Gabby Douglas Bars 2012 American Cup

 

 

D-score: 6.5

E-score: 9.133

Total: 15.633

 

Huge routine for Gabby!  She has added the piked Tcatchev out of the elgrip endo pirouette, in place of the stalder full turn she did last year, and she has changed her dismount from the full twisting double to a double layout.  It doesn’t look like she’s quite perfected the technique on the double layout yet, but it is definitely better than her full twisting double back from last year, in which she twisted early and sometimes landed a little short.  She could also get a little more turnover on the piked Tcatchev, but it is huge and quite a unique and difficult skill.  All in all the dynamics and flight in this routine are fabulous, and make her a front runner for a team finals spot in London on this event.

 

Gabby Douglas Vault 2012 American Cup

 

D-score: 6.5

E-score: 9.366

Total: 15.866

 

Aly Raisman Vault 2012 American Cup

 

D-score: 6.5

E-score: 9.6

Total: 16.1

 

Both are awesome.  McKayla Maroney’s is still slightly better, but these certainly aren’t too far behind.  It’s amazing how easy these American girls are making this vault look nowadays.  I would say these vaults place both Gabby and Aly as two of the top five all-around gymnasts in the world.  It’s such a shame that only two of the American girls will be able to advance to the Olympic all-around finals – still one of the most absurd and frustrating rules in all of gymnastics.  I wonder if Shawn Johnson is close to being able to compete her Amanar?  That would make her the 6th U.S. Olympic contender to boast this highly coveted vault.

 

Larissa Lordache Vault 2012 American Cup

 

D-score: 5.8

E-score: 9.066

Total: 14.866

 

Victoria Moors Vault 2012 American Cup

 

D-score: 5.8

E-score: 8.933

Total: 14.733

 

Both are very strong vaults – very clean with good power and nice straight bodies.  Note, though, that both are scoring an entire point lower than the Amanars done by the American girls (the Amanar is worth 0.7 more).  I’d have to say it seems as though not only is the Amanar rated a whole lot higher than the DTY, but deductions often tend to be slightly less stringent as well.  Perhaps it is because you can’t pike down an Amanar like you can a DTY?