The Friday competition done, Level 9 gymnasts separated into two sessions, the first session scores in, we spent the afternoon waiting for second session scores. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday competitions are all to determine who goes to the finals on Sunday. All of the level 9s competed today. We’ll know by tonight or tomorrow morning if Alex is going through, but by our calculations it sure looks like it. J We might need another collective GO Alex on Sunday! We, me and Alex, each had our ups and downs today. He started off the day well on the high bar, and I did pretty well with the video. High bar The coach simplified all his routines somewhat for the Nationals; we’re not seeing all the moves we usually see. Better to do a simpler routine well than to fumble a more difficult one. Coach knows what he’s doing. Next up, the floor. Alex did well. I totally fumbled it. I didn’t get the camera rolling until about halfway through. Floor Alex was awesome on the pommel, an event he has been strong on lately, until he suddenly fell near the end. Me, I stuck it. Pommel Rings. Rings caught me napping again, I got started a little late and fought the focus, but Alex was awesome all the way through, finishing 1st in the morning session. (He was outscored on the Rings in the afternoon session, but still finished 5th overall.) Rings Vault looked good until that part where he had to land. He overcooked it and kept right on going after his feet hit, into an involuntary backwards somersault. That was his lowest score of the day. Vault Parallel bars to finish. A clean routine. Parallel bars Fifteen thousand young men, in total, in the US Gymnastics Program. Alex (it appears) just made it through to the last level. We’re so proud of him!
This picture really struck me
When you look at body height, Alex is about four times his height in the air, above the bar, turning upside down and twisting, trusting/knowing that when it’s all done, he’s going to land on his feet. That’s a boggle. It’s almost time. Tomorrow is the big day. Alex starts his routines at 8:50 Eastern Time tomorrow morning (Friday). That means at 7:50 Central, 6:50 Mountain, and 5:50 Pacific, we need a big “GO ALEX!” J Pool time
Craft time with Grandma and Austin.
Then we moved on to gymnastics.
First, some practice, from way far away.
Then the Opening ceremonies. Here is a *really* long video of all the kids filing in. The video is pretty bad until I got the focus sorted out. 2017 men’s gymnastics finals There are hundreds. Gymnasts from the entire country are here. It’s that time of year
Springtime. Hormones raging; birds engaged in battle. Grackles, disagreeing on a driveway, tumbling down to a puddle; unfazed by the water.
Uninterrupted.
The battle rages on.
One gains an advantage and presses it.
Finally, a winner is determined.
The vanquished must be chased away.
(Action photos compliments of Judy.)
Uninterrupted. The battle rages on. One gains an advantage and presses it. Finally, a winner is determined. The vanquished must be chased away. (Action photos compliments of Judy.) Yesterday
The campsites at Manatee Hammock Campground got a whole lot nicer when all the weekend campers left.
It really opened up!
An early anniversary dinner at Dixie Crossroads Café.
Had the yummy rock shrimp.
It’s got a special story.
Little hard-shelled shrimp everyone just threw away until they figured out how to crack and serve them. Today, we headed back to Orlando for Star Island Resort.
2017 summer trip map We left the motorhome in the north forty.
And moved into our room.
Nice room(s)! We met up with Matt, Lindsay and family; here for the gymnastics.
It really opened up! An early anniversary dinner at Dixie Crossroads Café. Had the yummy rock shrimp. It’s got a special story.Little hard-shelled shrimp everyone just threw away until they figured out how to crack and serve them. Today, we headed back to Orlando for Star Island Resort. 2017 summer trip map We left the motorhome in the north forty. And moved into our room. Nice room(s)! We met up with Matt, Lindsay and family; here for the gymnastics.