… On August 26, Aaron “Wheelz” Fotheringham became the first person in a wheelchair to land a double backflip. …
… I’ve also been working on a front flip. I’m gonna have to say that one’s scarier than the back flip. In the front flip, you’re trying to get around without your head digging into the ground. …
Nobody believes Marian Dragalescu is a doper. … It’s more that his Federation and the F.I.G. cannot keep track of if he’s retired, or not. … And where he’s living at any given time.
Here’s the IG write up on the last day of Artistic competition at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore:
In the wake of mistake’s from all-around champion Viktoria Komova, China’s Tan Sixin claimed both women’s gold medals Sunday. Tan, the all-around and uneven bars runner-up, was near perfect on balance beam and floor exercise. Tan nailed her acrobatics on beam, including a high two-foot layout to Korbut; switch Yang Bo; front tuck; and a front aerial sheep jump. She took one step to the side on her dismount (ff, ff 2 1/2) to earn 15.550 (6.3/9.25).
Komova appeared tired after victories Thursday in the all-around and on Saturday in the vault and uneven bars. …
At the USA Gymnastics Championships last weekend two special events were scheduled for Olympic Teams past:
1) Bronze medal awarded to the 2000 American Women’s Olympic Team
2) Reunion of the 1980 American Olympic Teams MAG and WAG (boycotted)
Blythe Lawrence:
… The press got to meet with members of both the 2000 U.S. women’s Olympic team, who competed in Syndey yet felt like failures, and members of the 1980 men’s and women’s teams, who didn’t compete in Moscow but have recognized that just being selected for the team makes them winners.
The difference, I think, is in age. Twenty years from now, the 2000 Olympians may have a different perspective. …
Like the rest on the 1980 team, Ron Galimore never made it to Moscow. The closest he got to Olympic glory was a trip to Washington designed to honor the hundreds of athletes who weren’t allowed to take the trip they really wanted to take. …
Bitang and Belu are back competing internationally.
British Gymnastics:
The 2008 Olympian and 2010 British Champion Hannah Whelan won the All-around competition of the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Friendly International GB vs. Romania at Pipers Vale Gymnastics Centre with a total of 55.650pts. Second was Daniela Andrei (ROM), 55.600 and third, Raluca Haidu (ROM), 54.900. …
“We have started our preparation for the World Championships in Rotterdam (NED) in June under the new Head coaches Mariana Bitang and Octavian Belu. We have been invited to come here with 7 gymnasts, but arrived with 5, because some of our strong gymnasts are recovering from injuries and others are not ready to compete as yet,” said the Romanian Head of Delegation Mircea Apolzan.
“In fact, the results are not very important for us! What is important at this moment of our preparation for Rotterdam – is the content of the routines; what are the new elements, which our gymnasts have added to their exercise and how consistent they are”. …
… By the way, I love Amanda Turner’s coverage for International Gymnast. But the criticism I’ve often heard that her reporting is deceptive is true in case of this post – Romanian Women Top British Hosts
At first glance you would assume that she got the Romanian quotes herself. … She didn’t.
The external link takes you to the home page of British Gymnastics, not where she got the quote.
If old media are going to “blog”, they need to follow ethical blogging conventions. Fairly and clearly attributing where they got the information.
I was happy to see coaches doing handstand on a floor bar, rather than flat-handed. This will help prevent overuse injury to the wrists later in the career.
Wednesday night, the 2000 U.S. Olympic team — Tasha Schwikert, Elise Ray, Kristen Maloney, Dominique Dawes, Jamie Dantzscher, Amy Chow — received in Hartford the bronze medals they had earned in Sydney. …
The U.S. was awarded the bronze in April after a lengthy investigation by the IOC and International Gymnastics Federation concluded that China’s Dong Fangxiao, who was supposedly 17 in 2000, was actually 14. …
Coach Jim Holt (Seattle) sent me a review copy. Jim’s been a friend for decades. I knew I’d enjoy his gymnastics autobiography.
A book of Jim Holt’s memoirs about his two decades striving for the international development of gymnastics. It is an extraordinary saga of inspiring and (often) hilarious efforts to change the world through sport. …
Anyone who knows Jim Holt knows that he does not do what he does for money. He’s in it for love of the sport. Jim’s got the #1 “talent” required of a gymnastics coach: irrational dedication.
I was immediately charmed by the many typos and the conversational tone of the book. Jim Holt is talking to me personally.
He’s a terrific raconteur. Intelligent. Witty. Eloquent. Engaging.
(His many references to literature and classic movies may turn off some younger readers, though.)
Jim’s led Olympic Solidarity coaching courses in 9 nations. I’ve so far led 2 courses and am booked for Saudi Arabia this Fall. His anecdotes and misadventures in Bolivia, Chile, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Yemen and Egypt (amongst others) were the highlights of the book for me.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to any gymnastics buff, especially older coaches who’ve lived through similar personal gymnastics disasters.
Jim’s subtitle is “An Odyssey in International Sport“. Indeed, he’s a hero to me. His accomplishments as a coach are extraordinary considering the obstacles overcome.
The only sour notes are in Chapter 14. Jim’s failed (so far) attempt to be awarded an “FIG Diploma”. … And his too harsh critique of the F.I.G. Academy Program, currently run by the best man at his wedding, Hardy Fink.
Sour grapes?
If you are looking for an exposé of international gymnastics you’ll be disappointed. There are plenty of examples of corruption, petty greed, cronyism, miscommunication and epic inefficiency … but also much love.
Jim Holt even has some good words for Grandi. How about that?
What is Jim doing today?
Chasing impossible dreams, of course. Last time I saw him was at the Canadian National Championships. He’s coaching 2008 Olympian Nashwan al-Harazi from Yemen.
Jim’s bags are packed. If you need an experienced coach, contact him via the official website:
Chinese officials insist new eligibility rules will end the problem of age falsification in gymnastics.
China were stripped of their women’s team bronze from the 2000 Olympics after Dong Fangxiao was found to be 14 years old – two years too young.
Chinese sports officials promised that tighter checks introduced after the scandal would eradicate the problem.
They say the delegation for next month’s Youth Olympic Games in Singapore have had stringent checks.
“We’ve scrutinised every athlete’s age for the Youth Olympic Games to make sure there is no-one going to Singapore with a fake age,” Cai Zhenhua told Thursday’s China Daily. …
I predict we’ll see many age falsification scandals in multiple sports at the Youth Olympic Games. China will likely not be one of those nations found guilty.
It’s not over for China, however. One day it will be proved that one or more of their competitors at the 2008 Beijing Olympics was underage.
And everybody already knows that Yang Yun was also underage in 2000. She admitted it. That controversy will come back to haunt them again, though I expect they’ll be no further IOC sanction for 2000.
Elite Gymnastics Stars posts articles something like The Onion.
At first glance you’re not sure whether they are real … or FAKE.
This one for example:
Maine gymnastics coach forces students to perform on 18-foot-high balance beam
“It teaches them to pay attention,” says Clint Murdoch
(BATH, MAINE – JULY 7, 2010) – Gymnastics coach Clint Murdoch doesn’t believe in hitting his girls when they perform badly. He never kicks them out of the gym when they throw tantrums. If they gain weight, he wouldn’t think of recommending they go on a diet.
Murdoch doesn’t hand out any of the punishments coaches normally come up with to keep their girls on the straight-and-narrow. He doesn’t have to.
Murdoch, who owns Murdoch Gymnastics Academy in Bath, Maine, has found a better way: a balance beam set 18 feet off the ground. …
… “Girl shoots off her mouth? Up the ladder. Elects not to get to workout on time? Up the ladder. Can’t stay up on a beam that’s a measly four feet off the ground? Up the ladder – and you can bet she’ll stay on the one that’s eighteen feet in the air.” …
Dwight Normile confirms what has been rumoured for some days:
After numerous complaints about its limited Team Officials quota for the inaugural Youth Olympics (YOG) in Singapore in August, the International Olympic Committee released an amendment on June 25 that will now allow more coaches for Aquatics, Athletics and Gymnastics. Artistic Gymnastics, which originally received one coaching credential, will now receive two: one each for a male and female gymnast.
Since the U.S. Olympic Committee had already officially informed the International Gymnastics Federation that it would not enter a female gymnast for the YOG, it is unclear whether that decision can be changed at this point. USA Gymnastics has already named Jesse Glenn as its male artistic gymnast. …
provenance
noun
the place of origin or earliest known history of something
On the internet that means trying to “source” where a video, photo or idea started. At minimum, you should link to where you first saw it. Best practice is to link to the original and where you happened to see it first.
On this blog I’d say I’m about 90% successful in crediting a source. Not perfect. But not bad.
Tara Sickmeier of International GymnastHot Headlines is the worst gymnastics blogger I know. If she ever credits where she finds a story it’s only by accident of linking to the originator. If she sees something on Gymnastics Coaching, there’s never a (via Gymnastics Coaching) link on IG.
I’ve several times sent messages to Tara on her unethical blogging behaviour. But have yet to get a response.
Forward a link to this post if you know her personally.
A book of Jim Holt’s memoirs about his two decades striving for the international development of gymnastics. It is an extraordinary saga of inspiring and (often) hilarious efforts to change the world through sport. …
