The Case for (South) Korea

[I lied about Saturday!]

I decided to make a spreadsheet (found here) of all the scored for teams 9-16 from prelims at Worlds.  I added up the scores per event by score receive at Worlds and by difficulty awarded at Worlds.  While I was sitting in my room at 4AM reading updates and trying to find live feed during Worlds, lots of bloggers that were there fell in love with Korea during podium training but were disappointed with how they performed in qualifications.  Korea placed 15th and will have the opportunity in January to qualify for London 2012.

What surprised me about this list is that when I split it by difficulty, Korea (15th place) had the highest difficulty of all 8 teams with a difficulty of 68.4 in a 3-up, 3-count format.  Italy (9th place) was 2nd with a difficulty of an even 68 and France (10th) was 3rd with a total difficulty of 66.6.  They had the highest value on vault with a 16.9 (2 DTY (5.8) vaults and a 1.5TY (5.3)).  Their difficulty on uneven bars was an 18.1 (France was 2nd with a 18.0 largely due to Youna Dufournet's amazing 6.7 start value) which is no surprise based on the amazing routines that the bloggers were describing.  Italy had the highest balance beam start value with a 17.7 (Preziosa - 6.0, Ferrari 5.9, Ferlito 5.8) and Canada was second with a 3-up difficulty of 16.9.  Korea was tied in 3rd with Spain and the Netherlands (who have lost all-arounder Celine van Gerner) with a 16.8.  Korea's floor, as well as Canada's, was 3rd to Brazil's 17.0 and Italy's 16.8 at a value of 16.6.

In summary, Korea was 1st on VT and UB, 3rd on BB and FX.  I think their strength comes from not only UB but also VT.  Many of the nations in teams 9-16 are counting at least one full twisting Yurchenko.  Korea appears to have 2 double twists and 2 individuals with 1.5 twisting Yurchenko's.  Hyunjoo Jo and Ye Eun Kim both have DTY as well as second vaults.  Jo's 2nd vault at World's was a half twist on, half laid out twist off (or a Lopez) and has a SV of 5.6 (8.266/13.866) and can be found here (or better landing and video found here '08 Olympics).   Jo was a member of Korea's 08 Olympics Team and was also a vault finalist at Worlds last year where she placed 6th.  Kim's 2nd vault was given a 0 and according to Blythe the Gym Examiner, was "a tuck Rudi attempt that did not have the last half twist."  Here is Kyung Jim Park's 1.5TY from Worlds(13.9/5.3/8.6).

For uneven bars, the Koreans had 2 gymnasts with a D score of 6.2.  One was Kyung Jin Park [found here at the Youth Olympic Games (Markelov and Gienger)] and the other was Seon Mi Heo whose 18th place UB routine from Worlds (14.233/8.033) can be found here (or below this paragraph).  May I call her the Korean Beth Tweddle?  At the beginning of her routine, she has a series of non-stop release moves going between the high and low bar including a straddled Tkatchev + Pak and a Khorkina II (toe-on 1/2 to high bar) and a Markelov.  She missed a few handstands but I think if she fixes that and keeps her stuck dismount Korea might have a bars finalist on their hands!

Seon Mi Heo UB

On BB, Korea counted a 5.7, 5.6, and 5.5 routine.  Here is Ji Yeon Park's routine with a D-value of 5.5 (6.6/12.1 - one fall and dangerously low dismount).  She had the lowest E score for the Koreans on beam but 3rd highest D-value. Our UB star's balance beam had a difficulty of 5.1. The routine (found here) has a few spots where she can connect to up that difficulty. She had the highest E score of the Koreans and was the only one to score above 8.0 with an 8.166 (13.266).  Hyunjoo Jo has the highest D score, at 5.7, for the Koreans.  I couldn't find a recent routine so here is her beam routine from the '08 Olympics.  I'm sure she's grown since then (British commentators call her a baby. hmm...) but hopefully her prowess on the beam has not changed.  The only thing that bothers me about the Koreans on beam is how low they squat before their back handsprings.  I just get scared for the connecting move since they get so low.

On FX, Korea has a 5.6 from Hyunjoo Jo and a 5.5 from both Seon Mi Heo and Kyung Jin Park.  Based on this YOG video, Park seems to have lovely lines.  Hopefully, she can fully rotate her triple twist now.


Jo has a lovely triple turn in her routine.  Her music and choreography don't excite me but I do like her ending pose here at the 2011 Swiss Cup.

After doing this analysis, I think Korea has a decent chance of reaching the top 4 at the test event as long as the gymnasts keep their cool and perform to expectations.

Teams 9-16

Teams 9-16 from the 2011 Worlds Championships in Tokyo have been invited to the London Test Event that will take place in January.  Teams 1-4 at this event (effectively, teams 9-12) will be invited to the Olympic Games at the O2 arena in London.

From Worlds, teams 9-12 are

9.	Italy	219.578
10.	France	216.827
11.	Canada	215.328
12.	Spain	214.028
13.	Netherlands	212.828
14.	Brazil	212.497
15.	Korea	211.930
16.	Belgium	208.828

Personally, I think Teams 9-12 seem pretty set. The biggest threat is probably Brazil - a team full of well-known, experienced veterans at both a World and Olympics level with Daniele Hypolito, Jade Barbosa, and Daiane Dos Santos.  Korea may also prove to be a threat with high difficulty scores and relatively clean execution... that is, when they do not fall.  Canada definitely has potential to do better since they made a few mistakes and may also get a few new juniors.  Of the top 4, France and Spain's spot in the top 4 is probably the most fragile, especially if there are no mistakes by other teams.


Team Netherlands from 2011tokyo.com

The nominative list is out now but I have no idea who the alternates are and we must not forget that this list is subject to change.  Italy is taking the same team (assuming Erika Fasana is the alternate). Mira Boumemajen is the addition to the French team, with Clara Della Vora in the 7th spot. Coralie Leblond-Chartrand is out for the Canadians (with a small injury, she's not attending the selection camp) and Talia Chiarelli, '11 alternate, and Brittany Rogers have been added to the roster. Canada also has new seniors that have been invited to camp and may be added to the list. For Spain, Urbano is no longer on the list while there has been an addition of Ainhoa Carmona and Cinta Rodriguez. New senior Tess Moonen, Lisa Top, and Ayla Wilbrink have been added while Goedkop and Celine van Gerner (injury with surgery) will not attend. Gabriela Soares is the sole addition to Brazil's team as is Ji Hye Sung to Korea's team. Terry Grand’ry, Johanna Dejardin and Floriane Scianguetta have been added to Belgium's team in place of van de Velde and Vandersteen.

On Saturday, we'll take a closer look at Team Korea.

miscellaneous gymnastics videos

if you want a group of less than 10 year olds to make you feel weak and hopefully motivate you to get off the couch:
 
Watch more video of Workout Wednesday, Season 5 on gymnastike.org


And a lovely bars routine from a girl named Lizzy Nand from Parkettes. She got the highest scores on bars for the meet and you could tell by her smile! She appears to be one of those with a natural swing and lovely line.  I think I just loved that she hit her handstands.  There were a few moments of leg separation and flexed feet but, overall, a very good routine!


Watch more video of Christmas on the Chesapeake 2011 on gymnastike.org

SYTYCD taking over Glee

I thought this week's episode of Glee was pretty good.  Other than the pathetic Mike Chang story line, I think Glee did a good job of digging holes that I never thought they'd get out of and managing to get out of it gracefully (and also reasonably!).

The other thing I've noticed is the host of SYTYCD-ers taking over Glee.

Exhibit A. Jaimie and Comfort were in Rumor Has It/Someone Like You.



Jaimie is a contemporary dancer from Season 3 of SYTYCD.  She was Hok's partner (guy with the mohawk that dances in LMFAO videos) and I think this was her most popular dance.  It was choreographed by Wade Robinson and won an Emmy for Best Choreo:





Comfort was in SYTYCD Season 4.  She's also dancing in the Trouble Tones in the Adele remix but I feel like you never quite see her face like you do Jaimie.  The part I like is at 0:50.


To come - Ryan from this past season, Robert from the season before that, Courtney from a while ago on SYTYCD, and Mark I think from a while ago on both SYTYCD and Glee (the Brit/Britt episode, he also dances for Lady Gaga!).

ouch

it's like everything that could possibly go wrong all in one video.

Switched at Birth

There's a real life Switched at Birth.  Unlike the TV show, there didn't seem to be a huge blow up when the girls found out.  These girls are now best friends and have opted to stay with the mothers that raised them.  Like the TV show, they found out because one of the father's wanted to leave his wife because his daughter didn't look like her.  After the divorce and DNA test, they found out that he was right.

The one thing the show mentioned, and these girls had to deal with, was what do they do now that they have another family.  The show addressed it in a way that made sense to me - something was missing for one of the girl's.  Beyond not looking like her red headed family, she also didn't fit in.  She was dark haired, dark eyes, stubborn, and an artist.  She didn't seem to fit into her people pleasing, pale, athletic family.  So, I think when she found her mom, she found a piece of herself.  I wonder if these girls ever felt like something was missing.  Like their mother couldn't quite fill a hole in their heart.  I wonder if just knowing that mistake was made is enough for them to kinda shrug it off and move on - to be the one that doesn't quite look like the rest in the family photo.  I'm curious what will happen when the girls are 16, marry, have a first child, etc.  I just hope everything resolves itself ok.


Real Life Disney Princesses


In theory, this seemed like a great concept.  What would the disney princesses look like in real life?  Some are great and some are horrendous.  Jasmine has that sultry look to her face, exactly what I would imagine a real life Jasmine to have.  Esmeralda also looks as stunning as I would have guessed.  That typical confidence in her eyes of most girls of such beauty.



But then you get to the other ones.  Sleeping Beauty - eww.  Where did those cheekbones come from?  The most realistic thing about her is her hair.  Pocahantas doesn't look as I imagined.  Not sure what it is about her.  This Belle does not look belle/beautiful at all!  Maybe it's the facial expression they chose to give her.  I always imagined Belle as that pretty girl that you can still be friends with.  Ariel looks 12.  She reminds me of a little kid, maybe it's the little girl in the sunblock commercials with the dog biting her underwear a few years later.  I knew Ariel was young but I didn't think she would look this young. If anything, she'd be that "16 year old who looks 21."

And Ursula.  Well, not much needs to be said there.

It was a really interesting concept.  Maybe part of my problem for all the non-Jasmine and Esmeralda pictures is that they all look far too Photoshopped.  I thought it was supposed to be altered to look real.  Instead it just went from cartoon form to ... a different kind of cartoon (I see it most in Ariel).  Your thoughts?

ANTM Cycle 17 - Michael Jackson

Someone posted on lovelyish about how this was a "freaky" shoot.  I thought this concept was brilliant and I was prepared for the girls do mess up, but they proved me wrong.  They rose to the challenege and really embraced their inner Michael.  Latoya was there to do the judging and no one went home because Michael was about love and wouldn't have wanted it so no elimination for this week.  Here are my favorites in order:

i believe this one was Shannon.  It was funny watching her do this because she's soooo skinny.  There were no legs to give a hint of a masculine body so probably a good thing they cropped it out haha.

Kayla.  This is probably higher than it should be for 2 reasons.  

1. I love her. 

2. This reminds me of something from "Will You Be There," my favorite MJ song. 

Hold me.  When you get lonely.

Bre.  This was one of the last ones I think but I love it!  I feel like it could be an album cover.  Amazing!  I think this was one of the photos that made me love this concept.

this is laura.  she got best photo.  it's really good and you needed to see her motivation behind it but it's actually not my favorite.

Bianca.  Looking at this again, it's not that great.  It looked like they had so many better shots of her but this is the one Tyra chose.  I see where she was trying to go with this photo but it just wasn't quite there.  Maybe she needed to be doing something with her arms, hands.

Allison.  I don't get this picture.  I think it's ugly.  Latoya put it higher but I think it should've been one of the last ones.  This was all about hair, makeup, and costume.  I don't really think Allison did anything to make this picture amazing, or even good.

Alexandria.  Maybe it's down here because I don't like her but I also feel like it's too posey.  Everyone else, I felt like they were at a concert, they were actually doing the movements. In this one, I feel like she looks like a mime wearing MJ clothing.

Lisa. I liked the idea but execution was poor.  I agree with Andre, don't like her hand placement or what they're doing.  And there's also no expression on her face that would make this any more Michael other than her clothing.

Angelea.  Michael saved her!  Looking at these again, I realize why Angelea and Lisa were the bottom  2.  Angelea isn't really doing anything.  Am i missing something?  This isn't very Michael or very modelesque...