So, for your viewing pleasure (or, more likely than not, for my own personal entertainment), here are some photos and videos - taken by others - of Euros. Come on, it's not like mine came out this good anyway! ;)
Russian Ksenia Semenova's floor routine in Event Finals. 14.625. Bronze medal.
Just check out the way she enters the floor mat! She has grown quite a bit since Beijing - some of the commentators were saying as much as 10 centimeters! She had quite a few form problems in Milan, but still managed to win the all-around comfortably. Hopefully she will get used to her new body and clean up some of her skills, because she is looking elegant and beautiful.
Russian Ksenia Afanasyeva's all-around floor routine. 14.575. Silver medal.
Haha, I love that both of the top Russian women are named Ksenia. I've taken to calling Afanasyeva "Big Ksenia" and Semy "Little Ksenia." For obvious reasons. :P
Both Ksenias train at the same gym and placed 1-2 in the all-around at Euros. They have kick-ass choreography too.
The Ksenias training hard at their home club in Moscow.
Romanian Anamaria Tamirjan's event finals balance beam routine. 14.750. Silver medal.
Both Ksenias train at the same gym and placed 1-2 in the all-around at Euros. They have kick-ass choreography too.
The Ksenias training hard at their home club in Moscow.
Romanian Anamaria Tamirjan's event finals balance beam routine. 14.750. Silver medal.
I like Ana a lot. She's a very elegant gymnast; I am glad she medaled here in spite of her wobbles, especially if it encourages her to continue on with gymnastics. She's dealing with some injuries - pain in one of her hips, a fissure in her thighbone, and was having some ankle problems after the all-around. The same goes for Ana's teammate, Gabriela Dragoi, who placed third in the finals. This was her first medal in a major meet and hopefully will be incentive for her to continue as she is dealing with chronic tibia pain. Sigh... gymnastics injuries... I'm thinking the Romanians really ought to do something differently with their training, as they are losing so many gymnasts lately.
On a second note, I am not the only one who's an Ana fan. Did you hear the horn in the background of the video after Tamirjan finishes her routine? That was courtesy of a particularly zealous Romanian fan who was not at all shy about voicing his allegiance to his team of choice. He blew that thing every single time a Romanian girl did a routine, but he went particularly crazy for Ana. He'd yell "Viva Ana! Viva Gabi!" He had a huge Romanian flag. It was great.
Apparently Steliana Nistor knows him, too. They spoke to each other throughout floor finals; I was in awe. I really need to figure out who he is. :)
Great Britain's Beth Tweddle on uneven bars for event finals. 15.575. Gold medal.
On a second note, I am not the only one who's an Ana fan. Did you hear the horn in the background of the video after Tamirjan finishes her routine? That was courtesy of a particularly zealous Romanian fan who was not at all shy about voicing his allegiance to his team of choice. He blew that thing every single time a Romanian girl did a routine, but he went particularly crazy for Ana. He'd yell "Viva Ana! Viva Gabi!" He had a huge Romanian flag. It was great.
Apparently Steliana Nistor knows him, too. They spoke to each other throughout floor finals; I was in awe. I really need to figure out who he is. :)
Great Britain's Beth Tweddle on uneven bars for event finals. 15.575. Gold medal.
Beth's got a few form issues. But so do Nastia Liukin and He Kexin, and her releases are better than both of their's. And she's twenty-four fucking years old, ancient in gymnastics! She has decided to specialize on bars and floor in order to save her body for London in 2012. I hope she can.
Also - I met her father on the bus to the arena. I heard him speaking English and asked him when the bus was supposed to leave, and fifteen minutes or so into talking I found out he was her dad! I waited with him and her mother in the line to get in - but they called it the queue, hahaha. Very, very nice people.
Switzerland's Ariella Kaslin on vault during event finals. 15.050. Gold medal.
Also - I met her father on the bus to the arena. I heard him speaking English and asked him when the bus was supposed to leave, and fifteen minutes or so into talking I found out he was her dad! I waited with him and her mother in the line to get in - but they called it the queue, hahaha. Very, very nice people.
Switzerland's Ariella Kaslin on vault during event finals. 15.050. Gold medal.
Kaslin's medals (gold here, and bronze in the all-around) were the first at Euros that Switzerland has ever gotten. Not perfect, but she can do a non-Yurchenko vault, and she can do it well. That earns her points in my book.
Other Assorted Photos
Men's floor podium - Matthias Fahring and Fabian Hambuchen of Germany, Alexander Shatilov of Israeli, and Eleftherios Kosmidis of Greece
Beam podium - Anamaria Tamirjan (Romania, Yana Demyanchuk (Ukraine), and Gabriela Dragoi (Romania)
Oh my God! Someone (Beth Tweddle) who actually points her toes during double pikes!
Oh my God! Someone (Beth Tweddle) who actually points her toes during double pikes!
Little Ksenia mid-Pak salto.
Good luck at Worlds, everyone!!
Oh, Kayla, I was just very belatedly reading yr euros blog and the guy who Steli Nistor knew, who was being really, really loud!? I am pretty sure he was sitting with Steli at euros. I think he was at Worlds too! . That's so funny, I only just put two and two together! At Worlds he was always in front, shouting for Ana and Marian. Both times I was sitting near Marta Karolyi, I remember he sort of said hi to her and she replied. I wonder who he is? Just a fan or someone related to the sport?
ReplyDeletealso, do you think you could email me on listaday@gmail.com ? I want to ask you something gymnasticky! - couchy
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