Mariana Bitang on Ghent results, Amelia Racea and Rotterdam

(picture from GSP)

With only a month before the World Championships in Rotterdam, the Romanias had a more than decent contest at Ghent world cup, being present on the podium on all four events and winning two of them. Moreover, the three medallist were all coming back after injury.

Mariana Bitang declared, according to an article I found in GSP "The girls did their job but there is still a lot to work on". About the only Romanian present in Ghent who did not win a medal, Amelia Racea, she said "She's going through a difficult period, which is puberty. She has sudden growth spurts and, with this, her center of gravity".

The article also mentions that Before the World Championships, Romanian gymnasts will compete in the National Championships (17-19 September) and will also have a friendly meeting with Germany(and Switzerland). The two technicians (Bellu and Bitang) have chosen, for their first major competition since the return to the national team, not to be present in the competition area, so they will remain in the stands. The girls will have on their side the coaches they have known for a longer period. Although they considered not to go to The Netherlands, in the end they decided to join the team. "Probably we will go, but we will remain in the shadow" said Mariana Bitang. This was what happened in Ghent as well when Octavian Bellu was there but Lucian Sandu assisted the gymnasts during the competition.

(picture from GSP)

The entire article in Gazeta Sporturilor.

Sandra Izbasa - A new beginning

(Mediafax via ProSport)

This is the translation of an interview by Mirela Basescu, from Prosport:

How was the first competition?

With many emotions (laugs). It was a contest in which I took it over from the beginning, a new start.

Did you expect to win?

Not really. Anybody wants to win, naturally, but I knew it was going to be difficult. I went there to see where I stand. This first place is only a small step in a stage of verification.

How did you get the strength to come back?

From everybody's support, from the trust and the desire to show that such an injury is not always the end.

Do you still think about the injury?

I try to get over it because it was a difficult time. The most difficult part has passed but I still have a lot of work to do.

Mr. Bellu went to Ghent with you...

Yes, he encouraged us all the time, gave us instructions, tried, through his words, to scatter the nerves.

Will you present the same floor routine at the Worlds as well?

Most of it yes. Only by then I will have had more repetitions, so more confidence.

What's next?

The Nationals in Resita where I will compete on three events: vault, beam and floor.

You can read the original article here.

Sandra Izbasa - presents new floor routine - Ghent Qualifications

final score : 13.9 (with a D score of 5.8)

or watch here.

Ana Porgras Beam - Ghent World Cup qualifications

score: 14.825 (with a D score of 6.1)

or watch it here.

Ana Porgras - Gent Qualifications

14.35 (D score of 6.1)

you can also watch it here.

and... even more about Ghent and the Romanian national team(via Prosport)

(ProSport)

Octavian Bellu is pleased for now: Sandra Izbasa is fully recovered and the gymnasts are physically ok, in the past 2-3 weeks all of them have been training... "they are working at different levels of their potential, but it's good that they are training". And this is interesting too: "I am more interested in what they do in two years, I'm less concerned about the present".

The coach also said that he wants to know more about each gymnast and he needs contests for that: "I need to know if they are nervous, if they are scared, how they get motivated, how they act under pressure. All girls are great at training but the competition is something else".

The team for the worlds will be decided after the next three contests:

Ghent World Cup

Romanian Nationals

Friendly meet with Germany and Switzerland

Read the entire article in ProSport.

Cera and Gabi really mean business

(image from Prosport)

wooooow Cerasela Patrascu and Gabi Dragoi are training 4 apparatuses. This is what Octavian Bellu says in this press release (on Fangymnastics via Romanian Gymnastics Federation).

I would have never hoped to see them in such a good shape, training on all four events.

I've read before that for a gymnast to make the team, the essential condition was for her to be able to contribute on at least three events. The next step is to see Gabi and Cera competing at Euros in Berlin, if not at the upcoming Worlds. I know that their D scores are not as good as the other's for the moment... but they are both good at uneven bars and balance beam which are the best rewarded events, both of them being capable of routines with high difficulty (around 6.0) . The team that could use two gymnasts like that.

Via Fangymnastics

and Romanian Gymnastics Federation

Raluca Haidu Montage

The quality is not very good but Pitic's little face is always worth watching. Nice job!

By Gr33nkiw
You can also watch it on youtube.

Ghent World Cup - complete list of participants

There are many many reasons to watch the world cup this week-end. Among the most interesting presences besides the Romanians Amelia Racea, Ana Porgras, Sandra Izbasa, Diana Chelaru we will also see Ariella Kaeslin, Yang Yilin, Jessica Lopez, Wu Liufang etc.

The complete list of participants can be found here.

Will Sui Lu be the 2010 BB World Champion?

She has the right D score and great execution:

At the latest Chinese Nationals Sui Lu has won 3 gold medals: AA, BB and FX.

(from International Gymnast website): "I think my performance was normal, because these two events (balance beam and floor exercise) have always been my strengths," said Sui, an alternate to China's 2008 Olympic team. "The goal was for these two golds — only the all-around victory was a surprise."

This is her routine from the Floor finals:

You may also watch the mentioned routines and many more on youtube, on rkwy1212's channel