FIG: Nellie Kim is no longer the president of the Women’s Technical Committee and will be replaced by Donatella Sachi.

Me:

We have to tackle the FIG elections before the madness of the US presidential election. The end of Bruno Grandi!  All the info and list of candidates are in the article.

does it ever just get to you that the 2015 bronze AA medalist could have been competing tomorrow and possibly medalled

but nah :)

same with the silver medalist :(

in which the FIG wonderfully explains in 4 minutes what NBC has been trying to explain the last 11 years 

The FIG owes Larisa a giant apology for not allowing her to qualify when she was the fucking 3rd best gymnast (when she was rusty af from injury too) in the World the year before Rio. How is an AA medal less than an EF one?

LET’S CLARIFY SOMETHING

- Gymnasts can submit new elements for D score evaluation at any gymnastics competition. US classic, Euros, Asian Games, whatever. 

- This HAS to be the case so that these new elements can be included in their routine and given a score.

- They are handled by the technical committee appropriate to the level of the event- so USATC at US domestic meets, UEGTC at Euros, etc.

BUT

- Until the element has been submitted and performed at an FIG meet (Worlds, Olympics, YOG, men’s World Cups) the evaluation is PROVISIONAL

- this means 1. It does not enter the Code and is not named for the gymnast and 2. The evaluation can be changed (D-value, stipulations about performance, etc.) before it does enter the Code.

- until a new element enters the FIG COP, it must be resubmitted at every elite meet the gymnast attends. Meaning that, for example, if a US WAG gymnast had placed a new element into her routine in January of this year she would have had to submit it for SCAM, Jesolo, Pac Rims, Classics, Nationals and Olympic Trials, if she attended every one of those meets.

EXAMPLE

In 2011, Anna Li began performing a Rybalko (hop 1.5) on UB. Since this was a new skill on the women’s side, she had to submit it at every spring and domestic meet she attended so it could be scored as part of her routine. None of these put it into the FIG COP. She submitted it for Worlds in case she wound up competing. The FIGWTC evaluation added a stipulation for performance (must finish in handstand to receive no execution deduction). 

She did not compete at Worlds and the element did not enter the Code. When she competed in Olympic year domestic meets she had to resubmit the skill. The USATC could have chosen to ignore the FIG stipulation and let her finish out of HSTD as the skill was not yet set in the FIG code; however, they chose to follow the FIG in their 2012 evaluations. 

Anna did not make the Olympic team either, so the skill still has not been accepted into the FIG COP and named for her. Technically, if someone else chose to perform a Rybalko on UB in the future, the stipulation for performance could still be changed, allowing a finish out of handstand.

TL;DR submitting new elements for score evaluation at smaller meets is NOT the same thing as submitting new elements for acceptance into the FIG code!

2017-2020 COP

So I was looking through the 2017-2020 code and here’s just some things I’ve noticed so far:

So mostly stuff we knew was coming, but some stuff I didn’t see mentioned before. I didn’t actually read the entire thing, and I’m not SUPER familiar with the current element values so there’s probably stuff I missed, but this is what I gathered from a quick skim 

Draft COP 2017-2020

Just had a brief look at the new COP and strangely enough I actually really like it!. You can read it here

Some of the major changes include

VAULT

- Massive cuts in D-Scores for all the top vaults!!!

-Produnova has gone from 7 to 6.4, Amanar from 6.3 to 5.8, Cheng from 6.4 to 6 

-IF gymnasts lands her Prod on her feet and bottom simultaneously, vault will be downgraded to a normal Handspring Front tuck (worth only 4)

-Interestingly, a Rudi will now be worth just as much as an Amanar!!

-Furthermore, a lot of other vaults have suddenly become viable in a TF and AA situation! A front handspring 1/1 is now worth just as much as a DTY, and a Tsuk 1.5 only 0.2 less

-Since the gap in difficulty value between the vaults has narrowed considerably, I think this might lead to more diversity in the vaults we see (esp. in TF and AA)

-Also, the cuts in d-values are, to me at least, a pretty obvious attempt to curb the American’s vault advantage during team finals lol

UNEVEN BARS

-Pretty sure Nastia was in charge of these changes cause the layout Gienger and Double Front ½ dismount have both been bumped up to an E value!

-Contrary to earlier reports, the “Chinese” E-pirouettes are still an E rating

-Piked Jaeger now worth E, and Stretched now F!

-Kips after normal shaposhes now count as an empty swing

BEAM

-FIG seems to be really pushing for more creative mounts by making them more worthwhile to include (though I’m not sure if this will change anything)

-3 flying flairs now rated D, as is the spilt leap mount

-Round off at end of beam - flic flac with ½ turn to walkover (so basically an Onodi onto the beam as a mount) now worth an F! So is the Aerial walkover onto the beam!

-Round off LOSO onto the beam (the one Kui Yuanyuan and Zhang Nan did) now worth an E

-Tuck 1/1 jumps now worth C (the one basically every Chinese did during the 2001-2004 quad), and Split and Wolf 1/1 jumps now worth D

-The 1/1 split leap now worth E 

-TOUR JETE ON BEAM NOW WORTH D!!!! 

-Really hoping this means we will see more variety in dance skills as opposed to yet another sheep jump

-Speaking about sheep jumps they are now only worth C. RIP Front Walkover to Sheep Jump 2013-2016

-1.5 Y/L/attitute turns upgraded to D. So Yao’s awkward over-rotated Y turn might actually contribute to her D-score now

-Wolf turns are…. still the same value

-Li Li’s back spin upgraded to D!

-Oh and it looks like they actually got rid of the Grigoras and made it the same as a normal free aerial round off from two feet (worth E)

-Interestingly, the jump forward with ½ twist to bwd tuck/pike (the one Biles does) has been upgraded to F 

-They’ve added some funky new dismounts which I have trouble visualising 

-And the stretched gainer salto is now only worth C, and thus, does not fulfil the program requirements

-the D+A mixed bonus has been replaced with a D+B, but many jumps like the split jump have been upgraded to B. The sissone however has not.

-Series bonus now awarded to dance and mixed series of B+B+C value or higher!

-There also now deductions for “insufficient complexity or creativity in the movements” and “lack of work in releve”! They define a complex/creative movement as one “that requires training time, coordination and previous preparation” - so I guess no more pointless arm waving?

FLOOR

-No major changes except that no demi-plie on support leg for the turn+turn bonus (meaning this will no longer get a 0.1 bonus)

I really like som of these changes!

A FHS 1/1 on vault is already equal with a DTY, just fyi. They are both 5.8 right now.

Also, Biles does not do the jump ½ twist into back salto. She does a free aerial roundoff that is usually given credit for a Grigoras. It’s not a Produnova, y'all.

THANK YOU @thepushyqueenofsluttown!!! I was saying the same thing earlier! Have you ever even seen someone do that correctly? I haven’t! (Even produnova herself didn’t really do it correctly)

I’ve seen it done relatively correctly on the floor, but never on beam. Produnova’s never should have been credited or named after her. What Produnova did was the same as Chellsie Memmel’s piked free roundoff.

the FIG just posted what has to be the weirdest montage in gymnastics history

just watch it

1.5 years on this is as bizarre as when i first watched it

never forget… this is a real thing that they put together.

2017-2020 COP Drafts

WAG

MAG

These are drafts with proposed changes for the next quad. The final vote will be on February 2016. Keep in mind that these are only proposals. We don’t know which changes will make the cut. Not to mention we’ve seen FIG vote on changes only to reverse their decision shortly after. So we probably won’t really know until the official codes are released in late 2016/early 2017. 

Change in skill value:

Vault - Produnova (7.0 > 6.4) - Rudi (6.2 > 5.8) - Tsukahara full (5.2 > 4.8) - Tsukahara 1.5 (5.5 > 5.2) - Tsukahara double full (6.0 > 5.6) - Tsukahara 2.5 (6.5 > 6.0) - FTY (5.0 > 4.6) - 1.5 Yurchenko (5.3 > 5.0) - DTY (5.8 > 5.4) - Amanar (6.3 > 5.8) - Lopez (5.6 > 5.2) - “Mustafina” (6.0 > 5.6) - Cheng (6.4 > 6.0)

Uneven Bars - Piked Jaeger (D > E) - Stretched Jaeger (E > F) - Double arabian dismount (D > E) - Double piked arabian dismount (E > F)

Balance Beam - Front layout full dismount (C > D) - Gainer layout dismount (D > C) - Gainer layout full dismount (E > D)

Floor exercise - Double arabian laid-out (G > H)

woah at those vault changes. I’m so glad that the Dos Santos II is finally upgraded though.

wtf is with the prod downgrade… not like anyone really lands it anyways

The vault devaluations are to account for the gymnasts losing 0.5 in requirements on the other three apparatuses. Requirements are worth 2.0 instead of 2.5. 

2017-2020 COP Drafts

WAG

MAG

These are drafts with proposed changes for the next quad. The final vote will be on February 2016. Keep in mind that these are only proposals. We don’t know which changes will make the cut. Not to mention we’ve seen FIG vote on changes only to reverse their decision shortly after. So we probably won’t really know until the official codes are released in late 2016/early 2017. 

Oh, Gymternet. You amuse me.

So this morning, I made a post that was equal parts social experiment and live action crackfic, claiming Bruno Grandi had called for the removal of the uneven bars from the women’s program in the aftermath of this year’s Worlds. I included a source link that led directly to a RickRoll, which I thought would be enough to get the point across that I was joking, but of course this being Tumblr, a lot of people didn’t bother to check it. Their outrage led to some rather amusing (and sometimes telling) responses and I’d like to reproduce some class examples for you here.

The Ones In Denial

“Is this real”

“I…what??”

“I’m speechless… Wtf is this?”

“Can someone come out and say this is a parody? Please.” (Luckily for you, yes, it was.)

They realized this seemed a little too ridiculous even for Grandi, but just couldn’t make themselves push the button to check.

The Ones Who Were Angry

“as a bars specialist this offends me greatly and I am speechless”

“-Find better judges

-Change CoP rules regarding the apparatus

-Find better judges

-Find better judges

Find better FUCKIN JUDGES

any of these would be better than to get rid of them. i just… what. this is ridiculous.”

So appalled by what they read, they threw fact-checking to the wayside because THIS REQUIRES ACTION, IMMEDIATELY.

Anger Pt. 2: The Bruno Haters

“What the fuck is actually wrong with this man“

“So this is how stupid the people in charge are? Wow.“

“Does stoica give bruno the money he doesnt give to foreign coaches so bruno can spill bullshit all over the place”

Honestly, I feel your pain. This guy is an idiot and I’m honestly not sure I’d put this past him, but luckily for us he’s not actually suggesting it. YET.

The Ones That Skipped Straight To Acceptance

“Romania should be happy“

“*ROLLS EYES HARDER THAN I’VE EVER HAVE IN MY WHOLE LIFE*🙄🙄🙄”

“Why are so many countries having such issues with the uneven bars?   They’ve been part of the sport for decades, why are modern gymnasts somehow “deficient” but gymnasts of the past weren’t?”

“Really? Get rid of bars? Hahaha. If that’s the case Russia and China won’t see another team podium LOL”

Honestly, at this point the man has done so much damage that we’ve just decided to roll over and accept whatever else happens, apparently. I’m fairly upset by the fact that this is probably the largest category of people that didn’t cotton on. Who hurt you, gymternet? (Oh, right. Bruno.) Oddly, even though we saw some depression as well, there was no bargaining going on.

The Ones Who Were Unclear On The Concept of a RickRoll

“I want the link”

“(?) i wanna read the letter lol ! someone link me.”

There were a few others more clearly not getting the joke that have since been removed as well.

I honestly don’t know what to say other than… RickRolling has been around for nearly a decade and had a resurgence on Tumblr just this past year; if you don’t know what it is by now… ???????

In Conclusion

Thank you for your time and have a good evening.

Bruno Grandi: “It is time for the uneven bars to be eliminated”

BRUNO has done it again, it seems. The annual post-Worlds Steaming Crock of Bullshit® is finally here, and I quote:

The letter also mentions the four way tie for gold in the bar final, calling it “a joke” and “a disgrace to the dignity of our sport”. Grandi makes it clear that he believes the only solution is to completely remove uneven bars from the WAG program, leaving the sport to only be composed of vault, beam and floor. Curiously, there was no commentary along the same lines regarding MAG’s similar problems with pommel horse.

Other topics discussed include the AOGC/Belarus situation - in which Grandi takes credit for suggesting the “ingenious and creative solution” for Belarus’ problem to Nelli Kim during FIG staff meetings last year - and the “ongoing problem” of difficulty outweighing execution (despite the fact that in almost every final in both MAG and WAG this year, as last year, the top 3 E scores were either on the podium or missing it by mere hundredths of a point), renewing his ridiculous demand that the D score count for half its current value in the next redraft of the COP.

I am absolutely at a loss for words. You can read the whole thing here- but beware, you may get even more table-flippingly angry than you usually do when this idiot puts pen to paper.

*ROLLS EYES HARDER THAN I’VE EVER DONE IN MY WHOLE LIFE*🙄🙄🙄

FIG published an official list of all federations and individual gymnasts who qualified directly to Rio 2016 and others who qualified to the Olympic Test Event.

I’m pretty sure the top 3 AAers get prize money. Not sure of denomination and not sure about EF.

Edit - Here’s what was awarded in 2011:

These are swiss francs. The conversation rate right now with the us dollar is pretty much 1-1.

Thanks! Guess what, I just found this exact document on my hard drive! Is there another one that’s up to date or has nothing changed since 2011?

Top 3AA will qualify to the Olympics as well as event medalists. Great news!

Tbh though, I really do hope that after worlds they make an inquiry into the judging here because really… it’s screwed up. Four gymnasts getting the same score for routines that really were vastly different is one thing, but then there’s the fact that the Chinese girls really were mistreated in terms of execution, and Larisa’s floor score in qualifying, and Seda’s beam score in AA, and those inflated scores in the vault EF…

Yea, I’d like to see an inquiry.