OT--Get This Girl Some Pointe Shoes

[TemptressToo]

For those of you that don't follow gymnastics, the World Championships are next week. Nastia Liukin is one of the favorites in the AA. I can't get over how beautiful her lines are (and toe point), so I thought I'd treat you...

 

Leap Variation

 

Arabesque

 

Pak Salto

 

Side Split

 

Her momma was one of the greats of Russian rhythmic gymnastics, can you tell?

[ami1436]

Some of the pictures are nice indeed!

 

Honestly though, I don't like the leap picture... that type of extreme line, to me, isn't attractive - it shortens rather than lengthens.

[TemptressToo]

Might just be the camera angle. I don't know the name of that particular type of jump. The back leg is supposed to be bent a bit...is this better?

 

Split Leap

 

Coming to Top of Giant

 

Handstand at Age 11

 

Leap at Age 12

 

She just recently turned 16.

[dcportrait]

Unbelievable! As a mother of 2 dancers, 2 swimmers, & 1 former gymnast/ diver - I appreciate those lines! A beautiful young lady...

[koshka]

Oh yeah--she is loads of fun to photograph (I was at the National Champs and have probably 100 pics,nearly all from beam). I am sorry to say that one of her USA teammates has abominable line despite also being the daughter of a past champion...

[TemptressToo]

And THAT would probably be Jana Bieger...uck...

 

She chucks some really big skills but SO lacks the grace to connect them all with something even resembling dance.

[missvjc420]

Sometimes I wonder how I would look doing grande allegro on that floor they use- like a trampoline, it is!

[koshka]

And THAT would probably be

 

I was not naming any names, now was I?

 

The floor is quite bouncy and fun, but it is carpeted, so turning is difficult. Occasionally at the end of a local meet there is a chance to bounce around on the floor a bit.

[TemptressToo]

Of course, you have a disguise...camera in hand, you could say you are working on some sort of expose...

 

I don't know if our girls will have trouble in Australia. Their floors there, while spring loaded as well, aren't as bouncy.

 

Hey, you wouldn't happen to have any watermarked gymnastics pics I could share with my buddies do you?

[TemptressToo]

Just a little update, again for the non-gymnastics people.

 

The U.S. sent four girls to the World Championships in Melbourne that occurred this past week. They could have won 10 medals total. They won nine to include...

 

All Around Gold--Chellsie Memmel and Silver--Nastia Liukin

Bars Gold--Nastia Liukin and Silver--Chellsie Memmel

Beam Gold--Nastia Liukin and Silver--Chellsie Memmel

Floor Gold--Alicia Sacramone and Silver--Nastia Liukin

Vault Bronze--Alicia Sacramone

 

Which broke World records for the most medals won by a single country at a World Championship and Nastia tied for the most medals won by an individual at a World Championship.

 

Yes, they are that good.

[koshka]

An excellent showing indeed, but not a peep from our local papers over the weekend.

 

No other country won more than one medal.

 

Usual powerhouses Russia and Ukraine were completely shut out of the medals.

 

China and Romania won only one each, the same as Australia, Uzbekistan, Great Britain, and the Netherlands.

 

All-around: remaining medal won by Australia

Vault: other 2 medals won by Cheng Fei of China and 27 (or 28??) year-old mother Oksana Chusovitina of Uzbekistan

Bars: remaining medal won by Beth Tweddle of Great Britain

Beam: Bronze to Catalina Ponor, Romania

Floor: Bronze to Suzanne Harmes, Netherlands.

 

It is quite interesting that Liukin and Memmel have very different styles and bodies. Liukin has a more ballet-oriented style and body type (very long and lean) while Memmel (and Sacramone) have much more sturdy, athletic bodies and more powerful styles.

 

 

Just a little update, again for the non-gymnastics people. 

 

The U.S. sent four girls to the World Championships in Melbourne that occurred this past week.  They could have won 10 medals total.  They won nine to include...

 

All Around Gold--Chellsie Memmel and Silver--Nastia Liukin

Bars Gold--Nastia Liukin and Silver--Chellsie Memmel

Beam Gold--Nastia Liukin and Silver--Chellsie Memmel

Floor Gold--Alicia Sacramone and Silver--Nastia Liukin

Vault Bronze--Alicia Sacramone

 

Which broke World records for the most medals won by a single country at a World Championship and Nastia tied for the most medals won by an individual at a World Championship.

 

Yes, they are that good. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Memo]

Excellent. I love to watch the Gymnastics. I wish I had seen it.

Thanks so much for the update.

[TemptressToo]

Koshka, Chussy is actually THIRTY (born 1975) and medaling at a World Championships...she's nearly twice the age of most of the other competitors. She's stated she's going to continue to compete through 2008 Olympics (which would make her 33-34 upon final retirement). IMO, she should have won bronze because Sacramone had better vaults (cleaner in the air with legs locked together...whereas you could have driven a Volvo through Chussy's leg seperations).

 

But, I think they did it so the U.S. didn't totally shut everyone out and perhaps a bit of the pity factor for her leukemia stricken son.

 

Houston probably publicized it a bit with their home town girl and the National Training Camp being there.

 

The best part, the World isn't going to know what hit them with the U.S. Juniors hit the senior stage. Between Shayla Worley, Natasha Kelley, Shantessa Pama, Shawn Johnson, Bianca Flohr and Ashley Preiss...there is at least a medal or two. Have you had the pleasure of watching the enchanting Miss Pama yet?

[Tiffany]

I'm enjoying your posts. I always watch the gymnastics portion of the Olympics because it is the only thing that appeals to me, well other than some of the diving and ice skating/ice dancing. Impressive that our USA girls are doing so well! Hooray!

[Redbookish]

Hmmhmm (clearing throat), with respect and without wanting to spoil the discussion of world class gymnastics, can we all remember that members of this board are not just from the US, and some of this discussion feels as if it's getting rather close to national chauvinism. Can we focus on gymnasts' "balletic" quaslities (or not ), rather than the medal ratings of national teams? Given that people can emigrate, and do (and not just to the USA), to get better training, more money, more freedom, more exposure, u.s.w, nationality might be the least interesting or significant thing about the competitors you're discussing.

 

Thanks (down from the pulpit now).