PODIUM TRAINING HIGHLIGHTS THOUGHTS
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BARS

Raisman: can you point your toes please? Easy looking straddled jaeger and big tkatchev. Blind change to double front dismount looks effortless for someone whose top event is not bars.

Larson: Kips look a bit forced but her pointed toes and lovely lines make everything better. Love the effortless Shaposhnikova. Small hop on double layout.

BEAM

Caquatto: Looks much more confident than at Classic and VISAs. Nice front aerial to BHS Layout stepout, not even the slightest of wobbles.

Raisman: BHS Layout is powerful but again, form needs to be cleaned up. Back leg VERY low on switch side/half. (I saw someone else mention this recently….this is toeing the line for not getting credit IMO) Nice front tuck-BHS-layout stepout but again, the flexed feet is driving me crazy! BHS stepout-BHS-Layout timer for dismount was actually very pretty….um, Aly, where were those pointed toes during the rest of the routine? Please bring them for Qualifications! :)

Bross: BHS-Layout stepout solid as usual. Small wobble on arabian but saved nicely.

Larson: Love the press mount! Pretty wolf jump and split jump. Is that all we get to see? :(

FLOOR

Caquatto: triple twist with small hop, piked full in with very low chest on landing

Larson: Big double layout with slight spot. EDIT: Found a video of her fx run through! Double layout again with spot, absolutely beautiful STUCK triple full, 2 1/2 to punch front, toed the line, nice triple turn, double pike landed on knees :( very pretty routine though!

Raisman: 1 1/2 through to back tuck timer.

Bross: dance…why do they show this?

Sloan: very big double pike.

Davis: very pretty double tuck, tiny hop.

VAULT

Sacramone: handspring front timer

Davis: Yurchenko full with steps back, i think it was a warm-up vault.

Bross: Yurchenko double, little untidy legs but overall decent.

Sorry, I only get to see the video that USAG uploaded so it’s just their “highlights” but I thought a little commentary would be better than nothing! This does absolutely nothing to help me decide who is going to be the alternate. PLEASE not Chelsea Davis, gymnastics gods!

Part 6 of Who I’d Put On The Worlds Team: Chelsea Davis!

I think the selection camp is today, maybe, so I figured I’d better post the last one quick before USAG beats me to the punch! I was really torn between three gymnasts for this last spot: Chelsea, Mackenzie Caquatto, and Kytra Hunter. I even had a huge gymnastics nerd moment in which I took the 3 girls’ D and E scores from VISA’s and did a side by side comparison, haha! All that really convinced me of was that I didn’t want to take Macko. Kytra and Chelsea were very evenly matched, and in the end I decided I’d take Chelsea because we already have a lot of power gymnasts on the team I selected, and Chelsea’s impeccable form and execution would be a great plus for the USA.

Not to mention she trains at my gym, so I might just be a LITTLE bit biased! But seriously….I love the girl, she is a lovely gymnast to watch!