tim53 said:...Here's a nice quote about Allan's vault from ......
Reading those comments is very interesting. I had never been to a meet like that and I have to say that the pace was absolutely blinding. 6 rotations, 6 events, 6-7 gymnasts per event. Sheesh! The first 3 rotations were a blur but after a bit you get a feel for who is who and where they are in general.
I watched the first 3 rotations from the center stands and saw Allan on the rings and vault. Vault is so quick as the gymnasts just do the one vault and then they wait for the next rotation. Same for pommel, then followed by p bars. So, generally, towards the end of each rotation you can concentrate on the athlete on the rings, floor and high bar.
I sat the remainder of the meet close to the p bars. I settled in there because you can really see the athletes as they pause between elements in their routine. P bars routines seem to move at a bit more measured pace with some longer pauses it's easier to watch form. For instance, watching Allan on the p bars, to my untrained eye, it was easier to compare his form to some of his competitors' form. You also get a sense for the effort these athletes put into their performance as some of them are really heaving, especially as we got into the later rotations.
I felt especially bad for the athletes who had high bar for their final or penultimate rotation. They had to be absolutely gassed and then whip themselves around that bar. There were quite a few misses and falls. One guy in particular missed the bar 3 times. Amazing that they re-chalk and jump right back up there to complete. I couldn't quite get a feel for where they are supposed to start again after a fall.
My totally amateur impression overall is that Allan is a picture of consistency. Very impressive. It was amazing to see some of the junior 14-15 looking so incredibly professional. Iron crosses, etc. Alex Diab was amazing. The overall winner of the junior 16-18, Donnel Wittenburg is a monster, amazing to watch on the rings.