Let's cover this pot--part deux.

Moving over here for live competition coverage. The first post was getting too cluttered with inane pre-show coverage.

Alyssa Beckerman is going to sing the Anthem. Please let her be better than Carly...

Not bad, Alyssa. Coupla rough spots, but she kept it simple and avoided ambitious runs and riffs. I didn't have to cover my ears.

Commercial.

7:03

Wait--that's Al's voice! Where did Nastia and JR go?

Crap. Is this gonna be a Trio kinda night? Was I really foolish enough to think it wouldn't be?

Hartford is the Insurance Capital of the World. Al sure knows how to make a city sexy.

Elfi finds Alicia "totally legit." I agree.

Alicia has abandoned her pouf for two braids/big corn rows. Love her.

Commercial. Seriously?

7:08

Kytra Hunter on floor. OOB on her full twisting DLO. She seems kind of lackluster tonight, like she's not all the way in it. The tumbling is good, as always, but there's something really lackluster about her performance. All of her landings seemed tentative. It was fine, but it wasn't special. 14.5

Brossy on bars. She's solid, gorgeous Jaeger, Pak is good, stuck her dismount for a second before falling forward a bit. I thought she had it. But it was good. 15.15

Commercial

7:15

Al said (of Bross), "Elfi, I would not want to play Poker against her!" Elfi ignored him and moved on.

Aly Raisman on bars. Let's get this out of the way. Come on, Aly. Tkatchev was high, but the feet were flexed as hell. Nice double front dismount. It's actually one of her better outings on bars, but still...there are no World bars medals in her future. 13.65

Mackenzie Caquatto on beam. Get it, girl. I don't love her on beam, but I am pulling for her. She is balance-checking all over the place. He E-score will not be high, but it's not the worst I've seen her by far. Piked double back with a step back, messy legs in the air. Not bad, but 8.3 on execution. 13.5

Mattie Larson on beam. Love her. I like her leo--white, grey, purple, and pink. She's a little wobbly. Oh, my--almost fell. 2.5 twist is great, with a little hop. I think they said...13.55?

Commercial

7:30

Apparently, Marta said Alicia doesn't need a third even to make the Worlds team. Because she's f***ing AWESOME.

Oh, crap. Andrea Joyce. How will she shock and offend this time?

Rebecca Bross on beam. No wobbles on her full turn. Rock solid Arabian. She has not so much as wavered. Big step forward on the Patterson, but it was not scary, and it was super high. It's one of the best beam routines I've seen from her as a senior. 15.5

Al said, "15.5--that should keep Rebecca Bross in first place." No shit, dumbass.

Alicia Sacramone on beam. She's a rock. The dismount was good in the air, but she took several steps back when she hit the floor. She's almost there. 14.85

Kytra on vault. This should be good. DTY, small step back. 15.1

Commercial. These commercials are frigging LOUD compared to the competition coverage.

7:43

Mattie Larson on floor. God, her DLO is breathtaking. I love the flared arms. So stylish. And it's so nice to see someone dance. Her tumbling is looking great--very fluid and precise. Mush better than beam--she's awesome. 15.0, with a 9.2 on execution. NICE.

Aly Raisman on beam. I like her on beam. There are definitely some form deductions here, but she's solid. Sunk her Patterson into the floor, but she didn't sit or drop it. Close call. Not a great showing from her, overall. 14.2

Briley Casanova on beam. And now off the beam. Oops. Nice double full dismount. 12.6

Vanessa Zamarripa on beam. Nice, until she fell off the beam on a jump. Stunning stuck 2.5 twisting dismount. SUCKS that she fell.

Commercial

8:00

Current standings: Bross, Hunter, Smith, Larson, Davis, Raisman

Andrea comparing gymnastics to real estate. WTF.

Sophia Lee on floor. Nice DLO, with a big step back. Hands on the floor when she landed her double back. I am so sick to death of National Treasure. Decent double pike.

Mattie Larson on vault. Beautiful DTY, with a hop back.

Aly Raisman on floor. Let's see if she can pike both rotations on her Arabian. She changed it--tucked it all the way around. Jesus, the girl can twist. She is a lot like Alicia, but she's missing the same spark. They do so many things similarly, but I guess when Alicia first started out as a senior, she wasn't as charismatic as she eventually became. I know it;s not fair to always compare them, but it is what it is. 14.65

Kytra Hunter on bars. This is not her best event at all. It was actually pretty good. Not super dynamic or hard, but her releases were high, and she stuck her dismount. Well done, Kytra. 13.05

Why are we not getting all the scores? Bastards.

Commercial/pee break.

8:15

Vanessa Zamarripa on floor. Nice stuck DLO. She's adorable, and she's hitting her landings. It's not up to the difficulty she'll ultimately need in elite, but it's good for now. Not quite as energetic as I've seen her, but not bad.

Rebecca Bross on floor. I do not like these leaps out of bad landings. It's ugly and clunky. Bless her heart, she tries so hard to dance. Wowza--still falling out of that turn, just like in podium training.

Valeri is really graying at the temples.

Commercial

8:25

Al said that "...this is what Alisha Beckerman sounded like singing the National Anthem." Alisha. Uh-lish-uh. I kid you not.

Standings before the final rotation: Bross, Larson, Davis, Smith, Hunter, Raisman

Andrea with Nastia and her shirt. Nastia still insists that a comeback is not out of the question.

Aly Raisman on vault. I've been looking forward to this. Really great DTY, the tiniest of hoplets on the landing. More of a brush back than anything. Very nice. 15.05

OMG--they're showing Chelsea Davis. Holy crap.

Chelsea Davis on beam. She seems a little tentative, but she's on. Held on with a near-fall. Very nice double pike, little hop. It was timid, but pretty good.

Mattie Larson on bars. She looks beautiful, but it's little things-a missed connection, a missed handstand, a dead hang, a tiny hop on the landing...it was really pretty, but once those details are cleaned up, she'll be great.

Rebecca Bross on vault. Stuck cold DTY. Very, very nice. She pikes a little early, but this will be a really great score. 15.0

Alicia Sacramone on vault! Rock it out, Sac. Laid out Rudi, hop back, a bit off center, but really good. 15.65

Alicia's DTY--Great vault, same damned hop back. If she could eliminate those hops, she'd be un-friggin'-stoppable. It's astonishing to me that she took over a YEAR off and comes back with these routines. 15.35

8:42

Bridget Sloan on beam. The only event she's on tonight, due to injury to her shoulder. Uh-oh--she is OFF the beam. Oh, no...Her L-turn was really good, no falling out of it or wobbling. Solid on her punch front. Almost stuck her double pike, but it was a deep landing. She looks really unhappy. I feel unhappy for her.


Competition is over. Night two will be on Saturday. It is unlikely that I will be here, as I have to go to a wedding, but I am going to try to slip away to our room and watch, anyway.

What is wrong with Alyssa Beckerman's hair?

Standings:
1. Bross 60.4
2. Larson
3. Davis
4. Hunter
5. Raisman (tie)
5. Caquatto (tie)

Andrea Joyce is trying to verbally destroy Bross' soul. Because that's what she does.

Al--STFU about Carly and Nastia when you talk about Bross. "You can almost hear Carly and Nastia whispering in her ear..." What--is Mary Lou a bit dated for you now? *insert eyeroll here*

Andrea with Alicia. Hit her, Alicia! Let's see some hair pulling!