From the Bleachers: 2011 CoverGirl Classic
From the Bleachers: 2011 CoverGirl Classic
From the Bleachers: 2011 CoverGirl Classic
With the Olympics only a year away, the build-up to London began yesterday in Chicago. Throngs of eager gymnastics fans filled the UIC Pavilion to watch the CoverGirl Classic, the final qualifier for Nationals in August.
Although the event’s headliners were seniors, some of the most exciting gymnastics came from the juniors, who competed in the afternoon. Kyla Ross and Lexie Priessman went one-two in the all-around, with both gymnasts showing confidence, consistency, and style.
Ross hit a double Arabian-stag leap on floor and displayed superb flexibility, especially in her switch ring leap. She shone brightest on bars, performing a Stalder-blind to a sky-high Jaeger and an impeccable double layout; on vault, she debuted an Amanar.
Priessman did some excellent gymnastics of her own, including a double-double on floor and Amanar vault. She kept her cool in the final rotation with a clutch beam performance: a solid standing full followed by a smooth front aerial, back handspring-layout series and full-twisting double back off. She even nailed her L-turn, a relatively simple skill that many gymnasts botch in competition.
Also of note was third-place Katelyn Ohashi. She succumbed to nerves with a fall on her 2 ½ twist-punch front on floor and Arabian on beam, but impressed with her exemplary form and high level of difficulty, especially on beam. Her set included a back handspring, back handspring, layout-full and breathtaking piked full-in dismount.
Along with Ohashi’s beam, Bailie Key’s floor routine was a meet highlight. Representing Texas Dreams—which had a whopping seven gymnasts in the meet—Key pranced through a delightful polka-themed routine. Her work was reminiscent of years past, when less demanding tumbling requirements allowed gymnasts to focus on telling a story through dance. Key did just that, and showed strong tumbling, including a triple twist.
On the senior side, Alexandra Raisman recovered from an error-ridden bars routine to seize the all-around title. She stood up her Amanar vault and fought through a few small wobbles in her beam set, ending with a strong Arabian double front dismount. Her most impressive event was floor, where her dance was polished and her tumbling phenomenal: she opened with a 1 ½ step-out through to a double Arabian-punch front and came back with a piked double Arabian.
In second place was Chellsie Memmel, taking on all four events in her first meet since Beijing. Although some of her routines were watered down—she performed only a Yurchenko-full on vault—Memmel was aggressive and solid. On beam she nailed her piked barani and saved her front Arabian; on floor she rocked a piked double Arabian.
The meet’s two other veterans, Shawn Johnson and Alicia Sacramone, performed two and three events respectively. Sacramone powered through her beam routine and nailed her handpring rudi; Johnson had falls on bars and beam, but performed admirably, especially considering her lost training time after Beijing and 2010 knee injury.
In third place, Sabrina Vega vaulted a double-twisting Yurchenko and displayed clean lines throughout. Also performing well was Jordyn Wieber, who competed on beam and bars. She looked strong on both and hit a Weiler kip, Tkatchev, and tucked double-double on the latter.
Looking ahead to Nationals in August, there’s sure to be a great competition among junior stars Ross, Priessman, and Ohashi. The senior competition is more difficult to predict, given that several top athletes did not perform all four events at the Classic and Rebecca Bross did not compete at all. It’s anyone’s to win, and that’s pretty exciting. Can’t wait for St. Paul.
Click here to watch CoverGirl Classic Videos
Although the event’s headliners were seniors, some of the most exciting gymnastics came from the juniors, who competed in the afternoon. Kyla Ross and Lexie Priessman went one-two in the all-around, with both gymnasts showing confidence, consistency, and style.
Ross hit a double Arabian-stag leap on floor and displayed superb flexibility, especially in her switch ring leap. She shone brightest on bars, performing a Stalder-blind to a sky-high Jaeger and an impeccable double layout; on vault, she debuted an Amanar.
Priessman did some excellent gymnastics of her own, including a double-double on floor and Amanar vault. She kept her cool in the final rotation with a clutch beam performance: a solid standing full followed by a smooth front aerial, back handspring-layout series and full-twisting double back off. She even nailed her L-turn, a relatively simple skill that many gymnasts botch in competition.
Also of note was third-place Katelyn Ohashi. She succumbed to nerves with a fall on her 2 ½ twist-punch front on floor and Arabian on beam, but impressed with her exemplary form and high level of difficulty, especially on beam. Her set included a back handspring, back handspring, layout-full and breathtaking piked full-in dismount.
Along with Ohashi’s beam, Bailie Key’s floor routine was a meet highlight. Representing Texas Dreams—which had a whopping seven gymnasts in the meet—Key pranced through a delightful polka-themed routine. Her work was reminiscent of years past, when less demanding tumbling requirements allowed gymnasts to focus on telling a story through dance. Key did just that, and showed strong tumbling, including a triple twist.
On the senior side, Alexandra Raisman recovered from an error-ridden bars routine to seize the all-around title. She stood up her Amanar vault and fought through a few small wobbles in her beam set, ending with a strong Arabian double front dismount. Her most impressive event was floor, where her dance was polished and her tumbling phenomenal: she opened with a 1 ½ step-out through to a double Arabian-punch front and came back with a piked double Arabian.
In second place was Chellsie Memmel, taking on all four events in her first meet since Beijing. Although some of her routines were watered down—she performed only a Yurchenko-full on vault—Memmel was aggressive and solid. On beam she nailed her piked barani and saved her front Arabian; on floor she rocked a piked double Arabian.
The meet’s two other veterans, Shawn Johnson and Alicia Sacramone, performed two and three events respectively. Sacramone powered through her beam routine and nailed her handpring rudi; Johnson had falls on bars and beam, but performed admirably, especially considering her lost training time after Beijing and 2010 knee injury.
In third place, Sabrina Vega vaulted a double-twisting Yurchenko and displayed clean lines throughout. Also performing well was Jordyn Wieber, who competed on beam and bars. She looked strong on both and hit a Weiler kip, Tkatchev, and tucked double-double on the latter.
Looking ahead to Nationals in August, there’s sure to be a great competition among junior stars Ross, Priessman, and Ohashi. The senior competition is more difficult to predict, given that several top athletes did not perform all four events at the Classic and Rebecca Bross did not compete at all. It’s anyone’s to win, and that’s pretty exciting. Can’t wait for St. Paul.
Click here to watch CoverGirl Classic Videos