THE ROAD TO PARIS BEGINS IN LOUISVILLE or whatever they say. Shot of Eiffel Tower. Shot of Arc de Triomphe. Shot of, like, a baguette drinking a glass of wine or something.

It’s Winter Cup. You’ll watch it.

Did he say Mandrake Johnson? Going to say yes.

We have now anthemed. Everyone loved it. At least no one sang. Now we’re enjoying ads for shoes and for an old coot being like, TAKE MY MEMORY PILLS, and for Peszek promising you’ll never fall on beam ever again.

Rotation 1

Cho – UB – solid jaeger toe point – Ray to pak – van leeuwen – short hs on high – toe full, quite late – DLO, step back. Solid opening hit.

Drusch – VT – hits a y1.5, kind of crunched on the block but got it around – Pineda follows with a yfull, more amplitude, hop back

Woolford struggles on vault, well short on yfull with a big pike, lunge forward

Lew – UB – stalder full to toe on to stalder shap to pak, great amplitude on pak – maloney to gienger, hit – solid hs on high – toe 1/2 to piked jaeger, takes it way way way close and hits her foot on the bar – DLO is way under, hands down. Pretty first half, then two big errors, the Winter Cup special.

Matthews – FX – FTDT, hit, shuffle back – switch 1/2, nice position – front full to 2.5, leg crossing – leg up full turn, nice height – split leap full, may be trying for 1.5 but a full – wolf double, around with some arm wigglies – double tuck, some cowboy and feet, bounce back. Solid hit.

Blakely – UB – stalder 1/2 to piked jaeger, smooth – stalder tkatchev piked to pak, hit – toe full, good finish – connects to van leeuwen, can’t catch, was off that whole skill because she had an uncharacteristic tuck in the air before the missed catch – resumes with toe 1/2 to double front 1/2 out, hop forward

Sam’s like, stop complaining about dunking a basketball while sick.

Esponda – BB – with the candle 1/2 mount – wolf triple, hits it, stands it up a bit at the end – back tuck full and falls – side aerial to loso, hit, leg form deductions – switch to straddle – double tuck dismount, bounce back

Rivera – UB – weiler 1/2, a bit past but hit – toe full to stalder shap to stalder to Ricna, close catch but gets it – pak, smooth – maloney, some legs on backswing into tkatchev, hit – FTDT, didn’t have the rotation from the start, lands on hands and knees

WINTER CUP!

I guess we’re not getting scores because they’re all zeroes?

Milton – BB – front tuck mount to split to straddle – aerial, knees but hit – split jump 1/2 – bhs loso – switch 1/2 – side aerial, arm wave – side somi, lean forward, pulls it back – 2/1 dismount, chest down, small step. Some leg formies throughout.

John and Sam are going hard on artistry being bad.

Izzy Stassi coming in between rotations

Bui – BB – wolf triple, hit, a little slow in the third but solid – “INTERNATIONAL LOOK” – attempts bhs 1/1 and is off line and falls – bhs loso, leg up wobble – switch, pause before switch 1/2 – lots of potential in split elements – onodi, bend at the hips – side aerial, hit – bhs bhs 2/1, hit, small movement.

Malomo with a big yfull on vault, plenty of amplitude, bounce back.

Thomas – UB – Owen has also made the trip here now – weiler 1/2, some back position – connects to toe full to maloney to clear hip to to tlkatchev to pak, nice combo – van leeuwen, smooth legs – short handstand on high – DLO, hop back. Good.

Saltzman – VT – only a ylayout, bounce back

DiCello – FX – switch leap full – double double tuck, solid – wolf triple, smooth – 2.5 to front full, little hop, some knees throughout – switch ring to split leap full, solid – double pike, a bit soft in the knees in landing, holds onto it. She’s much more ready.

Johnson – UB – stalder full, past – maloney legs together solidly, connects to pak – van leeuwen, leg break – toe 1/2 to jaeger, hit – double tuck dismount, stuck. Leg things but a solid hit.

Rose – FX – back 1.5 to front 2/1, gets it, crossover step and some legs – back 2.5 to front tuck – switch ring – split leap full – solid dance elements – wolf triple, good – doing EXTENSION LEANS into the corner – double tuck, chest down, bounce. Hit.

Christian – BB – front tuck mount, little hop – switch to sissone – bhs loso loso, stays on, lean to the side and some feet throughout – front tuck, secure into straddle jump – switch 1/2, secure, back leg position – side somi, hit with arm wave – straddle jump from side – bhs bhs double tuck, deep and sits it down

A Milton – BB – switch mount, switch 1/2, back tuck, won’t get the series but hit the elements – wobble on full turn – aerial, knee, check – bhs loso, on – split jump to straddle jump – switch, wobble, no connection to switch side – side somi, lean forward, pulls it back – bhs bhs 2/1, chest down, shuffle back.

Thomas and DiCello both went 14.050 in the first rotation to lead. Thomas with a good start on bars, DiCello definitely looking like it’s about May, while most are competing like it’s February. Of 1871.

Chellsie joining the gang in the rotation break. John bringing out the word synergistic.

Chellsie Mammel

Rotation 2

Matthews – VT – pretty big on the bounce back, some form on block

Zeiss – UB – jaeger, hit – toe full, pak but hits into the bhardwaj, which was solid – maloney to pak, gets it – van leeuwen and hits the low bar on it – no dismount, only goes for the flyaway, a bunch of steps back

Desmond – VT – yfull, good in the air but comes up short with a step forward

Hang – VT – just does get her DTY around but a big lunge forward and off the mat, chest down

Pineda – UB – hits first hs – toe 1/2 to piked jaeger, good height – toe full to pak, high, legs together well – 1/2 turn on low, little pause but works through it – shoots to high – double pike, step back. Nice form throughout.

Blakely – BB – wolf triple, hit – back tuck full, solid – fhs to front tuck to split to wolf – switch, pause before switch 1/2 to back tuck, check – aerial to straddle, some knee, small arm wave check – side aerial, step back – double tuck, step back. Hit beam. 14.400

Caylor – VT – big DTY, good amplitude, bounce back

Rivera – BB – wolf double, smooth – side aerial, arm wave – bhs loso, solid and better extension throughout – switch to switch 1/2, small pause before korbut – aerial, just some knee, connects to jumps – switch ring, wobble – bhs bhs double pike, pretty deep landing but survives it, hop. Good execution overall.

Williams – FX – DLO to a big rebound into split jump – leg up hop full – split leap fullish – front tuck full to double pike, big bounce back, keeps it in bounds – double L, pulls it around into double turn – back 1.5 to rudi, solid control – double tuck, step back. Love that rebound in the first pass.

Molomo – UB – toe full, a bit past – maloney to pak, good height – van leeuwen, some foot position – short hs on high – jaeger, caught with some feet – double front, big lunge forward but saves it.

Fatta – BB – wolf triple, hits it – bhs loso, a bit of feet, smoothly landed – aerial to split to straddle – side aerial, secure – switch to switch 1/2, nice switch, short on the switch 1/2 with a wobble – switch side – 2.5 dismount, under rotated, hand down

Meanwhile Rivera went 14.500 and Blakely went 14.400 on beam, both with 6.0 Ds. So that’s an 8.4 and 8.5 E. Flavia’s 8.466 was the highest E score given out at all of worlds last year.

DiCello – VT – DTY, good one, medium bounce back and some knees, comfortable

Thomas – BB – switch mount – switch 1/2 to korbut, hit – wolf double, higher position, pulls it around – side aerial to loso, bend at the hips to horizontal, keeps it on – aerial, leg up wobble – split to straddle – side somi, hit – switch, nice back leg – gainer tuck full, stuck. Some tighter moments with wobbles but a hit beam. And 13.200 is a good number.

Rose – VT – very flat block on attempted y1.5, sits it down

Torry – UB – toe full very late, hits mat with her feet – maloney to clear hip to Ricna – pak, some leg separation – van leeuwen, leg separation, can’t cast up after catch and has to hop off – finishes with a stuck double tuck

Johnson – BB – wolf double, check – bhs loso loso, pulls it out, chest down, keeps it together with a wobble – aerial to split to bhs, connected – switch to switch 1/2, nice front foot position – onodi, hit – side aerial, a little shy, check – double tuck, just does survive it, chest well down, step. 13.650

Saltzmann – UB – toe 1/2 to jaeger, good foot positions – Ricna – bail, legs together – stalder to stadler shoot – giant full, pauses int he middle but good vertical overall – DLO, hop up in place. 13.050

Drusch – UB – piked jaeger and falls – pak is good – maloney to clear hip 1/2 to yezhova is hit, some form at the end – toe full – van leeuwen, caught with some legs – DLO, small step. 12.150

Neal – FX – wolf double to art roll out – double l – whip to double arabian, just pulls it out, deep landing but landed – FTDT, bounce back – leg up full turn – split leap full – double pike, small bounce – double tuck, larger bounce back

Jong – UB – inbar full to stalder shap to pak, connected – van leeuwen, good height, leg break – inbar – inbar 1/2 to jaeger, solid – some form in 1/2 turn on 1/2 – FTDT, hop back. OK now.

Lincoln – BB – wolf double, smooth – bhs lay 2 feet, secure landing, some pike in the air, not too extreme – aerial to split jump to straddle, some knee on aerial, good split positions – switch, pause before switch 1/2, seemed like she was going to be able to stay on but bounces off – side aerial, hit – bhs bhs double pike, step back. One of the better double salto dismounts today.

Lowe – FX – double y turn, around – double arabian to stag jump, good one – switch ring to switch full – 2.5 to front tuck, pulls out that front tuck, low but got it around – hands down on wolf turn after exactly 1.567 turns – double tuck, chest down, secure – 2/1 to finish

The two pre-Suni rotations down, two to go.

DiCello leads with 28.250, then Blakely, Thomas, Rivera after that.

Li Li is the visitor after the 2nd rotation.

Rotation 3

Bui – VT – does a DTY and hits it, large bounce back

Rivera – FX – front full to double tuck, hit, step back, some feet – DLO, small slide, little pike down at the end – switch ring to switch-y-art-y-knee position to fake out the split but means she doesn’t actually show the split position – double pike, bounce back – split leap full, under split there – 2.5, little hop. Solid hit.

Desmond – UB – Ricna, hit – toe on to toe full to pak, straddle – 1/2 turn on low, past – toe shoot – front giant 1/2 – DLO, pikes down a little, step, hit.

Williams – VT – DTY, hits, just a little under rotated and a lunge back

Molomo – BB – switch mount, hit – wolf double, around, higher position – side aerial to loso, wobble, turn to the side – switch – back tuck, arm wave – aerial, arm wave correction – split and straddle, hit, some checks in here but staying in it – double tuck, chest down, shuffle forward

A Milton – VT – y1.5, bound forward

Caylor – UB – toe full, good foot positions – maloney to pak, legs together, nice height – van leeuwen, legs together – stalder – jaeger, good feet – a bit past on 1/2 turn on high – DLO, stuck. Really good one. 13.3

Thomas – FX – switch full, a little under – front full to double tuck, large stumble back and OOB – DLO, chest forward, little hop – switch – split leap 1.5 – wolf triple, good for credit – front 2/1, some leg position, slide forward. Big OOB but a progress point.

DiCello – UB – toe full to stalder shap to hindorff, hit – piked jaeger – Church to pak, hit – van leeuwen, legs together – FTDT, holds onto the stick. Very good. 14.3

Snyder – BB – full turn, wobble – bhs loso, secure – side aerial, hit – aerial to split jump to straddle, good dance element positions – split jump 1/2 from side – switch to sissone, nice back leg – bhs bhs to kind of a slow motion 2/1 and falls

Rose – UB – stalder full, – maloney to hindorff, close but caught – yezhova, hit with a straddle – toe on to van leeuwen – DLO, nice finish.

We see Johnson finish floor from afar, double tuck step back.

Pierson – UB – stalder full to maloney, some legs – into pak, solid position – toe full, hits vertical – van leeuwen, high, leg break – stalder 1/2, hits low bar swinging through to jaeger, still gets it – double tuck, step back

Lowe – VT – Y1.5, good control on landing, small movement and a step salute, did not think she was going to have the height to get that one but she did

Zhou – UB – stalder to stalder full, arch but pulls it back, gets to maloney to a pretty pak – van leeuwen, small leg break – toe 1/2 to jaeger, good feet – FTDT, step back. 13.6

Esponda – VT – DTY, comfortable height with a step back

Lincoln – FX – DLO 1/1, some more pike than she usually needs, hit, bounce back – DLO, nice, slide back – switch ring to split leap 1.5, pulls it around, some lack of control on landing – wolf triple, around – switch full, good – front full through to double tuck, chest a bit down, some movement. Good. Early seasony but good. 13.950

Matthews – UB – jaeger, good – Ricna, hit – pak – maloney to bhardwaj, catches but so so close, can’t cast out of it, stops against low bar – toe full – van leeuwen, hit – DLO, chest well down, lunge.

Pineda – BB – wolf double, good – bhs loso loso, well off and falls – aerial to split jump to korbut, good combo speed – switch to sissone, lovely back leg position – back tuck – side aerial, little slide – 2/1, under rotated, hop around

Lee – UB – here we go – blind to jaeger full and falls – that sucks, she hit all of them in training – pak – maloney to gienger, falls again – resumes again, hits toe full to FTDT.

So will they send her to Baku without a good score from Winter Cup? Is there anyone empowered to make that judgment call?

Blakely – FX – FTDT, small bounce back – split jump full – double front, cowboy but solid, into stag jump – switch ring – split leap 1.5, not quite around – wolf double turn crazies, clips her foot and find of stands up and stumbles – double tuck, step back

DiCello with a big lead after 3. Then it’s Blakely, Williams, Rivera, Thomas, Esponda.

Rotation 4

Thomas – VT – just a yfull, hit, hop back, so did the AA today, which is a solid development. 13.200

53.250 opening AA, which also is an auto-qualifier to championships in the AA.

Christian – UB – hits her stalder tkatchev 1/2 to yezhova, high, hit with some leg break – toe full to maloney to pak, good legs together – stalder shap 1/2, leg break, caught again – DLO, hop forward

Johnson – VT – solid y1.5, crossover step, 13.600

Cho – VT – yfull, high on the vault, some pike, step back

Lew – VT – yfull, pretty solid layout position, step back

A Milton – UB – toe full to maloney to giant full to giant to Ricna to pak, legs together well through that – van leeuwen, some tuck at the end – jaeger, hit – DLO, hop back

DiCello – BB – split leap full, a little under rotated, more secure than last year – bhs loso loso, solid – switch to switch 1/2, back leg under, connects to bhs – aerial to split jump to straddle jump – side aerial, hit – 2.5 dismount, knees, crossover step. Big day for her. 14.300 and 56.850

Neal – UB – clear hip 1/2 to a high jaeger – toe full to bhardwaj and peels off – maloney to pak is hit – van leeuwen, good legs together – FTDT, bounce back

Rose – BB – switch mount, hit – switch to split to back tuck, slide back – wolf triple, good – bhs loso loso and falls – aerial, leg up wobble – 2.5 dismount, crossover step

Lowe – UB – maloney to giant full, little leg break pause – toe full to gienger, hit – some short verticals – hits jaeger – pak – toe shoot – FTDT, chest down, hop forward

Pierson – BB – switch-ish mount but not a split, just sort of a change leg – bhs loso series and falls – aerial – side somi, secure – straight jump full from side – switch – side aerial – split to sissone, under – 2/1, short, hop forward

Blakely – VT – DTY today, good height, solid, sizeable lunge back. 14.200

Pineda – FX – double y spin – back 2.5 to front pike, solid landing – switch to split leap full, nice split position – back 1.5 to front full, very good landing – wolf double – double pike, chest down but solid. Nice one.

Rivera – VT – Does the DTY, hit, step back, good

Fatta – VT – DTY, much shorter, tough short landing, forward with a lunge.

Milton – UB – clear hip 1/2 to jaeger, hit – Ray, solid – pak, leg separation and foot position – toe full, late – and recasting now – cast 1/2 – toe shoot – DLO, pikes it down to land, step

Lee – BB – wolf triple, solid – so no new mount sequence – aerial to split jump, nice – switch to switch 1/2 to split ring jump – side aerial and off line, falls – so no acro series in this routine – switch ring – and just dismounts with layout.

Who wants to do some light arsonnnnnn?

Bui – UB – stalder 1/2 to jaeger, hit – Ricna attempt, can’t catch – resumes with tpoe on to pak, good height and position – van leeuwen – stalder full – FTDT, deep landing, pulls it out, hop forward

Molomo – FX – split leap full – DLO, bounce back – popa – double pike, big bounce back OOB – switch – switch side 1/2 – wolf double, around – front lay to front full, low but gets it with some softening of leg form – double tuck, small hop, another OOB

Williams – UB – toe 1/2, can’t get over with some form – resumes to a big gienger – connects to a tucked pak – van leeuwen, also lots of legs – clear hip to horizontal handstand – FTDT, hop forward. Survived it? 10.8

Hang – BB – wolf double, hit – side aerial, small check – loso – bhs tuck full and gets it, step back – switch to split to straddle jump, lovely positions – double tuck, step to the side

Well, if you wanted a Winter Cup, you sure got a Winter Cup.

So DiCello wins with 56.850, then Blakely on 54.650, Rivera on 54.000, Thomas on 53.250.

DiCello obviously prepared. Blakely had the bars miss but otherwise good opener to the season. Rivera keeps herself in the conversation with 54, and Thomas gets her qualifying score. Otherwise, falls.