Devastating Retirements: Shawn Johnson

    Shawn Johnson......... She was amazing. She was the first girl to do the Amanar since Simona Amanar. She was an amazing athlete. We know Shawn not only because of her stunning gymnastics, not just because she won every competition she entered until 2008 all-around, not just because of her beam win in China, but because of her million-dollar smile. Even non-gymnastics fans knew Shawn because of her smile, when they see Shawn J. They are all like "Look at that beautiful smile!!" But in 2011, Shawn Johnson competed for the last time, at Nationals, after not making the Worlds team, Shawn gave it up. She performed her last dismount. She didn't try for the Olympics the next year, partly because of the injury she acquired in a skiing accident, but mostly because she decided she wanted to be a normal girl. "The old Shawn is gone, I am no longer that 16 year old girl, I am now 20, my gymnastics won't be the same, but neither will my love for it, I just wanted to see if I can try again, make the World Team, but now that is not possible, I will be retiring" Shawn said to NBC. I watched that interview, and my mother had to comfort me went that interview ended, I was enticed by Shawn's beam work, and I am sure I am not alone when I would say, "I miss you Shawn!" but, no matter how much time passes, none of us who were around in Beijing, will never forget her 2 1/2 vault, her floor work, her bars work, and her explicit beam work, and most importantly, none of us will ever ever ever ever forget her million dollar smile.

Vault Chat: The Amanar

   No one performs the Amanar more beautifully than McKayla Maroney (Not even Simona Amanar!) But, with the new COP, The Amanar has been downgraded. I loved that vault, and I was mesmerized when she vaulted. But, it is downgraded, and I will miss it sorely. But, new COP, I still think the Amanar will still be performed, by the people who are behind in vaulting, because, with these new COP, this vault will be downgraded, and would become routine. So, as Maroney says goodbye to the Amanar, and hello to the triple, we give a heavy-hearted wave.

McKayla Maroney: Record Holder

  As all of us gymnastics fans know, a record in the sport is extremely hard to come by. But, not for Maroney. Despite Mac's devastation in 2012, she came back in 2013, and defended her 2011 vaulting world title, the first woman in HISTORY to defend a vault title! Congratulations to McKayla! She can do anything and everything she puts her mind to. I love McKayla, and she is a great vaulter. She is training the triple twist, which if she makes the team, she can make it to Rio De Janeiro in 2016. I have been watching McKayla do the Amanar since her junior days. Go McKayla! And try to make it a three-peat in 2014. Win vaulting gold again!

McKayla Maroney: Her Events

     McKayla Maroney is known for her amazing vaulting skills, but she is also known for the "McKayla Maroney Not Impressed" but, what about her other events? How are beam, bars, and floor going for Mac? Here's what I see during her routines

Vault: Well, the vaulting is pretty much perfect, great height, stellar form, great landings, the only thing that I would suggest Mac would do would try to control her landings, which, I admit, is hard to do when you have as much power as a lion and more speed than a cheetah.


Floor: This is also a strong event for Maroney because of her power in vault, but one thing that isn't used in vault? Facial Expression and artistry.


Beam: Mac is actually good at artistry on this event (Mostly because they don't have to put a lot of artistry into this code of points) But, what she struggles with is confidence on the beam, beam is the make it or break it event on the women's side. When she does her standing back tuck on beam, she's not as confident as she is on the vault, or when she goes for her double back off the beam, she is not as comfortable sticking it as she would be sticking the Amañar.


Bars: Mac actually has a lot of potential on this event, her height on her vault helping her here, but its just a matter of concentration. Mac, I believe, has a hard time concentrating on handstands and releases.





    So there are Mac's events!

Amanar: Downgraded

    Ok, so there is a new Code of Points right? The triple twist has been put into the COP, but along with upgrading some vaults, some have to be downgraded, and sadly, the Amanar vault has suffered the dreaded downgrade. The Amanar was originally the hardest vault being done in the World, with a booming 16.5 start value, but when the triple twist was put into the COP, the gymnastics officials decided to downgrade the amanar vault. I am so excited to see the triple twist, but, at the same time, I am sad to see such an AMAZING vault downgraded by 2/10 of a point. But, we do not have  a lot of say in the matter, us gymnastics fans, so, we'll just have to learn to accept it.