by site editor Rick McCharles
Jim and Hannah Holt, the co-coaches of the Bellevue High School gymnastics team, have fashioned careers as freelance international gymnastics coaches. They have coached in Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Egypt, Bolivia and Chile, to name a few countries.
Steve Kelley in the Seattle Times posted a glowing article on gymnastics coaches Jim and Hannah Holt. Great buzz for our sport: Changing the world, one gymnast at a time
I’ve posted about Jim, a friend of mine, in conjunction with the release of his gymnastics book, Chasing Impossible Dreams.
When I think of Jim, I often recall the competition when we first met. He was a gymnast competing all-around with only one leg. (Jim was born missing a tibia, fibula and patella.) One of the most impressive things I’ve ever seen!
Try dismounting Rings on to one leg. Never mind Vault!
On Pommels, a judge who shall go nameless (Francis Tally) deducted Jim for NO SCISSORS. Yes, we were outraged for him that day many years ago. And I’m still irked today.
Judging is about good judgment. Not every special case can be included in any set of regulations.
10 comments ↓
If he’s not competing in para-gymnastics then he falls under the same rules as everybody else. So…one leg = no scissors.
I agree with shergymrag. If he’s missing a requirement, he’s missing a requirement. He should be treated, with respect, like everyone else and not be given special treatment to make up for his handicap. At least he was given the opportunity and not excluded from competition, based upon a perceived disability.
it’s Rick’s perception………not mine…..
missing scissors? deduction.
my only gripe? Francis didn’t give me credit for my “little leg” undercutting (my words) the bigger leg…..should he have?
no.
no excuses, no explanations, no “exceptions” to the rules……if you’re going to play, play by the rules…..i like the notion of para-Olympics, but I wasn’t one, don’t want to be one, never wanted to be judged as one, and sure as hell don’t want to be categorized/compared as one…..
para is for disabled….that isn’t/wasn’t me…..the reason I am not/wasn’t ranked among the “greats”….is that I wasn’t one….
of course, my dachshunds love me………;->
I should have clarified, Jim, that you did “scissors” as much as possible. It’s not that you completely left them out.
… At that “friendly” meet, at that time, in that era, coaches were unanimous that you should not have been deducted.
I remember Al Luber of Santa Monica Gymnastics Center talking about this, and he seemed to share in that consensus opinion, judging by the way he related the story.
‘Try dismounting Rings on to one leg’
Let us remember Shun Fujimoto
Another inspiration to all….
“It’s not that you completely left them out.”
Well, that changes everything.
[...] Jim Holt related to this article in Sports Illustrated: Ah, the old system, where perfection was a (10) — remember? … [...]
Intriguing that this controversy should re-arise. I remember some coaches of the day that supported the decision. Since I have just retired from judging (44 years), I no longer feel qualified to offer an opinion as to the legitimacy of that judge’s action.
Ha.
Jim agreed with you, Francis.
… Did you read the comments?
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