Rotation three, ups and downs

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PHILADELPHIA -- The third rotation is over, and it’s good news for L.A.’s Mattie Larson.

UPS: Larson is gaining momentum. She hit a third straight routine, punching through her balance beam routine, nailing the landing and smiling for the first time of the night. In-house radio commentator Shannon Miller has begun mentioning that Larson could be a darkhorse team contender. She scored 15.050, an improvement from Friday.

Chellsie Memmel barely had a bobble on her balance beam routine. Though only the first two all-around finshers earn automatic Olympic team invitations tonight, this crowd that is chanting ‘Chellsie’s on, Chellsie’s on,’ would appreciate if the team selection committee were to choose Memmel Sunday night as well. It’s not as if Memmel won’t make the team (barring a training injury, of course). She scored 16.100.

We’re spoiled. Shawn Johnson hits connective moves, consecutive laybacks, has a tiny balance check on twirl, a baby step on her landing. Ho hum. Another 16.200 on a four-inch wide piece of wood. She reclaimed first place with that fierce demonstration of both concentration and enjoyment.

After stepping out of bounds on her floor exercise Thursday, Jana Bieger used every millimeter of the mat tonight, had her heel on the chalk outlines but never got yellow-flagged for going out of bounds. She scored 14.700, not spectacular but for the third straight routine she has improved from Friday.

DOWNS: Bridget Sloan went out of bounds twice on her floor exercise. She’s an optimist who is still finding her way after having arthroscopic knee surgery in March. But this was her third straight routine Sunday night with major mistakes. She scored a 14.300, a low floor number.

Everything seems an effort for Shayla Worley. Her legs were quivering throughout her balance beam routine, and her landing included a major step backward. She improved her score to 15.400, but there was no smile from Shayla.

Nastia Liukin couldn’t quite stay inbounds on her floor exercise routine, and her 15.450 score moved her back behind Johnson, though barring major mistakes on their last rotations -- Johnson on floor and Liukin on vault, those two women should earn the automatic Olympic berths that will be awarded Sunday night.

-- Diane Pucin