Prediction : Floor Finalists in Beijing.

So, I was bored today in school and decided to get a "final cut" -- one that I was happy with -- of the girls I think should/need to compete in the floor finals at Beijing.

I started off my list with naming every single candidate I think that has a realistic shot of making it to floor finals, everyone from Ana Claudia Silva to Beth Tweddle. At that point, I highlighted anyone that I remember making a World, Olympic, or European final on floor. After I was done with that, I narrowed the list to just two per country if they had more (at this time the USA had Memmel, Johnson, Sacramone, Liukin, Bieger, and Worley (since she was close enough in 2007)).

Now that I had my list down to just the top few, I organized them into three catagories. 1) Will Make it even with Mistake 2) Will Make it over others with hit routines 3) Will Make it if someone has an error. This is what I so lovingly declared the Three Tiers.

After the Three Tiers was established, I cropped the list, moving one person here and another one there until I had the three tiers, each with four gymnasts in them.

Tier 1;; Daiane Dos Santos - Cheng Fei - Sandra Izbasa - Shawn Johnson
Tier 2;; Alicia Sacramone - Beth Tweddle - Vanessa Ferrari - Jiang Yuyuan
Tier 3;; Yulia Lozhecko - Alina Kozich - Jade Barbosa - Cassy Vericel

*this list does not include injuries; it is based on their current best ability.
*Jade Barbosa is in Tier 3 because she made medaled at the PanAm games, and never showed her true potential for floor at worlds. She scored a 14.000 in AA with a fall. 14.800 might be enough for her to make finals.

The way the Tiers work is that Tier 1 IMO are locks into the final if they all hit. They still are locks even if they make a small/medium mistake (devauluing a skill; stepping OOB, ect.)

Everyone in Tier 2 is basically a lock. Although if they make a small/medium mistake they might get knocked out by someone else.

And everyone else in Tier 3 has a chance if they hit. Some also might have to depend on other gymnasts mistakes or absentes to be able to make the final.

So what do you think? Do you think the gymnasts I choosed are in the correct placement order, or did you think of someone/something else that I made have forgotten? Please share! =]

The Wonderment that is Hong Su Jong.

Everyone knows the all around 'frontrunners' in Beijing: Johnson, Ferrari, Nistor, Yuyuan, Barbosa, ect. Well, make sure you don't leave out Hong Su Jong in the all around. She could medal in the all around in Beijing with just a few upgrades on a couple of her events.

She already made 2 finals last year, winning silver in Vault and being able to get into the heavely packed bars finals. Her floor is nice, with a full-in tucked, 2.5 punch front tuck, triple twist, and a double pike to finish. If she gets a barani or a layout after the 2.5 and upgrade all her dance skills from b's into C's, she would find herself with a routine 6.0+. And with her form, she could possibly find herself in EF.

And her beam, just like her floor, she would need just a few upgrades and work on her consistantcy and she'll be golden. She might be the dark horse in the all around hunt for a medal.

Gummy Bear

In case you have not seen this, it has to be my favourite humour montage since Pineapple.

(HAPPY 2008!)