Highlights: Both GB teams coming top three in qualifications and finals. It was a very different experience watching them with expectation rather than hope!
Lowlights: Flavia’s injury and all the TF mistakes.
Most impressive newcomer: The entire JPN WAG team, stunning beam in qualifications and oh so close to a team medal.
Most impressive veteran: Ellie Black
Biggest surprise: Canada winning TF bronze with delightful reaction scenes. GB winning a TF medal counting a 10.466!
Favourite skill: Andrade’s Cheng.
Longines prize for elegance (RIP): Dunno.
Favourite EF: WAG FX had a lot of stories and drama (ITA substitution, Carey’s score enquiry, Gadirova scrutiny) plus some excellent routines. MAG VT was unusually calm because so many potential splats didn’t get through qualifying. Nevertheless the quality at the top was fantastic, very close competition. Sentimentally PH and Rhys’s long overdue world title was very special.
Most missed in EF: Andrade’s vaults, correctly tied ribbon.
Biggest score quibble: Not a quibble but I could never tell if Nedoroscik had completed his planned difficulty so his scores were always a surprise. For an actual quibble I’ll go with GB WAG VT scores in qualifications. I think everyone was tired by then and they were all a tad high.
Best event to watch: WAG FX, the focus on artistry is really working and there was a lot of quality a long way down.
Worst event to watch: UB, routines are just too similar these days.
Rule that needs to change: The wonky round offs and twisting somersaults on MAG FX are getting on my nerves and should be penalised more.
Best leotard: The pinky-purple USA EF leotard (Carey VT) looked lovely in person, nice to see something different.
Worst leotard: BRA qualifications. I’m also not a fan of the current trend for a hard lines in the middle of the torso breaking up different design elements (e.g. GBR TF).