Daily 5 - Thursday, October 6

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Men’s Podium Training, Day 2

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Jovtchev Joyful

With a remarkable five Olympic Games under his belt, 38-year-old Jordan Jovtchev of Bulgaria is the elder statesman of men’s gymnastics with a career that has spanned decades. Balancing training with being a husband, father, and, oh yeah, duties as President of the Bulgarian Gymnastics Federation has to be challenging, but Jovtchev seems up to the task every time. Greatly admired by his fellow competitors, Jovtchev is somewhat of a rock star among his peers and a great ambassador for the sport. With a smile that runs ear to ear and is often visible, Jovtchev’s love for gymnastics is contagious.

China In Charge

With ridiculously difficult sets and technique that is the model of near-perfection, China once again put on a clinic during Podium Training. It’s hard to express just how well- trained these athletes are and the attention to detail in every aspect of their execution. They’re just so frickin good! (Can we say that?) During their still rings training period, only one athlete bobbled on a landing – all of the others were stuck cold with nearly a bobble.

Phenomenal Floor from Russia

We were officially “wowed” during Russia’s floor exercise podium training time today. Their routines – both in terms of the difficulty and the execution – commanded attention. Though they had some trouble with some of the landings, if they can hit these routines, look for some big scores. Among the highlights was Sergey Khorokhordin who performed a whip to double Arabian; tucked double double; pike punch 1 ¾ roll out; 2 ½ to punch front full; and a full-in dismount. Anton Golotsutskov also performed a flawless laidout double-double and David Belyavskiy has a phenomenal set with a great combination of flipping and twisting passes that should be a crowd favorite.

Notable Numbers

533 athletes are registered for these World Championships, made up of 288 men and 245 women. 81 countries are represented in all!

Meaningful Moment

At the opening press conference of these World Championships today, Japanese legend Mitsuo Tsukahara, a five time Olympic gold medalists, spoke of how touched he was by the messages of support the country received after the devastating tsunami and earthquakes back in March. Now Vice-President of the Japan Gymnastic Association, Tsukahara expressed how honored the people of Japan are to welcome the world to Tokyo. And it shows everywhere you go.

Also of note today…

*Our hearts go out to Alicia Sacramone, who injured her Achilles tendon training on floor today. The injury reportedly happened on the punch into an Arabian double. (Of note, at the conclusion of Podium Training the day before, Sacramone’s right ankle area was heavily iced.) Among the most genuine and engaging personalities in the sport, Sacramone has led the U.S. team in many ways over the years, vocally as well as by example. In training up until the injury, Sacramone looked as well prepared as ever with gorgeous routines that had that inexplicable “virtuosity.”

Many may remember that Courtney Kupets injured her Achilles on an Arabian double at the 2003 World Championships (training in between prelims and finals) and returned to make the Olympic Team in 2004…

We’ve come to know Alicia well over the years and she’s an all around great person who always greets you with a smile and converses as if she’s known you a lifetime… Her presence in competition here will be missed, but we know she’ll still be guiding the U.S. team… We wish Sacramone all the best in her recovery…

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