CHARLEROI, Belgium -- Is Anastasia Sidorova the next great Russian star?
The 14-year-old certainly seemed like it Saturday night as she cruised through high-difficulty routines to win the 2010 Top Gym all-around title over challengers Ariana Guerra of the U.S. and Italian newcomer Elisa Meneghini.
Sidorova was the top gymnast in Belgium on vault (14.733 average), where she threw the competition's only double-twisting Yurchenko, as well as on beam (14.167) and floor (14.567), where she danced to a stylish tango piece. Her D-score on beam -- 6.2 -- was the highest of the competition and the only routine to carry a difficulty value above 6.0.
Sidorova, who won the bronze medal on floor at the 2010 Junior European Championships, has had a busy week. Right before leaving for Charleroi, she won Russia's Sports schools championships, International Gymnast Magazine reported. There, she scored 59-plus in the all-around on both days of competition, boosted by landing an Amanar vault. And yes, having been born in September 1996, she is age-eligible to compete in London in 2012.
Stars Houston gymnasts Guerra and Ericha Fassbender, fourth overall, made a strong showing for the U.S. Both showed explosive tumbling on floor, each starting with a full in pike. Guerra's only visible mistake of the night came on bars, where she pulled in on her Tkatchev slightly and hit her feet on the high bar as she caught it.
On beam, Fassbender showed a clean front aerial to back handspring to layout to two feet, but came off later in the routine and also fell on bars on a stalder element. Both she and Guerra vaulted high and clean Yurchenko 1.5 twists.
Russia's Kristina Sidorova (no relation to Anastasia), also 14, finished fifth, tied with Hungary's Noemi Makra. Makra was hugely impressive on uneven bars (one of the highest Jaegers in years) and is a big new talent for the country. Sidorova is a pleasant gymnast, but did not have the difficulty shown by the top three (her only D-score over 5.0 came on floor).
Menegheni is a powerful young force for the Italian women, with an emphasis on powerful. On floor, she tumbled an easy-looking full in tuck and got great distance on her Yurchenko full vault.
France's Mira Bomejmajen, 10th all-around, was the top scorer on her best event, the uneven bars.
Romania sent Madalina Blendea and 10-year-old Adela Florea, who finished 14th and 24th overall, mostly thanks to weak bar routines (Blendea's 2.8 D-score on bars was the third lowest difficulty of the meet on that event, but her execution, 8.35, was the fourth highest E-score on bars). Both gymnasts show every indication that they will develop into the sort of athletes Romania has produced generation after generation -- strong on beam and floor, decent on vault, weak on bars.
Blendea, however, stands out on floor. Her execution and presentation are excellent, and not just for someone her age.
Sweden's Emma Larsson and Thailand-born Kim Singmuang, 11th and 13th, respectively, also made positive impressions, as did the Netherlands's Tessa Gerrits, who finished seventh (loads and loads of style on floor).
2010 Top Gym Results
1. Anastasia Sidorova, RUS, 56.917
2. Ariana Guerra, USA, 53.883
3. Elisa Meneghini, ITA, 53.484
4. Ericha Fassbender, USA, 53.317
5. Kristina Sidorova, RUS, 52.833
5. Noemi Makra, HUN, 52.833
7. Tessa Gerrits, NED, 52.233
8. Giulia Gemme, ITA, 52.016
9. Sophia Serseri, FRA, 51.7
10. Mira Bomejmajen, FRA, 50.601
11. Emma Larsson, SWE, 50.166
12. Florence De Bruyn, BEL, 49.9
13. Kim Singmuang, SWE, 49.834
14. Madalina Blendea, ROM, 49.683
15. Maartje Riukes, NED, 49.567
16. Kirsten Beckett, RSA, 49.566
17. Berengere Fransolet, BEL, 48.917
18. Romina Bertschinger, SUI, 48.483
19. Antje van de Velde, BEL, 48.183
20. Ellen Rabaut, BEL, 47.834
21, Frances Jacobs, BEL, 47.233
22. Claudia Cummins, RSA, 46.383
23. Marlene Bindig, GER, 46.3
24. Adela Florea, ROM, 45.85
25. Tereza Chustera, CZE, 45.616
26. Georgina Hockenull, GBR, 45.416
27. Nicole Hitz, SUI, 45.217
28. Veronika Pluskalova, CZE, 45.016
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