QUALIFIERS

Vault
Elina Vihrova
Csenge Bacskay
Zsofia Kovacs
Dilara Yurtdas
Ioana Stanciulescu
Anastasia Motak
Larisa Iordache
Tijana Korent

Bars
Yelizaveta Hubareva
Christina Zwicker
Zoja Szekely
Elina Vihrova
Barbora Mokosova
Larisa Iordache
Anastasia Motak
Zsofia Kovacs

Beam
Bilge Tarhan
Silviana Sfiringu
Larisa Iordache
Elina Vihrova
Elisa Hämmerle
Christina Zwicker
Anastasia Bachynska
Anastasia Motak

Floor
Diana Varinska
Goksu Uctas Sanli
Angelina Radivilova
Antonia Duta
Dorina Böczögo
Zoja Szekely
Lihie Raz
Larisa Iordache

Vault finals getting underway now in an appropriately prompt fashion.

Vihrova – VT 1 – starts with a comfortable Yfull, medium pace backward, good direction, some clear piking. 13.400

Vihrova – VT 2 – handspring pike 1/2 is her second vault, well chest down on landing with a lunge forward 13.100. 13.250 average.

Bacskay – VT 1 – pretty successful Y1.5 – lock-legged on landing but fine, controls the hop back, not too large. 13.700

Backsay – VT 2 – Tsuk full is also well done, small hop, piking, not the most distance. Will we well ahead as of now. 13.600. 13.650 average.

Kovacs – VT 1 – DTY, should score as well as it has in the previous stages of the competition, comfortably around, hop back, just a bit of piking and a touch of feet apart, both minimal. Good job. 14.350

Kovacs – VT 2 – Tsuk full is comfortable for her, small pike – minor one tenth slide – bit of piking. Distinctly cleaner than the first two vaulters and more difficulty overall. 13.750. 14.050 average.

Yurtdas – VT 1 – hits a Yfull, good direction, medium hop back – nice leg extension and toe point, noticeable pike. 13.600

Yurtdas – VT 2 – handspring pike 1/2 – a bit more trouble on this one but not a problem, lands chest down with a bound forward – again a crisp shape in the air. 13.350. 13.475 average.

Stanciulescu – VT 1 – successful DTY today – the best it has looked in the phases of this competition, after she performed only a full at Romanian nationals – slightly jarring landing, lunge back. 14.150

Stanciulescu – VT 2 – just a handspring front pike second vault, large lunge forward. 13.000. 13.575 average.

Motak – VT 1 – DTY well done – only a small hop – comfortably around, quick twisting – some leg crossing, not the biggest – will be a strong score. 14.250

Motak – VT 2 – round off 1/2 on pike 1/2 – again just a small hop back – some feet, but a good one. 13.450. 13.850 average and into 2nd place.

Iordache – VT 1 – hits her DTY, a bounce backward – some feet, good amplitude, more control than in qualification – 14.200

Iordache – VT 2 – bounce back on her Tsuk full, has the direction and the amplitude again of course, small pike – landing control will likely put her behind Kovacs but she should be in 2nd – 13.550. 13.875 average. Oooh, only just ahead of Motak but indeed in 2nd.

Korent – VT 1 – handspring front pike 1/2, a good one for her, medium shuffle back – feet apart fairly significantly toward the end. 13.200

“The Korent standings.” Another gem.

Korent – VT 2 – a similar shuffle back on her Yfull, two small steps, some piking and legs apart on landing. 13.250. 13.225 average.

FINAL
1. Zsofia Kovacs
2. Larisa Iordache
3. Anastasia Motak

The excessive use of the Fox NFL music is…weird right? It’s weird. It’s a…specific brand to be leaning into.

So, pretty much as expected it’s the DTYers who use their difficulty to take the medals there. Kovacs winning predominantly on landing control compared to Iordache, with smaller bounces back. Iordache larger bounces than Kovacs or Motak, but had better height and distance than Motak, which will have accounted for Iordache’s stronger scores.

Gymnasts grabbing their own medals because of the touching. Which honestly I’d prefer over Nellie Kim being like, “I now dub thee……fine.”

Iordache is one of those gymnasts who is taller in my mind than in real life. And then you see her in the lineup, the same height as Motak, who in my mind is the size of a little finch.

BARS

Hubareva – UB – inbar full to stalder to Komova 2 to Pak – some leg breaks but solid combo – Maloney and struggles on it, can’t get any momentum out of the catch and has to take an extra swing or 8 – the gienger was fine but the post-Shap struggles will be a huge deduction. Double tuck, small step. 12.350 and a 6.850 E score.

Zwicker – UB – Pak, legs together, some loose back – pauses in tow full but gets through it – toe on to shoot to high bar, close catch, struggles to cast but OK – jaeger, not the most height but solid – Delladio dismount, handstand back tuck. Got through it. Croatian in a bars final! 12.550. 4.4 D but 8.150 E score. Pretty high E score there.

Szekely – UB – huge Chruch, good – tkatchev to pak, some crazy legs – maloney to gienger, feet but caught – piked jaeger, good – toe full to FTDT, good hit! Hop forward. Impressive to see her turn into someone who can hit a difficult bars routine at this event, because previously it was…she has a bunch of difficulty but will never hit. 13.550.

Vihrova – UB – stalder to stalder Shap to pak, small legs apart – Maloney and misses the catch – came in flat and couldn’t get up to catch the bar. Resumes and repeats , no trouble – bail to toe shoot – giant full – good toe point in jaeger – short of hs on orphan 1/2 turn – double pike, small hop. Already composing Penn State bars routines for her in my head. 11.350

Mokosova – UB – toe full is a bit crazy – Maloney to a good pak to van leeuwen, only a small leg break at the end – stalder to stalder 1/2, late – very high piked jaeger, nearly laid out – double pike, step back. It started worryingly formy, but she pulled it together quickly. 13.300. Yeah, I think that’s fair. I’d have her behind Szekely as well.

Iordache – UB – Maloney to clear hip to tkatchev to pak, some legs on Pak, otherwise solid – van leeuwen – blind change to piked jaeger, hit, medium amplitude – half turn , short – toe full to FTDT, stuck. Excellent job overall. Much crisper performance than we saw in the team final, when there was a lot of leg form. Ooooh 13.250. I think that’s a bit harsh. I’d have her higher. There are always leg things, but still.

Motak – UB – Komova 2 to pak, beautiful legs togtehr – van leeuwen, same – inabr to inbar 1/2, small hesitation into jaeger, good form, not super high – a muscled cast out of it – very late toe full – DLO, hop back. Much better from her. 13.250 but behind Iordache on the tiebreak.

Kovacs – UB – struggles on opening toe full with a leg break and a pause but pulls it together – shap 1/2 is good – piked jaeger is strong and high – Downie to pak, good – van leeuwen, legs together – finishes double tuck with a hop back. Not very very cleanest but she has some room to work with. 13.850. Not as strong as previous scores but enough to win it.

FINAL
1. Zsofia Kovacs
2. Zoja Szekely
3. Barbora Mokosova

So no medal sweep for Iordache, which is a bit weird to me given the performances, but Kovacs a step above everyone else so she’s able to win even while doing like a C+ routine by her standards. Impressive from Szekely. Maybe the best hit I’ve ever seen from her. We had both Kovacs and Mokosova look like they were going to have some trouble in their opening full pirouette on low bar and then pull it together.

BEAM

Tarhan – BB – can’t help but stan anyone named Bilge – front tuck mount, very good, just a small adjustment – layout 2 foot series, a little flat but secure – hits her side jumps – switch to wolf, low back leg on switch – aerial, comfortable – side aerial, minor check – double pike, hop back. Nice job! Remarkably secure showing in a beam final. 12.450

Sfiringu – BB – band-aid on her chin that makes it look like she’s going for a very specific style choice at first glance – bhs mount, good quick combination mount series, nice feet – side aerial to loso to bhs, hit, small adjustment – aerial – illusion with a break, keeps it on the beam – switch to sissone, great positions – straight full from side, hits it with a minor lean – 3/1 dismount with lunge. Good job. Some larger checks but pretty work. 13.800. Big number.

Iordache – BB – switch to wolf, solid – side aerial, comfortable – bhs tuck full series, hit with a step back – aerial with a check – switch 1/2, loses feet but secure – double turn with a minor lean to bring it back – side somi, strong – 3/1 dismount, lunge back. Excellent work! A couple checks, but nothing too major. Confident performance. 14.000 and first place.

Tarhan had her inquiry accepted and goes up to 12.650.

Vihrova – BB – front pike mount – excellent! – punch front, step forward to keep it in line – bhs loso series, very strong – switch, good extension there – breaks connection into switch 1/2, which is shorter on split position – aerial to split to wolf, just a bit shy on the split again – side aerial – split jump 1/2 from side, small adjustment but no problem – 2/1, stuck landing. This has been a really good beam final so far. She couldn’t have asked for much more. 12.750.

Hämmerle – BB – switch split mount, shortish back leg – attempts wolf jump full, can’t get it quite around and falls, our first fall of the final – side somi, hit – straight jump full from side, well done – side aerial, good amplitude, comfortable – did she just flash a U Utah style? – double turn attempt, looked for a moment like she had a chance to save it with a leg up check but can’t, 2nd fall – switch split and another fairly large check – punch front full dismount with a stagger on landing. She was off from the start. 9.900. Ouch. Ouch. Triple ouch.

Zwicker – BB – switch mount to split leap to side aerial, well done – swtich to wolf jump, solid positions – bhs bhs loso first issue, a check to the side to save it – split jump from side, arm wave correction – full turn, slightly hesitant – aerial, leg-up check – lone back tuck, good – bhs back full, small step. Not as confident as we saw in Szombathely but she stayed on. 12.100

Bachynska – BB – candle mount, good position – fhs front tuck, step forward to control it, hit – switch to switch 1/2, good extension in the switch, 1/2 a bit shorter – aerial to split ring, some feet, small check – split leap to side aerial, large break at the hips but manages to keep it on the beam somehow – switch ring, a little scrappy – great double tuck dismount, stuck. We’ll see what they do with that major break and some of those rings…13.100, it’s enough to go into 3rd place.

Motak – BB – aerial to front tuck, hit it, small step to control – switch with a pause before switch 1/2, very short of position – front hs to front pike was better today, small step again to control – her bambi-leg preparation for these series is truly my favorite – oh god the pause might be even longer before dismount today – 3/1, not much trouble there, early completion, hop back. Her signature overtime deduction. 13.100 as well and goes ahead of Bachynska on the tiebreak to get bronze. I’d say that’s right. I’d have her as a medalist over Bachynska.

FINAL
1. Larisa Iordache
2. Silviana Sfiringu
3. Anastasia Motak

Another thing I like about COVID precautions is that we can dispense with the politics of “IS SHE BEING GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO HER COMPETITORS???????” because you’re not supposed to be. Please don’t breathe on each other. Please snub each other. It’s not diva, it’s responsible.

Iordache sprinting off that medal podium. “I HAVE MORE FINALS TO WINNNNN”

FLOOR

Varinska – FX – opens double tuck, bounce back – double L to illusion, a little short on double L but it’s covered in combination 2.5 to front tuck, hop, keeps it in bounds – switch ring to split full – Memmel turn, falls out of it toward the end – 2/1, small legs-together hop – split ring to finish – again not her most difficulty as we’ve seen across the events #COVIDthings, but a solid performance. 12.650.

Uctas Sanli – FX – double turn with held leg, borderline around – double pike, solid, step back – back 1.5 to front full, small hop – split ring leap to switch 1/2, nice switch shape – double tuck, secure landing. Good job, controlled her landings, couldn’t have done much better. Will be a couple credit questions about turns though, so this score could go a number of different ways. 13.000. It went the good way. Big score.

Radivilova – FX – Memmel turn, well she certainly did at least 2, more like 2.5 – 1.5 through to 3/1, a bit short on landing but not too bad, step forward – high double arabian, lands quite squatty though with a step to the side – solid leap positions here – double pike, small slide – should get a reward for amplitude, a lot higher work than the first two routines. 12.600. They got her on that double Arabian landing.

Inquiry accepted for Uctas Sanli to go to 13.100. We’re just accepting inquiries all over the place suddenly.

Duta – FX – switch full, pulls it around – double Arabian a bit jarring on landing with a lunge OOB – 3/1, nearly totally around, small step – pretty switch ring – double tuck, bounce back – pretty crazy on the wolf double, but I think she got two around before she started the log roll position of the turn – 2/1, strong. 12.600

Böczögo – FX – solid DLO, small bounce back – split jump 1/1, around – front handspring double front and mayyyyy have sat it down but also may have squatted hard enough to save her butt from scraping just barely, a GIFable landing regardless – she finishes double pike with a hop back. Yeah, she saved that double front on replay. Major deduction but no cheek-floor contact. 12.100

Szekely – FX – single Y turn – double pike, nailed that landing – double tuck is trouble, large bounce back and OOB – just a back full to front tuck final pass, but well executed that time. Doesn’t have the D to withstand that mistake on the double tuck though. 12.200

Raz – FX – full-in, just a touch short with a hop forward – switch ring to split leap full, some leg form there – front tuck through to double tuck, stagger back, just does stay in bounds – held-leg double turn, should get credit – double pike, small hop – she has continued improving since her Olympic qualification – she’s turning into the best Israeli gymnast in a while. Can we get her to NCAA after the Olympics? 12.750 and enough for 2nd place and a medal.

Iordache – FX – pike full in, hit, hop back – tuck full in, slightly larger bounce but comfortably completed – gets the quad turn it looked like – 2.5 to front tuck, no problems with it today, but a bounce forward – solidly getting her D-value leaps in here as well – memmel directly into illusion – double pike, jarred landing but not too bad. That should be the winner. Ooops nope 13.050. I’m surprised by that. Her scores have been a little low today for me in a couple places. But I also think the loose scoring of qualification was misleading. This was stronger than Iordache’s qualification performance for 4 tenths lower.

Uctas Sanli is the champion and losing her mind about it.

Erp, Iordache has submitted a D score inquiry. So let’s see. It’ll be about the turns. Gomez was hard to tell. Memmel was short.

Iordache’s inquiry was accepted and her score was raised A TON. 4 tenths up to 13.450.

Ultimately I think that’s the right call on the merits of the routines, but it succcccccckkkks for Goksu who already celebrated her victory and now got bumped down to silver. But still a huge deal that she got silver.

FINAL
1. Larisa Iordache
2. Goksu Uctas Sanli
3. Lihie Raz