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The Major Competitions in 2005 |
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Results
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2005 NHK Cup (Women)
(+The Final Trials for the World Championships & the East Asian Games)
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by T. Fujii
(web published on July 13, 2005) |
DATE: July 8-9, 2005
PLACE:Sundome Fukui
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| Ishizaka wins her third consecutive NHK Cup. |
24 gymnasts proceeded to the NHK Cup, the final trials for the World
Championships
and the East Asian Games. As compared with the men's selection procedure,
the women's procedure is much simpler. The top 4 gymnasts after the
secondary trials
and the NHK Cup qualify for the world championships, and the top 6
gymnasts,
including the world championships qualifiers, go to the East Asian Games,
too.
So, there are fewer chances for women than men to represent Japan.
There were some significant errors by the top ranked gymnasts in the meet.
Manami Ishizaka, who led with a very big margin by winning the secondary
trials, started the competition from floor with uncharacteristic poor
landings, and she had a lot of trouble on beam both days. She revealed a
new mount: round-off layout back somi on, but she could not control this
E-difficulty skill, and fell on both days. Her nightmare was at the second
day. She had three falls on this event; she fell in her mount, layout
stepout back somi,
and Yang Bo leap from switch. Thanks to her big margin in the secondary
trials,
her total score of the secondary trials and the NHK Cup gave her her third
consecutive
NHK Cup win. However, she kept her steadiness on vault and uneven bars,
performing one and a half twisting Yurchenko on vault and full twisting
giant
to tucked full-in dismount on uneven bars.
*The all-around total scores of the secondary trials and the NHK Cup were
considered
not only for qualification for the world championships and the East Asian
Games but also for the
NHK Cup title.
Kyoko Oshima was in good shape, even though she had three broken bone in
her right hand
after the secondary trials. She kept some skills in reserve, but had good
enough routines to win both days. She could not catch up with Ishizaka
overall, but
should be proud of herself. She had some excellent skills: Ono turn to
piked Jaeger on
uneven bars; punch front, ff, layout stepout on beam; double twisting
layout front to
punch full twisting tucked front on floor.
Mayu Kuroda, a long-time Chunichi Cup exhibition-only competitor, made her
senior
debut this year and placed third. She had a better piked Luconi on vault
than in past
years, with a good push and height. Since the start value of this vault
has now been lowered to 9.50, her scores were still low (8.35 and 8.55 on
the first and the second day, respectively), but higher than last year.
This helped her qualify for the world championships. Her uneven bars
and beam were certainly at the world championship level, and she has the
best chance to make the finals on uneven bars of any girl on the team.
She had a very beautiful combination of Ono turn to Jaeger and nice
Fontaine dismount. She was also very solid on beam with a very tight
body in every movement. Her layout stepout was worth seeing. She will
need more difficulty
on floor, but danced well to the Tango.
Ayaka Sahara, the only all-around finalist for Japan at the Anaheim World
Championships, and Miki Uemura went head to head. Ayaka Sahara had no big
errors at all throughout the competition,
but her SVs were lower than those of Uemura. Sahara did not change her
routines much,
but upgraded some elements; one and a half twisting giant to Jaeger on
uneven bars,
and a sequence of switch leap, full twisting straight jump, tucked back
somi on beam. Her best
improvement was her choreography on floor. Her music was the same as
last year,
but her movement was the most elegant ever. Uemura had 10 SV on uneven
bars and got the
highest score on the second day with Kuroda (with a nice combination of
bail to handstand on
low bar, full twisting Stalder, underswing shoot to high bar). but had
very poor execution
on floor on both days (deja vu of the last nationals). She had been
leading Sahara
after the third rotation on the second day, but her low score on floor let
Sahara pass
Uemura and finally Sahara got the last spot for the world championships.
At least Uemura made the East Asian Games team.
The last spot for the East Asian Games went to a veteran, Satomi Yamamoto.
She graduated
from Sendai University this year, and became the oldest gymnast in this
competition.
She did not score over 9.0 on either day, but her only big error was a
fall in her mount
on beam on the second day (she fell after piked front somi mount). Her
solidness was remarkable
in this meet and she will be a great leadoff at the East Asian Games if
the position is
given to her.
Erika Mizoguchi dueled Yamamoto, but was edged by her by only a 0.05
margin.
She had good routines on uneven bars and beam, but she missed on floor on
the first day and
had a little break in her jump sequence on beam on the second day. Since
she had injured
her knee last year, her tumbling on floor was not so strong. This is why
she failed to make the team. She got an alternate position instead.
The reigning national champion, Chihiro Ichikawa, missed her Tkachev on
uneven bars on the second day and lost out to Yamamoto by only a 0.50
margin. Shoko Furukawa stuck her double twisting Yurchenko on both days
and got big scores but her weak scores on uneven bars and beam destroyed
her chances.
Every gymnast is experienced and expected to overcome pressure in the
big meets. Even Kuroda competed in some big competitions when she was a
junior.
Since they have more potential than they had in past years, there is a
good possibility
for one or more of them to make the first apparatus final at the worlds
since 1989 (Miho Shinoda on beam). Best wishes for them!!
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