Gymmin' Miel!

Lisa Ecker and Fabian Leimlehner have been named as Austria's Gymnasts of the Year 2012. The award winners were determined by equal weighting of the votes from an Expert, VIP and Media representatives Jury and that of an online public vote. The 2012 poll saw a massive 13,000 votes cast since it opened at the beginning of December and closed on New Year's Eve (Austrian local time). Ecker takes out the Women's honors for the first time, whilst this is 2012 Olympian Leimlehner's sixth Gymnast of the Year award since 2006! 

In the Women's voting, Lisa was very popular in the online voting, earning the most votes over Rhythmic Gymnast Caroline Weber, however it was Weber who earned 32% of the Jury vote.

WOMEN'S RESULTS:

1. Lisa Ecker (WOMEN'S ARTISTIC) (3322 Online Votes; 18.7% Jury Votes) 32.9%
2. Caroline Weber (RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS) (2185 Online Votes; 32% Jury Votes) 30.2%
3. Barbara Gasser (WOMEN'S ARTISTIC) (705 Online Votes; 22.7% Jury Votes) 15.9%
4. Lubi Gazov (SPORTS AEROBICS) (943 Online Votes; 17.3% Jury Votes) 14.8%
5. Nicol Ruprecht (WOMEN'S ARTISTIC) (539 Online Votes; 9.3% Jury Votes) 8.2%

The first day of competition at the 2012 Toyota International Gymnastics Invitational has been completed. In the Women's competition, Vietnam's PHAN Thi Ha Thanh outclassed the field on vault, with Japan's Mai Murakami and Wakiko Ryu rounding out the top three. Whilst on the Uneven Bars, Japanese starlet Rie Tanaka took the title by 0.100 from Canadian Sabrina Gill with Germany's Isabelle Marquard picking up the bronze medal. Ryohei Kato of Japan won the Men's Floor Exercise over compatriot Yusuke Tanaka and Canada's Hugh Smith. Kato also won the Pommel Horse title, with compatriot Kazuhito Tanaka earning the silver medal with Canadian Kenneth Ikeda picking up the bronze. Whilst on the Still Rings, Brazil's Arthur Nabarrete Zanetti won the title from Japan's Yusuke Tanaka and Yusuke Saito.

Korea's YANG Hak-Seon won the Men's Vault title with Hong Kong's Wai Hung Shek and Japan's Takumi Sato rounding out the top three. While on the Parallel Bars, Yusuke Tanaka won the title over his brother, Kazuhito with German Christopher Jursch picking up the bronze. Yusuke also picked up the gold medal on the Horizontal Bar, with Shek and Jursch rounding out the top three. Whilst in the Women's competition, Japan's Yu Minobe won the Balance Beam title over compatriot Yuko Shintake with Vietnam's PHAN Thi Ha Thanh picking up the bronze. On the Floor Exercise, Koko Tsurumi triumphed over Murakami and Sabrina Gill of Canada who earned the silver and bronze medals respectively.

WOMEN'S UNEVEN BARS:

1. Rie Tanaka (JPN) 12.975
2. Sabrina Gill (CAN) 12.875
3. Isabelle Marquard (GER) 12.500
4. Yu Minobe (JPN) 12.425
5. Anja Rheinbay (GER) 11.700
6. Hiu Ying Angel Wong (HKG) 10.675

1. Ryohei Kato (JPN) 15.675
2. Yusuke Tanaka (JPN) 15.075
3. Hugh Smith (CAN) 14.350
4. Arthur Nabarrete Zanetti (BRA) 14.275
5. Kam Wah Liu (HKG) 12.425
6. Wai Hung Shek (HKG) 12.325
7. Zachary Clay (CAN) 11.925

1. Ryohei Kato (JPN) 15.050
2. Kazuhito Tanaka (JPN) 14.775
3. Kenneth Ikeda (CAN) 14.200
4. Zachary Clay (CAN); Wai Hung Shek (HKG) 13.400
5. 
   
6. Christopher Jursch (GER) 13.000
7. Daniel Weinert (GER) 12.325

1. Arthur Nabarrete Zanetti (BRA) 15.900
2. Yusuke Tanaka (JPN) 14.850
3. Yusuke Saito (JPN) 14.825
4. Igor Radivilov (UKR) 14.525
5. Kiu Chung Ng (HKG) 14.250
6. Daniel Weinert (JPN) 13.300
7. YANG Hak-Seon (KOR) 13.100
8. Hugh Smith (CAN) 12.950
9. Kam Wah Liu (HKG) 12.325

1. YANG Hak Seon (KOR) (16.325, 15.950) 16.137
2. Wai Hung Shek (HKG) (15.800, 15.825) 15.812
3. Takumi Sato (JPN) (15.900, 15.500) 15.700
4. Hugh Smith (CAN) (15.825, 14.625) 15.225
5. Igor Radivilov (UKR) (15.225, 14.600) 14.912
6. Man Hin Jim (HKG) (14.750, 13.875) 14.312

1. Yusuke Tanaka (JPN) 15.275
2. Kazuhito Tanaka (JPN) 15.125
3. Christopher Jursch (GER) 13.525
4. Kiu Chung Ng (HKG) 12.875
5. Daniel Weinert (GER) 12.725
6. Man Hin Jim (HKG) 12.625
7. Kenneth Ikeda (CAN) 11.825
8. Zachary Clay (CAN) 9.750

1. Yusuke Tanaka (JPN) 15.175
2. Wai Hung Shek (HKG) 15.125
3. Christopher Jursch (GER) 14.575
4. Ryohei Kato (JPN) 13.725
5. Kenneth Ikeda (CAN) 13.275
6. Man Hin Jim (HKG) 12.475
7. Hugh Smith (CAN) 12.025

Lauren Mitchell (image from Getty Images) 

Nikolai Lapchine and Martine George (pictured with Emily Little, Mitchell and Georgia Simpson. Courtesy of Gymnastics WA)

Lauren Mitchell was named the winner of the Winter-Strickland Medal at the ANZ Sport Star Awards which were held at the Crown Perth last night. The Winter-Strickland Medal is awarded to the most outstanding Western Australian at the Olympics. Western Australian Institute of Sport coaches Martine George and Nikolai Lapchine were named the recipients of the KPMG Coach of the Year Award.

Well done to all winners:

• The West Australian ANZ Sports Star: Cameron Meyer - Cycling
• Railtrain Junior Sports Star: Min Jee Lee - Golf
• Channel Seven Perth Team of the Year - Jesse Phillips and Stephen Bird - Kayaking
• KPMG Coach of the Year: Martine George and Nikolai Lapchine - Gymnastics
• Gibson & Gibson Lawyers Official of the Year: Ryan Arblaster - Swimming
• SRG Corporate Service to Sport: David Cooper - Table Tennis
• 882 6PR Special Achievement Award: William Bosisto - Cricket
• Winter-Strickland Medal: Lauren Mitchell - Gymnastics

Thanks to Arijana Mendoza for emailing me the results as it is much appreciated. The 2012 Trampoline and Tumbling Pan American Championships were held from the 28th November to the 1st of December in Queretaro, Mexico. The following are the results from the Senior divisions of the competition

Japan's Naota Hayasaka won the 2012 Valeri Liukin Invitational Elite All Around title. The competition took place from the 7th to the 9th at WOGA's Frisco gym. Full results from all divisions can be seen at: http://woga.net/2012-valeri-liukin-results/. Ukraine's Oleg Stepko and Japan's Daisuke Suzuki rounded out the top three in the All Around. Highest placing All Arounder from the United States of America was Paul Ruggeri (US Gymnastics Development Center). Hayasaka was top on the Floor Exercise over Stepko and Rikii Hoshino (Sakae). Japan's Genichiro Kohzu was the highest scorer on the Pommel Horse with Hayasaka and Stepko rounding out the top three. Houston Gymnastic's Academy's Regulo Carmona won the Still Rings over Jesse Silverstein (US Gymnastics Development Center) and Suzuki. Suzuki topped the Vault over Ruggeri and WOGA's Fabian DeLuna. Oleg Stepko triumphed on the Parallel Bars with USOTC's Sean Melton and Hayasaka rounding out the top three. Whilst on the Horizontal Bar, Hayasaka and Suzuki tied for the top score with fellow Japanese competitor Hidetaka Miyachi in third. 

ALL AROUND RESULTS: 

VAULT RESULTS:

The Glasgow World Cup, which is being held at the Emirates Arena is the final World Cup event for 2012 and is a part of the 2012-2013 All Around World Cup series. The competition is divided into two sessions, the first starting at 1.00pm (Glasgow local time) with the second commencing at 4.00pm (Glasgow local time). The competition boasts an exciting line up and it is expected to be one fierce World Cup!

The competition opened with an exhibition piece on the Uneven Bars by Beth Tweddle! Leyva fell to his knees on his final pass and had a few jumps out of passes, looks disappointed with his efforts. They're using music whilst the Men are performing on Floor Exercise, it is quite weird! Oleg Verniaiev of Ukraine is not competing! After the first rotation, Kristian Thomas (GBR) leads over Marcel Nguyen (GER) and Fabian Gonzalez (ESP). Two falls on Pommel for Thomas. After the Pommel Horse, Gonzalez leads over Daniel Purvis of Great Britain and Kazuhito Tanaka of Japan. At the halfway point Purvis leads over Tanaka and Marcel Nguyen. Purvis top scored on the Vault, Nguyen on Parallel Bars and Yusuke Saito of Japan on the Horizontal Bar. The competition was won by Marcel Nguyen however, with Tanaka and Purvis picking up the silver and bronze respectively.

Elizabeth Price wears Pink, the British ladies are wearing black with the gold and white Union Jack, Seitz is wearing the half white/half red leo, Hofland is wearing the green (is that green)? leotard with the detailing on the front, Inoue is wearing a red leo with white, yellow and black strip diagonally down the middle, Bui i wearing the German leotard that we all know and Ferrari is wearing a pretty colored leo with the one sleeve and cutout. Wakana Inoue sat down her Yurchenko 1.5. But she's still smiling. After the first rotation, American Elizabeth Price leads over Great Britain's Rebecca Tunney and Germany's Elisabeth Seitz. Fall for Hofland off Bars. Deep squat and a few steps back on the dismount on Bars for Niamh Rippin. Top three remain unchanged at halfway in competition. Price topped the final two events, taking out the title over Germany's Elisabeth Seitz and Kim Bui

All videos can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLdamoj-y6y8INMYs2SFBk251SFQcM3wc&feature=view_all with thanks to BritishGymnasticstv

WOMEN'S ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS:

1. Marcel Nguyen (GER) (15.033, 13.466, 15.366, 15.800, 15.833, 14.600) 90.098
2. Kazuhito Tanaka (JPN) (14.266, 14.500, 15.233, 15.266, 15.400, 15.333) 89.998
3. Daniel Purvis (GBR) (14.633, 14.700, 15.266, 15.966, 14.966, 14.333) 89.864
4. Danell Leyva (USA) (13.600, 14.600, 14.566, 15.666, 14.500, 15.300); Fabian Gonzalez (ESP) (14.900, 14.600, 14.066, 15.866, 13.800, 15.000) 88.232
5. 
   
6. Yusuke Saito (JPN) (14.500, 14.066, 15.133, 14.066, 14.266, 15.433) 87.464
7. Kristian Thomas (GBR) (15.800, 11.966, 14.733, 14.666, 14.266, 13.466) 84.897

The 2012 Toyota International Gymnastics Competition will be held on the 15th and 16th of December at the Sky Hall Toyota in Tokyo, Japan. The competition is split over the two days. The competition on the 15th begins at 2.00pm (local time) with the Men contesting the Floor Exercise, Pommel Horse and Still Rings, with the Women competing on the Vault and Uneven Bars. The Sunday, sees the Gymnastics get underway at 1.00pm (local time) with the Women competing on the Balance Beam and Floor Exercise with the Men participating on the Vault, Parallel Bars and Horizontal Bar. 

According to the Preliminary roster below, seven nations are set to send Gymnasts to Tokyo - Canada, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, Ukraine, and Vietnam. So far I am loving the roster for both the Men and Women and hope that not too many changes will be made. 

WOMEN'S ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS:

MEN'S ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS:

• Arthur Nabarrete Zanetti (BRA)
• Zachary Clay (CAN)
• Kenneth Ikeda (CAN)
• Hugh Smith (CAN)
• Christopher Jursch (GER)
• Daniel Weinert (GER)
• Kam Wah Liu (HKG)
• Man Hin Jim (HKG)
• Kiu Chung Ng (HKG)
• Wai Hung Shek (HKG)
• YANG Hak Seon (KOR)
• Igor Radivilov (UKR)
• Kazuhito Tanaka (JPN)
• Yusuke Tanaka (JPN)
• Ryohei Kato (JPN)

The ANZ Sports Star Awards are Western Australia's premier sport awards and are held by the Western Australian Sports Federation and their partners. The nominations have closed and the finalists in each category have been announced with the winners being announced at an awards ceremony which is being held  at the Crown Perth on Thursday, December 13th, 2012. Gymnastics Western Australia has nominated finalists in six categories. Good luck to all!

THE WEST AUSTRALIAN ANZ SPORTS STAR AWARD:

RAILTRAIN JUNIOR SPORTS STAR AWARD:

CHANNEL 7 PERTH TEAM OF THE YEAR:

KPMG COACH OF THE YEAR:

GIBSON & GIBSON LAWYERS OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR:

SRG CORPORATE SERVICE TO SPORT:

The 2012 Valeri Liukin Invititational will be held from the 7th to the 9th of December at WOGA's Frisco Gym in Texas, and will see Men's Artistic Gymnasts from Level 4 to Elite compete. The annual competition was first held in 1996. See the Schedule below as well as the Preliminary roster of the Elite Competitors for this year. 

SCHEDULE:

FRIDAY, 7TH DECEMBER:

SESSION 1:

LEVEL 7:

SESSION 2:

LEVEL 6 (7-8 YR OLDS); LEVEL 6 (9-10 YR OLDS)

• 12.30pm: Open Stretch
• 12.50pm: Line Up
• 1.00pm: Competition Begins
• Awards Follow Competition

LEVEL 6 ( 11 YRS AND UP); LEVEL 8 (11-12 YR OLDS & 15-18 YR OLDS)

• 5.00pm: Open Stretch
• 5.20pm: Line Up
• 5.30pm: Competition Begins
• Awards to Follow

SESSION 4:

LEVEL 8 (13-14 YR OLDS); LEVEL 9:

• 8.00am: Open Stretch
• 8.20am: Line Up
• 8.30am: Competition Begins
• Awards follow

LEVEL 10:

• 1.00pm: Open Stretch
• 1.20pm: Line Up
• 1.30pm: Competition Begins
• Awards to Follow

INTERNATIONAL ELITE:

• 5.00pm - 6.00pm: Open Warm Up
• 5.45pm: Doors Open
• 6.00pm: Line Up
• 6.15pm: Competition Begins
• Awards to Follow

SESSION 7: 

LEVEL 4:

• 9.00am: Open Stretch
• 9.20am: Warm Up 
• 10.15am: Line Up/Competition Begins
• Awards to Follow

LEVEL 5:

• 1.00pm: Open Stretch
• 1.20pm: Line Up
• 1.30pm: Competition Begins
• Awards to Follow

PARTICIPANTS:

ELITE:

• Jeff Becker (Cypress Academy of Gymnastics)
• Mauro Martinez (Cypress Academy of Gymnastics/Argentina)
• James Brochero Gary (Houston Gymnastics Academy/Colombia)
• Regulo Carmona (Houston Gymnastics Academy/Venezuela)
• Ashton Hohit (Houston Gymnastics Center)
• Naoto Hayasaka (Japan)
• Genichiro Kohzu (Japan)
• Hidetaka Miyachi (Japan)
• Daisuke Suzuki (Japan)
• Jamie Da Silva Lugo (Puerto Rico)
• Emanuel Gomez Velez (Puerto Rico)
• Rafael Morales Casado (Puerto Rico)
• Angel Ramos Rivera (Puerto Rico)
• Sergio Ramos Rivera (Puerto Rico)
• Luis Rivera (Puerto Rico)
• Carlos Rivera De Jesus (Puerto Rico)
• Alexander Rodriguez (Puerto Rico)
• Ilan Rosario (Puerto Rico)
• Haruki Hino (Sakae)
• Rikii Hoshino (Sakae)
• Masaashi Nakatani (Sakae)
• Tenta Wakasa (Sakae)
• Santiago Tamez (Team Mexico)
• Logan Doughty (Texas Champion)
• Paul Ruggeri (US Gymnastics Development Center)
• Jesse Silverstein (US Gymnastics Development Center)
• Jacob Dastrup (USOTC)
• Sean Melton (USOTC)
• Petro Pakhnyuk (Ukraine)
• Oleg Stepko (Ukraine)
• Tristan Burke (WOGA)
• Fabian DeLuna (WOGA)
• Colton Howard (WOGA)

The Russian Women's team consisting of Aliya Mustafina, Kristina Goryunova, Yulia Inshina and Anna Rodionova won the Team Title at the DTB Pokal Stuttgart World Cup. The competition did not go without incidence when Anna Rodionova come off after her Pak Salto on the Uneven Bars and did not compete for the remainder of the competition, Inshina came into the competition to compete on one event only. Germany's Pia Tolle had a mishap on the Balance Beam but was okay as can be expected. Japan was second with Germany's Team 1 finishing second. Lisa Katharina Hill who competed for the Germany 1 team in qualification did not compete in the final, with Anja Rheinbay who competed for the second team replacing her in the lineup. Highest scorers on each event, were: German Janine Berger and Japan's Wakana Inoue on Vault; Mustafina on the Uneven Bars; Goryunova on Balance Beam and Inoue on Floor Exercise. This event also served as a fitting farewell to Marie-Sophie Hindermann who was a part of the Germany 2 team, who is retiring from the International Gymnastics scene. All the best to her!

RESULTS:

1. RUSSIA - 109.450
• Kristina Goryunova (13.350, 13.900, 14.600, 13.200) 55.050
• Aliya Mustafina (12.900, 14.450, 14.400, 0.000) 41.750
• Yulia Inshina (0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 12.650) 12.650
• Anna Rodionova (0.000, 4.800, 0.000, 0.000) 4.800
2. JAPAN - 108.700
• Wakana Inoue (13.850, 13.200, 14.200, 13.650) 54.900
• Mai Murakami (13.450, 11.900, 14.050, 13.350) 52.750
• Wakiko Ryu (12.950, 0.000, 0.000, 13.350) 26.300
• Sakura Noda (0.000, 12.950, 12.300, 0.000) 25.250
3. GERMANY 1 - 105.900
• Isabelle Marquard (13.800, 13.250, 13.400, 12.750) 53.200
• Anja Rheinbay (13.400, 11.150, 13.450, 12.550) 50.550
• Janine Berger (13.850, 12.850, 0.000, 0.000) 26.700
• Pia Tolle (0.000, 0.000, 12.800, 0.000) 12.800
• Lisa Katharina Hill (0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000) 0.000
4. GERMANY 2 - 98.600
• Annabel Holzer (12.950, 11.800, 10.750, 12.000) 47.500
• Nadine Jarosch (13.750, 0.000, 13.200, 0.000) 26.950
• Marie-Sophie Hindermann (0.000, 12.200, 0.000, 11.950) 24.150

Germany's own Marcel Nguyen triumphed over the field at the 2012 Stuttgart World Cup competition held today. Great Britain's Daniel Purvis and Russian David Belyavskiy rounded out the top three. Switzerland's Claudio Capelli did not compete due to injury. Top scorers on each event were: Great Britain's Kristian Thomas on the Floor Exercise and Vault, Fabian Gonzalez of Spain on the Pommel Horse, Nguyen on the Still Rings and Parallel Bars, and American Danell Leyva on the Horizontal Bar. 

RESULTS:

The triumphant team (courtesy of the official DTB website)

The Japanese team consisting of Yusuke Saito, Kenya Kobayashi, Koji Uematsu and Kohei Kameyama have won the Men's team title at the 2012 DTB Pokal over Russia and Great Britain. Top scorers on each event in the Team Final were: Russian Denis Ablyazin on Floor Exercise and Vault, Kameyama on Pommel Horse, Arthur Nabarrete Zanetti of Brazil on the Still Rings, Kobayashi on the Parallel Bars and Yusuke Saito on the Horizontal Bar. Results were calculated by adding the top two scores on each event to reach a total. 

TEAM RESULTS:

1. JAPAN 181.629
• Yusuke Saito (13.333, 13.966, 15.033, 15.666, 14.966, 15.533) 88.497
• Kenya Kobayashi (0.000, 14.733, 14.800, 15.333, 15.233, 0.000) 60.099
• Kohei Kameyama (14.466, 15.366, 13.933, 0.000, 0.000, 14.833) 58.598
• Koji Uematsu (14.900, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 15.166, 15.400) 45.466
2. RUSSIA 176.295
• Nikita Ignatyev (14.566, 14.033, 14.900, 16.000, 14.866, 12.466) 86.831
• Andrey Cherkasov (0.000, 13.333, 0.000, 15.233, 14.366, 14.633) 57.565
• Denis Ablyazin (15.366, 0.000, 15.433, 16.333, 0.000, 0.000) 47.132
• Aleksandr Balandin (0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000) 0.000
3. GREAT BRITAIN 175.930
• Sam Oldham (14.866, 14.033, 14.533, 15.200, 14.333, 14.800) 87.765
• Frank Baines (12.566, 13.433, 0.000, 15.100, 14.966, 14.333) 70.398
• Daniel Keatings (0.000, 14.100, 0.000, 0.000, 15.133, 14.700) 43.933
• Theo Seager (14.066, 0.000, 14.333, 15.200, 0.000, 0.000) 43.599
4. BRAZIL 174.428
• Arthur Nory Oyakawa Mariano (14.866, 12.766, 0.000, 16.033, 13.700, 13.566) 70.931
• Fellipe Arakawa Ferreira (10.566, 14.033, 0.000, 15.133, 12.533, 14.066) 66.331
• Francisco Carlos Barretto Junior (0.000, 14.266, 14.266, 0.000, 12.433, 14.966) 55.931
• Arthur Nabarrete Zanetti (14.533, 0.000, 15.700, 15.466, 0.000, 0.000) 45.699