2025 Gymnastics Social Media bits

[JaJa]

This is a scream

 

[MaryClare]

When you’re 7 years old and can’t quite jump to the high bar yet…

 

[Hatsumomo]

She didn't even need to duck her head when walking underneath the low bar.

 

[RedBirdie]

and the low bar was a heck of a lot lower back then.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Everything about Kim Gwang Suk is astonishing, really.

 

[RedBirdie]

Highly doubtful we'll ever get the real story, but boy would I love to know it.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Highly doubtful we'll ever get the real story, but boy would I love to know it.

Just in case we ever do, I'm going on the record now as Team Probably Of Age in 91-92. It seems more likely to me that North Korea failed to notice when they no longer needed to lie than it is that she did those 87 Druzhba routines aged no more than 9.

 

[MaryClare]

Just in case we ever do, I'm going on the record now as Team Probably Of Age in 91-92. It seems more likely to me that North Korea failed to notice when they no longer needed to lie than it is that she did those 87 Druzhba routines aged no more than 9.

They definitely weren’t slick about it. One of her team mates who competed at the druzhba meet in 87, had competed at the university games the year before!

 

[Hatsumomo]

Speaking of 87 Druzhba:

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

They definitely weren’t slick about it. One of her team mates who competed at the druzhba meet in 87, had competed at the university games the year before!

That sort of thing is why I've never been persuaded by the argument that her DOB for 1993 worlds must've been the right one, because why bother lying in either 91 or 92 if she was already of age. It's North Korea. This is just what they do.

 

[Indy]

Speaking of 87 Druzhba:

She had to have been like 8 or 9 there which is amazing. I cannot imagine any kid I know in real life of that age being that good at anything.

 

[OnlyBeansOnToast]

She had to have been like 8 or 9 there which is amazing. I cannot imagine any kid I know in real life of that age being that good at anything.

My eight-year-old does an amazing impression of a chicken.

 

[rlayt]

The Rebeca Andrade documentary was cute and wholesome.

 

[MaryClare]

Melnikova arrived back at Vnukovo airport at midnight to a press conference and a presentation of small gymnasts to give her flowers.

For a couple of medals from a World Cup challenge meet

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Doesn't surprise me. I expect further milking (not from her) of the athletes return to competition.

 

[Bob]

its nice to see her back

 

[RichardL]

I just watched her beam, she looks much better there than recently. Maybe more motivated now that she has international competitions on the horizon?

 

[Puffin]

Melnikova looked than I expected given she hasn't competed internationally since 2021

 

[RichardL]

Melnikova looked than I expected given she hasn't competed internationally since 2021

And she has looked rather under-trained when she's showed up at domestic competitions since then. I can imagine it was difficult to put in the amount of work required to be at her best when she's not only getting older (and all the things in life that that entails) but also had no real opportunities to continue building her legacy. After all, she's already a World AA champion.

 

[Denn]

She fell on bars in prelims, but that looks like a good bars set.

We know she's very good on beam and floor already, and she does a DTY .
Put it together, and you do have a legit AA contender.