ROTATION FOUR:
Notes: Aliya Mustafina, currently third, looks pretty assured of the AA bronze right now so long as she hits floor -- she leads Yao Jinnan by about 0.5 going into the last event. As for gold and silver, it's the U.S.'s to lose. And it doesn't look like they're going to.
Noel van Klaveren, vault: DTY, very nice as always from Noel. One of the best in Europe on this event -- and her DTY is one of the best in the world.
Rebecca Tunney, bars: Great swing elements in combination, but comes off on a toe blind on high bar toward the end of the routine. Full in tuck to end.
Ilaria Kaeslin, beam: Lovely Onodi to sheep. Side aerial to scissone.
Shang Chunsong, floor: A western! And she gets shot at the end! 1.5 to triple full to punch front -- audience "ooh"s. 2.5 to front pike. Full in tuck. Triple turn as the shooting begins -- really, it's supposed to be shooting, but it sounds like a racket. Double pike to end. She gets "shot" at the end and dies in what is the only cute piece of choreo in the set.
Vasiliki Millousi, vault: Didn't see it.
Natsumi Sasada, bars: Overcooks toe full and falls.
Asuka Teramoto, beam: Didn't see it, but she usually has one heck of a triple twist dismount.
Aliya Mustafina, floor: Two whips to double Arabian, stuck, adds a single stag jump at the end, very nice! 2.5 to front layout full, legs on the 2.5 but not the front layout full, which she sticks. Very dramatic piece...switch side into the corner before third pass, a triple twist with a step back (legs again, of course). Double tuck, small step back. Huge ovation for this routine, and her coach is clapping and yelling too. And Mustafina waves to the crowd, which responds even more warmly. Good for her! She should be happy with that routine after all the struggle. 14.566. She ends with 58.856.
Roxana Popa, vault: DTY, step back, very good. 14.8.
Ruby Harrold, bars: Maloney to Bhardwaj, awesome. Va Leeuen to Pak? Toe stalder and toe shoot to high. Blind to Jaeger. Double front dismount with a hop.
Eli Seitz, beam: Stuck double pike dismount, but the rest? Didn't see it.
Larisa Iordache, floor: It's always Larisa who has the long waits...the crowd starts clapping, trying to get the judges to hurry up...double double tuck, good. Full in tuck. Attempts triple turn and will get credit for a 2.5. Triple full, steo back. Switch side half. Double tuck to end. HUGE ovation for this routine -- the crowd loves it! 14.7 for 57.766, which will most likely leave her out of the medals.
Ellie Black, vault: 14.533 for handspring front layout full.
Anna Rodionova, bars: Toe stalder to Maloney, Pak a little soft. Van Leeuen.
Laura Waem, beam: Her fall makes the Belgians gasp. Great landing on her double tuck dismount.
Yao Jinann, floor: Triple full, very good, stuck. Double pike. A bit of chicken dance in her choreo. Memmel turn, nice. 2.5 to single stag again. Double tuck to another terrific landing. As good as her tumbling was, I do not think it was 0.5 better than Mustafina, which means Yao is likely out of the medals as well...13.866 gives her 57.632 on the day and puts her behind Iordache.
Giulia Steingruber, vault: Great high Rudi with step/bounce back.
Victoria Moors, bars: Stalder full to blind to Jaeger. Nice toe Tkatchev! Bail to Ray. Toe on front half dismount. Hit routine for Moors.
Gaelle Mys, beam: Crowd explodes at her hit routine, capped with a double pike dismount (with a step back, but whatevs.)
Kyla Ross, floor: A simply lovely, full package floor routine. She had the tumbling: Double Arabian to single stag jump, full in tuck, double pike and double tuck -- four double saltos that for a taller gymnast who's not really a power girl could be a challenge, but she's so well conditioned. And the presentation was just lovely -- hugs props to Precision Choreography in L.A. What a wonderful competition for her! 14.333 for 59.332 on the night.
Vanessa Ferrari, vault: 14.4 for a basically stuck Yurchenko 1.5.
Carlotta Ferlito, bars: 13.233.
Noemi Makra, beam: A lovely hit routine that receives less attention than it should because of Biles's performance just now...
Simone Biles, floor: Double double tuck, bounces back and takes a step -- so much adrenaline. Double layout half out, STUCK. Whoever said she was inconsistent? She has lived up to all of her potential, under all of the pressure, and she has never faltered for a second. 2.5 to front layout full, just floated. Full in tuck dismount, and she's your World champion! Good for her! 15.233 gives her 60.216 overall.
GOLD: Simone Biles, USA, 60.216
SILVER: Kyla Ross, USA, 59.332
BRONZE: Aliya Mustafina, RUS, 58.856
With her win, Biles also becomes the first African American World all-around champion in women's gymnastics, continuing the history Gabby Douglas made last summer in London by becoming the first African American to take the all-around gold at an Olympic Games. Kyla Ross becomes the first Asian American to medal in a World all-around final as well, I believe...
ROTATION THREE:
Notes: Simone Biles and Kyla Ross remain 1-2 after hit sets on bars. Interestingly, Aliya Mustafina's monstrrous bars set wasn't enough to put her above Yao Jinnan, who tossed her Mo salto in an excellent set and now sits third. Mustafina now has to hope she hits beam solidly, something she's not known for, and that Yao and others fall.
Carlotta Ferlito, vault: Yurchenko 1.5, some legs on her afterflight.
Noemi Makra, bars: 13.633. Didn't see it.
Simone Biles, beam: This will make or break her title right here...2.5 turn in wolf position, great. Jumps. Front aerial to scissone. Bhs, layout, small wobble but nothing to worry about. Switch to switch half. Back tuck. Punch front, another teeny wobble, but so small it's almost not worth writing about. And her two bhs to full twisting double tuck was just amazing. Small hop back. Biles really looks in the zone, totally focused. 14.433.
Vanessa Ferrari, floor: Her new tango...double double tuck, fantastic and stuck. Full in tuck, also stuck, no back tuck out of it. Double tuck, small hop to the side. Excellent, excellent routine. 14.466.
Rebecca Tunney, vault: DTY, very good. 14.866.
Ilaria Kaeslin, bars: Bail to stalder full, not in handstand but great toepoint. Jaeger. Front stalder. Full turn. Full in tuck? to small hop. Nice swing. 13.1.
Shang Chunsong, beam: Holy gold glitter eyeliner! Front walkover mount. Switch ring. Bhs, bhs, layout to two feet and jumps off the beam. Poor Shang! Jumps. Punch front. Switch to back tuck. Front aerial to double stag jump. Stuck double pike dismount. Shame, shame about the fall...
Noel van Klaveren, floor: "Good Feeling." Double layout, little shuffles back. 1.5 to 2.5.
Natsumi Sasada, vault: FTY.
Asuka Teramoto, bars: Tidy routine with double front dismount, small hop.
Aliya Mustafina, beam: Jumps to side somie, better than in prelims. Switch half, Onodi...waves her arms..double turn, wobble. Front aerial, bhs. Switch ring, quite good actually. Side aerial. More arm waving. Very regal. Double tuck with a step to the side. Well, that was pretty good for her. She was a bit careful, but she didn't give too much away in wobbles, which is an improvement.
Vasiliki Millousi, floor: Lovely lyrical new routine for the goddesslike gymnast from Greece. Double tuck, bounce back. Double full. The tumbling isn't difficult, but the dance and the way she moves is mesmerizing -- I hope all gymnasts out there are watching and learning. Nice double pike dismount, and 20 seconds of real dance before her ending pose. Lovely. Leaves the floor with a smile.
Ruby Harrold, vault: FTY.
Eli Seitz, bars: Def, catches it. Hop change to Jaeger. Full in tuck dismount. 13.733.
Larisa Iordache, beam: Bhs, tuck full. And then drops off on roundoff, layout to two feet! That's a surprise. Switch to switch half, step back. Front aerial to split jump to scissone. Side somie. Roundoff, bhs, triple full, shuffle to the side. A big disappointment for the Romanians...13.833.
Roxana Popa, floor: "La Cucaracha." Double layout, lands with chest a tad low. Two whips to two bhs to full in tuck, stuck. Atta girl! 2.5 to punch front.
Anna Rodionova, vault: FTY, stuck. The competitive spirit agani!
Laura Waem, bars: Lovely lines and great high Tkatchev. Half in half out to great landing, just a little hop. Very nice! 13.533.
Yao Jinnan, beam: Standing full and misses it again. Didn't look like she had the height or rotation in the air to really set up the landing. Bhs, bhs, layout to two feet. Frton aerial to sheep. Full turn with leg at head, overcooks it and wobbles an extra quarter turn. Switch ring, wobble. Double pike with a step back. Disappointment for Yao...
Ellie Black, floor: 2.5 walkout to triple full, amazing. Front layout full walkout to double tuck, step forward. Front double full.
Victoria Moors, vault: 14.733 for a DTY.
Gaelle Mys, bars: Misses her first toe on right after mounting and has to take an intermediate swing and basically restart the routine. The rest was clean. Huge applause after her dismount. 12.366.
Kyla Ross, beam: Rather long wait for her while the judges sort out Yao...Switch ring, excellent. Bhs, layout, great. Full turn. Split jump to scissone. Front aerial, sheep, tiny bend of body as she comes out of it. Side somie, extra armswing. Switch to back tuck. Side aerial. Punch front to wolf, just lovely...roundoff, double tuck, essentially stuck, and a huge smile spreads across her face! Bravo, Kyla!
Giulia Steingruber, floor: New routine for her this year too...she's gone from super classical to epic. Full twisting double layout, small hop. Double layout, again a small hop forward. Big, big leaps. Double tuck, bigger hop back. Lovely routine though, an attention-getter. Double pike to end, steps back.
ROTATION TWO:
Notes: As expected, after one rotation it's Simone Biles in the lead with 15.85 for her Amanar, followed by Kyla Ross and Larisa Iordache on vault with good DTYs. Aliya Mustafina is currently fourth but could climb back into the top three with a hit bars set. She is the Olympic champion there, after all...
Gaelle Mys, vault: FTY. 13.958.
Kyla Ross, bars: Inbar Maloney to Pak. Van Leeuen. Inbar blind to Jaeger. INbar full to bail to Ray. Double layout, tiny hop. She looked close to overbalancing her first handstand on high bar, but she really just dealt with it and should get no deduction for it. Experience, man. 15.1.
Giulia Steingruber, beam: Front pike. Bhs, layout to two feet.
Victoria Moors, floor: Big moment for her -- will she attempt the double double layout again? She does -- and she makes it! Good for her! "Assassin's Tango." 1.5 to triple full. 2.5 twist. And a double tuck. Great landings to all passes, including that double double layout, which was basically stuck. Excellent set!
Noemi Makra, vault: Handspring front pike half.
Simone Biles, bars: Weiler half to Maloney. Toe full to Tkatchev. Pike Tkatchev to Pak. Toe shoot to high. Toe stalder to full twisting double tuck, STUCK. Well, she dealt with that. Inconsistency? Not here...she hugs Kyla, who looks genuinely delighted. 14.7.
Vanessa Ferrari, beam: Hit routine from Ferrari with double pike dismount with a hop. 14.166.
Carlotta Ferlito, floor: Love this new routine. Triple full, legs bent in the air. Double pike with great landing to end.
Ilaria Kaeslin, vault: FTY.
Shang Chunsong, bars: Clear hip pike Tkatchev to Pak. Maloney to clear hip uprise -- not to handstand -- inverted pirouettes to Jaeger. Tkatchev. Geinger. Full twisting double tuck, small hop. Not on bar with either of the Americans, I thought. Wow, there is a ton of glitter in her hair...
Noel van Klaveren, beam: Wobbles here and there on her Acro series. 12.733.
Rebecca Tunney, floor: Whip to Arabian double front, big step forward and OOB.
Asuka Teramoto, vault: Didn't see it.
Aliya Mustafina, bars: Stalder full to Maloney full to mixed grip to Pak to van Leeuen. Inbar blind to pike Jaeger, great. Toe full to 1.5 twisting double tuck dismount with a step. That.was.fab. 15.233.
Vasiliki Millousi, beam: Roundoff, layout stepout mount, wobble but not too serious. 12.8 -- something else must have gone wrong.
Natsumi Sasada, floor: Double pike to end. Fun routine!
Elisabeth Seitz, vault: DTY with a small step back.
Larisa Iordache, bars: Toe stalder to van Leeuen. Blind to Jaeger. Toe full to Tkatchev to Pak. Stalder half to toe shoot to high. Full twisting double tuck, stuck. Well, better than in prelims, but she missed at least two handstands and she'll be penalized for it. 14.2 seems right given Mustafina's score.
Roxana Popa, beam: Only saw her two bhs to doubl epike dismount. That was good.
Ruby Harrold, floor: Arabian double front, well done, great landing. Front double full, small shuffle on landing. Crowd likes her music, is clapping along. 1.5 to front layout full. Double tuck.
Laura Waem, vault: FTY. 13.8.
Yao Jinnan, bars: The Mo Salto! She does it! Excellent too. Hit routine before and after. Double layout, STUCK. Well well well! Has a nice moment with her coach afterwards on the podium -- he says something to her and embraces her. Awwww! 15.333 moves her third right now. Well!
Ellie Black, beam: Double turn. Front pike, solid. Bhs, layout to two feet. Side somie, teeniest of checks, but very well controlled. Switch to switch half, a little wobble there...Front tuck to wolf, great. Roundoff, 2.5 twist, stuck. Good for her!
Anna Rodionova, floor: Lovely, lovely traditional music. Full in tuck. 1.5 to double full, small shifting of feet. 1.5 to front full. Yes, she does the classic Courtney Kupets crabwalk, but we can forgive her for it because the routine is so nice. Double tuck, makes it to her feet this time. She looks all delicate, but she's a scrappy little competitor, I suspect. 13.333.
ROTATION ONE:
Fashion notes: Americans in pink. Well, it's worked for them up to now, so why mess with success?
Yao Jinnan, vault: Double full, two small steps back. 14.8.
Ellie Black, bars: 12.866. That's about what Ellie scores when she hits. So take it as a hit routine.
Ana Rodionova, beam: Bhs, Arabian. Switch, split leap. Front aerial to split jump. Side aerial. Side somie, tiny wobble. Full turn with leg up. Double tuck, small step back. Didn't see her flight series, but what I did see was clean. 12.066 -- she must have come off early in the routine...
Laura Waem, floor: Huge applause for her as she begins (she is Belgian, after all). 2.5 twist. Double pike. 1.5 to double full. HUGE applause for this Rodrigo y Gabriela piece. 12.366.
Kyla Ross, vault: Terrific DTY, tiny hop back. A little better than Yao's, I thought. 15.366. (Guess the judges thought so too.)
Giulia Steingruber, bars: Pak. Van Leeuen. Markelov. Toe stalder. Blind to double front, small hop.
Victoria Moors, beam: 12.3. Must have taken a fall. Eh well, floor is what's important for her tonight...
Gaelle Mys, floor: "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps." Front double full to front layout half. Double tuck, bounces back. Double full. Enjoyably choreograhped routine.
Simone Biles, vault: Terrific Amanar with a step forward. Great in the air, absolutely great. 15.85.
Vanessa Ferrari, bars: Hit set with full in double tuck dismount. 13.7.
Carlotta Ferlito, beam: Front aerial to sheep. Bhs, bhs, layout to two feet, tad wobbly but stays on. Switch to back tuck, good. Roundoff, 2.5 twist dismount.
Noemi Makra, floor: Terrific technique. Full in pike. Triple full? Double pike. Double full to end. Reminds you of the old-school gymnasts of the 1980s and how clean they were in all their skills. 13.533.
Shang Chunsong, vault: FTY, small hop back, good in the air. 14.0.
Noel van Klaveren, bars: Jump to high, Toe stalder to toe blind to Jaeger. Overbalances her next handstand and has to kip off on the other side of the bar. Misses a swing after her transition to low and jumps off. Shame! 10.633.
Rebecca Tunney, beam: Off on roundoff, layout to two feet. 11.966.
Ilaria Kaeslin, floor: Wonderful soft, elegant performance. Triple full, bounces out of it, does a half turn and winds up OOB. Rookie mistake on a podium. Double tuck, small step forward. But the tumbling isn't what it's impressive about this routine -- it's that she oozes elegance. Wonderful performance. Double full to end.
Aliya Musatfina, vault: DTY, small hop back but she did it at the same time as she saluted the judges. She already looks better than she did in prelims -- more energy, more bounce. Is wearing the same red leo she wore to win the European title earlier this year. 14.891.
Vasiliki Millousi, bars: So she's replacing Jessica Lopez, who said that her Achilles was bothering her after prelims. Gets in trouble right away and has to take an intermediate swing, then flies off the bar late in the routine. What a shame! Double pike dismount, step forward.
Natsumi Sasada, beam: Roundoff, layout full mount and makes it (I think)! Was so excited she wobbled a bit on her jumps after as she got her bearings, but whatever. Punch front. Bhs, layout. Full turn with leg at head. Front aerial. Switch. Sheep, wobble. Double pike dismount. 13.5.
Asuka Teramoto, floor: Cirque du Soleil music. Saw triple full and double pike to end. Warm round of applause for that, including from the Japanese coach.
Larisa Iordache, vault: DTY, exceptionally clean, small hop back. 15.033.
Roxana Popa, bars: Maloney to Geinger. Toe blind to Jaeger. Toe Tkatchev. She swings fast! Toe full to Tkatchve. Pak, very nice. Ray, crisp. She's great! Full twisting double layout, very correct, just a step to the side. 13.533.
Ruby Harrold, beam: Falls, didn't see on what. Crowd groans. Falls again. Crowd notices less. 11.066.
Eli Seitz, floor: New routine for Seitz this year is Mexican themed, very mariachi. Full in pike, well done. 1.5 to double tuck. Double full. Double pike, both feet OOB after she bounds backwards.
ANTWERP, 7:28 p.m.: Simone Biles? Kyla Ross? Someone else?
After a flawless qualifying session, the American women are the odds-on favorites to take the 2013 World title, which will be decided in about two hours. And while Biles, the 2013 U.S. champion and Fierce Fiver Ross are the leaders right now, they are not the only gymnasts in the field.
2010 World champion Aliya Mustafina qualified to this final in fifth place, but everyone is expecting her to "bring it," as one person expressed it walking to the media gallery, and be more of a challenger tonight. Romania's Larisa Iordache and China's Yao Jinnan could also factor in if they can compete cleanly (Yao came off beam in the prelims, and Iordache had problems on bars.)
Last night, high bar was the event that separated the champions from the runners-up here. Expect balance beam to be that event tonight.
7:45 p.m.: It just came through that 1997 World high bar Jani Tanskanen of Finland has been elected to a second term as FIG Men's Athlete Rep. Tanskanen defeated 2012 Olympic vault silver medalist Igor Radivilov of Ukraine for the position of repping the athletes to the FIG during the next four years. Beth Tweddle of Great Britain was elected as the women's rep yetserday, defeating Alicia Sacramone of the U.S. and Angelina Kysla of Ukraine.
The press was also given some time with Aly Raisman, who just got in from the U.S. Raisman says she is back training with Mihai and Silvia Brestyan in Massachusetts and hopes to be at the U.S. Classic or U.S. Championships by 2014.
What's she most excited about? A new floor routine, something that might be a bit more "girly," and show off her confidence and what she learned on Dancing with the Stars. But no, her DWTS partner Mark Ballas won't be choreographing it -- Silvia Brestyan will.
7:53 p.m.: Young gymnasts (some of whom will be repping Belgium in international competition in a few years, from the skills they were doing during their demo a few minutes ago) march out two by two for the flag ceremony to Space Jam's "Y'all Ready for This?" Lots of energy in the arena right now...
Also, someone in the second group is injured and has withdrawn, though nobody can quite figure out who...Vasiliki Millousi of Greece is first alternate, so she may compete.
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