi continuing to train her layout full on beam. Surprise!

This is not a postseason skill. The increased risk of falling and of chest position/legs deductions make it ill-advised when you want a score, but I hope we get to see it at least once or twice during the regular season just for the sake of novelty. Maybe one of those “go in the anchor spot and if everyone else hits, you can do the layout 1/1” things. Although UCLA has about four people to play that game with.

In Oklahoma news, I’m aggressively obsessed with this.

Don’t do any skills. Just this.

Utah is also getting into the spirit of preseason videos with some rapid-fire vault and floor action.

On floor, we have Skinderella working both the full-in and the double double, just like I told her to.

On vault, Utah shows a solid number of possible (it’s November) 10.0 vaults, featuring people like Rowe and Merrell upgrading back to their JO vaults to try to give Utah a competitive slate of start values. Of note, Sabrina Schwab shows a Yurchenko tucked 1.5, a good choice for those who can manage it because it also starts from 10.0 and, you know, doesn’t have to be laid out.

Auburn conducted its own Halloween intrasquad between Team All Of My Limbs Are Taped and Team Most Of My Limbs Are Taped. It was a really close contest.

Quick note to Auburn: Balance beam is abbreviated BB, not BM. That’s something else entirely. This site is absolutely not called The BM Situation.

But also you literally uploaded a YouTube video called “Halloween BM.” Actually, “Halloween BM & FX.” There were effects?

Highlights in Auburn’s videos include redshirt Emma Slappey on BM and FX and freshman Stephanie Gracie Cristina Barcelona Day on everything.

Michigan on bars and floor:

Vault and beam:

Denver’s Halloweentrasquad:

B. More actual gymnastics!

What is the world coming to?

This week marked the annual Arthur (Not a Goose But a) Gander Memorial in Switzerland, which was graced by the presence of such regal personages as Oleg Verniaiev, Dr. Marian, Angelina Melnikova, Jessica Lopez, and Eythora Thorsdottir.

The format is the tried and tested “everyone just do some events randomly, like maybe three,” and after Thorsdottir had a minor psychological catastrophe in the middle of her vault, Melnikova was able to go Full Russia to her heart’s content on beam and still end up on top. Verniaiev won the men’s because obviously.

Clearly 2016-based routine compositions here, not yet adapting to the 2017 code (e.g. Melnikova has too many inbar elements).

This same whole gang is off to the mixed-pairs Swiss Cup this coming weekend.

C. GymCastic

In this week’s Halloween-themed endeavor, I discuss how Halloween is the worst holiday ever and I hate it with my entire being, the end. No one else has any opinions.

Oh, also that thing where Jane Doe 2 named the Karolyis in a lawsuit. That little tidbit.

And periods. Just an inordinate amount of period talk.

D. Umm…

So, Aliya Mustafina got married?

To……what’s Russian for Broseph?

*podium training face*

In US nonsense, I love how they all think this tweet is just from some random fan and clearly don’t know who Dara O’Briain is.

 

7 thoughts on “Things Are Happening – November 4, 2016”

      1. Dara O’Briain is a legend. He’s an Irish comedian, and hosts Mock the Week, a British comedy show you can find on youtube and the best part of my week.

  2. Do Russians wear their wedding bands on their right hands? Important question, obviously.

    1. I was wondering the same thing… or somehow things got flipped in the picture? SOMEONE HELP WITH THIS! Hahaha #superimportant

  3. Back of Unidentifiable Blonde Head did have a great meet. She’s improved a lot since she was a brunette.

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