Troféu Brasil - results

WAG

Khiuani Dias 54.933
Janaina Silva 53.967
Priscila Cobello 52.601
Harumi de Freitas 52.567
Ethiene Franco 52.4
Anna Cardoso 52.367
Alline da Silva Goncalves 50.933
Letícia Lima 50.9
Nicole Beltrame 50.434
Nadhine Ourives 49.433

Ana Silva did not compete.

MAG

Mosiah Rodrigues 84.7
Sérgio Yoshio 84.466
Victor Cardoso Rosa 83.866
Sérgio Andrey Eras 82.367
Caio Américo Costa 82.234
Petrix Stevan Barbosa 81.967
Vitor Ogêa Camargo 81.333
Francisco Carlos Carlos 81.1
Arthur Nabarrete Zanetti 79.833
Henrique Medina Flores 79.5

Hypolito competed on PB (13.267) and HB (3.2) where he injured his left shoulder, forcing him to withdraw.

Dutch news - Wyomi Masela and Lichelle Wong

Wyomi Masela will probably miss the World Championships because of an elbow injury. She has not decided yet whether she will have surgery or take a break. She was unable to compete at last week's Dutch Nationals.

Lichelle Wong, current national champion, will leave for the USA this summer to UCLA on a full scholarship lasting 4 years. She plans to study maths and applied science. However, she still intends to compete for the Netherlands at Worlds.

Romanian Internationals - Event Finals

WAG

VAULT
Diana Chelaru 14.2
Amelia Racea 13.875
Yessenia Estrada/Dorina Boczogo 13.825

BARS
Gabriela Dragoi 14.4
Ana Porgras 13.5
Elisabetta Preziosa/Dorina Boczogo 13.35

BEAM
Gabriela Dragoi/Ana Porgras 15.4
Elisabetta Preziosa 14.9

FLOOR
Raluca Haidu 14.8
Amelia Racea 14.3
Elisabetta Preziosa 13.55

MAG

FLOOR
Flazius Koczi 15.15
Daniel Corral 14.65
Andrei Ursache 14.500

VAULT
Flavius Koczi 16.225
Cristian Băţagă 15.55
Mohamed Serour (EGY) 15.425

POMMEL HORSE
Flavius Koczi Romania 15.5
Saoo-Myun Kim (KOR) 14.75
Daniel Corral (MEX) 14.25

RINGS
Adrian Bucur 15.3
Cristian Băţagă 14.9
Saoo-Myun Kim 14.7

HIGH BAR
Ovidiu Buidoşo 14.900
Saoo-Myun Kim 14.650
Adrian Bucur 14.250

PARALLEL BARS
Marius Berbecar 15.800
Daniel Corral 14.650
Saoo-Myun Kim 14.100

Mihaitza48 and m1a2r3i4n5e have routines up.

Amelia Racea wins Romanian International

Amelia Racea 58.15
Elisabetta Preziosa (ITA) 55.3
Diana Chelaru 55.25
Dorina Boczogo (HUN) 52.65
Goksu Ustas (TURK) 52.5
Yessenia Estrada (MEX) 50.05
Lotte BO (Norway) 47.85

A week ago Amelia Racea won the Citta di Lugano trophy in Milan. Today, she won the title of international champion of Romania. She spoke to Prosport about her goals for this year, the most important being the AA title at the European Youth Festival (FOTE), to be held in Tampere, from the 18th to the 25th of July.

Amelia, how was the competition today?

"It was very difficult. A competition is easier than training, where you have to repeat the same exercise dozens of times. I was nervous at the start, but I got over it; mostly about bars and beam, I think."

Was the competition similar to the Lugano?

"It was a bit more difficult to concentrate in Switzerland, because there were many girls and the competition was higher, but it was good because I was in both competitions, and I did as well as I wanted to."

What goals do you have for this year?

"To go to FOTE, win the all around, and each event final if possible."

Do you feel the pressure of everyone expecting results from you?

"It is hard - I think everyone has expectations. I'm not pushed too much."

What do you want to improve on?

"I want to get a more difficult vault, and improve on the bars."

What are your goals tomorrow?

"To win each event final, and perform my best."

You've competed in a lot of competitions since the start of the year. Are you tired?

"No. It's more important that I gain experience, and more confidence."

Flavius Koczi wins Romanian International; another Romanian sidelined with injury

Flavius Koczi 91.35
Adrian Bucur (ROM) 88.2
Paolo Principi ITA) 85.25
Simon Nulzi (SUI) 82.1
Aldo Torres (MEX) 80.95
Vasilii Scuratcov (Moldova) 79.6
Kevin Rossi (SUI) 79.0
Oscar Cañas (El Salvador) 78.55
Yunus Emre Uyar (TURK) 77.6

Alin Jivan (ROM) was unable to compete due to an injury sustained while training. Jivan woke up the next morning to find he could not move. The doctors have said it is something to do with the vertebrae (couldn't understand what) and he must wear a special collar for 10 days.

Romanian International

WAG participants: Amelia Racea, Raluca Haidu, Ana Porgras (her first competition since her knee surgery at the start of the year), Diana Chelaru and Gabriela Dragioi.
MAG: Flavius Koczi, Răzvan Şelariu, Alin Jivan, Marius Berbecar, Cosmin Popescu, Ovidiu Buidoşo, Andrei Ursache, and Adrian Bucur Cristian Băţagă.

No information on other competitors, but gymnasts from 11 countries will be competing. On the women's side, Dragoi and Ana Porgras will compete only two events, while the other three will do AA.

Daniel Popescu, silver medalist on vault at the 2007 Worlds, will miss the competition after an injury earlier this week. "I was trying a new element on the high bar and I felt a lot of pain in my back. I'm currently taking pills and injections, and I hope that by the end of the week I can resume training. I am sorry not to be at the International, it would be a good competition, but my health is more important at this time."

Sandra Izbasa is still recovering from her foot surgery. Inspired by Nadia has a recent interview here.

After discussion and arguments, CBG tests reconciliation with Jade Barbosa

The debate and exchange of accusations inolving Jade Barbosa and the Brazilian Confederation of Gymnastics (CBG) have been left behind. The supervisor of the national team, Georgette Vidor, who worked with the gymnast when she was in Flamengo, observed her training last month and was pleased with what she saw.

"I was following the press and I thought there was a lot of misunderstanding (?) between Jade and the CBG. They did not see that Jade was taking care of her weight, and had a great desire to return. Ricardo Pereira told me that she was training more seriously. I spoke with her to see how things were, and I think that the wrist is better. Jade showed her determination. It was the beginning. She hasn't succeeded yet, but there is a space in the selection. This is important for us. We never considered that she would never return, that she was finished," Georgette said in the interview.

Georgette's visit and the possibility of returning to the Brazilian team has motivated the gymnast. Jade, who considered herself abandoned by the CBG after the discovery of the wrist injury, hopes to compete normally by the end of the year.

"Jade is much more motivated now because Georgette knows that she is doing more things, and she will make an evaluation on whether she can help the selection in some way," Ricardo Pereira said.

Georgette Vidor took over the role of supervisor of selection last year, after the possession of president Luciene Maria Resende. The leader, who was already a coach at Fleming, wanted to promote reconciliation between Jade and the team. Therefore, she makes one demand: for Jade to return, the old arguments must be forgotten.

"We trust in her power and ability. But I do not want a gymnast who comes with controversies, unless it is absolutely critical. Nothing must threaten the team. I was not involved with what happened, I was not here (in this position with the team). I do not want to discuss the past, I think in the future. For me, Jade is a very important piece for the team. If she performs as before, she will be our top gymnast, without doubt."

Dialogue with the athletes is not the only innovation in CBG. If it is up to Georgette, one of the reasons for protests of Jade and other gymnasts will disappear entirely. The leader is against the need for the team to stay constantly in Curitibia, believing it affects the formation of new talents and skilled coaches in the country.

Irina Ilyashenko prefers that they stay in Curitibia all the time. I understand that she does not trust the Brazilian coaches. But they need to learn to work at a high level. Besides, Jade being an excellent gymnast, if she does not want to stay in Curitibia, will I oblige? There are things we need to consider. This is the difference - we have to have the dialogue," Georgette said, emphasizing that despite their differences with Irina Ilyashenko, the Ukranian is not thinking of leaving the post.

The manager wants to see the first results of the of the new policies in 2010, when she hopes they will qualify for the Olympic Games in London. Until then, she promises to work for good relationships between the clubs and the CBG. Relieved after months of disagreements with the organization, Jade is a supporter. "This is the new CBG. I don't know how it will turn out, but I hope that changes happen. Staying in the same place is bad," says the gymnast.

Another novelty for the gymnasts was the arrival of the choreographer André Marcelo Alves de Figueiredo. He is Brazilian, but lives in the USA, and has arrived to help create new floor routines for the team. After working with the gymnasts Khiuani Dias, Ana Claudia Silva, Bruna Leal and Ethiene Franco in Curitiba, he departed for Rio de Janeiro, where he will work with Daniele Hypolito and the reserve Letícia Costa until Friday.

Video of Jade training & short interview (in Portuguese)

Kim Bui wins German Nationals

Bui fell on her Shaposhnikova again but still managed to win by 1.3. Neither Chusovitina nor Marie-Sophie Hindermann were competing, but the head coach, Ulla Koch, expects them to be back in shape by Worlds.

Kim Bui 55.65
Elisabeth Seitz 54.35
Anja Brinker 54.1
Maike Roll 52.0
Katja El-Halabi 49.65
Dorothee Henzler 49.3
Myriam Boeschen 49.1
Julia Hänel 48.25

MAG AA
Fabian Hambüchen - 90.9
Marcel Nguyen - 86.8
Philipp Boy - 86.3
Eugen Spiridonov - 84.0
Thomas Taranu - 83.75
Andreas Toba - 82.85
Helge Liebrich - 81.8
Philip Sorrer - 80.75
Sebastian Krimmer - 80.25
Waldemar Eichorn - 80.2
Vladimir Klimenko - 79.3
Jonas Rohleder - 78.9

Jade will compete one-armed at Brazilian Nationals and hopes to be training normally by December

After shining in the Pan-American Games, and being one of the great medal hopes for Brazil in the Beijing Olympic Games, Jade Barbosa has much more modest goals for 2009. One of them is to compete in the Brazil National Championships, from the 21st to the 23rd of August.

Her coach in Flamengo, Ricardo Pereira, is impressed with the ability of the athlete, who trains virtually all her moves with only one hand because of the seriousness of the injury to her right wrist. "It is difficult, but she is so talented, has so many possibilities, that she can still train with one arm. It depends on motivation and talent. I think we will get there (to the national championships), and surprise many people," said the coach.

The main goal is to compete on beam and floor, but Jade can also compete in UB, for which she was recently released by the doctor. Cautiously, she avoids making predictions, but believes she can return to normal training by December.

"I will compete with one hand only. Currently I am doing the exercises so that I can build a series (routine?) Gradually, we will see if I improve. If I improve, I will be back to both arms at the end of the year."

Despite her resourcefulness, she confesses that it is very hard to relearn to perform movements with one hand.

It is very difficult to do everything with one arm only; you have fewer options. Before I could do three things, now I can only do one...It is complicated," says the gymnast, who does not feel more pain in the injured wrist. Jade says that today, an exercise performed correctly during training is more valuable than many of the achievements that were obtained while in Curitiba with the team.

"I am motivated only by those whom I am involved with, my family, my coach. This means a lot to my life in the gym. In Curitibia, I sometimes was not even valuing what I was achieving. Now, when I perform an exercise correctly, I am very happy."

Some results of the Dityatin Cup

Congratulations to Tatiana Nabieva, who won gold in the team competition, AA, VT, UB and FX!!

Svetlana Klyukina, in her first competition since the Russian Nationals, placed second with her team. She also took second place in the AA, and 3rd on beam.

Nicolae Forminte - hit by cancer

Nicolae Forminte, head coach of the national gymnastics team, revealed a terrible diagnosis.

Sacrifice! A word which for some seems banal. Not for 52-year old Nicolae Forminte. For him, the great performance has been an obsession, a dream to be performed. And even if the price of success is his own health.

Initially second under Belu and Bitang, Forminte took over the female national team. Last year, in Beijing, Forminte climbed to the podium with Izbasa, and the third place in the team competition. But, beyond the performances, beyond the medals and the pressure, there was a terrible secret.

"I leave it in God's hands"

The coach was diagnosed with a serious illness: cancer of the skin. "It is not easy to know that you have such a dreadful disease. I learned that God leaves us on this earth until one day. I leave it in His hands. I will have the operation. But do not ask me to tell you, because I do not know (?). I have decided," said Forminte.

He remains in Deva

Although affected by the disease, Forminte will stay in Deva. "I, for one, remain in Deva because I do not want a good thing to die. You have to do things for sport. Otherwise, goodbye performance," he said.

The chest area is affected

Skin cancer occurs most often because of the microbes in the environment. The most serious form is also known as melanoma. Melanocitele or pigment-producing cells become abnormal, grow out of control and aggressively invade surrounding tissues. This disease appears on the sun-exposed areas: face, lips, ears, neck, chest, arms or legs. Nicolae Forminte is affected on the chest area, where there has been a red swelling of several centimetres.

Fangymnastics blog has a translation of an interview with Forminte.

Results from Zelena Jama Open

TEAM
GD Zelena Jama 1 (SLO) 100.1
Linz (AUT) 99.35
Czech Republic 97.6
Romania (jnrs) 94.45
Hungary 94.15

Tunisia placed last with total score of 0...?

AA
Teja Belak (SLO)/Nikola Fuckova (CZE) 50.15
Fiona Novak (SLO) 49.95
Katharina Zoitl (AUT) 19.9
Marie Bergmayr (AUT) 49.45
Tjas^a Kysselef (SLO) 48.9
Lilla Lukacsi (HUN) 48.15
Petra Hedbavna (CZE) 47.15
Alexandra Marcu (ROM) 46.7
Naljec Janova (CZE) 46.6

Vanessa Ferrari wins Italian Nationals

Vanessa Ferrari 57.9 UB FX
Erika Fasana (jnr) 56.2 FX UB
Andrea Foti (jnr) 55.1
Paola Galante 54.9 UB (rather laboured, no piked-stalder tkatchev)

Ferrari had barely worked on floor since the European Championships, but decided to risk it at the last minute. She praised Erika Fasana, "she is very nice. If she can follow in my footsteps? I don't know, she's very different from me; her style is more American."

This is the fourth national title for Ferrari. She won in 2005, 2006 and 2007, but was overcome by Lia Parolari last year.

Enrico Casella was satisfied with the performances. He only had one disappointment - the fall on beam from Paola Galante, where she threw away the third place, preventing a sweep of the medals for Brixia.

He said Erika Fasana has great potential, "Vanessa came 5th in her first national championship, in 2003. Erika won the championship of Category Allieve (not sure what this is) and then finished behind the giant Ferrari, only by two points."

More routines here and here.