2025 World Gymnastics Championships: Women’s AA, October 23

[BB12]

I'm glad this place has been able to discuss and judge the AIN athletes by their gymnastics rather than letting external issues drive the whole conversation about them.

 

[flappergirl]

This is a really nice post and whilst I can only speak for myself, I think that most people within the Russian gymnastics community would very much appreciate the sentiment of your post. It’s very complicated here, even as a regular citizen, it is almost impossible to not be a vehicle of the government. Let alone if you are an elite sportsperson.

Exactly. I see parallels in the US and worry about the LA Olympics, but also hope I’m wrong

 

[jezmerallia]

I'm already pissed at Aiko vs DTYs judging

It's frustrating that judges still seem to judge lower difficulty routines more harshly. Especially so many years after open scoring. The men's judges have gotten the memo but the women's haven't.

 

[jezmerallia]

Laurie said she’s very good at bending the bar.

Late to the party, but I thought Laurie's commentary was much improved. She clearly took the fan criticism to heart and I felt like she made clear attempts at offering more technical analysis.

 

[jezmerallia]

Kishi lost her balance before she even started the wolf turn.

I still derive an inappropriate amount of please from crotch spins eating eveyone alive.

 

[jezmerallia]

I know we were saying Melnikova has to stay on and it is hers to lose, but if Leanne banged out a 14.4 Cheng, even if the others hadn't/don't fall, she could jet into the lead with that, right?

Foreshadowing at its finest.

 

[jezmerallia]

I feel like Leanne presented that FX. I know we all want harder tumbling from her but that was pretty strong.

If she added the double front back after the whip half, I'd be satisfied with her difficulty, but she kept going out of bounds with it.

 

[jezmerallia]

After seeing so many fall off on the wolf turn, she should've just changed it to a simple double turn or something to play it safe and still get the turn requirement

Is that a skill she's performed before? Because I don't think most gymnasts find that turn to be simple.

 

[jezmerallia]

Ive really grown to like Dulcy. She's clean and looks so genuinly happy. It's not a 'I must put up a smile'-smile

Hit for Dulcy. She has had a major glowup in the last few years and I hope her trajectory continues.

I feel like she's being paced to compete well in her early 20s which is a trend I hoped to see with NIL. Most women in most other sports peak in their 20s. No reason for gymnasts to be any different.

 

[jezmerallia]

There were a fair few gymnasts in qualification with facial expressions that made them look like over caffienated theatre kids. I hate it. These elite athletes should not have to think that hard about their faces. The men don't.

It's annoying af that people act like men's gymnastics is the standard to aspire to. I much preferred the old school men's floor routines where they danced. Also, professional dancers are elite athletes.

 

[jezmerallia]

The highest fx E score of the day for melnikova?! C’mon

Forkin' bull shirt!

 

[jezmerallia]

It's fairly obvious I'm just catching up with the thread from my numerous back-to-back posts but my objections to Melnikova's win are based on her scores. She wasn't deducted in the same way that other gymnasts were for similar errors.

I'm not naive enough to think I understand the inner workings of everyday life in Russia. I'm fortunate enough to have made friends with people who lived in Czechoslavakia, Poland, and Bulgaria when they were communist countries. They described their parents and themselves as having very little choice over their lives and careers. I doubt Melnikova has much of a choice either.

I love her and her gymnastics. I'll never forget how she refused to disparage Simone Biles in 2021. She always seems to treat her co-competotors with care and respect. I just feel like she got far too many gifts and that Leanne should have won this competition.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Another angle on the OOB. Interested to see any others people have spotted.