2013 P&G Gymnastics Championships: My Favourite Moments

Aug 19, 2013 by Lucy Cameron

The 2013 P&G Championships women's competitions from the perspective of a 15-year-old British Gymnast

The biggest national meet of the year for female elite gymnasts took place on August 15th and August 17th at the XL Center in Hartford. Competition was fierce as the athletes had to prove their consistency by hitting eight great routines rather than four, to earn the elusive accolade that is national champion.

The event got off to a disappointing start for me personally, and gymnasts alike, when Lexie Priessman of Cincinatti Gymnastics was forced to withdraw from competition due to an achilles' tendon injury. Lexie had huge potential to medal, having won the all - around last year as a junior, and winning senior floor exercise at classics just a couple of weeks ago. Such a shame, I'd like to wish Lexie all the best in her recovery, and hopefully she'll be back on the competition floor very soon!

DAY ONE (Written (8/16/13)

After day one of the junior competition, Bailie Key of Texas Dreams is in the lead, after four solid performances to score 59.200 all-around. Laurie Hernandez of MG Elite proved that she is not only a great floor worker, by finishing second all - around (58.00) ahead of Nia Dennis of Buckeye Gymnastics in 3rd. (57.200).

My favourite junior vault came from Nia Dennis. Nia performed a super high, super neat double twisting yurchenko, landing in the centre of the mat with just a tiny hop, to score 15.200. (5.8 + 9.400)

13 -year-old Nadia Cho of WOGA executed a beautiful bar routine. Highlights of the routine included an excellent straddled jaeger and a double layout dismount with a small step, but most impressive for me was her toe - on full pirouette at the beginning of the routine, which finished right on top of the bar, something we don't often see! This great performance earned Nadia a 14.000. (5.2 + 8.800)

It was wonderful to see Alexis Vasquez of Chow's Gymnastics clean up her beam mistakes from classics to perform my favourite beam routine of the junior competition. The routine lacked rhythm, as she was taking her time with each skill, but she more than made up for this with her lovely execution. The routine included a front aerial -front aerial -side aerial combination, a confident back handspring to two layout step outs, a nice switch leap half to back tuck and a double back handspring to two and a half twist dismount. Vasquez scored a 14.600 (5.9 + 8.700) for this routine, a massive 2.150 improvement on classics. Excellent job!

A floor routine that caught my eye was little Ragan Smith of NorthWind Gymnastics. Ragan opened the routine with some bouncy choreography and then shot across the floor with a massive double tucked arabian, legs apart but very impressive for one so tiny! All her tumbles were landed cleanly, the best being her stuck double pike at the end. However, it was her energetic dance and evident love for what she was doing that I enjoyed more than anything else. Smith scored a solid 13.800. (5.4 + 8.400)

Peyton Ernst (currently sitting in 4th all -around) of Texas Dreams impressed in the senior division. She had an unfortunate fall during her beam routine, but her floor, bars and vault were great. Ernst has beautiful lines on the bars, and hits handstands well. I can't help but compare her to Kyla Ross, another elegant bar worker! Peyton topped off the routine with a stuck full twisting double tuck dismount to score 14.600. (6.0 + 8.600) She will definitely be a medal contender on Saturday.

My favourite senior beam moment was Kennedy Baker's (Texas Dreams) crazy spin combination. She performed Lauren Mitchell's (Australia) signature triple spin in a standing tuck position with one leg extended, parallel to the beam, prompting an impressed reaction from the audience. As if that wasn't enough, she then performed a double spin in the same position. Wow!

After day one of the senior competition, Simone Biles of Bannon's Gymnastix (who performed an outstanding floor routine!) leads with 60.500, followed by Kyla Ross of Gym Max in second (59.750) and Brenna Dowell of GAGE in third (57.950).

Madison Kocian of WOGA and Ashley Foss of North Stars Gymnastics have both withdrawn from competition following injuries. Madison sprained her ankle during her floor routine on day one, and Ashley dislocated her knee cap while training for day two. So sad to see more gymnasts get hurt, get better soon!

DAY TWO (Written 8/18/13)

Day two of competition was even more competitive than day one, as it would ultimately determine the medallists, the champions and the national team members.

In the junior competition, vault was won by Ariana Agrapides of MG Elite, who performed two amazingly powerful and tight double twisting yurchenkos, both landed neatly. On day one she took a tiny hop to score 15.350 and her incredible stuck day two vault scored 15.400. Check out those execution scores! (9.550 and 9.600)

I also spotted more beautiful bar work from WOGA. (Home of 2008 Olympic bar silver medallist Nastia Liukin) Nadia Cho performed another great routine to finish 5th on bars, just behind all - around champ Bailie Key. Her team mate Alyssa Baumann also performed a beautiful routine on day two to finish 9th on bars. Highlights were a high straddled jaeger, pirouettes that all finished close to handstand and a nicely landed full twisting double tuck dismount.

My favourite junior day 2 beam routine came from Amelia Hundley of Cincinatti. She had a slight mistake on bars the rotation before (but not big enough to lose the bars title!) but rather than letting it phase her, she performed an agressive beam routine, determined not to give anything away, unlike her shaky day one routine. She kicked off with a perfectly landed standing tuck full, followed by a switch leap to a split jump, which both hit 180 degrees. She then performed a confident back handspring layout step out and a wolf leap to a front aerial. Her front tuck was landed with the tiniest of wobbles and she finished with a side aerial, another excellent leap and a full spin. She dismounted with a back handspring - back handspring - two and a half twist, good landing, small step to the side. (14.200 - 5.5 + 8.700)

On floor, newly crowned national champion Bailie Key executed a highly impressive routine. All her tumbles were almost faultless, and her leaps were just as great. Highlights were her double tucked arabian to stag jump, her stuck triple twist and her gorgeous switch ring leap. Score: 14.950 (6.0 + 8.950)

JUNIOR RESULTS AA- Bailie Key - Texas Dreams 118.550, Lauren Hernandez - MG Elite 116.650, Amelia Hundley - Cincinnati 113.750

As expected, McKayla Maroney of AOGC took the vault title in the senior division, but all -around champ Simone Biles of Bannon's wasn't far behind. Her Amanar on day one was actually a tenth better than Maroney's, but Maroney's incredible 9.700 execution score on day two secured her title.

2012 Olympic Team Alternate Elizabeth Price of Parkettes showed off her immense strength and great form on the uneven bars. Her difficult routine included a weiler kip (usually performed by male gymnasts!) a toe - on full pirouette to a piked tkatchev and a toe - on piked tkatchev, to score 14.800, a 2.550 improvement on day one. Kyla Ross took the bars title once again with another stunning routine. With execution scores like 9.100 and 9.050, she could definitely be in contention for an uneven bars medal at worlds!

Mykayla Skinner of Desert Lights fixed her mistakes from day one and performed a great beam routine, including an impressive back handspring to a tuck full. I also loved how she even managed a smile to the judges during two of her dance sections! This confident routine earned McKayla a 14.250. (5.6 + 8.650) Known for her crazy tumbling passes, Skinner's day two floor routine was also jaw - dropping. She immediately grabbed the audience's attention with an insane double twisting double LAYOUT somersault, landed with a smile. She then shot back across the floor with a double tucked arabian to a stag jump. Her difficult double spin (leg held at horizontal) was well performed, as were her leaps, and her next crazy tumble: a stuck double twisting double tuck. Her final tumble, layout 3/2 to layout 5/2 was landed flawlessly. Skinner kept the crowd enthused throughout. She scored a massive 15.000 (6.3 + 8.700). This score, combined with her 14.750 from day one, secured her the bronze medal on floor exercise, behind McKayla Maroney and Simone Biles. McKayla Maroney proved she is still one of the best in the country, by winning both events she competed in. She's on track to make another world team!