Bross Tops Women's Qualification

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With the Women’s Qualification round complete, American Rebecca Bross (WOGA) leads the All-around with a tally of 57.400, followed by Ana Porgras of Romania (57.300), Lauren Mitchell of Australia (56.675), Deng Linlin of China (56.350) and American Bridget Sloan (56.075; Sharp’s).

The focus, intensity and determination that Bross showed in training this week continued in competition, with Bross sporting her game face from the moment she entered the arena. She began the competition with a Yurchenko double with a step back that wasn’t quite up to her normal standards, but didn’t let it bother her on the next event. On bars, she showed a quick-tempo routine (toe-on full to in-bar Stalder full to Tkatchev; full twisting double back dismount ) that netted her the second-highest bar score of the day (15.050, yet nearly a point behind top bars qualifier He Kexin of China). On beam, Bross (14.150) was nearly flawless (aerial, bhs, layout; standing Arabian; switch leap to back tuck) until she over-rotated her Arabian double dismount, causing her to step forward and put her hands down. The mistake left her one position out of qualifying for beam finals. She punctuated her day with a nice floor set (front layout to double front; 2 ½ to Barani) that sealed her top all-around position and also earned her the final qualifying spot for floor finals. Bross finds herself in the same position she was in at the U.S. Championships in August – leading after prelims. At the USAs, she faltered in finals to earn bronze. Now, she has a chance at redemption.

“I’m really excited and I’m just ready for it (finals) to come,” Bross said. “I’m just going to work hard and see what happens. …It was really exciting (to be in first), but it is only qualifications. I want to go out and do almost the same thing in finals.”

Porgras recorded her highest mark of the day on beam (14.850; front aerial, bhs, layout; two bhs to feet together layout; double pike). She also impressed on uneven bars - going against the tradition of poor uneven bar workers from Romania - recording an impressive 14.575 on the event (good rhythm, nice Jaeger, double layout dismount).

Mitchell combined power (Yurchenko double on vault; Arabian double, piked full-in on floor; two bhs to two-footed layout on beam; double front bars dismount) with her unique style. After showing promise in training this week, she delivered and performed as she had trained and proved she’s a contender.

Deng was among the crowd favorites of the day, with charming presentation and big skills to match. She was over time on beam after a marathon set which included spot on acrobatic elements (two bhs to layout) and beautiful leaps with a double pike dismount. She still managed the highest score of the day so far with 14.450. On floor, she tumbled an Arabian double front mount, a full-in and drilled a double pike dismount. She vaulted a simple Yurchenko 1 ½, but with great form.

Sloan got off to a rough start with a fall on beam (front tuck) and wasn’t nearly as secure in her landings on floor (1 ½ through to triple; full-in, pike double back) as she had been at the U.S. Championships in August where she drilled her passes. She came back strong on vault with a powerful Yurchenko double (14.55) and the momentum continued on her final event of the day, bars, where she showcased a great bodyline throughout and wowed with a toe-on, piked Tkatchev and dismounted with a full twisting double layout for 14.6. After the competition, she talked about her determination to improve in finals.

“Bars were the highlight of my day,” Sloan said. “After beam, I wanted to do everything as cleanly as possible.My floor was a little rough and as I moved to vault and bars, I knew what my priorities were. This was a good learning experience for me. Every day I learn a bit more and (today) I learned a lot. I’m very excited to come back Friday and show them what I can do.”

American breakout star Kayla Williams looks to be in strong position to qualify for event finals on floor (13.9; double layout; 1 ½ through to double pike; triple full; piked full-in) and vault (14.825; Handspring Laidout Rudi; Yurchenko double).

“I had billions and billions of nerves,” said Williams about her first international event and World Championships, “but I think I handled it pretty well. I think I channeled my nerves into making my routines better. I was nervous on floor because it was my first time out….I did well on both (vaults), but especially my second one, the Yurchenko double full. I think that is the best I can do. I am really proud of how I did, and I hope when I come back to finals, I can learn from this and do even better.”

USA Teammate Ivana Hong will likely qualify for beam finals, where she was picture-perfect with signature gorgeous form (14.400; beautiful Onodi to sheep jump; two bhs to double pike dismount). That set came after a labored bar set where she had to improvise during her routine and ran out of gas at the end, touching down on her double layout dismount.

“I felt really good out there (on beam),” said Hong, who was an alternate on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team and a member of the 2007 World Championships gold medal team. “I felt confident and it felt like a pretty good routine. I didn’t get my full difficulty, but hopefully I will in event finals.”

One of the biggest heartbreak moments of the day came on uneven bars where Great Britain’s Beth Tweddle, with the weight of the country on her shoulders, fell on her signature event – uneven bars- and failed to qualify for finals. With perhaps the most spectacular routine of all the competitors, Tweddle had looked solid with the jam-packed set in training, but fell on a toe-on Tkatchev ½ and later touched the mat on pak salto ½ for 13.85. (The incredible set also features terrific pirouette work along with a Markelov, Gienger, Church and a full twisting double back dismount with knees glued together).

U.S. bronze medalist Rebecca Bross, expected to challenge for the all-around title in London, will compete later in the final subdivision of the day.

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Photos by Grace Chiu