Full Twist contributor Anna Rose Johnson took notes on the skills shown in podium training for the AT&T American Cup on March 5, 2015.
10:30 AM: Warm-ups have begun at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas!
10:57: Ellie Black (CAN) is doing back handsprings on the floor mat. Claudia Fragapane (GBR) has been doing some lovely leaps. Simone Biles (USA) has improved the extension in her leaps and looks fabulous!
11:01: Claudia is doing standing front tucks. The warm-up should be just about over now. Jessica Lopez (VEN) is doing walkovers.
11:07: Simone and MyKayla Skinner (USA) are warming up on vault.
11:13 Simone throws what I believe is an over-rotated double-twisting yurchenko.
11:14: Simone lands an enormous Amanar!
11:24: Ellie Black is running through her beam skills on floor—a gorgeous standing full.
11:32: Simone and MyKayla are chalking up at bars.
11:33: MyKayla swings a toe-on Tkatchev, then lands a full-twisting double back dismount with a small hop.
11:34: Simone also executes the full-twisting double back bars dismount.
11:35: MyKayla swings a Van Leuween before jumping off the high bar.
11:38: Erika Fasana does a single layout off beam.
11:40: Now the U.S. girls are on the balance beam. Simone does a switch leap and a watered-down dismount.
11:41: MyKayla throws her flip-flop, standing full very nicely. She follows this up with a switch leap, an aerial, and a single tuck dismount.
11:43: Simone begins her full beam routine with a near-perfect 2 ½ turn. She does a leap series, then a front layout + split leap combo. Her three back layout series is very crisp. Aerial, split leap, switch leap. She breaks the connection and then continues with a back tuck. She launches into a perfect front tuck before dismounting.
11:45: Now MyKayla mounts the beam, while Vanessa Ferrari (ITA) begins an attractive dance-thru on floor. MyKayla sticks her flip-flop, full and goes into her switch leap. Her front tuck is somewhat low. Split leap, back pike. After an aerial, she attempts a connection of full turn with leg horizontal connected to a regular full turn, but there is a slight wobble. Her leap series looks good. Another single tuck dismount.
11:49: Simone running through another full beam set, looking increasingly more confident. This time she lands her standard dismount, a huge full-twisting double back.
11:51: MyKayla unfortunately falls on her flip-flop, full. She commences to start over the entire exercise, and the skill is perfect the second time. She lands her own standard dismount, a double tuck.
11:56: Simone nearly falls on her front tuck, but she almost sticks her dismount.
11:57: MyKayla hits another great dismount!
12:07: Now the American women are on floor exercise. Simone attempts her full-twisting double layout—she is set to debut this new skill on Saturday! MyKayla’s first tumbling pass is a nice full-twisting double back.
12:08: Simone does her eponymous skill, a Biles, but now she connects it to a split leap!
12:09: MyKayla Skinner lands a nice tucked double-double, albeit out of bounds.
12:10: Simone tumbles another full-twisting double layout, while MyKayla Skinner lands a near-perfect 1 ½ to 2 ½ twist.
12:18: Unfortunately, MyKayla falls on her double-double layout.
12:20: Simone hits a brilliant full floor routine! Her passes are: full-twisting double layout, 2 ½ layout, double-double tuck, and full-twisting double tuck. Awesome!
11:24: MyKayla does a pretty dance-thru with single flips in place of tumbling passes.
11:30: That’s about it for the AT&T American Cup podium training! Thanks for reading and good luck to all the gymnasts competing on Saturday!
