LONDON, 8:50 a.m. -- The first subdivision of women's qualifying here at the North Greenwich ("02") arena will get underway in about 40 minutes. Like yesterday, this morning's session will feature the Dutch and the Canadians.
After the Canadian narrowly failed to qualify a full team to the Olympics yesterday, there's probably more pressure on the women to do well. Being in the first session can be brutal. As for the Dutch, well, they are hoping for the best with new seniors like Lisa Top and Noel van Klaveren.
9:01 a.m.: A shot in the arm for Spain? Rick thinks the Spanish men's success last night is a good thing for the Spanish women. Certainly it can't hurt.
9:02 a.m.: This morning we'll also be seeing Jessica Lopez of Venezuela and Ana Sofia Gomez Porras of Guatemala, arguably the best gymnasts in South and Central America, respectively. It would be something of a shock not to see those two in the top 24 when all is said and done here today.
9:08 a.m.: Yao Jinnan is not on the start list for vault, indicating that she'll just be playing to her strengths here. She had problems with her DTY in podium training and didn't stand one up that I saw.
ROTATION ONE: Netherlands on uneven bars, Canada on floor
Notes: Fashion notes! Serious about their march as always, the Dutch women are in the orange and blue leo they prefer in competition. I love Canada's turquoise leotards with spangly maple leaf on the chest -- great color. Jessica Lopez is in pink and black, Ivet Rojas in the white Venezuelan team leotard. Laura Svilpaite of Lithuania is in sleeveless black, as is Sofi Gomez, who has a red starburst on her leo. Very athletic look, that.
On floor, Victoria Moors missed her first double double but did a second one nicely. Canada looks pretty good.
Jordan Rae, vault: Dramatic black sequined leo. Sits tucked Omelianchik. Hmm...I thought that was her vault, but it appears she's getting ready to vault again, though Rojas's name is up now...weird. Yurchenko layout with a step second vault.
Wyomi Masela, bars: Falls on dismount.
Ana Sofia Gomez Porras, beam: Roll on mount. Bhs, tuck full, solid! Switch to back pike, great, tiny wobble on full turn. Small wobble on side aerial. Bhs, bhs, 2.5 with a hop to the side. Nice routine.
Madeline Gardiner, floor: "Dark Eyes," a dramatic version. Triple full, small hop. Lovely dance, as always from Maddie. Double tuck, good landing. Clean third pass. Very good double pike, did not move those feet on landing! Big applause. 13.3.
Ivet Rojas, vault: Lovely FTY with a hop/step. Beautiful in the air though.
Lieke Wevers, bars: Lovely Jaeger. Double pike dismount with a step. Hit routine after first up fell on dismount. Dutch taking a lot of time to prep the bars.
Yamilet Pena, beam: Big wobble on first element. Off on punch front. Bhs, layout. In a wonderful white leotard with blue detail -- wonderful look. Off on full turn with leg up. Gainer pike dismount off the end.
Kristina Vaculik, floor: 1.5 to 2.5 to single stag. Much better than in training. Double tuck with a step back. Switch side half. Double pike with a step back. Not bad. 13.166. Some wobbly landings in that routine.
Jessica Lopez, vault: FTY, small hop. Very good.
Lisa Top, bars: Hit routine. A tad slow in places, but the Dutch are happy.
Jessica Gil, beam: Glitziest leo of this session -- black and crimson, tons of sparkles. Black mesh sleeves. From what I saw, it was a hit routine. Roundoff, double tuck dismount with a step.
Talia Chiarelli, floor: Arabian double front, very small hop. 1.5 to double tuck, stuck! Wonderful! Good triple turn to full turn. 2.5 to pikey front layout, one foot OOB. Much improved presentation on this event. Double pike, done like a Bretsyan's gymnast.
Laura Svilpaite, vault: Handspring pike front with a ton of steps back. Slightly underrotated.
Marlies Rijken, bars: Jump to high, full turn, stalder blind, front stalder to Jaeger, stalder to bail to Ray -- Dutch are cheering her through it -- blind to double front with a step. Not bad at all!
Hiu Ying Angel Wong, beam: Full twisting front layout dismount. I only saw the last half. She
Victoria Moors, floor: Double double tuck, nearly stuck. 1.5 to triple full, actually a tad overrotated and steps to the side and does like an extra quarter turn, but stays in bounds. Switch to switch half. "Assassin's Tango," going well so far...double tuck to end. Great routine! Finals? Very possible. 14.183.
Dianne Teunisse, bars: Toe stalder to Maloney to Pak and falls on her Shaposhnikova. Too bad -- that was great until then. She's got great promise. Full turn to ginat to blind to Jaeger, half turn on high bar and double layout with a step forward.
Simona Castro, beam: Amazing save on bhs, layout to two feet -- one foot slipped but she stayed on. Don't know how she did that! Stuck roundoff, double full.
Christine Lee, floor: Double layout! Very nice, tiny hop back. Full in tuck second pass -- stuck! Bravo, Peng! Oh, she's on. 1.5 to double full but lands with both feet OOB. Shoot -- that will cost 0.3. Wonderful presence on this event though. Double pike, nearly stuck, moves one foot back at the last minute. No big, big mistakes for Canada on floor. 13.766.
Goksu Uctas, beam: Bhs, layout to two feet, very nice. Goksu, who is from Turkey, is in sleeveless white with a red splotch on the bodice. So far, so good for her in this routine, though not a whole ton of difficulty. She's capable of a full twist, for example, and is opting not to throw it. Sticks roundoff, double tuck dismount. Very nice.
ROTATION TWO: Canada on vault, Netherlands on beam...
Notes: Beautiful triple twist on floor from Sofi Gomez, whose right knee is wrapped. Whatever the problem is, it doesn't seem to affect her at all. Pretty impressed with Ivet Rojas, the "other Venezuelan" in this meet also. She looks fit and has good skills. On vault, Brittany Rogers is working a DTY, but needs to land more upright.
Kristina Vaculik, vault: Good high FTY with a hop back.
Jordan Rae, bars: Sits down double front dismount.
Lisa Top, beam: Bhs, layout, good. Side aerial. Side somie, very good. 2.5 twist dismount to good landing.
Yamilet Pena, floor: Salsa music. Arabian double front. Full in tuck, low landing. Very showy opening, very dance-y. I like it. Double tuck, steps back. Double pike, landed too far backward, a little awkward as she shuffles back to save it.
Christine Lee, vault: FTY, stuck! Someone wants to go to the Olympics.
Ivet Rojas, bars: Clean routine featuring pike Jaeger and double front.
Wyomi Masela, beam: Switch, split full. There's a jump you don't see every day. Punch front, wobble. Side somie in combination. Double tuck dismount. Hit routine.
Jessica Gil, floor: Lovely double layout to open! Full in tuck. Salsa music again, very fast. 1.5 to front layout full, excellent. Double pike, also good. Remember she was a floor finalist at the 2009 Worlds. And one of the few to do real dance for 10 seconds -- and a great switch ring -- before her ending pose.
Victoria Moors, vault: DTY, best she's done it here. Still a little short of rotation, and rib cage a bit low on landing, but it was good. 14.4!
Jessica Lopez, bars: Blind to full to Jaeger. Tkatchev. Giant to bail to toe hecht to high. Very good double front with a small hop. She took out a lot of her difficulty and those cool combinations. But that was clean, will get a decent score.
Dianne Tuenisse, beam: Front somie. Big wobble on front aerial. Side somie. Just a little nervous so far...didn't see the dismount, but it was clean.
Hiu Ying Angel Wong, floor: Punch front to double tuck to single stag jump, nice flourish. Double pike and wow did she land that on her toes. Amazingly flexible ankles, oh my goodness. And doesn't seem phased.
Brittany Rogers, vault: DTY with a step to the side, but best she's done too! Very, very good.
Laura Svilpaite, bars: Two huge steps forward on double pike dismount. She had tons of promise as a junior, but struggles mightily with all her gymnastics. It's just not solid.
Lieke Wevers, beam: Side aerial, step, side aerial, great combo, very well done. Full turn with leg up. Double turn, very good, no wobble. But big fall on side somie, hitting her leg/knee on beam as she went down. She basically fell onto her knee, on the beam. Ouch. Dismount is cartwheel, gainer 1.5.
Simona Castro, floor: Soft, music-box notes at the beginning of her performnace. Double pike, shuffle back. Nice 2.5 twist to end. And it's her birthday today! Happy birthday, Simona.
Talia Chiarelli, vault: DTY, great! Atta girls, Canadians! Brilliant rotation for them.
Yao Jinnan, bars: Wonderful routine with the new stalder Khorkina II transition and stuck double layout! I was impressed by how close the coach stood to her on every element she did in this routine. He was right there to grab her if anything went wrong. China realizes she's valuable.
Marlies Rijken, beam: Bhs, layout, solid as a rock. Saves the standing Arabian with steps back. Switch half. She's the pro of this group, and really working like it. Saves side aerial, which she really wanted to connect with side somie, but at least she didn't fall. Cartwheel, double tuck dismount. Not a perfect routine, but a pretty good one.
Goksu Uctas, floor: Turkish beat, a lot of fun. Full in tuck. 1.5 to front layout full. Double pike. Well done. Double tuck dismount. Good landings on everything.
Ana Sofia Gomez Porras, floor: Full in tuck with a small hop. Triple full, lands just a tad forward and takes a step/hop in that direction. Switch to switch half, I think. Switch full. 2.5 to punch front, easy. Switch side half. She's really coming along well, maturing artistically as well as athletically. Great double tuck to end. High 10 with her coach as she comes off the podium. He has his arm around her as they walk off. Bravo.
ROTATION THREE: Canada on bars, Netherlands on floor
Notes: Canada was great on vault. Three DTYs, all stood up, stands them in good stead for the rest of the meet. Here's hoping they keep it going on bars. The Netherlands is hurting after having to count a fall on beam, as well as on floor...the individuals from Central and South America, all in the same group, have been very impressive as well.
Jessica Gil, vault: Yurchenko 1.5, strong.
Madeline Gardiner, bars: Stalder to Maloney to bail to toe shoot to high, blind to Jaeger, full turn to half turn to double pike, stuck. Good girl.
Jordan Rae, beam: Press handstand mount. Switch, pause, back pike. Jumps. Didn't see all this routine. Roundoff, double tuck, barely got it around without hurting her head, still crashed to hands and knees. She's 0-3 on the landings today -- maybe she's injured?
Lieke Wevers, floor: Double tuck, stuck. Well, that was good. Punch front to 1.5 twist, small hop. Switch ring.
Hiu Ying Angel Wong, vault: Believe it was a handspring front pike half twist.
Victoria Moors, bars: Toe Khorkina II..blind to Jaeger, good. Stalder to bail, kips off, Ray...toe front half with a small hop back.
Ivet Rojas, beam: Roundoff, layout stepout mount. Side aerial, very nice. Front aerial, artistic little wobble. Bhs, layout, another small wobble.
Marlies Rijken, floor: Arabian double front, good. 1.5 to double full to bhs, unusual. Classica piano piece. Double tuck. Hit routine.
Simona Castro, vault: FTY? Small hop back.
Brittany Rogers, bars: Toe full to Ricna, sweet! Hop full to bail, Ray. Blind to Markelov. Arabian double front dismount, too much momentum and fights -- fights -- to stay on her feet. She loses the fight and lands on her side under the low bar.
Jessica Lopez, beam: Switch half. Front aerial, small wobble, bhs, layout, not connected but OK. Switch. Side aerial, easy. Side somie, extra arm circle. Full turn. 2.5 twist dismount.
Ayla Wilbrink, floor: Handspring front double full. 2.5 twist to close, very good.
Goksu Uctas, vault: FTY, good.
Christine Lee, bars: Hecht mount. Blind to Jaeger. Toe full to nice Bhardwaj. Toe stalder to toe Khorkina II. Giants to double layout with a small hop. Great routine.
Laura Svilpaite, beam: Side aerial, nice. Bhs, back tuck, nearly falls. Falls on something later in the routine.
Wyomi Masela, floor: Good first pass, but I didn't see what it was. Good double pike to end.
Ana Sofia Gomez Porras, vault: DTY, very good! Just a small hop and some leg form in the air.
Kristina Vaculik, bars: Full to Tkatchev. Geinger, lovely! Stalde rto bail to Ray. Blind to front giant to stuck double front!
Yao Jinnan, beam: Standing back tuck, no full. Bhs, bhs to two feet, layout to two feet, perfect! Jumps. Small check on front aerial. Wow -- low landing on front tuck and one foot comes up but she doesn't fall. Doesn't even really wobble. Full turn with leg at head. Switch ring. Roundoff, double pike dismount. Very nice routine.
Lisa Top, floor: Great high full in tuck to open. Didn't see the rest, as Yao was on beam.
Yamilet Pena, vault: Yurchenko 1.5 with a step. Prepping for her second vault, Kyle Shewfelt and I are so nervous...but, oh thank heavens, it's only a handspring front tuck full, which she falls on. She did not have the height to do the double front. No way. Thank goodness she was sensible about it.
Sui Lu, beam: Amazing front tuck half, wonderful! Totally stuck. Front aerial, bhs, back pike, a little off in alignment but she hangs on with a minimal wobble. Side somie. Switch to back tuck. I feel like she's done every combo there is to do in this routine. Roundoff double pike with a step forward. Performed like a world champ. Which, oh yeah, she is.
ROTATION FOUR: Canada on beam, Netherlands on vault
Notes: Fun facts about the 02 arena from the announcers: If you were to turn it upside down, it would take Niagara Falls 15 minutes to fill it. The Eiffel Tower could fit inside it lying on its side. The roof weighs less than all the air contained inside.
Dianne Teunisse, vault: FTY with a step. Good form.
Hiu Ying Angel Wong, bars: Blind, hesitation, Jaeger, bail not to hadnstand, clear hip nowhere near handstand, toe shoot to high. Double pike dismount.
Talia Chiarelli, beam: I missed the first part of her routine, but she didn't fall. Switch side, very good. Side aerial, tiny wobble. Switch to back tuck. Jumps. Roundoff, double pike dismount.
Ivet Rojas, floor: Spanish guitar. 2.5 to punch front.
Lisa Top, vault: Handspring front pike half, stuck.
Simona Castro, bars: Hecht mount...Jaeger...bail to toe hecht to high...double pike with a step back.
Madeline Gardiner, beam: Full turn in wolf position, sldie to splits. Leap series: Switch half. Onodi, perfect. Bhs, layout to two feet. Been waiting for her to do this routine like this! Side somie. Changeleg side aerial. Double pike with a small step off. That may be the best she's ever done that routine in competition.
Jessica Lopez, floor: Wonderful triple full to open. Using the same music she did in 2011...2.5 twist with a step forward to close.
Marlies Rijken, vault: Missed it.
Goksu Uctas, bars: Good work here -- a clean routine with a double pike dismount with a step forward.
Victoria Moors, beam: Switch. Switch half. Side aerial. So far, so good...front aerial, excellent. Bhs, layout to two feet, perfect! 1.5 turn in wolf position. Then off on side somie! Too bad -- it was going so well! Inexperience, I think. Kyle: "She was thinking, 'Oh my God, I'm almost done!''" Good high double tuck to end, with a step.
Laura Svilpaite, floor: A tango. 1.5 to punch front to single stag jump. Double twist. A very pleasant routine.
Ayla Wilbrink, vault: Didn't see it.
Ana Sofia Gomez Porras, bars: Hit routine, I believe. Full twisting double tuck dismount. Bars isn't her best, but what I saw was OK.
Christine Lee, beam: The audience loves her flairs mount...double turn, solid. Switch to immediate side aerial, a combo that really seems to work for her. Bhs, layout. Punch front. So far, excellent. Front tuck half, yes! Perfectly done. And then on the double pike dismount -- I think her knees touched the ground! Her hands didn't, but the knees might have...
Sui Lu, floor: "Scent of a Woman." Whip to triple full, excellent. 2.5 to front layout, good. Triple turn, very good. Didn't see third pass -- would have been a 1.5 to Rudi, I think. Memmel turn, also excellent. Double pike to good landing. Biggest applause of the day.
Wyomi Masela, vault: Very nice DTY! And second vault, too -- a very good handspring front pike half.
Yamilet Pena, bars: Low Geinger. Bail to clear hip to toe shoot to high, double layout, also low, with a big step forward.
Kristina Vaculik, beam: Switch to back tuck, small check. Rulfova, and there are gasps from the audience. Bhs, layout. Wobble on side aerial. Full turn. Double pike with a step back. Success for Canada! Peng is jumping up and down as she runs to hug Vaculik coming down from the podium. The Canadians are having a big team hug right now. Well deserved. Very well deserved.
Jordan Rae, floor: Double pike, stuck, to open. Double tuck to end, also very well done.
Jessica Gil, bars: Shushunova. Geinger, legs a bit apart. Bail to Ray. Giants to blind to front giant to half turn to double pike dismount. She was very impressive all around the arena today, especially on the leg events, and it wouldn't be surprising to see her qualify to the Games as an individual.
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