Okay so 2009 is here. Its the end of an amazing year and I thought I would share my highs and lows of the years with you guys!
Beth Tweedles's bars
Wow I was so impressed with her bars. I am usually not a big fan as she can be pretty sloppy but I'm glad she went for her hardest routine. I really wanted her to get a medal but she handled it so well, she was just shrugged it off. She showed great sportsmanship and I hope to see her in the 2009 Worlds.
Beckie Downie AA
I was really happy for Becky, coming 12th in the AA! That is amazing and the best ranking a British gymnast has ever gotten! I think with a little more training she could be one of the best in the world. I'll be rooting for her in 2012!
Steliana Nistor Retiring
Until the Beijing Olympics this year I was never really a fan of Nistor's gymnastics but during the Olympics I really grew to like her. I like the way she doesn't let anything shake her, she just carries on like nothing happened. She is a great gymnast and has some super-hard skills like a full on beam and a double layout on floor. I have to admit I'm sad to see her go, she was a great leader for her team and she was so tough!
Shayla's broken leg
I was devastated when I heard that Shayla broke her leg at the ranch. I love Shayla and I really wanted her on the team. She is such a great gymnast and I like the way she shows her personality when she performs. I'll be sad to see her leave elite gymnastics.
Shawn and Nastia being real friends
Okay so since Shawn has come onto the scene there has been a lot of speculation about Shawn and Nastia 'hating' each other. But I think that they actually are great friends, I mean I know Shawn really wanted the AA gold but she still went up to Nastia and gave her a hug when she lost. I think are genuine friends even though they compete against each other.
Ksenia Semyonova
I actually love this gymnast! She is such a cutie and she is amazing! I was really happy when she got 4th in the AA, although I wanted her to get a medal. I hope she continues on till 2012. I think if she gets a higher A-score on beam, bars and floor and she gets a DTY on vault she could win. I cant wait to see her in the 2009 Worlds.
Nastia winning the AA
Wow, what a moment this was for gymnasts everywhere. I cried when she got her medal. I was just so happy that she won. She is such a fighter, after everyone doubting her in 2007 she came back and kicked everyone's asses. She is amazing! I love her lines and her flawless execution, I just love her!
Bridget Sloan's performance at the Olympics
Although it went very unnoticed, does anyone else think that Bridget performed amazingly at the Olympics? She didn't cave into the pressure or make any major mistakes in any of her routines, yet no-one noticed. Its sad! I love her floor routine, I know she doesn't have the hardest tumbling but I the dance and she really performs her routine, you know what I mean?
Uneven bars Event Final
Possibly the most nerve racking and close event final ever. It was amazing. Gymnasts have defiantly raised their game when it comes to uneven bars. Almost all the gymnasts had 7 A scores which is incredible! To be honest I wanted Nastia to win. I am a huge fan of her gymnastics but I also wanted Beth Tweddle to medal because she really deserved it.
Anna Pavlova's 0 on vault
I couldn't believe it when they gave her a 0, I was just as confused as everyone else till they explained. It was so unfair, she could have meddled if she hadn't got the 0! I can't believe she had an amanar, she had really bigged up her difficulty and when she landed the 2nd vault I thought she had it in the bag. I was sooo upset for her!
Alicia's Olympics
This poor girl just doesn't get a break. I was in shock when she fell off the beam and to fall on your mount is just the worst thing ever but she nailed the rest of her routine so I was really proud of her for that. Then on floor you could see that she was still thinking about the fall and she falls again. You could see that she just couldn't believe it, like everyone else. I was so proud that she handled everything after Beijing so well though. I will miss her. She always had character and personality.
Cheng Fei and her Olympics
Cheng Fei is a fabulous gymnast. I felt bad for her when she fell in the team finals but at least they still got the gold. But in her event finals I really felt sorry for her. She could have gotten gold in both events if she hadn't fallen. Although I felt bad for her falling I don't think she should have got the bronze on vault. Alicia should have got it, you shouldn't get a medal if you fall.
Sandra Izbasa's Floor routine
Wow! wow wow wow wow! She was incredible! She completely nailed her routine and she really deserved it. It was great for Romanian gymnastics too, considering they were supposed to be losing their legacy of great gymnasts. I hope she goes for the 2009 Worlds.
Nastia's Switch Ring
Okay I know this is kinda random but this is my favorite skill ever. I love how Nastia performs it too. It is such a gorgeous skill and I really want to learn it but my back isn't flexible enough yet.
Jiang Yuyuan's floor routine
I love this routine. Its so fun and exciting to watch, she really puts her personality into it. Its a great change from some of the robotic routines that you see. Plus she has like five great tumbling passages, which is crazy for such a small gymnast. If she can get her amanar consistent then she may be big competition in this quad.
The Whole Age Controversy
Were they of age? Were they not? Who knows? I for one don't think they are. I know everyone is saying that everyone is different and people grow at different times and that the Chinese tend to be small anyway but although their height is part of it, I just think that their faces look young. Like take Sam, Shawn and Bridget, they are the youngest on the US team but put them next to the Chinese gymnasts and they look years older. And no I don't think that the US are sore losers because they are concerned about this, if the gymnasts aren't of age then its not fair, they should stick to the rules. However I am not saying that it is the girls fault, they are just doing what they are told and I am not saying that they aren't great gymnast - they are amazing, that's why they won! But we will never know the truth I suppose.
Shawn living up to her greatness
She went into the Olympics as the favorite. She had a ton of pressure on her shoulders and she didn't disappoint. Okay so she didn't get the AA gold but the silver is still amazing! Plus she got the team silver and the floor silver and the beam gold! I really wanted Nastia to get the gold but then when I saw how happy she was I realised that I was happy that she got it. She really deserved it. I didn't realise how much not getting the AA gold had affected her and the image of her about to burst into tears when she realised that she had got the silver was so sad because you never see Shawn upset. I watched this amazing montage of Shawn Johnson's Olympic journey by Ashleyakaflipper on youtube. You should watch it here.
Well anyway they are my thoughts on 2008..what do you think?
