The Daily 9: Men's All-Around

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The Inside Gymnastics team highlights 9 standouts of the day from the 2009 World Championships.

1.A New Standard of Style. We give all the props in the world to 2008 Olympic Champion Yang Wei, who battled through much adversity to finally reach the greatest heights of the sport. But Kohei Uchimura really elevates the standard of style in this next generation of gymnasts. Uchimura trains for perfection in execution and delivers near-perfect sets that combine the difficulty required by this Code with the artistry that needs to return to center stage in the sport. Bravo on a job well done!

2. For Britain. Daniel Keatings is the face of these Championships for the men’s side of the sport and the Brit delivered on promise, raising the spirits of all in the O2 arena as well as all of Britain. “I still haven’t come to terms with it!” he exclaimed after the competition. “It was a dream, and now it’s a reality.” Imagine what the future could hold for this talented 19-year-old.

3. Russian Rising. Bronze medalist Yury Ryazanov of Russia outperformed teammate Maxim Devytovskiy (fifth) who was favored in the event, but two of the top five placements for Russia was impressive.

4. Tim Stands Tall. Just a couple of years ago, American Tim McNeill was focusing his energies as an event specialists. Now, he finds himself ranked seventh in the entire world in the all-around and has the potential to move up even higher. Often overlooked with an under-the-radar approach, it was nice to see McNeill show more emotions and it was also great to see a good guy do well.

5. Hit It! For the first Worlds of a new quad, the gymnastics was – as expected – a work in progress. But in this early point of a four-year-long process of learning new skills, building new combinations and developing new routines, there were more hit sets than expected.

6. Jolt for Jon. There was a time not too long ago when Jonathan Horton questioned whether he should compete at this year’s Worlds following the most hectic year of his life that included: a post-Olympic tour, a graduation from college, a marriage, a honeymoon, a move back to his hometown, the purchase of a new house and a gym and coaching change. After a great U.S. Championships, he struggled somewhat in podium training and then had far from the competition he had hoped for. Immediately after, he was already looking ahead and using this experience as motivation to improve. “I haven’t had that fire since the Olympics, but this [outcome] will do it,” he admitted after the competition. “This will make me better.” Horton has really taken his gymnastics to a new level the past few years in terms of his style and presentation and when he puts it all together with his new sets and consistency, watch out!

7.Color Commentary On The Spot. The announcer in the O2 arena was a hit with the crowd, offering commentary, opining editorial observations, and chatting with audience members, including Uchimura’s parents (she gave Uchimura’s mom a Worlds t-shirt). The atmosphere was engaging and fun for the audience which we love to see.

8. Twitter World. This is the first World Championships where Twitter is playing a big role in dissemination of information and instant commentary from competitors, media outlets and fans. Tweets are flowing freely! (And you can’t find us at www.twitter.com/insidegym !)

9. Cheers to London. We’re loving London and the enthusiasm of the British people for this event and all the city has to offer. Though we’ve encountered some technical difficulties with internet access in the arena and some complications with the post-competition mix zone flow, we’re sure those issues will be sorted out for the Olympic Games.

OK, we’re off for Shepherd’s Pie! Tomorrow: Women’s All-Around. Who will prevail?!

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Photos by Grace Chiu