20. November 2005  
Melbourne / Australia  
Artistic Gymnastics

PODIUM TRAINING of Women

Monett Russo <(AUS)
Hopes for the Hosts...

On Saturday, November 19 (men) and on Sunday, November 20 (women) will held the important sessions of PODIUM TRAINING.
All participants can use the original apparatuses under the same conditions like at the following competition days;
it's also a very important logistically check for all processes for the organizers.

May be to study the first interest thinks into the exercises of the athletes....

Rhian Pugh (GBR)

Our British colleague Vera Atkinson observed the women's and men's podium rotations:

British Women in excellent form during Podium Training
Divided into four Subdivisions, 106 gymnasts from 39 countries tested the competition floor at the Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, before the Qualification round of the World Championships on Wed. 23 Nov.
According to the draw, Imogen Cairns and Rhian Pugh performed in the first Subdivision, Shavahn Church, in the second, and
Beth Tweddle, in the last, fourth Subdivision.
Church and Tweddle will compete in the All-around, Imogen on Floor and Vault and Rhian, the 2004 European Junior Champion on A.Bars.

Daiane dos Santos (BRA)
- high dynamic!

However, it remains to be decided whether Rhian Pugh will compete in the Qualifications on Wednesday. During the Podium Training, by the end of her routine, she caught her feet on the bar and fell on the safety mat; kneeling for a while, before being helped out of the podium by her coach Helen May and the doctor of the team John Aldridge.
The training session was a great success for the other three British gymnasts and it is to be hoped that they will be as impressive in the actual competition, as they were during the Podium Training.

Subdivision 1
An interesting first Subdivision dominated by Chellsie Memmel (USA), 2003 World Champion on uneven bars in a tie with Hollie Vise, who received enthusiastic applause from the knowledgeable audience of coaches, officials and fans. The other all-around performer, Florica Leonida (ROM), 2000 Olympic Team Champion, did not seem to be as ready as Chellsie and her level of performance was not so clean. Another gymnast who impressed, with very good technique on bars was Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs (CAN).
Verona Van de Leur (NED), 2002 World Silver medallist on Floor, showed flashes of her former brilliance on beam and floor.
Rotation 3 brought Chellsie Memmel and Daiane dos Santos (BRA), the reigning World Champion and World Cup Final winner, together on floor exercise.
They produced outstanding tumbling runs, both performing four double somersaults in their exercise.
The sequences of Memmel are as follows:
1. Two whip backs flick flack Arabian double front tucked
2. Double straight
3. Full in back out picked 4. Double back somersault piked

... dos Santos:
1. Arabian double front somersault piked
2. Arabian double front somersault tucked
3. Double straight
4. Double back somersault piked
Tina Erceg (CRO) produced a very well-choreographed floor exercise. Tania Gratt (AUT) demonstrated a good routine on uneven bars.

Subdivision 2
One of the most impressive gymnasts in this Subdivision was the 2004 World Cup Final Vault winner Alicia Sacramone (USA). Her powerful, dynamic and extremely difficult gymnastics on Vault, Beam and Floor is definitely making her a hot medal contender for these apparatus. In addition to her technical brilliance, Sacramone is also an excellent dancer on Floor (Arabian double front; 1/2 in 1/2 out; 2 and a half twists to straight front somersault; triple twist).
The only gymnast representing Spain, Lenka de Simone attracted a great deal of attention with her exquisite style of performance and technical excellence on all four apparatus.
Also to mention in this Subdivision is the British-American newcomer Shevahn Church, 16, coached by “coaching legend” Don Peters (SCATS USA) and Feng Yu (1986 Chinese Champion, at present coaching in the USA). Strong and athletic on all pieces, Church could be one of the surprises of the Championships.
Another debutant in the World Championships, Yulia Lozhecko (RUS), who marked her arrival at the Senior level with a Bronze medal in the European Championships All-around last June, impressed with one of the most artistic and well-choreographed routines on Floor and Beam.
Other gymnasts who deserve mention are the 2005 European overall Champion Marine Debauve (FRA), on uneven ars and Beam, Daniele Hypolito (BRA) on Vault and Beam, Jana Bieger (USA) on Bars and Zhang Yufei (CHN) on Beam and Floor.
The 2004 Olympic Champion on Beam, Floor and Team Catalina Ponor (ROM) did not look in her best ever form on Floor, but was rock-steady on her best apparatus, the Beam.

Subdivision 3
Undoubtedly, Nastia Liukin’s (USA) subdivision, and she demonstrated clearly what all the pundits have been saying - she is a star quality! She produced four world-class routines and has the potential to be the World All-around champion, but on Beam she is unique! Liukin, the new Champion of the USA, seems to possess all the best physical and mental qualities of her former World Champion parents and she received a great deal of applause throughout the Subdivision.
She has strong company in her group- the 2000 Olympic Champion on Floor and Vault Elena Zamolodchikova (RUS) and the 2005 European Champion on Floor Isabelle Severino (FRA). Elena, looking much revived from Athens and Isabelle, enjoying new lease of life, building on the successes of her European Championships.

The Chinese, with Cheng Fei and Fan Ye, the defending World Champion on Beam and 2005 World Student overall Champion, must be feeling extremely confident. Cheng Fei gave a Master- class vaulting - Yurchenko with 2 and 1/2 twists and round-off half turn into handspring front straight with 1 and 1/2 twist.
The evergreen Oxana Chussovitina (30), 1992 Olympic Team Champion and current World Champion on Vault, gained applause and congratulations, maintaining her high level of technical performance on A. Bars, Beam and Vault, whilst at the same time demonstrating clearly how much she loves the sport.
The Ukrainians, in Daria Zgoba have discovered a huge potential on bars. An exiting and much appreciated Subdivision!

Beth Tweddle (GBR)

Subdivision 4
 A Subdivision including four gymnasts who could play significant part in the All-around and Apparatus Finals:
- Zhang Nan (CHN), 2004 Olympic and 2003 World Bronze medallist in the All-around;
- Anna Pavlova (RUS), who lost the Olympic All-around Bronze medal to Zhang for mere 0.025 pts;
- Emilie Lepennec (FRA), the 2004 Olympic and 2005 European Champion on A. Bars and
- Elizabeth Tweddle (GBR), 2003 World Bronze medallist on A. Bars and current Commonwealth and Student Champion on this apparatus.
In rotation 3 Tweddle and Lepennec performed, one after another, two superb routines on A. Bars out of 10 points - a promise for a great Final, should the two of them go smoothly through the Qualifications.
Tweddle was strong and steady also on Floor and Beam and seems a potential threat not only for the A. Bars, but also for the All-around.
Monette Ruso (AUS), on A. Bars and Beam, Lais Souza (BRA) on Vault and Olga Sherbatykh (UKR), on Foor, are the other names to remember before the Qualifications on Wednesday, 23 Nov.
- from Melbourne for Baga: Vera Atkinson


After the two days of podium training on Monday, November 21 will be the last preparations for the OPENING CEREMONY of the 38th Men's and 29th Women's World Championships of Artistic Gymnastics....

following two days of qualification rounds
- on Tuesday (21.11., men) and
- Wednesday (23.11., women)...