Bieger outstanding, but Fei flawless in floor finals
WCSN is proud to welcome Dominique Dawes, three-time Olympian and gold medalist, to discuss the U.S. women’s team performances at the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships.
See all of these routines and more gymnastics at www.wcsn.com.
Natasha Kelley’s floor routine:
This was a gutsy performance out of Natasha. She competed in the team preliminary competition and then had many days to just train and watch everyone else compete—and she still comes out and rocks an awesome floor set.
She started off with a nice double layout. Then she performed an impressive double Arabian with a small hop on the landing. I enjoyed her side pass, a handspring front double twist. Her routine was packed with jumps and leap bonuses, which is imperative with the new code of points. Her final leap was a little flat and will result in a small deduction. Judges look for amplitude not only in tumbling but in dance and leaps as well. Her final two tumbling passes were performed well: two whip-backs to a back 2 ½ twist and, finally, a clean double pike.
Jana has made a name for herself at these World Championships. Her floor routine started off with a clean double layout, though she was a little short on the landing. I am sure she is feeling the fatigue in her body from the many days of competition. However, when you go through this fatigue, your adrenaline kicks in and gives your body the boost it needs.
Throughout her routine, the tumbling was impressive; her double Arabian was high in amplitude and she did a good job in controlling the landing. There was a leg separation on her round-off leading up to this pass. Her front full to triple was nice, but there was a small form break that the judges are keeping their eye out for. I would bet that Jana’s coach (mom!) will work on cleaning up these small form breaks. She ended with a sky-high double pike. In reality Jana could have stuck the landing. Though her lunge did not result in a deduction, a stuck landing adds value and separates one gymnast from another. Just think about when you watch Vanessa Ferrari’s routine and the control she shows in her landings. Impressive!
Vanessa Ferrari’s floor routine:
Tasha is right, Vanessa is a firecracker. I have enjoyed watching her performances at these Worlds. This wasn’t her best routine, though she can not be disappointed with the way she wrapped up this competition.
First, what a unique leo. I liked it. She started with her impressive double-double, showing full control on the landing. She followed with a tuck full-in, with a small leg separation on the second somersault. Vanessa did a good job saving herself from going out of bounds on her third pass, only resulting in a landing deduction from the large hop, which is better than stepping out of bounds. She ended with a beautiful double pike. Other than Vanessa’s elegant dance and difficult tumbling, what sets her apart is her landings. She aims to stick and not just to use a lunge to gain control.
This was by far my favorite routine to watch during the event finals. She mounted with an impressive double-double. In my opinion, this tumbling pass was by far the best in the women’s finals. Then she performed a whip immediate triple twister. Again, impressive though there a small pike down on the landing. Cheng showed wonderful flexibility throughout the routine on all leaps and jumps performed. On her triple turn there was a little wobble at the end, though I believe she was given the value the judges may have taken a small deduction for not having complete control. Cheng ended with a beautiful pike full in. She had a small form break, flexed feet and slight leg separation. It may sound like I am being very particular, but she didn’t have many errors which is why she is now the World Champion on this event.