Top 10 Senior Elite Floor Workers To Watch In 2017
Top 10 Senior Elite Floor Workers To Watch In 2017
Now that we are more than halfway through 2017, we are taking a look at some of the best gymnasts on the international elite scene on each of the four apparatus, given performances so far this year.
Now that we are more than halfway through 2017, we are taking a look at some of the best gymnasts on the international elite scene on each of the four apparatus, given performances so far this year. Today, we are evaluating floor exercise, taking into consideration high difficulty level and best execution on the event.
In no particular order, take a look at our list below for the top 10 floor workers so far this year -- it's possible one of them will take home a World Championship title this fall.
Angelina Melnikova turned senior in the year of the Olympics, and she displayed impressive results as an all-around competitor and was named to the Russian Olympic team. Melnikova, like many of the Russians, is known for her work on uneven bars, but she is also powerful on floor. In April, she won the gold medal on the event at European Championships, scoring a 14.1, and she is capable of a 5.5 D-score, which she scored in the qualification round. Melnikova competes with both power in her tumbling and grace in her dance moves, and while she is capable of big tumbling skills, she also includes tough spins in her routine to notch up the difficulty. Check out her winning routine from Euros below:
Japan's Sae Miyakawa turned senior two years ago, and she made her mark on floor exercise in 2015 when she won the bronze on the event at Asian Championships and later the silver at the Toyota International meet. The following year, she was named to the Japanese Olympic team, where she competed on vault and floor in the team competition. This year, she has already shown some impressive scores on floor, winning the silver medals at the All-Japan Championships and the NHK Trophy and the gold medal at the recent All-Japan Event Championships. Her difficulty level is off the charts -- she is capable of a 6.2 D-score, one of the highest in the world at the moment.
Ellie Downie of Great Britain placed just behind Melnikova at European Championships, winning the silver on floor exercise with a 14.066, her second year in a row taking the silver on floor. Like Melnikova, Downie is also capable of a 5.5 D-score routine. Downie has lots of big tumbling in her routine, including a double-double as her opening pass, followed by a 1 1/2 twist through to a double Arabian as her second pass. Check out her routine from the qualifying round of Euros below:
Eythora Thorsdottir made our list for beam as well for her beautiful choreography and unique style, and the case is the same on floor exercise. Thorsdottir has an amazing ability to feel the music and match her movements perfectly to the rhythm, it makes her a joy to watch. Beyond that, she also has high difficulty on the event, capable of a 5.5 D-score. The routine she competed at European Championships this year included an impressive connection of turns -- a double L-spin into a triple spin into a double Y-spin (Memmel) into an illusion.
5. RAGAN SMITH (USA)
Ragan Smith has only competed once in a major competition this year -- at the American Cup, which she won. She proved at this competition that she's one of the best on floor at the moment -- she scored a 14.0 with a 5.6 D-score -- and this was at a competition that was very early in the season. Smith was an alternate on the U.S. Olympic team last year and took some time away from competition following the American Cup, but we expect to see her back in action at the U.S. Classic and beyond. Check out her routine from the American Cup below:
Video via USA Gymnastics
Mai Murakami is a veteran in Japanese gymnastics. She represented Japan at the World Championships in 2013, 2014, and 2015, in addition to the Olympics in 2016. This year, she has already captured two gold medals on floor at the All-Japan Championships and NHK Trophy and the silver at the All-Japan Event Championships. She is also capable of a 5.7 D-score. Her routine at the recent All-Japan Championship included a double-double opening pass and double layout for her second pass, in addition to a triple spin.
Like her teammate, Downie, Claudia Fragapane was a member of Great Britain's 2016 Olympic team and contributed on floor. In addition to competing in the floor final at the Olympics, Fragapane notched the second-highest score for the team during team finals. This year, she won the silver medal on floor at British Championships and the gold medal at English Championships, where she competed with a 5.5 D-score.
8. ABBY PAULSON (USA)
Abby Paulson proved she's one to watch with her stellar performance in Jesolo this year. Paulson tied for the gold medal on floor with a 13.9, totaling a 5.4 D-score. Paulson turned senior last year and managed to place fifth on floor at the US Classic and third in the all-around at the American Classic. She recently competed at the 2017 American Classic and placed second on floor. Paulson's routine includes difficult tumbling, and she's very precise in all of her landings and dance skills. Check out her winning routine from Jesolo below:
Shang Chunsong is a seasoned competitor for the Chinese, having competed in her first World Championships for the team in 2013. Shang is a superb all-around competitor, and she is one of the country's best on floor at the moment. Since 2014, Shang has won medals at every Chinese Championships on the event, including three golds, the most recent being in May of this year. In the qualification round of Chinese Championships, she achieved a 5.7 D-score, one of the highest we've seen this year from across the globe.
Jade Carey is a newcomer to the elite scene in U.S. gymnastics. Last year, she competed at the J.O. level and is best known for her abilities on vault (where she has a vault named after her from J.O. Nationals); however, she is also very powerful on floor. At the recent American Classic, Carey got the top score on floor with a 14.05. Carey was at the most recent national team training camp and will be one to keep an eye on at the upcoming competitions in the U.S.
Related:
Top 10 Senior Elite Beamers To Watch In 2017
Top 10 Senior Elite Bar Workers To Watch In 2017
In no particular order, take a look at our list below for the top 10 floor workers so far this year -- it's possible one of them will take home a World Championship title this fall.
1. ANGELINA MELNIKOVA (RUSSIA)
Angelina Melnikova turned senior in the year of the Olympics, and she displayed impressive results as an all-around competitor and was named to the Russian Olympic team. Melnikova, like many of the Russians, is known for her work on uneven bars, but she is also powerful on floor. In April, she won the gold medal on the event at European Championships, scoring a 14.1, and she is capable of a 5.5 D-score, which she scored in the qualification round. Melnikova competes with both power in her tumbling and grace in her dance moves, and while she is capable of big tumbling skills, she also includes tough spins in her routine to notch up the difficulty. Check out her winning routine from Euros below:
2. SAE MIYAKAWA (JAPAN)
Japan's Sae Miyakawa turned senior two years ago, and she made her mark on floor exercise in 2015 when she won the bronze on the event at Asian Championships and later the silver at the Toyota International meet. The following year, she was named to the Japanese Olympic team, where she competed on vault and floor in the team competition. This year, she has already shown some impressive scores on floor, winning the silver medals at the All-Japan Championships and the NHK Trophy and the gold medal at the recent All-Japan Event Championships. Her difficulty level is off the charts -- she is capable of a 6.2 D-score, one of the highest in the world at the moment.
3. ELLIE DOWNIE (GREAT BRITAIN)
Ellie Downie of Great Britain placed just behind Melnikova at European Championships, winning the silver on floor exercise with a 14.066, her second year in a row taking the silver on floor. Like Melnikova, Downie is also capable of a 5.5 D-score routine. Downie has lots of big tumbling in her routine, including a double-double as her opening pass, followed by a 1 1/2 twist through to a double Arabian as her second pass. Check out her routine from the qualifying round of Euros below:
4. EYTHORA THORSDOTTIR (THE NETHERLANDS)
Eythora Thorsdottir made our list for beam as well for her beautiful choreography and unique style, and the case is the same on floor exercise. Thorsdottir has an amazing ability to feel the music and match her movements perfectly to the rhythm, it makes her a joy to watch. Beyond that, she also has high difficulty on the event, capable of a 5.5 D-score. The routine she competed at European Championships this year included an impressive connection of turns -- a double L-spin into a triple spin into a double Y-spin (Memmel) into an illusion.
5. RAGAN SMITH (USA)
Ragan Smith has only competed once in a major competition this year -- at the American Cup, which she won. She proved at this competition that she's one of the best on floor at the moment -- she scored a 14.0 with a 5.6 D-score -- and this was at a competition that was very early in the season. Smith was an alternate on the U.S. Olympic team last year and took some time away from competition following the American Cup, but we expect to see her back in action at the U.S. Classic and beyond. Check out her routine from the American Cup below:
Video via USA Gymnastics
6. MAI MURAKAMI (JAPAN)
Mai Murakami is a veteran in Japanese gymnastics. She represented Japan at the World Championships in 2013, 2014, and 2015, in addition to the Olympics in 2016. This year, she has already captured two gold medals on floor at the All-Japan Championships and NHK Trophy and the silver at the All-Japan Event Championships. She is also capable of a 5.7 D-score. Her routine at the recent All-Japan Championship included a double-double opening pass and double layout for her second pass, in addition to a triple spin.
7. CLAUDIA FRAGAPANE (GREAT BRITAIN)
Like her teammate, Downie, Claudia Fragapane was a member of Great Britain's 2016 Olympic team and contributed on floor. In addition to competing in the floor final at the Olympics, Fragapane notched the second-highest score for the team during team finals. This year, she won the silver medal on floor at British Championships and the gold medal at English Championships, where she competed with a 5.5 D-score.
8. ABBY PAULSON (USA)
Abby Paulson proved she's one to watch with her stellar performance in Jesolo this year. Paulson tied for the gold medal on floor with a 13.9, totaling a 5.4 D-score. Paulson turned senior last year and managed to place fifth on floor at the US Classic and third in the all-around at the American Classic. She recently competed at the 2017 American Classic and placed second on floor. Paulson's routine includes difficult tumbling, and she's very precise in all of her landings and dance skills. Check out her winning routine from Jesolo below:
9. SHANG CHUNSONG (CHINA)
Shang Chunsong is a seasoned competitor for the Chinese, having competed in her first World Championships for the team in 2013. Shang is a superb all-around competitor, and she is one of the country's best on floor at the moment. Since 2014, Shang has won medals at every Chinese Championships on the event, including three golds, the most recent being in May of this year. In the qualification round of Chinese Championships, she achieved a 5.7 D-score, one of the highest we've seen this year from across the globe.
10. JADE CAREY (USA)
Jade Carey is a newcomer to the elite scene in U.S. gymnastics. Last year, she competed at the J.O. level and is best known for her abilities on vault (where she has a vault named after her from J.O. Nationals); however, she is also very powerful on floor. At the recent American Classic, Carey got the top score on floor with a 14.05. Carey was at the most recent national team training camp and will be one to keep an eye on at the upcoming competitions in the U.S.
Related:
Top 10 Senior Elite Beamers To Watch In 2017
Top 10 Senior Elite Bar Workers To Watch In 2017