Highlights, Surprises and Must-See Video: 2013 World Championships Podium Training

Sep 30, 2013 by Anne Phillips

Gymnastike was all around the arena during the 2013 World Championships podium training. While hundreds of videos of top gymnasts around the World preparing for the biggest competition of the year is a dream come true for any gymnastics fan, we can only imagine you are a little lost as you sort through the pages of content. So, here's our quick list of highlight routines and skills from the 2013 World Championships podium training.

The Big Names:

McKayla Maroney

Maroney basically duplicated her Olympic Team Finals vault perfection. It was stunning. Watch it in slowmo here. Or, watch both of her vaults here.

Also, don't miss Maroney's captivating floor routine. And if you want more Maroney, you can view her bars here, and beam here.

Simone Biles
In my eyes, first year senior Simone Biles of the USA won podium training. She was 4-for-4, hitting each of her routines with ease. The highlight routine of the day had to be her floor. She cleaned up her landings and nailed the double layout half out second pass which will be named for her upon landing it in competition. Watch her floor routine here.

Biles also stuck her full twisting back tuck beam dismount! She is the only gymnast in the competition competing that skill. Watch her beam here. Watch her bar routine here, and watch her amazing vaults in real time AND slow-mo here.

Kyla Ross

Other than a slight mishap during her bar routine, Kyla Ross was clean and beautiful. Watch her stick her vault here. Watch her new combo on beam here, and her gorgeous floor performance here.

Aliya Mustafina

Fellow all around contender Mustafina had a rough day in podium training. But as history has shown with Mustafina and the Russians, that means nothing. Mustafina did hit her new floor routine. Watch that here. She also had some bright spots on beam, including a unique switch half+onodi+double turn combination. Watch beam here. She really struggled on bars and failed to make it through a whole routine error-free. Watch her best turn here. She also trained two vaults but only did a timer for the second.

Yao Jinnan

Jinnan hit the world's most difficult routine on uneven bars and it is a must-watch routine! She performs a rarely seen Gaylord. Watch now! She also looks ready to challenge for the all around with a big beam routine, a DTY vault, and solid floor.

Kohei Uchimura
If gymnastics had a God, it would be Kohei. Whenever he steps up to the apparatus, all eyes in the arena shift his direction. Ours too. So, we got a lot of videos of him in podium training. To start you off, here is his floor routine.

Sandra Izbasa
2008 Olympic Floor Champion Izbasa performed her new floor routine with ease. Watch here. She did not, however train vault. Floor will be her only event in Antwerp despite being the reigning Olympic Vault Champion.

Larisa Iordache
Iordache also looks ready to fight for a place on the all around podium. Her floor training has been consistent in Antwerp, and she's been throwing the roundoff layout full series on beam. Watch floor here. Watch beam here.

Epke Zonderland

The Reigning Olympic High Bar Champion is back with his signature release combinations. Watch him train high bar here.

Ri Se Gwang

The North Korean team is back from their FIG suspension for breaking the minimum age rule, and Ri Se Gwang is back on the scene with crazy vaults. Watch his unreal full twisting tsuk double back in real time and slowmo here.

Hong Un Jong

Fellow North Korean and 2008 Olympic Vault Champion Hong Un Jong is also back and fired off four of five Amanar vaults during training. Two of them were landed cleanly. She ran out of time and did not train her second vault, the Cheng, but I did she her train timers for it in the training hall. Watch her best Amanar here. She will also be competing floor, and her floor routine can be seen here.

Victoria Moors
Moors has been training a double twisting double layout all year with the hopes of having the skill named for her at these World Championships. She landed one of the best ones we've seen her do in her full floor routine. Watch the routine here. Or, to really analyze the craziness of the skill, watch it in slow motion here.

The Pleasant Surprises

Ida Gustafsson looks ready to put Sweden on the women's gymnastics map. She impressed during podium training with a huge, aggressive bar routine featuring a very nice def (full twisting ginger) and a hindorff release. She is ready for the bar final! Watch here.

Silvia Colussi-Pelaez

Silvia C-P just began her freshman year of college with the University of Florida NCAA gymnastics team, but took a break from school to represent her home country of Spain once again. She also submitted a skill for the FIG Code of Points which you can see in this video at 1:10. UCLA's Danusia Francis competed it during the 2013 NCAA Beam Finals, but it is not yet in the Code of Points.

Natsumi Sasada

2013 Japanese Champion Sasada nailed her difficult roundoff layout full beam mount which is the most difficult in the code of points, valued as a G element. Watch here.

Giulia Steingruber
I'd heard Steingruber was on fire of late, and she proved herself in training. Steingruber rocked her new floor routine with a gorgeous full twisting double layout. Watch her floor here.

Ruby Harrold
Harrold wasn't exactly a surprise as she's been dominating bars all year, but for those who haven't seen her routine it's a must-see! She is the only one in the competition competing a unique stoop shoot transition. Watch here.

Haven't had enough yet? Click HERE to browse through all videos from the 2013 World Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp.