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Goofiest Question award
After handing out Team UZB cards, people
would ask if the Uzbeks were competing. Uzbekistan is in
central Asia, not Europe (but there's nothing wrong with
promoting them). However, the President of the UZB Gymnastics
Federation was present and checking out the action. Cool!
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The Fifth Wheel award
Svetlana Tarasevich. She
was there, but didn't compete on anything.
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The "Roza Isn't Here, So You Can Have the Present
I Got for Her Birthday" award
Adrienn Varga - I figured if Roza didn't
show up for women's team finals, she wouldn't show up at
all! So during the AA competition I had someone ask Eugenia
Roschina if she could deliver my gifts to her. Roschina
said Roza lives way outside of Moscow now and that no one
will see her for a long time (exile perhaps:)? I even met
one of Roza's choreographers and asked if she could deliver
them but she pretty much told me the same thing that Roschina
did. So the next day during EF competition, I decided to
give the presents to whomever was conveniently within striking
range (I REALLY didn't want to take the gifts back home).
During the UB competition, Varga, who had just nailed the
vault gold minutes earlier, was sitting behind me with her
coach. Perfect! I gave her a photo to autograph and then
gave her the gift. She was quite pleased! But don't tell
Roza! (Hee!)
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Khorkina
and a well sculpted Kuznetsova warm up on
balance beam.
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The "Walking Around and Talking
on My Cellular Phone" award
Jesus Carballo, Svetlana
Khorkina, Adrienn Varga.
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The "Good Sport Even Though
I Spelled Your Name Wrong" award
Elena Dolgopolova. I designed
a T-shirt for her and added one too many L's. She didn't
seem to mind!
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The "Coolest Marketing Item"
award
Adrienn Varga and Jozsef
Lukacs, who had some cool calendar cards at the press conference.
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The "Surprisingly Painless Procedure" award
Going through Russian Customs at the airport.
Very quick and efficient and we were on our way to the hotel
within 20 minutes!
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The "I
Was Hoping to See Oksana Fabrichnova" award
The Circus in Moscow. Small
scale traditional circus, but pretty cool. No Fabby though.
:^(
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The winners
of the Jr AA competition.
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The "Best Buddies" award
Dina Kochetkova and Eugenia Roschina. They
were always together in the stands and checking out the
action.
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The 'Insurgence of Capitalism'
award
McDonalds, Kentucky Fried
Chicken, Coca-Cola, Sprite and Pizza Hut.
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The "Local Laws You Should
Know "award
Russia - The cars have
the right of way. Also, there are no lines at any fast food
counters. You just kind of move to any open spot!
Netherlands - The bikes have the right
of way, which is actually worse since you can't hear them
coming!
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The "I Wish We Had This in
Los Angeles" award
A metro subway system as
efficient and reliable as the ones in St. Petersburg and
Moscow. After going on it several times, it seemed to relieve
a lot of stress!
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| The "Growing Pains" award
Zamo - Her first biggie as a senior and
she was kind of iffy on FX with a few slips and slides.
But I am sure she will use this experience well and kick
major butt later on!
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The "Sent to Siberia"
award
The Russian Jr. women except
for Anna Kovaleva. I think all of them fell on team beam
and elsewhere. We probably will never see them again.
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If
the water didn't make you sick, this
outfit will!
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YEEEE
HAAAA!!! Vika busts a move on beam.
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The "Fresh New Face" award
Martina Bremini (ITA) - Never heard of
her before, but after the first rotation of the AA, her
name never seemed to disappear from the scoreboard, which
always showed the top 7. She ended up 5th in the AA! Hmmmm.
Maybe a future contender???
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The "Taking the Same Flight
Home " award
The Dutch Jr. and Senior
women on the way to Amsterdam.
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Best Slow Dancer award
Eugenia Kuznetsova. Unfortunately, this
is not from personal experience.
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The "Things That Really Suck"
award
Russian jet lag! AAAAUUUUGGGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
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