… 2008 Olympic all-around champion Nastia Liukin of Parker, Texas, has withdrawn her name from consideration for selection to the U.S. Team for the 2009 World Championships, Oct. 13-18, in London, England. The first selection camp for the women’s team is slated to start on Sept. 8 at the Women’s National Team Training Center in Huntsville, Texas.
“I have given a lot of thought to this since the 2009 Visa Championships,” said Liukin, who competed in the Visa Championships in Dallas earlier this month. “Getting back into the gym and competition has been a major goal for me this summer, and I have worked hard to balance my training and obligations. This past year has been wonderful and a whirlwind. With the selection process for Worlds beginning next week, I realized I need to take some time to get myself where I need and want to be competitively. Competing at a World Championships is an incredible experience, and I look forward to supporting my teammates as they prepare for London.
“The 2012 Olympics in London remain an important goal for me. I have more to accomplish in this sport.” …
These are the unimportant World Championships, after all.
I expect we’ll see more big names withdraw from countries around the globe. It reminds me that Kyle Shewfelt did not compete at World Championships 2001 … but went on to win Floor in 2004.
Andy Thornton has posted some detailed analysis on the future of the team, as well, on American Gymnast:
Alexander Alexandrov was the head coach for the teams that many would consider to be the most dominant in women’s gymnastics history – the 1989 and 1991 world championship and 1992 Olympic gold medal teams from the Soviet Union. He coached gymnasts like Svetlana Boguinskaya, Natalia Laschenova, Tatiana Lysenko, Tatiana Gutsu, and even recently retired Oksana Chusovitina back when they set a standard for the sport that some would argue has never been reached again. That era is exactly the period of gymnastics many of us think of when we refer to the “good ole’ days,” when the sport centered around beauty, innovation, and originality – and the gymnasts were actually rewarded for it. …
Alex Seifert of Calgary made history on Saturday at a World Cup trampoline and tumbling competition. Seifert not only earned his first career World Cup medal with a third place finish in men’s tumbling but also collected the first ever World Cup podium for Canada in men’s tumbling.
Andrey Krylov of Russia won the gold medal with 73.80 points in the final. Kalon Ludvigson of the U.S., was second at 73.70 and Seifert, 19, took the bronze at 69.50. He was fourth in Friday`s preliminaries. …
Alex and the rest of the best in the world are getting ready for …
2009 World Championships and World Age-Group Championships
DATES: World Championships – November 7-15
World Age-Group Championships – November 14-22
LOCATION: St. Petersburg, Russia
The excellent annual coach education weekend in Canada has been announced. Vancouver September 25-27, 2009.
Keynote Speakers:
Jamie Atkin (Trampoline Gymnastics Head Coach at Airdrie Edge Gymnastics Club in Alberta) and Lisa Cowan (2006 Artistic Women’s National Level Coach of the Year by Gymnastics Canada Gymnastique).
Other presenters include Andrée Montreuil, Jeff Pauliuk, Nancy Beyer, and many more.
Coast Tsawwassen Inn, 1665 – 56th Street, Tsawwassen, BC
Delta Gymnastics, 1720 – 56th Street, Tsawwassen, BC
Must admit … it’s catchy. I immediately bought it on iTunes, just to support an ex-gymnast.
2004 Olympic all-around champ Carly Patterson has released her first album, Back to the Beginning with Musicmind Records. Patterson, now 20, names Kelly Clarkson and Christina Aguilera as her musical influences. Her previously released single, Temporary Life (Ordinary Girl) is on this album, along with 10 other tracks. (She co-wrote half of them.)
… Aliya Mustafina, 2009 European Youth Olympic Festival Champion Viktoria Komova and 2008 Junior European Champion Tatiana Nabieva — are age-ineligible for the London World Championships in October. …
From Line Giasson, Director of Casting – Talent Sourcing, Cirque du Soleil:
… We will be posting news and updates on our Casting activities and career opportunities, information about our auditions, videos, photos, etc. Gates to the Talent Scouts’ Facebook pages and to the Casting website will also be posted on the page.
Athletes, acrobats, performing artists, collaborators, members of the Casting team, Casting partners and all others who will become “fans” of our page will form a community that will be able to react to posted news, discuss Casting matters, share information, etc.
Too bad. 
Alex Seifert of Calgary made history on Saturday at a World Cup trampoline and tumbling competition. Seifert not only earned his first career World Cup medal with a third place finish in men’s tumbling but also collected the first ever World Cup podium for Canada in men’s tumbling.
