Just for some fun before the Games! I'm not going to include the US for the team podium or Simone for any individual podiums, partly because it's too crowded already, partly because it's just not quite as fun when one of the people/teams on the fantasy podium is already super dominant and expected to do as well anyway. So they can get diamond-encrusted medals (would they technically be nonmedals?- okay, I'll put away my chemistry nerd puns now). Also, if I include a gymnast who is just total fantasy and not expected to be even close to the podium, I'll put a more realistic fantasy medalist in parentheses underneath.
Team
1. Great Britain
2. Brazil
3. Germany
Can you tell I love my underdog teams? I'm seriously pulling for a bronze upset, and I think there's a really good possibility it will happen!
All Around
1. Rebeca Andrade
2. Laurie Hernandez/Aly Raisman
3. Shang Chunsong
(Giulia Steingruber)
Even with the ACL hiatus, I have remained a devoted Rebeca fan. I really hope she can shine alongside Flavia! Shang came so close last time, and with her great gymnastics and sportsmanship and her life situation, it would just be so wonderful for her to finally medal individually!
Vault
1. Giulia Steingruber
2. Hong Un Jong
3. Marcia Videaux
Giulia has been so close to the top for so long, and she's done nothing but get better. I just love her vaulting, and it would be so great for her to do well! Also, she and Marcia both get nods for not doing strictly round off-entry vaults. And Hong of the weightless Amanar!
Uneven Bars
1. Ruby Harrold
2. Becky Downie
3. Fan Yilin
(Shang Chunsong)
Ruby's bars continue to be my favorite, and the new connection is just fabulous! But she is not a likely medalist at all. Becky medaling is my #1 hope for the UB final! Both the Chinese have fabulous routines, but Fan's is just smoother.
Balance Beam
Alright, so I'm copping out on beam. I'm way too emotionally invested in the beam podium (what a great final to be super emotionally invested in) and though I try to be as un-superstitious as possible, I'm not going to jinx an already beamy final. So I'm doing my dream podium of the gymnasts not likely in the medal hunt.
1. Eythora Thorsdottir
2. Vasiliki Millousi
3. Pauline Schaefer
Three gorgeous beam beauties. I love all of their unique skill sets and choreography!
Floor
1. Claudia Fragapane
2. Aly Raisman
3. Erika Fasana
There are too many gymnasts I love on floor this year. No, no Giulia on my dream podium. I love her on floor, but I'm not a fan of her current routine. Claudia winning a major floor medal is a huge dream of mine. Aly's tumbling is so great, and I just love how she has improved her presentation since last quad! And I just love Erika as a floor performer.
Showing posts with label Germany. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Germany. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
The end of an era
Referring, of course, to Romania's failure to qualify a team to the Rio Olympics. What seemed unthinkable descended into the realm of possible at Glasgow's qualification round and continuously declined to the point of seeming likely before the test event. But ultimately, not even in my worst-case scenarios did I see Romania placing behind Switzerland.
Obviously, that bars issue has been dogging Romania for... ever, but that doesn't explain how they went from consistently-in-the-top-4 to second-to-last-at-the-test-event in a year and a half. And what I blame that on, honestly, is the higher-ups begging Sandra and Catalina to come back. I definitely saw a long-term decline (didn't expect not qualifying to Rio, though) as a possibility when they announced their comebacks, but I was so excited that I might see Sandra, my second-favorite gymnast, back in competition again that I really couldn't find it in myself to care. And honestly, if Sandra had competed again (mini side-rant: she went and quit her comeback because she thought the other girls were too good and then she totally would have been one of the best on the team and I could have seen her again and maybe her last competitive routine wouldn't have included a fall UGH WHY DID SHE QUIT) I still wouldn't care. But I do think it's what led to their undoing.
Why, you might ask? I'll give you two reasons: Stefania Stanila and Andreea Munteanu. Both of whom were discouraged in their training because they felt they were being told "you're not good enough, we can't rely on you" when Catalina and Sandra were called back. And guess what happened, they were needed in the end. Stefania had purpose not only as a good AAer but also as one of about two Romanian gymnasts who more often than not could stay on the bars. And Munteanu's strengths might have been better fulfilled by Cata, but she would have been such an asset at the test event. So yes, I am going to blame the immediate failure to qualify to Rio on the "Save us!" move pulled by the Romanian heads.
But, on to the teams who did qualify, because I'm super excited! I really love this group of teams, and I really like the mix we're going to see in Rio. Brazil absolutely rocked the test event, and the expectation is that they will repeat their stardom at the Games. And they've got Rebeca Andrade back!!! Flavia is going to be the darling, and her beam is to die for (and she's been hitting consistently this season)! I really think they're going to rock house this summer.
Onward to Germany. Seitz and Scheder both competing on bars will be very nice, especially should the Schimm resurface. And I'd like to see Scheder repeat on the beam final front.
Belgium did it! With a little help from Julie Crocket!! I love her so much. Can she please be healthy for longer than two seconds this year? Nina Derwael and Axelle Klinckaert are going to be such exciting prospects for them, and I'd love to see them kick butt this summer.
And finally, France. Which means Marine Brevet once again- with the Shine on You Crazy Diamond routine? I must say, I just really enjoy their unique and different choreography. The French team is just such a beautiful one.
Obviously, that bars issue has been dogging Romania for... ever, but that doesn't explain how they went from consistently-in-the-top-4 to second-to-last-at-the-test-event in a year and a half. And what I blame that on, honestly, is the higher-ups begging Sandra and Catalina to come back. I definitely saw a long-term decline (didn't expect not qualifying to Rio, though) as a possibility when they announced their comebacks, but I was so excited that I might see Sandra, my second-favorite gymnast, back in competition again that I really couldn't find it in myself to care. And honestly, if Sandra had competed again (mini side-rant: she went and quit her comeback because she thought the other girls were too good and then she totally would have been one of the best on the team and I could have seen her again and maybe her last competitive routine wouldn't have included a fall UGH WHY DID SHE QUIT) I still wouldn't care. But I do think it's what led to their undoing.
Why, you might ask? I'll give you two reasons: Stefania Stanila and Andreea Munteanu. Both of whom were discouraged in their training because they felt they were being told "you're not good enough, we can't rely on you" when Catalina and Sandra were called back. And guess what happened, they were needed in the end. Stefania had purpose not only as a good AAer but also as one of about two Romanian gymnasts who more often than not could stay on the bars. And Munteanu's strengths might have been better fulfilled by Cata, but she would have been such an asset at the test event. So yes, I am going to blame the immediate failure to qualify to Rio on the "Save us!" move pulled by the Romanian heads.
But, on to the teams who did qualify, because I'm super excited! I really love this group of teams, and I really like the mix we're going to see in Rio. Brazil absolutely rocked the test event, and the expectation is that they will repeat their stardom at the Games. And they've got Rebeca Andrade back!!! Flavia is going to be the darling, and her beam is to die for (and she's been hitting consistently this season)! I really think they're going to rock house this summer.
Onward to Germany. Seitz and Scheder both competing on bars will be very nice, especially should the Schimm resurface. And I'd like to see Scheder repeat on the beam final front.
Belgium did it! With a little help from Julie Crocket!! I love her so much. Can she please be healthy for longer than two seconds this year? Nina Derwael and Axelle Klinckaert are going to be such exciting prospects for them, and I'd love to see them kick butt this summer.
And finally, France. Which means Marine Brevet once again- with the Shine on You Crazy Diamond routine? I must say, I just really enjoy their unique and different choreography. The French team is just such a beautiful one.
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