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 The 2010 World Championships conclude Sunday with the final day of apparatus finals at Rotterdam's Ahoy Arena. The event finals are no afterthought however, as five more gymnasts will be crowned world champions. Women's all-around champion Aliya Mustafina has four medals already, but will she have the endurance to win two more? If so, she will become the first female gymnast to win the maximum number of world medals since compatriot Yelena Shushunova snagged six at the 1987 Worlds, held at the very same arena. There's other gymnasts aiming for history as well, including Lauren Mitchell, who has two shots at becoming Australia's first female world gymnastics champion. The FIG does not allow one-touch warmup in event finals, which could contribute to more mistakes from the gymnasts. The podium adds more bounce to the apparatus, and timing is crucial. In particular, men's vault finals could be full of falls today. Using qualification scores, let's a take a look at this afternoon's event finals: Balance Beam
Strengths: Artistry, consistency Weaknesses: None The beautiful Ana Porgras debuted a new routine in September that boosted her Difficulty score. Porgras, the top qualifier, brings the traditional Romanian consistency to beam along with her own lovely style.
Strengths: Difficulty Weaknesses: Inconsistency Bross nailed her beam routine in qualifications to tie Porgras for the highest score, but had several wobbles in the team final and fell in the all-around. Bross is tough as nails however, delivering an incredible floor routine in the all-around despite an injured leg. Bross already owns two silver and three bronze medals in world competition, and will be gunning for gold Sunday.
Strengths: Difficulty, artistry Weaknesses: Inexperience You won't find a more gorgeous gymnast than Dementyeva, who is artistic down to every last detail. But Dementyeva, who won't turn 16 until Dec. 28, is the youngest gymnast in Rotterdam and the most inexperienced on her team. Last up in the beam final, Dementyeva will be under even more pressure to nail her routine.
Strengths: Difficulty, experience, artistry Weaknesses: None Reigning world champion Deng Linlin has proved many times she can deliver when it counts, including in the 2008 Olympic team final and last year's world beam final. The only real question is if Deng will throw her layout full. Only fourth in qualification, Deng may need to risk more in the final to win.
Strengths: Difficulty, style Weaknesses: Inconsistency Mitchell's 6.7 Difficulty was the highest in qualification, and her beam routine is packed with tricks and cool moves. But she fell off beam at the Commonwealth Games and in the team final in Rotterdam. The silver medalist in 2009, Mitchell could win the Australian women's first world title if she nails the routine of her life Sunday.
Strengths: Artistry, difficulty Weaknesses: Execution, exhaustion This beam routine with be Mustafina's 17th salute in Rotterdam, and she must be nearing exhaustion if she's not there already. Her routine on the apparatus is exquisite, but she needs to clean up her leg form on her triple twist dismount. The world all-around champion can medal again if she hits, but she may be more apt to tired mistakes Sunday.
Strengths: Experience, consistency Weaknesses: Difficulty New world vaulting champion Alicia Sacramone has nothing to lose in the beam final. She has less difficulty than the other finalists but plenty of style, not to mention her double pike dismount is the best in the world.
Strengths: Difficulty Weaknesses: Inconsistency Demyanchuk, the 2009 European champion, is Ukraine's only female finalist in Rotterdam. She's returning from a knee injury, and has been less than consistent on this event. But a hit routine would be a great moment for the Ukrainians, whose last world title was Irina Krasnyanskaya on beam in 2006. Men's Vault
Strengths: Difficulty, experience Weaknesses: Inconsistency Golotsutskov vaulted to the top in qualification, no mean feat considering the heavy competition to get into the men's vault final. He prefers a different technique for his double front-half, twisting early to make it more like a Cuervo-in, back out. Golotsutskov has been betrayed by inconsistency in the past, and he needs to put both vaults to his feet Sunday to impress Russia's coaches.
Strengths: Experience Weaknesses: Inconsistency Kasperovich is the oldest of all the finalists in Rotterdam, but can still vault with the best of them. It's nearly impossible to be consistent on 7.0 Difficulty vaults, but Kasperovich has the experience to draw on in the final.
Strengths: Experience, consistency, execution Weaknesses: None Bouhail actually tied Poland's Leszek Blanik for first in the 2008 Olympic final, but was dropped to silver by a cruel tie-break. Bouhail's form is among the best on the Tsukahara double pike, which often sees gymnasts tuck their legs down too early.
Strengths: Difficulty Weaknesses: Inexperience Yang nailed his layout Randi in the team final for a phenomenal 16.666. But the 17 year old may lack the experience to land both vaults well in his first world final.
Strengths: Experience Weaknesses: Execution Second in 2009, Koczi has experience on his side. But his form is often ragged on his twists, which could make the difference in a close final.
Strengths: Power Weaknesses: Inconsistency Isayev has a great Dragulescu and Tsuk double pike, but watered down the first in qualification. He will need to hit both in the final for a medal chance.
Strengths: Experience Weaknesses: Difficulty Wammes has less difficulty than most of the other finalists, but his vaults may be easier to stick in the final.
Strengths: Experience Weaknesses: Difficulty In qualification, Rivera had the easiest vaults of all the finalists, and will need to upgrade in the final or hope for mistakes from his competitors to get a medal. Parallel Bars
Strengths: Difficulty, execution Weaknesses: None The brilliang Feng was first in qualification in 2009 but edged in the final by teammate Wang Guanyin. The title is Feng's to lose in 2010.
Strengths: Difficulty, execution Weaknesses: Inconsistency Teng is inconsistent on other events, but usually nails parallel bars. It will be hard for Teng to win, however, without a major mistake from his teammate.
Strengths: Execution Weaknesses: Difficulty Hambüchen has less difficulty than the Chinese, but can still medal with a strong performance and stuck dismount.
Strengths: Difficulty, artistry Weaknesses: None Uematsu has less difficulty than Feng, but more than Teng. He will need to nail his routine in the final.
Strengths: Experience, execution Weaknesses: Difficulty Kierzkowski had the least difficulty of any of the finalists, but the highest execution. Kierzkowski has been one of the most consistent gymnasts on parallel bars over the past few years, and has the experience to nail his routine in the final.
Strengths: Artistry, execution, difficulty Weaknesses: None The two-time world all-around champion brings beauty to every event, and parallel bars is no exception. If he's feeling strong and healthy, Uchimura could win his fourth medal in Rotterdam.
Strengths: Difficulty Weaknesses: Execution Like Kierzkowski, Piasecky is a veteran with many World Cups under his belt. He has a good level of difficulty but will need to be sharper with his execution to medal.
Strengths: Difficulty Weaknesses: Execution Valeyev had even more difficulty than Feng, but his low execution score was costly as he grabbed the final qualification spot. He will need to improve in the final. Women's Floor Exercise
Strengths: Artistry Weaknesses: Exhaustion Mustafina can win this event with a nailed routine, but she will need to dig deep for one more great performance.
Strengths: Artistry, difficulty, experience Weaknesses: Consistency Afanasyeva can score above 15.000 with a nailed routine, but she's been prone to inconsistency. She delivered a beautfiul, clutch routine in the team final, however, and a repeat performance Sunday should land this diva among the medalists.
Strengths: Consistency, difficulty, experience Weaknesses: None Izbasa has made a fantastic comeback from her torn Achilles in September 2009, and is as consistent as ever with her tumbling. Her new routine to "Hava Nagila" and "Kalinka" is a crowd favorite and well choreographed, and with only three tumbling passes, is a refreshing chance of pace in the women's floor final.
Strengths: Artistry Weaknesses: Inconsistency Sui, the 2009 world bronze medalist, would love to redeem herself after missing her beam routine in the team final.
Strengths: Experience Weaknesses: Choreography Mitchell took second in 2009, and will need a nailed routine this year to win another medal. Mitchell has strong tumbling, including a great piked full-in second pass, but her choreography in this routine often does not match the intense music.
Strengths: Tumbling Weaknesses: Choreography Along with Afanasyeva, Chelaru throws the only double layout of the finalists, and she has the only full-in dismount. She performs to a great cut of "Hungarian Rhapsody," but the choreography is immature in places.
Strengths: Experience Weaknesses: Difficulty Following ankle surgery last year, Ferrari hasn't been able to regain her double-double mount. But the former world champion is a sentimental favorite for audiences.
Strengths: Tumbling Weaknesses: Aristry Raisman is a strong tumbler, and opens with the same pass Beth Tweddle used to win the world floor title in 2009. But her much-criticized execution is a factor on floor exercise, where judges are not shy to take deductions for bent knees and flat feet. High Bar
Strengths: Difficulty Weaknesses: Execution Zhang had a massive 7.3 Difficulty score in qualification, even though his routine lacks big releases. His leg form needs a lot of work as well. Unfortunately judges don't seem to care anymore about pointed toes, especially on high bar, the worst-judged event in all of gymnastics.
Strengths: Difficulty, execution Weaknesses: Consistency Uematsu has the best routine of the final, with exciting releases and beautiful form. But he fell on a simple move in the all-around, costing him a medal.
Strengths: Experience Weaknesses: None Hambüchen, the 2007 world champion on high bar, is one of the world's most popular gymnasts and always excites on high bar. He will need to show his more difficult routine in the final to medal, however.
Strengths: Difficulty Weaknesses: Execution Leyva has an exciting routine with a huge full-twisting layout Tkatchev, but loses form throughout his routine.
Strengths: Difficulty, experience Weaknesses: Exhaustion Boy has been in plenty of high bar finals, and tied teammate Hambüchen for the bronze at this year's Europeans. But he may be tired after competing 18 routines already in Rotterdam.
Strengths: Consistency Weaknesses: Execution Brooks is very consistent on this routine, but with sloppy feet (see Zhang Chenglong).
Strengths: Difficulty Weaknesses: Execution Zonderland is the last hope to bring a medal to the host nation and will be under pressure in the final. Zonderland has improved greatly on his execution, but it still could be better.
Strengths: Difficulty Weaknesses: Execution Feng's 6.9 Difficulty landed him in the final, but his execution is weak. Like his teammate, his routine also works the Code yet is not exciting. Comments (3)
Lora
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... the FIG are idiots! Men's high bar was a joke! Poor Epke and Fabian, either should have won. |
BeCha
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... Lora, YOU are such an idiot... You don't know nothing about gymnastics... There's 2 notes with the new code. One for the Difficulty and one for the Execution. Epke and Fabien both had a higher execution note than Zhang. But they both had a lower difficulty note. When you add D and E, and if you D is lower, you can't win!!! And the D note is not fixed by the jury but by the code, in regard of the elements included in the routine... |
Lora
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... Becha, I KNOW there are two scores. And yes the FIG are idiots for creating such a stupid Code that has Zhang Chenglong winning that high bar final over so many better routines. |
