Who are your favorite gymnasts?

[Martina]

Who are your top favorite gymnasts and why???

Is there anyone you consider an idol in any way - someone you look up to for their gymnastics, their personality or other abilities?

[Emerald]

I like Nadia Comaneci and Andreea Raducan - my two favourites. I also like Sandra Izbasa and many of the Russian juniors (Mustafina, Nabieva). I also am fond of the British team and Beth Tweddle, with her AMAZING uneven bars routine.

[rutterja]

I have always liked Alicia Sacramone because she seemed to have such a different personality from a lot of gymnasts. She just had a lot of karisma and energy.

I also like Daria Joura, Khorkina, Zmeskal, Dawes, etc.. They all bring a certain personality to the sport that was refreshing.

[gymfantastic]

Nastia Liukin! Jonathan Horton, Justin Spring, all the US MAG guys. Jana Bieger, Chellsie Memmel, Bridget Sloan, Lauren Mitchell, Anna Pavlova, Svetlana Khorkina, Elena Produnova, Mohini Bhardwag!

[Hazel]

Well the ones that made me a fan Nadia Comaneci and Dominique Moceanu... from the old school also Olga Korbut!

Mmmm other retired gymnasts include Svetlana Khorkina, Andreea Raducan, Yelena Zamolodchikova and Catalina Ponor (the Romanian beam worker of the decade)

Of the ones still competing my top favourites are: Beth Tweddle so sad she finished 4th at the Olympics but glad she's considering London 2012, Alina Kozich I'm so glad she's not planning on retiring any time soon specially after the awful Olympics she had in Beijing and Anna Pavlova her floor routine to Exodus is the most beautiful I have ever seen to bad she's injured!

[Martina]

Hazel you might be happy to hear, that Elena Zamolodchikova actually is not retired yet!
She competet at both the DTB-Cup and the World Cup final last year. Unfortunately she did not do so well at the DTB, but I think in Madrid it was OK. So we might still see more of her.

[kitty]

I really liked Natalia Frolova - she had it all, grace, dance, and amazing difficulty.

I also admire Doris Fuchs-Brause for basically inventing bars as we know it. She deserves a special award and a hall of fame nomination in my opinion.

Others that I really like

Daniela Silivas
Aurelia Dobre
Kim Zmeskal
Brandy Johnson
Elena Mukina
Marcia Frederick
Rhonda Schwandt
Natalia Shapashnikova
O. Omelianchick
Nastia Liukin
Anna Pavlova
Chellsie Memmel
Shawn Johnson (I hope she comes back next year)

[moogoogoo]

Nadia, Sveta, Cheng Fei, Nastia Liukin, Courtney Kupets, Hollie Vise, Anna Pavlova, Alicia Sacramone, Shawn Johnson, and Chellsie Memmel.

[Ryan]

ok so now everyone is listing their fav gymnasts- which is fine- but this forum is meant to be a more gymnastics based forum- not just a name dropper- which is why i am mostly on here and dont bother with the sister board.

Now that i read what i have just said it sounds like i am having a go at everyone- completely not intended- buuuttt i would love to hear what qualities make these gymnasts your favourite. Then we can discuss the actual charactaristics of these gymnasts- i feel this is an important part of gymnastics- a BIG part of my job is recognising these traits in the kids who wish to enter my squads, and i can see the same traits in a lot of the gymnastics that i watch. I also see the negative sides- if you can see these too please dont be afraid to tell us- the gymnasts coach has told them 1000 times already so you wont be uncovering anything new to them

[kitty]

Ok I will play your game Ryan:

I pretty much told you the traits I liked in Natalia Frolova. The biggest negative I can find for her were her bars and the fact that she was doing such amazing difficulty on such crummy equipment that she probably got injured and couldn't continue

Here is the rest of my list:

Daniela Silivas - Her strengths were bars, beam and floor. Her major weakness was vault. I hated her vault actually. She was a bubbly performer and I loved how she connected her double turn to jump double with ease. She also had fantastic choreography and she invented a few skills as well.

Aurelia Dobre - First Romanian World Champion! She did it with ease and she also qualified to every event final in 1987. I feel she deserved a medal on every event that is how good she was. Her long legs and lovely line just made her gorgeous to watch. She was a treat to the eyes and was a true all around gymnast. Worst thing was her injury which messed up the 1988 Olys for her. I cannot find much else wrong with her.

Kim Zmeskal - Kim was the first US woman to win a gold in AA at Worlds. Kim had flexibility, power and artistry on all events. Kim's vaults were usually perfect 10s. She had a way of flaring out at the end that showed she mastered the vault. She had one of the most gorgeous double lays I ever saw as well. Bars was her worst event, but she was very clean and didn't show that she struggled.

Brandy Johnson - Brandy had raw power. She was much like Alicia Sacramone. Great on vault, floor and beam. She actually was good on bars as well, but like Vanessa Atler kept trying to do a Comaneci and would fall.

Elena Mukina - She needs to be on the lists because of her innovation. She got a perfect 40 (probably overscored, but who cares). The worst thing for her was her injury which put her in a wheelchair.

Marcia Frederick - For the US, Marcia showed that she could do big girl gymnastics against the Soviet machine. She won bars in 1978.

Rhonda Schwandt - Again, 1978 was her year and she was underscored on vault in my opinion.

Natalia Shapashnikova - Another innovater who had mad skills on most events. Form was her biggest problem.

O. Omelianchick - Oksana was the most creative person to compete. She mixed up the tumbling and had some excellent choreography on floor. Her bars and beam were also excellent. She wasn't very powerful as evidenced by her lackluster vault and her very low landings on floor.

Nastia Liukin - Umm, why wouldn't she be on this list?? She has it ALL. I don't even think that vault is a weak event for her actually. Her biggest problem is slight leg bend in her giants and leg separations on her double front on floor and dismount off bars. I forgive her crossed feet on her twists because she is so amazing.

Anna Pavlova - Anna has tons a grace. She was actually better in 2004 where she was robbed of an AA medal. Forever in 4th place will be on her tombstone I am afraid.

Chellsie Memmel - Chellsie is just fierce! She might not be the most beautiful gymnast out there, but she can nail her routines and entertain the crowd. Vault is actually her worst event.

Shawn Johnson (I hope she comes back next year) - Shawn is still new to me. I would love to see her leaps have more flexibility, but her power is second to none. She has the best double double I have ever seen in my life from a girl. Her form is also pretty amazing.

[ozrussia]

Soviet era girls like Svetlana Boguinskaia and Baitova are the symbol of floor choreographic work.

Omelianchik, Baraksanova for their creativity.

[olyalera]

I am fascinated by gymnasts like Anna Pavlova, Isabelle Severino , Yelena Zamolodchikova,... for their mental strength . Despite injuries or various bad facts in their life they all cope with the difficulties and keep their motivation, their desire to keep gym alive in their soul.