Russian Junior Championships

After watching the videos user RussianCup2009 posted on Youtube, I was really impressed with the Russian Juniors. There is so much talent and depth in the Juniors that competition for Junior Europeans this year is going to be fierce!

For the team this year Viktoria Lomova is obviously a lock but the other main contenders are Anastasia Grishina, Violetta Malikova, Eleonora Goryunova, Yulia Belokobylskaya, Anastasia Sidorova, Kristina Sidorova. Other possibles are Maria Paseka and Anna Rodionova. There are only 5 spots available and at the moment everyone seems reasonably healthy and injury free!

Anastasia Grishina
I really love her gymnastcs she has such good form and presentation and I would say she is definetely going to Junior Europeans this year. On Vault she performed a new yurchenko 1.5 which was good until she fell as she was a little under rotated. Her bars has lots of pirouetting and beautiful handstands and she had also added a piked tkatchev into pak salto connection and a toe on to handstand full piroutte into afull in dismount. Beam was a little shaky with a fall on her double spin and some balance checks but everything was done really clean and she still scored 14.450 (6.2 D Score). I really like her illusion turn into full spin connection. Floor was nicely presented with some complex spins and leaps and she stuck a triple twist! (unfortunately it wont let me embed any of her routines)

Eleonora Goryunova
Another likely member of the Junior Europeans Team. She seemed a lot better than last year, her floor routine had improved presentatin and she showed a 1 1/2 step out into doubel tuck and 2 whips into a triple twist. On vault she performed an almost stuck yurchenko 1.5 which good form in the air. Her beam routine was also improved and included a round off layout 2 feet, free walkover+sheep jump and roundoff+flick+double pike dismount.

Anna Rodionova
One of the lesser known little Russians, but she has some really great skills on beam (arabian, free walkover+onodi) just needs to clean her form up but I really like her. I thought her floor routine (below) was beautiful just needs to sort the landings out!

Violetta Malikova
Another strong contender forJunior Europeans! She had a few issues on beam and bars, but overall she showed polished skills and I love how she attacks her beam routine! She also had a very nice double twisting yurchenko.

Anastasia Sidorova
She also as a good chance of making the team, and seems to have grown in height a lot since last year. Her difficulty on beam is impressive and she normally hits, unfortunately she fell this time on her layout step out connection. She is really powerful and has good vault anf floor difficulty as well.

Kristina Sidorova
She has areally nice style and I especially like her bars and floor routines. Floor has been upgraded with a full in and 2/1 front layout and all her tumbling is sky high. Bars is really clean and she has great potential.

Yulia Belokobylskaya
I really hope to see her at Junior Europeans this year she is one of my favourites. she seemed to be haveing a off day on bars and the routine was a bit of a mess with a fall on her jaeger and a near fall on her dismount. Her beam was excellent though she has great difficulty and her form has improved so much. Her floor is also one of my favourites I think the choreography is clever and she performs it well.

Ekaterina Shtronda
She is not age eligible for Junior Europeans but I just used this opportunity to post her beautiful floor again!