Entries from October 2009 ↓

Congratulations to everyone, especially the coaching staff, for the Gold Medal on Vault by Kayla Williams.

A World Champion in your own gym?

Who would have predicted that just a few months ago?

Gym Nest has established a Worldwide reputation for providing the highest quality gymnastics in Huntington West Virginia.

Bozhidar Russev “Bozhi”, who is a former Bulgarian National Team Member with over 40 years of experience producing many world class athletes and several Olympians. …

Gym Nest – home page

Wow.

Only Nastia and other Chinese gymnasts can hope to challenge the Olympic champion. She’s so solid and consistent now.

Click PLAY or watch her winning routine on YouTube.

finals results (PDF)

… Her difficulty score of 7.1 is, simply, monstrous, with most routines ranging from 5.9 to 6.2. So when she got through her routine without any major issues, the gold was essentially hers. …

AP – China makes it 3 wins in a row with gold on rings

The 2009 Gymnastics World Championships – Women’s All Around Final is posted on YouTube.

For now.

Leave a comment if you’ve seen if posted online elsewhere.

You can watch highlights on Universal Sports from most nations.

I dunno. Pretty sloppy.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

He’s not as strong as he once was, but it was still good enough to be World Champion. Congratulations.

Marian Dragulescu may be the greatest Floor / Vault man of all time. Him or Scherbo.

results (PDF)

Day 1 of event finals has finished.

Tsuk the Pain calls this THE Story of the Championships …

From deep in West Virginia, Kayla Williams rose from a level 10 junior to an elite US National Champion on vault to a WORLD Champion on vault all within 5 months. Incredible. …

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

vault final results (PDF)

(via Aunt Joyce)

Many commented on Kayla’s excited and emotional reaction.

Kayla Williams of the US hugs her coach Bozhidar Russev after her gold medal winning routine on the vault at the World Gymnastics Championships at the O2 Arena in London, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009.

(AP Photo/Alastair Grant) – ESPN

Shawn Johnson.

Congratulations.

… Johnson is America’s most-liked sports figure, according to the latest surveys conducted by E-Poll Market Research, an Encino, Calif.-based research firm that tracks celebrity likability ratings. …

Forbes

As much as some of us in the gymnastics community feel “abandoned” at times, Shawn’s phenomenal success is good for everyone in our sport.

She ranks ahead of Rafael Nadal, Kurt Warner, Tim Duncan, Steve Young and all the rest. That’s astonishing.

How does it feel to coach the World Champion?

Bridget Sloan of the US gets a hug from her coach Marvin Sharp after competing in the Women’s All- Around final at the the World Gymnastics Championships at the O2 Arena in London, Friday, Oct. 16, 2009. Sloan won the gold medal with fellow American Rebecca Bross in second place.

(AP Photo/Alastair Grant ) – ESPN

1. Sloan USA-57.825,
2. Bross USA–57.775,
3. Tsurumi JPN–57.175,
4. Mitchell AUS-57.150,
5, Dufournet FRA–56.65,
6. Yang CHN–56.575,
7. Porgras ROM-56.50,
8. Kaeslin SUI-55.925

Obviously a great meet for the U.S.A.

But I’m particularly glad to see a Japanese gymnast on the podium. So often in the past their girls have been under rated, under appreciated.

Porgras was the greatest surprise. She’s gained a new worldwide fan club with her wonderfully elegant routines.

Great call. Congratulations!

A beautiful gymnast. Elsa García Rodriguez Blancas from Monterrey, Mexico.

Daniel Keatings won the Men’s award.

Bridget Sloan wins, after Rebecca fell on her last tumbling pass.

All Around Results after 3 rotations:

1. Bross USA,
2. Sloan USA,
3. Tsurumi JPN,
4. Mitchell AUS,
5. Porgras ROM

LIVE and FREE Internet Broadcast (Worldwide):

Women’s All-Around (1:30PM ET, Oct 16)

Blythe Lawrence has the best preview I’ve seen of today’s Women’s all-around final.

Great commentary. And some of the least blurry videos I’ve seen of top contenders.

Gymnastics Examiner – Women’s all-around preview: Big test for Bross

Click PLAY or watch Rebecca Bross Beam prelims on YouTube.

No big prediction from me. Bross will win if she hits 4 for 4. … But that’s a big if.

Are these the worst in decades?

… London 2012 organisers said that the 38 official pictograms unveiled today were a key staging post in their attempts to engage the British public with every Olympic sport. …

Guardian – London 2012 organisers unveil 38 pictograms

I somewhat like the weird, original main logo. But the individual sports are neither retro … nor interesting.

Consider me disengaged.