Gymnastics Coaching.com » beam

… the pony tail has awesome powers to make a beam routine look polished, precise, and elegant.

Here’s what I mean.

Study any beam routine you admire and you’ll notice there’s a certain rhythm to it, accented by skills, leaps, and turns. The gymnast seamlessly picks up the rhythm after each accent. It’s this quality that keeps the routine flowing even if there happens to be a wobble or balance error. …

1) Snap the pony tail with each turn.

2) After each completed skill or leap / jump combination, stop and hold the finished position until the pony tail stops, then resume. …

Beam Training Secret Weapon

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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Vault for the McKenna doll

coach Rick — Wed, 16 May 2012 03:00:25 +0000

I often link to Sports Girls Play.

The former gymnastics coach / editor Char has another blog called Doll Diaries.

In one post, she details how to construct a Vault set-up for the American Girl of the Year doll, McKenna:

… In her books, McKenna is working towards the Level 4 team. In the US, Level 4 gymnasts compete vault on a large mat system and do a vault called a handstand to flat back. …

McKenna needs a springboard to go with her vault. …

Great fun for the DIY gymnastics enthusiast – How to Make a Gymnastics Vault for Dolls

Put away the electronic gaming for a while.

• How to Make a Balance Beam for your Dolls

• Dolls doing a Bar Routine (VIDEO)

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Maria Kharenkova – Beam

coach Rick — Tue, 15 May 2012 09:01:09 +0000

Maria Kharenkova (RUS) was the queen of the Beam : 14.766 (Difficulty : 6.10, Execution : 8.666). At Junior Europeans.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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EU event finals highlights

coach Rick — Mon, 14 May 2012 03:37:48 +0000

Romania is back. They won 3 gold medals in the apparatus finals. Sandra Isbaza (Vault), Catalina Ponor (Beam) and Larissa Iordache (Floor) dominated the competitions. Russia saved the honour with Victoria Komova (Uneven Bars). …

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Andy Thornton – Five takeaways from gymnastics Europeans

(via The All Around Gymnastics News on Facebook)

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European Championships medalists

coach Rick — Mon, 14 May 2012 00:04:00 +0000

VAULT
Sandra Raluca Izbasa (ROU) (14.900, 14.866) 14.883
Oksana Chusovitina (GER) (14.933, 14.433) 14.683
Giulia Steingruber (SUI) (15.216, 14.033) 14.624

BARS
Victoria Komova (RUS) 15.666
Anastasia Grishina (RUS) 15.200
Nataliya Kononenko (UKR) 15.133

Bars final was fantastic. Unfortunately on Beam everyone fell aside from the 3 medalists.

BEAM
Catalina Ponor (ROU) 15.200
Larisa Iordache (ROU) 15.133
Hannah Whelan (GBR) 14.333

Click PLAY or watch Ponor’s Beam on YouTube. Shaky start.

FLOOR
Larisa Andreea Iordache (ROU) 15.233
Catalina Ponor (ROU) 14.633
Hannah Whelan (GBR) 14.533

Sandra Izbasa did not compete Floor, but wants to be put into the line-up for the Olympics. A FX medal is her #1 goal.

Full Twist – Results & Videos: Senior European Apparatus Champions 2012

So … the main story is the grand return of Romania as an Olympic Team contender. Their prelims score was only a point less than the US need to win Tokyo. Romania fans are excited.

Old and wise Romanian team coach Mariana Bitang warns, “Let’s not get drunk with cold water”.

For more in depth analysis:

Stoi – Our take on European TFs

And European Championships – The E Panel’s Highlights:

… For me, this team centres on Ponor, whose statuesque presence draws instant attention from spectators. Catalina has always been thrilling to watch: her feline features are matched by a catlike ability for solidity on the balance beam. Her new routine looks comfortable and rock hard, and is the closest she has looked to her 2004 self since her golden heyday. …

With Ponor back, and Iordache the superstar up-and-coming AA contender, Romania truly could get on to the medal podium in London.

Bars — still — is the big question mark.

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Romania, Russia, GBR

coach Rick — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:21:50 +0000

Team rank from prelims.

Examiner:

1. ROM 177.472; 2. RUS 172.562; 3. GBR 169.431; 4. ITA 168.005; 5. FRA 167.122; 6. ESP 163.638; 7. GER 163.022; 8. BEL 161.972.

NED just misses out on team finals, finishes ninth with 160.763, ahead of UKR, 160.396.

full results (PDF)

Larisa Iordache qualifying score of 60.132.

Vasiliki Millousi is an Olympian, meeting the Greek standard for qualifying with this performance.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

She’s the best Greek gymnast : 54.274 (all-around 11th). Vasiliki qualified for the Beam final on Sunday : 14.766 (Difficulty : 6.10, Execution : 8.666). Rank : 7.

Israel will be represented too.

Valeria Maksiuta (ISR) made two finals at Euros, meeting Israeli Olympic Committee requirments for participation at #London2012

via @theallaround

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Romania over Russia, so far

coach Rick — Thu, 10 May 2012 14:13:44 +0000

Prelims in progress at Europeans.

Andy Thornton predicted this is the way it will finish.

Romanian consistency over Russian brilliance.

Halfway through senior women’s qualifications:

1. ROM 177.472;
2. RUS 172.562;
3. GBR 169.431;
4. ITA 168.005

For both teams Olympics is the main goal. Europeans just a stepping stone.

Click PLAY or watch Komova’s Beam on YouTube.

14.916 (Difficulty : 6.00, Execution : 8.916).

VERY high execution score for that routine, I’d say.

See more videos on the europeangymnastics’s YouTube channel.

(via @GymExaminer)

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