Tomita was the only two-event winner in the finals.

The rules have encouraged stock routines on all events. Some gymnasts do the stock routines very well and score well. I will, however, emphasize in this report those gymnasts who try to push the envelope and do something different in their gymnastics routines.

On floor, only one single E acrobat element was done; Takuya Nakase dismounted with tucked double-double.

Typically, two of the four tumbling passes done by each gymnast were combinations of three consecutive somersaults, which gave them 0.5 bonus points. This is part of a worldwide trend to accomplish SV 10, and Japanese gymnasts take advantage of the rule, just as gymnasts from other countries do.

Among those combinations, the most stunning one was a two and a half twisting back somersault, punch tucked barani, punch 1 3/4 forward roll, performed by Takehito Mori. It included a D skill, (two and a half twisting back), and a change of direction. The other superb combinations were two and a half twisting back sommie, tucked barani, double twisting
back sommie by Nakase, two and a half twisting back sommie, punch front, 1 3/4 forward roll by Isao Yoneda, and two and a half twisting back sommie, punch layout front, layout rudi by Daisuke Nakano. Eventually the winner was Nakase, with a very high score of 9.700. Takuya Niijima, the only high school gymnast in the finals, was fifth. Besides the routines in this final, please note that one SE skill was unveiled in the qualification; triple twisting double back somersault by Yuto Hayami. He had missed another pass and did not qualify into the final.

Four of the eight finalists fell on pommel horse, and the other strong gymnasts on this event had failed to qualify into the finals. Moreover, the world champion and the bronze medallist on this event, Takehiro Kashima, did not compete in these championships, so the level of contention was unheated. The leadoff, Hiroyuki Tomita, was the best, without doubt. His routine was as follows; Wu Gonian, Fedrchenko, sivado Travel, E-Flop; yu lifeng; back scissors; double scissors; dismounted with 3/3 traveling reverse stockli down to handstand with 3/4 twist. Tsukahara came close to Tomita with a solid performance, but the more beautiful execution of Tomita edged him by 0.025. Most of the finalists used the same elements, such as Magyar, travel, Sivado travel, Fedrchenko, E-Flop, and Wu Gonian. The event did not have any outstanding skill or originality at all, and the routines were perhaps the most stock of the six events. Kashima’s routine would have been much more exciting, if he had competed…

Osada started off rings competition with a perfectly done slow back roll to Maltese cross! He continued with superb strength moves, but then failed twice to do press to handstand, and followed that with a miserable swing handstand. Iwai did a stock routine, but dismounted with a beautiful laid out double back with full twist. Mizutori, Ito and Tsukahara used pinedas. Ito followed his pineda to L-cross with a press to maltese. Tsukahara (who ended up in second) and Yamada both did maltese cross press to planche. From his planche, Tsukahara did a li-ning 2 (German giant) to L-cross. Tomita and Sano got first and third respectively by hitting the stock routine well. The stock routine is something like this: kip to maltese cross. Lower to back lever to L-cross. Press to Maltese cross. Roll backward and straight-armed back roll to cross. Back kip to L. hollowback press to handstand. Giant swing to handstand. Giant dislocate to double back, laid out.

On vault, the most common (stock) vault was the Tinsica laid out front with double twist (driggs), or the similar vault with one and a half twist. Another way to describe the Driggs is a kasamatsu to layout front with one and a half twist. Mori (first place) did Kasamatsu-full, Hayami (second place) and Tsukahara did Driggs. Other vaults included Mori’s well landed roche (two and a half front somersault), Hirose, Kubota and Tsukahara’s round off to board to laid out back with double twist, and Sekiguchi’s handspring piked front sommie with double twist. This was actually pretty to look at.

On parallel bars, first prize went to Murata, second to Tomita and third to Ueda. They all did the stock elements of peachbasket to handstand with half twist, peach basket to momentary handstand to belle (giant swing to double back sommie to upper arm support.) The two original routines were done by Asada, who did a peachbasket to handstand with full twist... a little cleaner in the individual all around competition, but nothing to be ashamed of here... and Daisuke Nakano, who continues to amaze. Nakano began with a glide to Stalder on one bar to peachbasket to handstand to piked belle to front rise to reverse pirouette, to tucked belle to front uprise to pirouette... which put him at the end of the bars facing in. From there he did a Tippelt (straight legged giant swing to a straddled L to press to handstand)... except that Nakano caught his Tippelt in a straddled handstand! No need to press to the handstand! Today his dismount was a half in half out, which he underspun badly. Yesterday, he did a very high piked double back sommie, but compensated for the lack (!) of originality by adding a Welles (piked, inlocated giant swing!) before his super Tippelt.

Horizontal bar had the most interesting competition. Yoneda won with a clean, stock routine which included a kovacs (tucked back sommie regrasp). Mizutori wowed the crowd with three big release moves... a laid out kovacs, a tucked Kovacs and a tucked kolmann (tucked back with full twist to regrasp)! Mizutori had great competition from Hoshi, who did a perfect Kolmann, but also had lovely toe point on his Endoshoot (reverse stalder) in eagle grip. He also kept his toe point on full twist from reverse grip to eagle grip to endoshoot. Ogawa had an inside stalder with full twist to handstand, and Sekiguchi had a stoop through to shoot out with full twist to handstand once and with half twist to handstand the second time.... but got stuck on one of them.

Competition was close throughout the meet... and with Kashima out with an injury, you can be sure it will be even more exciting next year.

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