Gymmin' Miel!

According to the Definitive Registrations for Jacksonville, which have just been released, the only mistake I made was thinking that Russian starlet Aliya Mustafina would still be battling injury as she is still on the definitive list. Her compatriot Tatiana Nabieva on the other hand is out.

The definitive registrations for the Paris World Cup , which is an event final competition have also been published by the FIG. France has been allocated four wild cards (two for the men's qualification and two for the women's). They aren't to compete the same event, but the National Federation can decide what apparatus the wild card recipients can compete on. The Wildcardees have to go up first and do not receive any World Cup points. In addition, the Organizing Member Federation has the right to a limited number of Wild Cards to guarantee the participation of the Host Country gymnasts in the Finals (limited to maximum 1 man and 1 woman gymnast only at one apparatus each) and they have to have competed that event in the qualification round. If these Wild Card gymnasts place, whilst they cannot obtain the Points, the are still entitled to the prize money and medals. France has such a Finals Wild Card only for the Women.

For the women, all four Americans who could compete have all withdrawn: Alicia Sacramone (World Vault Champion and Balance Beam finalist from Rotterdam); Rebecca Bross (Uneven Bars and Balance Beam finalist from Rotterdam); Bridget Sloan (Rotterdam Uneven Bars finalist) and Alexandra Raisman (Rotterdam floor finalist). Austria's Barbara Gasser was invited to compete on the Uneven Bars, but turned it down, as did did Ksenia Afanasyeva (Rotterdam Floor finalist). For the Men, Brazilian Diego Hypolito is out (Floor and Vault), as too is American Steven Legendre (Floor) and Armenian star Harutyum Merdinyan (Pommel Horse).