In theory, by March of an Olympic year, we should be getting a better idea of who’s going to be on the Olympic team in most countries.
China is not most countries.
Here are Deng Linlin and Guo Weiyang, two from the People’s Republic whose success at the just concluded Doha World Cup may contribute to their own Olympic surge. Guo won gold on high bar in Doha. Deng won gold on beam and silver on floor.
She didn’t do too shabbily on vault, either, winning a bronze behind Germany’s Oksana Chusovitina and Russian Anna Pavlova.
Deng Linlin, 2008 Doha World Cup Event Finals, Vault:
Guo Weiyang, 2007 Chinese Nationals Event Finals, High Bar:
Matters aren’t much clearer when it comes to the prospective Russian women’s team, either. Ksenia Semyonova is the reigning world champion on the uneven bars, but Lyudmila Yezhova Grebenkova keeps coming up with big results at smaller meets. Ksenia Afanasyeva had a great competition at last week’s Russian Cup.
Add veteran Pavlova to the mix, as well as the stalwart Yelena Zamolodchikova, Svetlana Klyukina, Yekaterina Kramarenko, Polina Miller, Kristina Pravdina, Anna Grudko, Irina Isayeva, Daria Elizarova and Yulia Lozhechko. There’s no dearth of talent in Russia.
Who goes? Who stays? Who knows?
Good grief.
Tags: Anna Grudko, Anna Pavlova, Daria Elizarova, Deng Linlin, Guo Weiyang, Irina Isayeva, Jiang Yuyuan, Kristina Pravdina, Ksenia Afanasyeva, Ksenia Semyonova, Lyudmila Yezhova Grebenkova, Oksana Chusovitina, Polina Miller, Svetlana Klyukina, Yekaterina Kramarenko, Yelena Zamolodchikova, Yulia Lozhechko
March 7, 2008 at 6:14 pm |
& you didn’t even mention Alyona Pronina and Karina Myasnikova. I hope the team they do chose will perform well at the olympics.
March 7, 2008 at 11:42 pm |
Actually, Jiang Yuyuan won FX at the Doha World Cup. Deng Linlin placed second.
March 10, 2008 at 5:02 am |
here are my predictions for the olympics
team 1. china 2. usa 3. russia
Vault. 1.china- remember that jiang yuyuan is rumoured to be doing an amanar plus cheng fei’s vault and now, even he kexin is said to be also doing an amanar. china will have 3 6.5 A score. (what an improvement with he kexin.last year she was only doing a yurchenko full, at doha world cup she did a DTY and now an amanar!
2. USA- amanar for johnson and im hoping that sacramonie will increase her vault to an amanar and a DTY from peznek.
3. Russia- with an amanar from pavlova and a descent two DTY,they secure the 3rd spot. (there is a rumour going on that lozhecko is trying to do a produnova vault which has a 7.2 A score. wow! but i still have doubts about it. she may be trying it bec. remember lozhecko is a good front tumbler. but i think she can’t do it. but well will see.
UB 1. china- remember he kexin is doing a eoutine with a 7.5 A score. Jiang yuyuan with a 7.2 and yang yilin with a 7.0+ (im expecting that she’s going to increase her A score.
2. USA- liukin doing a 7.7, johnson a 6.3 and worley 6.7(im expecting worley and johnson will increase thier A score.
3. Russia- a potential 7.6 A score from semenova and a two descent routine from kramarenko and afasyaneva.
BB 1. USA- liukin has 6.6, johnson with 6.8 and maybe a score from sacramonie or worley or pezne.
1. CHina- li shanshan 7.4 (may even increase her difficulty) deng linlin 6.8 but a potential of 7.3 and cheng fei’s 6.7. as you can see china has more difficulty than USA but i feel USA is more consistent than china in this event. i still have doubts with cheng fei’s BB routine if she will hit it in beijing. deng linlin even doesnt connects her routin that is why she usually awarded with a 6.8 instead of 7.3. but if they will hit here, they will be untouchable.
3. Russia. a good routine from semenova, lozhecko and afasyaneva
FX 1. USA they have a good routine from sacramonie and johnson and even from memmel or peznek.
1. China- remember that it is confirmed that cheng fei is doing a dos santos move which definitely increase her a score. jiang yuyuan needs to feel more her new FX routine and a descent score from deng linlin or even from li shanshan.
3. Russia- a descent score from pavlova, lozhecko and afasyaneva.
China will definitely win plus it will be in beijing and im hoping that USA will not suffer the same faith russia had at the 96 olympics. . KARMA..yaiks..haha
but ofcourse this is my only opinoin and everyone can disagree.
what do you think?