Gymmin' Miel!

The 36th edition of the Memorial Joaquim Blume is set to take place on the 17th of November at the Center Esportiu Municipal "Olimpics" Vall d'Hebrom in Barcelona, Spain. The actual competition gets underway at 5pm (Local time in Barcelona) and runs until about 8.15pm (Local time) and sees some big name gymnasts take place!

The competition is paying tribute to greats Oksana Chusovitina, Vitaly Scherbo, as well as Spain's own Jesus Carballo and Alvaro Montesinos and Spain's 1992 Olympians:

• MEN'S ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS: Miguel Angel Rubio; Alfonso Rodriguez de Sadia
• WOMEN'S ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS: Eva Rueda; Sonia Fraguas; Cristina Fraguas; Alicia Fernandez; Ruth Rollan; Silvia Martinez

PARTICIPANTS:
WOMEN'S ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS:

• Cintia Rodriguez (ESP)
• Maria Paula Vargas (ESP)
• Anna Erika Pakkala (FIN)
• Oksana Chusovitina (GER)
• Elisabeth Seitz (GER)
• Dorina Boczogo (HUN)
• Anna Dementyeva (RUS)
• Giulia Steingruber (SUI)
• Angelina Kysla (UKR)

MEN'S ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS:

• Nestor Abad (ESP)
• Javier Gomez (ESP)
• Fabian Gonzalez (ESP)
• Ruben Lopez (ESP)
• Arnaud Willig (FRA)
• Daniel Purvis (GBR)
• Nikita Ignatyev (RUS)
• Oleg Verniaiev (UKR)
• Joshua Dixon (USA)

Yasmine Mohamed Rostom (EGY) turns 19 today! (Image from Egypt today - check out an answer article here!) 

And Belarussian Rhythmic Group member Nataliya Leshchyk turns 17 today! 

A special presentation by the Spanish Gymnastics Federation saw announcement of the representatives who will be competing at the London Olympics on the 17th of July. Congratulations go to the following:

MEN'S ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS:

WOMEN'S ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS:

• Ana Maria Izurieta

INDIVIDUAL:

• Carolina Rodriguez

Los Cantos Alcorcon's Ana Maria Izurieta Garcia has won the 2012 Spain's Senior Women's All Around title over Maria Paula Vargas Mota (Las Rozas) and Ainhoa Carmona Urbano (Xelska). Roxana Daniela Popa Nedelcu (CGA Pozeulo) triumphed in the Junior All Around competition with Laura Gamell Villa (Terrassa) and Claudia Colom Martin (Xelska) rounding out the top three. Izurieta took out the top scores on the Vault, Balance Beam and Floor Exercise, with Vargas taking out the honors on the Uneven Bars. For the Juniors, Popa was the highest scorer on the Vault and Balance Beam, with Laura Gamell Villa the top on Uneven Bars and Mariana Colussi Pelaez (Las Rozas) having the top mark on the Floor Exercise. Maria Paula Vargas Mota was named by FIG as the Nominative holder for the Spanish berth at the Olympics, however after the National Championships, could we see the berth go to Izurieta? Spain's participants will be officially recognised by the Federation tomorrow (17/07/2012). 

SENIOR ALL AROUND:

JUNIOR ALL AROUND:

1. Roxana Daniela Popa (CGA Pozuelo) (15.367, 13.250, 13.600, 12.750) 54.967
2. Laura Gamell Villa (Terrassa) (13.267, 13.350, 12.750, 12.450) 51.817
3. Claudia Colom Martin (Xelska) (13.200, 12.050, 12.000, 12.800) 50.050
4. Natalia Ros Vazquez (Xelska) (12.667, 12.100, 12.500, 12.150) 49.417
5. Carolina Sanchez Martinez (Xelska) (13.167, 12.500, 10.500, 12.550) 48.717
6. Mariana Colussi Pelaez (Las Rozas) (13.633, 9.800, 11.900, 12.900) 48.233
7. Fabiana Paola Dorante (Natacio Granollers) (12.167, 11.950, 11.850, 11.850) 47.817
8. Eliany De Lourdes Varela (Artistica L Hospitalet) (12.800, 11.600, 10.650, 12.450) 47.500
9. Maria Prieto Perez (Arthemys) (12.567, 8.200, 9.950, 10.600) 41.317
10. Carla Fernandez Iniesta (SALT) (12.067, 9.050, 8.500, 10.750) 40.367
11. Paula Raya Artigas (Terrassa) (0.000, 13.200, 0.000, 0.000) 13.200

The event finals of the Great Britain versus Finland versus Spain have been contested. Jennifer Pinches of Great Britain won the Vault title over Annika Urvikko of Finland with Niamh Rippin in third. Rippin and Rebecca Downie both scored 0.000 for the second vault. Elizabeth Tweddle dominated the Uneven Bars final with a 1.000 difference between her and second place finisher Maria Paula Vargas. Danusia Francis finished in third. Spain's Ana Maria Izurieta won the Balance Beam title over Jocelyn Hunt of Great Britain and Vargas. Hunt won the Floor Exercise from Vargas and Imogen Cairns. 

UNEVEN BARS FINAL:

1. Elizabeth Tweddle (GBR) 15.300
2. Maria Paula Vargas (ESP) 14.300
3. Danusia Francis (GBR) 13.850
4. Ana Maria Izurieta (ESP) 13.650
5. Rosanna Ojala (FIN) 13.550
6. Jennifer Pinches (GBR) 12.600

1. Ana Maria Izurieta (ESP) 14.050
2. Jocelyn Hunt (GBR) 13.850
3. Maria Paula Vargas (ESP) 13.750
4. Rebecca Downie (GBR) 13.450
5. Rosanna Ojala (FIN) 13.000
6. Niamh Rippin (GBR) 12.300

1. Jocelyn Hunt (GBR) 13.900
2. Maria Paula Vargas (ESP) 13.750
3. Imogen Cairns (GBR) 13.500
4. Toya Rojas (ESP) 13.100
5. Annika Urvikko (FIN) 12.650

This afternoon marks the Team and All Around portion of the competition. I am not sure how the British ladies will be teaming up but unfortunately Ruby Harrold will no longer be competing in this competition, which is a bit of a bummer. Wooohooo Beth Tweddle scores a massive 15.250 on the Uneven Bars!! Great  Britain 1 won the Team title over Great Britain 3 and Spain. Britain's Rebecca Tunney took out the All Around title over Spain's Maria Paula Vargas and Ana Maria Izurieta. Britain's Danusia Francis and Izurieta tied for the highest mark on the Balance Beam, whilst Britain's Hannah Whelan dominated the Floor Exercise rankings. The full list of qualifiers for tomorrow's event finals can be seen on this blog later today. 

Some of the top female gymnasts from Great Britain, Spain, and Finland will descend upon Ipswich, Great Britain for a "friendly" competition on the 2nd and 3rd of June. Being held at Pipers Vale this is included as the second qualification event for the women who hope to make up the British team for the 2012 Olympics. The team and all around competition will take place on the Saturday from 2pm (Ipswich Local Time) and the apparatus finals from 12pm on the Sunday. So far only Spain's competitors are known. Check back here for results. 

PARTICIPANTS:

SPAIN:

• Ana Maria Izurieta
• Maria Paula Vargas
• Elena Zalvidar 
• Toya Rojas Pascual 

• Rosanna Ojala
• Annika Urvikko