Qualifications of the European Championships are completed. I am excitedly awaiting videos to start pouring out of Youtube. Here is what I have noticed thus far by looking at the numbers and messageboards.
2. Romania’s Sandra Izbasa scored a freaking 15.700 on floor! Other than Cheng Fei’s 15.875 in 2006 event finals, I have NOT seen a LEGIT score that high on floor! Unbelievable. I hear that her A-score is 6.4. I wonder if A) that is correct, and B) What she may bring to Beijing!
3. Italy’s Vanessa Ferrari qualified 2nd in the AA, and DID NOT qualify to floor finals! She is the #1 reserve though. I love her on floor, though I have heard she hasn’t been doing the double-double which better be back for Bejing!
4. Several injuries. France’s Isabelle Severino tore her Achilles I think, and a Romanian went down.
5. Great Britain’s Beth Tweddle has a new combo I am excited to see on bars, which she qualified 1st into, with a 15.975. World Champion Ksenia Semenova of Russia qualified 2nd with I THINK a 15.875. A messageboard stated that both Tweddle and Semenova appeared to have watered down routines, and hopes they are saving themselves for EF. ME TOO!
6. What the hell is with the name Ksenia in Russia? I have never heard another gymnast having that name and now they have 2! Of course we once had Olympic squads with two Dominiques, then we had year of the Courtneys. God, we even had two elite Carlys.
7. Now that I look at more, Ferrari’s A-scores are in the hole here! Damn! 5.7 on floor (was up to a 6.4 at one time), 6.3 beam, (6.6), and I dunno what on bars. I hope she is just taking it easy after all the foot problems.
8. Romania qualified as a team a few points ahead of Russia, followed by Italy. Either one of those teams taking the title will be a big deal….Romania, saying a little, “We’re back! Gold, I missed you!” And Russia, who must redeem after the vaulting zero incident at World’s, “See Romania! We are better! Oh wow, I forgot what Gold feels like.
9. Oksana Chusovitina qualified 1st in vault, YAYY! I heard she has a new vault, maybe a double Tsukahara, which would be cool, she did score an average of a 15. Great. I heard she might be doing a full-twisting double layout on floor too! Dunno yet, but she did qualify to that final as well! yeah, just checked, new vault must be something bigger (thinkin the Tsuk double is right) as her first vault score was a 15.425.
10. Russia’s Anna Pavlova (another sentimental fave) qualified to both Vault (3rd) and floor (7th) but not beam! Crap!
11. Alina Kozich of Ukraine qualified to both beam and floor finals! Yeah girlie!
That’s all for now! COME ON YOUTUBE!
Tags: Alina Kozich, Anna Pavlova, beth tweddle, european championships, gymnastics, Ksenia Semenova, Oksana Chusovitina, Sandra izbasa, vanessa ferrari
