Little Beauties Of Gymnastics/2020 Olympian Watch: Norah Flately.

   Most of the times, you can't tell who the future Olympians are, its like who's going to be on the team in 2016? 2020? But, sometimes, you find that little diamond in the rough, and this little diamond in the rough  is not old enough for 2016, but she is for 2020. In six years. At only 12, Norah is a beauty of the sport, and as one of the only junior gymnasts recognized by legendary Marta Karoyli, she has been to a handful of camps. She is an amazing beam worker, and has been encouraged by Marta. Marta said this in an interview: "Young Norah has a lot of potential as a gymnast, and if she would be old enough, she could definitely be a contender for the 2016 Olympic Team, when she turns senior, I think she can make it at Worlds, and the Olympics in 2020". Well there you have it! The toughest judge in the World just said that Norah Flatley can contend for Worlds. Norah has gone international. She went to Pacific Rims, and other events, Norah is a real contender, and I cannot wait to see her as a senior in 2017.

Rising Stars: Madison Kocian

Guess who just turned Senior? My personal fave junior from 2012, Madison Kocian!!!!!!!! Maddie is an amazing talent. She has the potential to be a great all-arounder. She actually placed on the National Team, but did not go to World Championships. But when she gets more difficulty and confidence on beam, she probably can. If anything shoots Maddie down, it is beam. She lacks the confidence needed on the event that is the hardest in the sport. I believe that if Maddie fixes some areas (Beam, smoother transitions on bars) She has real potential for Rio, and she is great on bars, but if anything Maddie struggles on her high to low bar transitions, but if Maddie puts more work into the transitions, Maddie can definitely contend, Marta loves her. She has lean lines, and she is a beautiful all-around gymnast. I believe she can contend, and I think Marta is leaning towards putting her on the 2014 National and Worlds Team. Madison has lots of potential, but she needs to hit it on game day. Madison, if you are reading this, I am so happy that you recovered from your ankle injury in 2012 and I am so excited to see you at Nationals, Worlds, and maybe in 2016, the Olympic Games!!!!

Alicia Sacramone: Still Linked To Her Sport

   Alicia Sacramone was one of the greats in the sport, winning vault gold in 2010, but sadly tearing her Achilles in 2011. After she retired after not making the Olympic team in 2012, we thought that she did her last vault. But, that is not true.........We will see Alicia during the Pro Gymnastics Challenge 2014! Alicia hasn't cut all ties to gymnastics after all, Alicia has to have something to do while her husband is off in the NFL. So, Alicia agreed to do the PGC. I loved seeing her there at the inaugural event in 2013. She had dynamic tumbling, and a great vault. I am so so so looking to the PGC, happening in Spring 2014, unfortunately, PGC was not kind enough to give us any info. Sad! But, whenever it is, I will be watching, and blogging!

Gym Chat: How Does Being Tall In Gymnastics Help?

    Around my gym, a lot of girls have been asking, mostly the ones who have gone through growth spurts. "How does being tall help your gymnastics? It just gets in the way!" Well, I would like to argue. True, on vault, it may present some minor problems, or does it? Often, some gymnasts who think its because of their height that they have trouble, its just in the mind. A tall gymnast can do anything the shorter ones can. They can pull those big vaults. A tall gymnast can be an amazing all-around athlete. Their tallness certainly helps them on bars, giving them the capability to have that "International Look" Long, clean lines, beautiful grace. On beam, it does not make much of a difference either, you can still do tumbling passes, despite your height! You can do a back handspring full twist swing down rather you are 4''3 or 5''5. And it also comes in great use during floor, I think your tallness gives you more power, so there, you do not have to be a short little princess to be a great gymnast.

Svetlana Khorkina and Nastia Liukin: They proved people wrong

      So,  you know how in gymnastics, we think that gymnasts have to be short to be in the sport? Well thats not true, and to prove it, Nastia Liukin and Svetlana Khorkina were champions. They were both above 5 feet, and at first, judges, fans, and other gymnasts thought that they were too tall, but when these gymnasts started swiping the competitions, winning everything, they were proved wrong, Nastia won the all-around gold at 22 years and she was 5''6. Svetlana placed in the top five, a little less awesome than Nastia, and she won all the other competitions she entered,  besides 2000 Sydney, and 2004, Athens, at the height of 5''7. Wow! So, for those of you who thought that the wonderful sport of gymnastics was only for short people, you are wrong. Many of the greats have been tall. And thanks to Svetlana and Nastia, we now all know that!!!!

Judging Her Gymnastics: Aly Raisman

   Aly Raisman.........2012 Team Captain of the Fierce Five (Who won gold), team gold medalist, floor gold medalist, beam bronze medalist. Aly was, and still is my favorite gymnast to ever walk the earth (Sorry Nastia!) Aly was a solid all-around gymnast. So, its time for...............Lets judge her gymnastics!



What I liked: I liked everything about Aly, she was tough, determined and her vault, beam, and floor had ton of power, even though she did not compete vault during the team final, she dominated the Yurchenko 2 1/2 in Qualifications, boosting her team to the 1st place qualifying position. At first, Aly did not want to do the Amanar, because she had issues with the vault, but she had to because all four/three gymnasts competing (four in qualifiers, three in finals) had to do the amanar to get an edge over Russia and China. Which inevitably, they did, they won the gold over them



What I didn't like; Aly was solid on all four events, but if she had to have a weak spot, It would be on bars, Aly has a hard time hitting the handstands and getting air off the bars. She could have potential on that event, if she practices it more than any of her events, but Aly will get it.


 

Judging Her Gymnastics: Shawn Johnson

Shawn Johnson.............One of the most smily gymnasts in the hall of fame, she was also on that 2007 gold winning team, that team that got into the hall of fame. Now, for your favorite part of this segment....... The judging!


What I liked: Shawn was an amazing power athlete, her floor exercise was chock-full of great tumbling passes, her vault the Amanar, a walloping 16.5 difficulty, she averaged a 15.9. And she had and artistry on beam, using her power for the tumbling runs.


What I didn't Like:  Even though she was a great all-arounder, Shawn Johnson was a power athlete, she didn't pay attention to grace, handstands, she was all power. Unlike Nastia Liukin, Shawn Johnson had a low difficulty on bars. She never made it into finals on this apparatus, and that could have made her a better all-around gymnast, but Shawn always ignored the artistry aspect of gymnastics, just like Nastia did with the power aspect. She could have used a lot more artistry than she had.



     Even though she was lacking grace and artistry, we won't remember Shawn for the things she did badly, we will remember Shawn Johnson for the things she was great at. We will remember Shawn as that girl who got into the gymnastics hall-of-fame, we will remember Shawn as a winner.