Is Bross Back In The Mix?

In this weekend’s annual WOGA Classic, Rebecca Bross competed on bars and beam for the first time since dislocating her patella at the 2011 Visa Championships six months ago.  It wasn’t a perfect comeback meet for the 2009 world all-around silver medalist and 2010 world all-around bronze medalist, but it sure told us a lot about where she stands.

Bross suffered a fall on her beam dismount (double Arabian) as well as her relatively new bars transition (Toe-on Khorkina), but in my opinion, this meet wasn’t about that.  This meet was about Bross getting back out there, proving to herself that she can still compete, and proving to her fans that she is still in the game.  I think she accomplished all of that.

Thanks greg1212gymnastics for the videos.

Rebecca Bross Bars 2012 WOGA Classic

Overall Bross looks to be just like her old self on this event, with huge releases, great combinations, topped off handstands, and one of the very highest D-scores in the country.  As long as she shows she can hit this event consistently throughout the rest of this year, she may well end up on the Olympic team for this event alone.  I’d say that, despite the fall, this routine was still a big success for her.

Rebecca Bross Beam 2012 WOGA Classic

She might not look quite as sharp as we’ve seen her when she’s at her best on beam, but she’s showing all of her old skills and hit most of them quite well.  The good news is that her knee appears to be doing just fine, at least on this event.  Unfortunately, though, I think they have been holding onto this dismount for too long – it’s time to water it down.  This dismount has always scared me a bit because she seems to get a little anxious and rush going into it, the round-off tends to go around the side, and we’ve seen some scary-looking landings on multiple occasions.  How about a nice, high, double tuck…STICK.  No one ever seems to do that anymore.

Bross is in it.  I’ll be excited to see her in the all-around again soon, particularly on floor where she could really help the USA.  And if she gets her old DTY back – not the labored ones we saw at VISA’s last year – she could very well be one of our top all-arounders again.  For Bross, this year will be about continuing to regain her confidence, polishing up her form, and most of all, staying healthy to the very end.