Here is another video of Raisman when she was a junior gymnast. There are a lot of impressive things to notice about this routine first being Raisman was a better dancer than she is now, second her tumbling was cleaner and third she was using the floor music of Romania's Catalina Ponor whom she had beat her at the last Olympic games twice. Raisman was only 13 years old.
She performed nearly the same routine in 2008.
13 year old Raisman on vault
Another 13 year old Raisman but on uneven bars which is her weakest event. And again her performance then was much more cleaner than now on bars.
And finally on beam (13 years old also)
Watch Also
Alicia Sacramone On Uneven Bars (Video).
Vanessa Ferrari Debuts A New Bar Dismount (Video).
Catalina Ponor On Uneven Bars (Video).
Mai Murakami What An Incredible Gymnast (Video).
Catalina Ponor & Marian Dragulescu Duet At Mexico Gym Gala (Video).
Was she really better at 10/13? Why are the elite gymnasts older than that?
ReplyDeleteWas she really better at 10/13? Why are the elite gymnasts older than that?
ReplyDeleteI think you need to be 16 to compete internationally for your country. Younger girls are good because they aren't very big, and are more flexible. In short, they have a nice, small radius to flip and twist around. Then, as they grow, they work on keeping those skills.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I can see from these routines, no she wasn't better. I don't know what she was able to do in the gym but these routines are easier than her elite routines. For example, she was doing the layout yurchenko for a vault back then but now she does the layout yurchenko with 2 1/2 twists. Her routines may have been cleaner but they were also much, much easier.
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