Maddie competed bars & beam only, she did warm up floor which was her first event but she is still too sore and we decided against it. Mads had some trouble with Bars warm up, it was freezing cold (it was below zero) and even though the gym was heated it was still so cold - I could even feel the bars being frozen !! anyway she did a crap warm up struggling to get a grip of the bars and even hit the side post in one of her giants since the bars are different to ours. She didn't get to warm up her double or giant 1/1 but steeled herself for competition and did a good (not great) bar routine with double but over-rotated slightly and took a fall. She placed 6th on bars. she did a pretty good beam routine but had to drop a dismount requirement from her routine to protect her ankle - i think her placing was 7/8th. She then managed to pick up 5 medals ..., go figure as they still presented her with medals for floor vault and all around !!!! (here everyone gets the same medal 1st - 10th )
Isis's back had started to feel much better but she hurt her achilles on wednesday doing double backs on floor. It has been getting better but she was still hurting at competition. She competed an average floor routine with a fall on her layout front 1/1, punch front. Her back layout 3/2 was great. Her vault was poor as she struggled to get any speed at all. On bars she did a reasonable routine and saved her best for last competing an excellent beam routine. Generally her start values were a little low as we had decided against over-modifying routines for the competition - she ended up 9th AA for the under 13 competition. Throughout the competition Isis appeared flat and promptly spent the afternoon throwing up. She stayed with her mum last night and was still quite sick but we are hopeful its just a passing virus.
After the competition Ross, Linden & Maddie went in to Downtown Dallas whilst Isis spent the afternoon with her mum & dad. In Dallas we visited the exact spot on the road where President John F Kennedy was assasinated in 1963 - we got a photo on the X which was a bit tricky dodging the traffic to get it. We then went through a museum, visited the grassy knoll and the book depository where Lee Harvey Oswald apparently fired the shot from.
We then went back to the gym to watch the Elite Competition in the evening. This was a fantastic competition with so many great gymnasts. The young WOGA girls were sensational and made us realise how much work we all have to do !! |
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We trained in the morning and the girls got homework done in the afternoon. Linden got some zzzz's. It was a pretty easy day before the competition tomorrow. |
We had the best day today!! This morning when we woke up for training, we looked out the window and all you could see was white SNOW!! It was amazing. Especially because it's Isis's first time seeing snow.
We had a pretty good training session today. Isis and Maddie did lots of bars and beam. The American girls are really friendly and they have the coolest accents! The girls are really good, and the boys are really good too. Some of the boys were even doing 1 and a 1/2 twisting Tsuks!
After training we got some lunch from sub sandwich shop. Then we all went outside for a really fun snowball fight! Then we all made a snowman called Crikey the Snowman! It is really cold but the snow is worth it!!
After our awesome snowball fight Isis. Maddie & Linden went back for a spa. We have also been invited to a party for all the international gymnasts and coaches! Which should be heaps of fun. So far we are having a great time and we cant wait to see you all again!
We went done to WOGA's Plano gym tonight (where Nastia trains) for a party. Little did we know that it was just for coaches .... Maddie and Isis were the only gymnasts there !!! That didn't seem to phase anyone though and we had a great time - we met Valery Luikin (1988 Olympic Champion and first person to do Triple Salto on Floor) & Anna Luikin. Ross even took great pleasure in beating Valery at Pool (snooker) whilst Isis tried her very best to play also. We had a tough drive home in the snow but it was an incredible night. |
Today we trained in the morning from 9-12noon. We were training as much full routines as possible (injuries permitting!) as the girls bodies were pretty much adjusted. We got through a good session with some solid beam routines and Maddies double backs off bars were good.
During our session the Ukrainian Team arrived but stayed to themselves.
After training we had yummy rolls/wraps and got stuck into their homework and sent emails to their families.
We then decided to go for a drive to find the competition venue (which was only bout 10 min away). It was huge, just a lil it smaller than Vodaphone Arena in Melbourne. After we stopped to see an amazing baseball venue and run into some shops.... Well, we thought we were just going in for a look..... hahaha not quite! As soon as we walked in we noticed an ice skating rink in the centre! We were mesmerized by the skill and grace of the children skating around. The girls also loved looking at all the football merchandise shoe shops. So about 2 hours later we left!
During the day we heard that we could possibly get some snow tomorrow..... |
This is our 1st real day in the USA. We had a pretty good sleep, but waking up a couple of times during the night---getting quite confused as to what time it is!
We woke up, had breakfast at the hotel and went off to training for the first time.
Training was pretty good, although we were quite tired. We are training at WOGA Gymnastics. It is the best gym we have ever seen! There is so much equipment, and the bars are awesome and the floor is great aswell.(It's a Palmer springs floor.) We met some of the american girls training with us- they were really nice.
After training we went and got some things to make some lunch, and ended up at an organic farmers market! We just had lunch and began to settle in & Maddie and Isis began to get a little bit of homework done. :(
We then got ready again to get back to the gym so that Maddie and Isis could finish off their training session. The gym was much busier in the afternoon, with alot of younger girls and some boys of all ages. Training went well but by this stage we were very tired though! Ross was already sick of Isis and Maddie! Joking :)
After that we heated up our microwaveable meals from the organic farmers market. Dinners are a bit of a challenge because we don't have a proper kitchen. But don't worry... we are keeping it healthy! :)
We just had our showers and got ready for a great night's sleep. |
We said goodbye to a the girls parents and headed through the International Gates at the Terminal. We almost didn't get on the plane as the sniffer dogs took a liking to Ross's computer bag .... was their something you weren't telling us Ross ????
The plane trip was great, the person beside us on the plane had 2 daughters that go to Jets Gisborne !
We arrived in LA at 8.30am in the morning - 4 hours before we had even left Melbourne thanks to crossing over the dateline. Again the sniffer dogs almost didn't let us in to the country taking a liking to Isis's bags ... We even got pulled up by security asking us to delete a photo we had taken of us arriving at LA airport (in the customs secure area !)
We then jumped on another plane to Dallas, arrived safely and picked up our hire car.
Driving was a whole experience which will take some getting used to and we only drove on the wrong side of the road once.... but the girls were right on it. We checked in at the Hotel (really nice) - got a huge buffet dinner and finally got some good sleep. |
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