Liu Tingting in the Bangkok Asian WAG Championships in May.
(Photo @ Bless the Blooming Flowers of Chinese Gymnastics)
It is almost a given for
gymnastics fans to associate the Chinese WAG team with combinations of multiple
E-rated full pirouettes on bars and high layout straight on beam, but there is
more that this team can offer. Going into the middle of this season, the young
budding flowers of Team China has yet to display some impressive difficulty,
but in less than three months’ time, some of these 2000-born young ladies will throw
their best tricks to electrify the Montreal Olympic Stadium.
The
Redemption of Liu Tingting (All-around, Balance Beam)
Since missing Rio due to
injuries, the 16-year old has become more determined than ever, medaling in
almost all competitions she participated in, including gold in all-round and on
beam, and silver on bars in the Asian Championships in Bangkok two months
earlier. Apart from the signature Chinese Healy-Ling-piked Jaegar combination
on bars, Tingting also has very daring skills on beam – a front tuck mount and
front handspring-front tuck acrobatic series. She is yet to reach her top form
this year. Let’s hope that the Worlds will bring out the best of her and wish
her a successful quad!
The
Eligibles
Luo
Huan (All-around, bars)
Initially one of the
hopefuls for Rio, Luo Huan had a tough past quad due to injuries. Her start of
this quad has been smooth so far, medaling in international assignments such as
Melbourne World Cup (second on bars) and Doha World Cup (first on bars, third
on beam). She went on to become the National all-around champion, as well as
winning the bar title and clinched silver in all-around and on bars in the Asian
Championships earlier in May. She is known for her cleanly executed techniques
on bars, and a front aerial-split jump-Onodi-straddle jump combination on beam.
However, Luo Huan has not been able to upgrade her vault from a full-twisting
Yurchenko, and lacks a competitive floor routine. These will prevent her from
attaining the same glory in the international arena.
Liu
Jinru (Vault)
Having won a couple of
medals on vault on both national and international levels, the latest being gold
in the Asian championships earlier this year, Liu Jinru has established her
name as a vaulting specialist. A much powerful vaulter than Wang Yan due to her
height, Jinru might have missed Rio due to the lack of international experience
and not having competitive beam and floor routines. She has been impressive at
the national level over the years, but she has not been as ready on the big
world stage. Now that we see many gymnasts outperforming themselves at big times,
it is coaches’ trust that will be tested. Will she be ready now?
Lu
Yufei (All-around)
A top 5 finisher in
all-around in this year’s Chinese Nationals, Lu Yufei’s soulful eyes reminds us
of veteran Jada Barbosa’s aura. Her slender figure gives that extra refinement
in her movement, and she is definitely one who can dance. Yufei’s repertoire includes
a Tkatchev-Geinger combination and a Fabrichnova dismount on bars, but the
issues of labored swings and dead hangs are yet to be overcome. She once had a
full-twisting double back on floor and a double twisting Tsukahara, but during
the Nationals she had competed slightly watered down routines. This may affect
her prospects for the 2017 Worlds in Montreal, which her inconsistency on beam
does not make the situation better. Yet it will be great to have her grace the
Chinese WAG team with her elegance.
Written by Valerie Theodora Ko
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