The World Gymnastics Championships just ended in Nanning and all I can say is this: “We are so lucky to live in Larisa Iordache’s era!” I feel like when my parents had the opportunity to watch Nadia, except that now Lari has so much more energy and she is so much more dynamic”. Here are my 10 reasons why I am so in love with Larisa and her gymnastics:

1. She is the best balance between difficulty, artistry and joy out there. She posted the greatest total difficulty score of the competition (5.8 vault, 6.3 bars, 6.3 beam and 6.5 floor = 24.9 in total). However, her leaps are beautiful and very high and then photos like this emerge to the gymternet.

Remember, she had the greatest difficulty score in the All Around competition…and she still can do this?

2. She always remembers how to smile. I don’t know how she does it, but she smiles. Just look at the picture below, taken half an hour after she missed the beam gold medal. Isn’t this wonderful?

3. She is the single one out there who smiles on the beam. I mean, really, you’re at the worlds, you’re just fighting for the bronze in the team final, your team mate just fell and you smile? How in love with gymnastics do you have to be to do that?

4. Our Pikachu has grown up into a wonderful mature leader of the team and at the end of the team final she just went on comforting Stefania Stanila for her fall and all she said was: “Girls, we’re going to work harder next year and grab a medal!”

5. She had the routine of her life on the uneven bars when it DID matter.

6. In all her interviews she talked about how much she wanted the gold and about how ready she was to get it. Of course she’s happy for the silver (who wouldn’t be?), but isn’t this smile saying “I just wanted the gold today!”?

7. And I love her because she does this:

8. And she finds a new friend in her competitior – how much more fair-play would anyone imagine in this sport?

9. And she’s not afraid of anything, not even of bees.

10. And in the end, when many other gymnasts say they are happy it all came to an end and when most of them think about a vacation, she amazes us by saying that she is very happy the autumn competitions are close. Lari, you already proved us how much you love gymnastics but really now, no vacation? You really want to be THAT great again, after doing the same in 2013?

So what about now, are you also in love with Larisa and her gymnastics? Maybe more of Lari’s smiles can help you decide!


Photo sources: Source 1, Source 2

Cristina