Snow White’s Favorite: Olga Korbut
Known for: basically inventing gymnastics
Why she’d be Snow White’s favorite: Just as Snow White is the original darling of Disney, Olga was the original darling of gymnastics. In a time when women’s gymnastics was a sport truly of women, Olga was the first pixie with a bright smile and daring tricks and playful dance on floor. Olga also tore down the stone-faced façade of the Soviet athletes and collapsed into tears after a disastrous bar routine in the all-around final, only endearing her even more strongly to the audience. Snow White is similarly bright and endearing. She would love Olga’s bright smile and pigtails and crowd-pleasing exercises. Just as Olga dissolved into tears after a rough go on her favorite apparatus in the marquee gymnastics event of the Olympics, Snow White let the waters flow after her run in the forest. Snow White would love the elegance and simplicity of 1972 gymnastics, and she would be enthralled by Olga’s unique and original skills.
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Cinderella’s Favorite: Vera Caslavska
Known for: the actual first perfect 10, winning an Olympic gold medal in every individual event, an awesome beehive hairdo, training for the 1968 Olympics in a forest, her silent protest at the 1968 Olympics
(Czechoslovakia was invaded by the Soviets before the 1968 Olympics. Vera, who was Czechoslovakian, signed the Prague Spring Manifesto and had to go into hiding and trained in a forest. At the Olympics she won every individual final. After the beam and floor finals, scores were adjusted so a Soviet gymnast won outright or tied Vera for the gold. Vera turned her head away during the Soviet anthem during the medal ceremonies for both finals.)
Why she’d be Cinderella’s favorite: I think Cinderella knows a thing or two about silent protest. Cinderella would deeply associate with Vera for her unbroken spirit and respect her for her dignified and strongly conveyed protest. Cinderella would love Vera’s serene gymnastics. Vera’s work was hallmarked by elegance, fluidity, smooth lines, and a leisurely tempo. Cinderella would find today’s gymnastics too aggressive and fast-paced and she would appreciate elegance and fluidity over difficulty. Vera would be well-suited to Cinderella’s tastes because her routines are very cohesive and performed as a unit and contain eye-catching skills which do not take away from the greater picture. Both Vera and Cinderella are true ladies who have strong beliefs.
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Aurora’s Favorite: Ekaterina Vandisheva
Known for: performing one of the most beautiful beam routines in a warm-up but never being able to put it all together in competition
Why she’d be Aurora’s favorite: At first I had another gymnast chosen for Aurora, but she’s currently competing for the Netherlands and it just seemed wrong to choose a gymnast as Aurora’s favorite who wasn’t a Soviet or Russian from the 1980s or early 1990s. I knew that Aurora’s favorite would have to be able to swing bars well, and while Ekaterina could never be considered the world’s greatest bar worker, she had a nice rhythm and included some skills ahead of her time. Aurora’s favorite would have to be classical, elegant, artistic, and light and clean in her execution, all boxes which Ekaterina checks. When Ekaterina was on, she was perfect. Aurora would love Ekaterina’s extension, carriage, and lines, and how smoothly she moved in everything she did.
link, link, link (if you watch one video from this article, make it this one)
Ariel’s Favorite: Oksana Omelianchik
Known for: her “Birdie” floor routine, being one of the best performers in gymnastics, being the first to compete a back-to-back tumbling pass
Why she’d be Ariel’s favorite: I’ve always said that my favorite thing about Ariel is how exuberant and expressive she is. If there’s one gymnast who embodies that, it’s Oksana. She constantly had a smile on her face- even on beam- and created an immediate connection with the audience every time she performed. Ariel would only love a gymnast who smiled all the time. Ariel has a ton of charisma and a huge personality and a gymnast would need the same to keep her attention. Oksana’s sparkling performance quality would keep Ariel enthralled and Ariel would love the exciting and quirky skills and combinations Oksana competed.
link, link, link (okay, I lied in Aurora’s- you need to watch this one too)
Belle’s Favorite: Daniela Silivas
Known for: creating the quintessential cool beam mount, her epic showdown with Elena Shushunova at the Seoul Olympics, fabulous compulsories
Why she’d be Belle’s favorite: Belle would be one of those people who absolutely loves watching compulsories. She would love analyzing all of the details and comparing the quality between the gymnasts. Daniela made a name for herself for how perfect her compulsories were and how much performance quality she was able to infuse into her performance of them. Daniela was a gymnast who competed lower difficulty skills (generally, the double-double being a notable exception) but with cleanliness and flair in her execution and incorporated unique elements as flourishes. She was a master of technique and always made everything look easy. Belle is the type who would care more about how a gymnast performed her routines than the difficulty she completed. She would love flair Daniela brought to her work and highly value her perfection of technique.
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Jasmine’s Favorite: Svetlana Boginskaya
Known for: out-of-the-box choreography on floor, being styled “The Belorussian Swan” and “The Goddess of Gymnastics”, the best "bitchface" in gymnastics
Why she’d be Jasmine’s favorite: Svetlana was one of those gymnasts who knows just how fabulous she is. When coach Alexander Alexandrov was asked if Aliya Mustafina was the hardest gymnast he’d coached, his response was simply, “People forget I coached Boginskaya.” Just like Jasmine, Svetlana was larger-than-life. She was tenacious and owned the floor every time she competed. Jasmine would love Svetlana’s innovative and dramatic routines. Watching Svetlana’s huge personality would never tire her and she would love watching a gymnast who was so aggressive in pursuing her goals, just like Jasmine.
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Pocahontas’s Favorite: Isabelle Severino
Known for: competing one of the most difficult releases on bars, being the body double in Stick It!
Why she’d be Pocahontas’s favorite: Pocahontas would be the type who preferred a more mature performer to a pixie, but she’d also love big tricks and sassy floor routines. Isabelle is the perfect blend. Floor was her favorite event and she was a gymnast who could own any choreography. Pocahontas would love the quirky routines she performed. Isabelle also threw risky skills that Pocahontas would get incredibly excited for. On bars, her trademark was one of the most difficult releases. Pocahontas would be excited to watch all of Isabelle’s routines.
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Mulan’s Favorite: Elena Shushunova
Known for: competing a crazy dangerous rollout skill on floor, inventing an awesome bars release, her epic showdown with Daniela Silivas at the Seoul Olympics
Why she’d be Mulan’s favorite: Elena was the quieter of the two competitors in the all-around at the Seoul Olympics. Mulan would love her steadiness and unique difficulty. While Elena never quite had that perky charm of many of her competitors which made them crowd favorites, those who took a closer look saw the special kind of excitement she brought to her routines. In terms of difficulty, Elena was ahead of her time. Mulan would love a gymnast who pushed the envelope without sacrificing control. She would love the apparent ease with which Elena performed every skill even though she was competing some of the highest difficulty of her time. How difficult, original, and calm Elena’s gymnastics was would absolutely appeal to Mulan.
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Tiana’s Favorite: Dominique Dawes
Known for: being one of the Magnificent Seven, almost winning the all-around at the World Championships twice but messing up, the ultimate back-to-back tumbling pass
Why she’d be Tiana’s favorite: Tiana would find the super-smiley and perky gymnasts annoying but she’d want a little more sass than a classical balletic gymnast, which is where Dominique comes in (though Dominique was a playful little cutie-pie at first). Tiana would be the kind of person who loves the excitement of back-to-back tumbling passes, which were Dominique’s signature. While Dominique grew out of her perky crowd-pleasing stage of her early years, she always maintained a ton of charisma. She had two major difficulty passes on beam, including a three layout series Tiana would get super excited for. Tiana would also prefer huge air time to precise handstands and pirouettes on uneven bars, and Dominique’s Hindorff was absolutely breathtaking.
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Rapunzel’s Favorite: Yang Yun
Known for: artistic vaulting, foot-ography
Why she’d be Rapunzel’s favorite: Rapunzel would love charming gymnasts, but she wouldn’t be as drawn to the super-duper cute gymnasts as Snow White and Ariel. Yang Yun was charming and light, but she was fluid and elegant like no other. She was the only gymnast ever to make vaulting artistic, and her 2000 Olympic team final vault is a mainstay at the top of favorite vault lists. Rapunzel would be the type who loves smooth combinations, and Yang Yun filled her gymnastics with flawless connections and beautiful series which were on their way out by her time. Yang Yun’s floor was fabulously quirky and incredibly charming, and Rapunzel would be delighted by her light elegance. Yang Yun was the perfect combination of old school beauty and charm and quirky perkiness for Rapunzel.
link, link, link, link (the second one is the perennial favorite)
Merida’s Favorite: Tatiana Nabieva
Known for: her fabulous facial expressions, inventing a metal release on bars, accidentally making two World Championship teams
Why she’d be Merida’s favorite: If there’s one gymnast who is the antithesis of an elegant lady, it’s Nabs. From her hilarious expressions to stomping around the floor area in lieu of actual choreography at a Russian national competition, Tatiana is one bundle of personality. Merida would be a difficulty junkie when she watched gymnastics with little concern as to execution or artistry, and Tatiana was known for chucking high difficulty vaults as well as her layout release on bars. Tatiana came back for kicks and giggles in 2013 and 2014, but made the Worlds team both years, and in 2014 she was not amused. Tatiana is precisely the kind of punk rock trickster Merida would love.
link, link, link (I went through a ton to find this, just so you know)
Anna’s Favorite: Anna Dementyeva
Known for: getting kicked out of Olympic selection for political reasons, winning the 2011 European all-around after her teammate tore her ACL, being the workhorse of the Russian team
Why she’d be Anna’s favorite: Anna wouldn’t like gymnasts who were too intense when they competed. She would love the smiling persona Demy (can’t call her Anna) carried in competition even when her ever-present inconsistency got the better of her. Demy has a classical and light style that would delight Anna. Her beautiful illusion turns and easy swing on bars were staples of Demy’s work. Anna is another who couldn’t love a gymnast whose work on bars wasn’t smooth. Demy’s choreography would be just to Anna’s liking. It was characterized by traditional lines and carriage and was always very easy to watch and never took itself too seriously. The gymnast Anna embodies all the quirkiness and joy of the princess Anna.
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Elsa’s Favorite: Olga Roschupkina
Known for:[/b] being called “Little Lilia”
(“Little Lilia” referring to 1996 Olympic all-around champion also from Ukraine Lilia Podkopayeva)
[i]Why she’d be Elsa’s favorite: Elsa was one of the hardest to choose a favorite for, but one thing became clear to me fairly easily: her favorite would be a Ukrainian. The Ukrainians were renowned for classic elegance embodying their Soviet predecessors. Elsa has a sophistication to her that would draw her to the Ukrainians. Olga was the only gymnast who had a lightness to her work Elsa would prefer without going full-on cutie-pie. Her beam especially was gorgeous and unique to her style. Olga’s light style would be an escape for Elsa and her sophistication would keep Elsa engaged.
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