The best Cassina ever done!
If you can find one better, I’d challenge you to show it to us!
WOW!!! Wasn’t it just last year when he first started doing a Covacs? This kid is almost inhuman. Remember that he is 17 years old! His long body reminds me a lot of Trent Dimas, and he really uses it to his advantage with his huge taps that allow him to get so incredibly high above the bar. That Cassina is clean, extended, and completed in time to catch the bar and swing very smoothly out of it – absolutely BEAUTIFUL.
Even his laid-out Covacs is probably the best I’ve ever seen:
The amazing thing about his high bar is that not only does he now have some of the best release skills in the world, but I also believe his jam is the best I have ever seen. An awesome jam to handstand is probably the most valuable skill to have in this code of points because not only are there several different D and E skills you can create from it, but they all allow for great connections to other skills. We’ve seen many gymnasts using the Takamoto-full (D to mixed grip, E to double undergrip) immediately to a Yamawaki (D) as well as Takamoto-half (D) immediately into a laid-out Tcatchev (D). Danell already uses these combinations, but check out this new skill he’s working on:
Cool! This is a D as well. Although I’ve seen this in the code of points for a while, I don’t believe I’ve actually ever seen it done. His powerful jam sets him up perfectly for this skill, and can you imagine the amazing connections he could create out of this? How cool would it be to see this skill immediately into another jam-skill, like a Takamoto-half? Better yet, how awesome would it be to see this into a release skill, like a laid-out Yaeger or even a Gaylord? Okay, that might be getting a little carried away, but my point is that this guy is developing the skill repertoire to become the best in the world on high bar.
While we’re at it, let’s look at a p-bars routine from a recent workout in preparation for the Japan Cup:
A couple of form breaks and steps in the handstand, but how about that peach combo at the beginning? At first I wondered how those two could be separate skills, but then I realized that they are different…the first is a peach-diamidov (F!) and the second is really a peach ¾ turn (E), and he just happens to do a ¼ pirouette out of it. Do you notice how fast he drops into his peach skills? It almost looks like he’s going into a support swinging skill, and then he pushes back with amazing force into the basket position. Just as with high bar, I think he is rapidly developing into one of the best p-bar workers in the world.
A final video to show you that he’s got skill on rings too!
I can’t believe a gymnast of his height can pull out a laid-out double-double! Raj Bhavsar’s is understandable because of his much smaller stature, but this is incredible. In case you can’t tell, I can’t say enough about how impressed I am with this kid!
Leave A Comment