WORLD CUP, Cottbus: Women s Qualification rounds ...

* QUALIFICATION - V A U L T
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There were no surprises at vaulting table. Most of the contestants performed well, only a few fell due to over - or underrotating. The favourites convinced with strong and secure vaults.

* Oksana Chusovitina (GER): This lady is a phenomenon and presents two excellent vaults: Handspring, front Layout with 1 1/2 twists - good landing, and Tsukahara with 1 1/2 twists with a perfect landing. Last week she suffered a fall at the Europeans. This time she made up to her role as favourite: 15,225
* Jade Barbosa (BRA) was 5th in last years' vault final and shows a Yurchenko - layout with 2/1 twist in clean technique, one little side step at landing; and Round-off, 1/2 turn-fronat somersault with 1/2 turn, anither little step. Second of qualification: 14,850
* Nastassia Marachkouskaya (BLR) placed 6th at this years Europeans and presents two beautiful, high vaults with excellent technique: Yurchenko with 1 1/2 twists and a handspring, piked somersault with a small hop: 14,150
* Enikö Korcsmaros (FIN) shows two high and clean vaults: Yurchenko layout 1 1/2 and a round-off-1/2 turn, front tucked somersault, a little step to the side.
* Aisha Gerber (CAN) vaults a Yurchenko layout with 2/1 turn, however, with an instable landing: several steps to the side prevent a fall. 2nd vault: Round-off-1/2 turn-tucked somersault with 1/2 turn - a little bit low but nice.
* Areilla Käslin (SUI), 4th at the ECh at vaulting table, ist the only one who presents a handspring with a tucked somersault with full turn. She looks confident. The second vault is a little low; Yurchenko layout with full turn.
* Anna Kyzdrikova (RUS) performs a Yurchenko layout with 2/1 turn - and lands on her knees. In her 2nd vault she has evident bent knees: round-off-1/2 turn-front layout.
* Alyssa Brown (CAN) is the last gymnast whi enters the final with two secure vaults: Yurchenko-layout 1 1/2 twists; handspring-front piked somersault.

* QUALIFICATION - U N E V E N   B A R S
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At uneven bars, unfortunately, a high number of gymnasts fell off the apparatus, even some strong performers of the highest level. Still, where shadow is, there also is light: dynamically performed routines with excellent body shape and both interesting elements as well as combinations inspired the audience .

* Li, Shanshan (CHN) placed third at the WCh with a fall! This time, she also presented an almost perferct routine, however, she had severe problems landing her dismount (double pike) this time and almost fell against the beam. But still an extraordinary routine: piked front somersault, acro series with four elements (back flip, back flip, layout, back flip to sitting position), aerial, free front handspring, somersault sidewards, and a long dismount series: round-off, back flip, double piked sommersault.
* Steliana Nistor (ROU) performed a beautiful routine being both the current Vice-World and European Champion at this piece of apparatus. One highlight of her routine is her back somersault with full turn. Optimal landing! She performs her difficulties in a flouid manner: back flip followed by two back somersaults, front somersault-back somersault, free handsprings in all directions and a dismount with only a small step: round-off, double back.
* Sandra Izbasa (ROU) shows a classy routine, however, she does not seem as secure as the Chinese and as her teammate. Still a pleasure to watch.
* Xiao, Sha (CHN) – without her fall she would be second and is still fourth! She performs almost flawlessly and shows an impressive series with 4 acro elements: two back flips, followed by a layout and another backflip. Unfortunately, she slips off the beam landing a free handspring.
* Oksana Tschussowitina (GER) demonstrated her experience and performed one of the most stable routines. Her mount is a piked somersault with perfect landing. Several acrobatic and mixed combinations and only a tiny hop after her double tuck.
* Adela Sajn (SLO) appears stable and elegant, eventhough she has little choreography in her routine.

* QUALIFICATION-  F L O O R   E X E R C I S E S  
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Most of the gymnasts presented beautiful and attractive choreographed routines in a personal style. Evidently, acrobatic elements outweigh the gymnastic parts. However, almost the half of the contestants had conditional problems to finish their routine with a secure dismount. Anyhow, there are still some months left to the Olympic Games in Bejing...

* Sandra Izbasa (ROU), finalist in both the World and European Championships, performed once again a classy routine with 5 acro combinations – only at her dismount she hardly managed to prevent a fall. Tsukahara with a little step, somersault with 2 ½ twist in direct combination with front layount with full turn (!) , somersault with 2/1 twists, a twist combination and - an instable somersault with 3/1 twists as dismount.
* Jade Barbosa (BRA) performed a well balanced routine with a pleasant mixture of both acrobatics and gymnastic elements: 4 acro combinations with only tiny corrections at landing: double layout, piked tsukahara, two layouts with 1 1/2 twist in direct combination, double pike as dismount.
* Xiao , Sha (CHN) flirts with the audience when performing her routine which is coined by multiple twists. Like a high number of gymnasts, she has evident difficulties to manage her dismount due to her physical fitness and almost falls after her double pike.
* Anastasiya Koval (UKR) impresses with clean technique and a pleasant choreography.
* Katja Abel (GER) performed a stable routine without major mistakes, eventhough she steps over the line after her second acro series (somersault with 2 ½ twists in direct combination with a layout with ½ turn).
* Yasmin Zimmermann (AUT) is one of the few gymnasts who perform a front layout with 2/1 twist. Like Xioa she performs only one double somersaults – a piked one as dismount and with similar problems.
* Diane Dos Santos (BRA) impresses as usual with her speedy and dynamic tumbling, still her landings lack a little precision: She starts with a very high tsukahara, shows a double layout, a long series with two back whips and “only” a double tuck, and finishes with a double pike.
At this tournament most of the favourite demonstrated their abilities and skills. If they presentd confident and strong performances in the finals, there will only be a suspensful competetion on beam.