Entries Tagged 'Olympics' ↓

Own The Podium an overwhelming success?

There’s been controversy in Canada over the Own The Podium program, a 5yr, $120 million supplimentary investment in high performance Olympic sport. Much was copied from programs in Australia and the U.S.A.

Personally I agree with Olympic great Ken Reed:

… The intent of Canada’s Own The Podium program has become lost – or perhaps obscured – with the focus on the medal count. Yes, it was always about trying to win more medals than anyone in 2010. But from the get-go, it was clearly stated that this was a stretch goal – an ambitious target intended to galvanize our nation, inspire our athletes, focus our funding and build a foundation of partnership. …

… OTP is an overwhelming success. We have delivered funding, coaching resources, technology, preparation and team unity to build an environment for success. Regardless of the medal count, this is a fact. Canada’s team was prepared. …

OTP’s about more than medal count

On the other hand, decisions have already been made to change leadership, perhaps shift the focus of Own the Podium, and possibly even changing the much mocked name.

details – Baumann to take over Own the Podium

related – Should Own the Podium have been branded differently?

UPDATE: The U.S.A. owned the podium at this Olympics. Germany was fantastic, too. Congratulations. But Canadians are not disappointed with our results, overall. And once we defeat the States today in Men’s Hockey, we’ll have the most Gold medals for any host nation in Olympic history.

… Most of my friends are convinced that the upstart Americans will win Hockey. But I’m not worried.

China defends Dong Fangxiao

Surprise, surprise.

China did exactly the opposite of what I expected. And exactly the wrong thing.

Blythe updates us in this post: Gymnastics Examiner – Chinese officials remain defiant about Dong Fangxiao’s age in 2000

Now … the IOC is in a much easier position to pull the Team and Individual medal from Sydney. IOC must choose to support either China or the International Gymnastics Federation. They’ll back FIG.

China has no influence over Dong Fangxiao because she lives in New Zealand. She and her husband have admitted she was underage. How can China think they can sustain this lie now?

Obviously the correct response for Beijing would have been to fire the coaches and administrators from 2000. And apologize. Since that didn’t happen, … I’m guessing China has more skeletons in the closet.

Let’s assume one of the “fall guys” they would have fired got angry and decides to reveal other rules violations. Age of athletes in 2008, Beijing, for example. …

This is getting interestinger and interestinger.

blind skier dropped from Olympic Team

Recall Brian McKeever, the legally blind skier who qualified for the Canadian Men’s Olympic Cross Country Ski Team?

As of this morning, he’s been dropped from the Team.

… Canadian cross-country ski coaches met Friday night to consider their lineup for Sunday’s final event, the men’s 50-kilometres. The decision was made to go with Ivan Babikov, Alex Harvey, George Grey and Devon Kershaw. Since no nation is allowed to field more than four racers in a cross-country event that means McKeever will not become the first winter athlete to compete in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Team manager Dave Wood along with head coach Inge Braten were unavailable for comment Friday night. Earlier in the day, Braten spoke to the Canadian Press and said he had to be professional “and choose the guys who are the best for the 50-km. Normally, sorry to say, all four are faster than Brian. And I think they can fight for a medal, all four of them. And then I have to pick out one who has a medal chance and put in Brian? That’s the situation. I don’t like it.” …

Globe and Mail – Blind skier denied chance to make history

Tough call. This decision is not going to be popular.

Skier Brian McKeever - Vancouver 2010

Brian McKeever will still race in the Paralympics, a big favourite.

selecting Youth Olympic Games gymnasts

emma asks a good question:

How will the qualification process work? How is USAG going to choose gymnasts?

The first annual YOG (Youth Olympic Games) will be hosted in Singapore between 14 and 26 August 14-26th, 2010. That’s 3,600 athletes between 14 and 18 years of age from 205 National Olympic Committees.

Only 1 male and 1 female athlete will compete for each country in individual disciplines. All 26 sports on the London 2012 Olympic Games programme will be hosted.

Surprisingly, Michael Phelps was name official ambassador for YOG by the IOC. An effort to rehabilitate his tarnished reputation.

official website

Here’s the American selection criteria:

Women: born between 1 January 1995 and 31 December 1995

Athletes who have participated at FIG Senior competitions or multisport games (including continental championships and world cup events) may not participate …

The athlete selected to represent the US at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games will be determined from among the age eligible athletes by the selection committee immediately following the conclusion of the US Classic competition in July 2010.

The following criteria will be used to determine the YOG athlete and replacement athletes.

• All Around rank order at the 2010 US Classic Meet
• All Around Rank order using the YOG competition rules
May 2009 3
• Past International Results …

read more (PDF)

Selection procedures for U.S. WAG, MAG, Rhythmic and Trampoline.

So … which gymnast born 1995 should be picked? Leave a comment if you’ve a suggestion.

gymnast Yang Yun – Innocent

Gymnastics Examiner posted a good overview of the Chinese age falsification investigation:

… Yang, who is married to 2008 men’s Olympic all-around champion Yang Wei, was said to be 16 in Sydney. But in 2008 she gave an interview on Chinese television and stated that she was 14 when she competed at the Olympics. Yang later said she misspoke. She also won a bronze medal on uneven bars at the Sydney Games. …

Decision about age of Chinese gymnasts Yang and Dong expected soon

The decision just announced is that her teammate Dong Fangxiao is guilty, but that there’s insufficient evidence that Yang Yun was underage.

I guess this admission on National TV in China was not deemed conclusive.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (3min 30sec)

I don’t believe for a second that Yang Yun was old enough for the 2000 Olympics. My guess is that she will admit her actual age in the massive media onslaught to come.

If China and her teammate are to be punished, I don’t think she and her Olympic Champion husband will stay quiet. He’s a national hero there.

Update with a few new details is posted on Gymnastics Examiner.

gymnast Dong Fangxiao – Guilty

FIG dropped the hammer …

By NANCY ARMOUR AP National Writer:

Dong Fangxiao was 14 during the Sydney Games, according to an investigation by the International Gymnastics Federation. Gymnasts must be 16 during the Olympic year to compete.

A second gymnast on the 2000 squad, Yang Yun, also was suspected of being underage. But there was insufficient evidence her age had been falsified, and the FIG said it was giving her a warning.

The FIG has “cancelled” all of Dong’s results from Sydney and forwarded its investigation to the International Olympic Committee. Because the case involves the Olympics, it is up to the IOC to decide if China should lose any medals.

The IOC has said previously it would take “necessary measures” if any gymnasts were found to be underage. The United States was fourth at the Sydney Games.

“We can confirm that we have received the ruling from the FIG in the case concerning Dong Fangxiao and Yang Yun, and we take due note of their decision,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams said. “Clearly, we need to take time to consider the findings before the Executive Board can consider the matter. …

Investigation: 1 Chinese Gymnast Underage in 2000

Sydney 2000 Day Nine

Most gymnastics experts feel the age requirement is the wrong way to protect young gymnasts around the world. But if FIG is going to make stupid rules, they should enforce them.

Next … why was Yang Yun found innocent? I saw much more convincing “evidence” that she was underage than for her teammate.

And will IOC actually strip Dong Fangxiao and the Chinese Olympic Team of their 2000 Olympic medals?

Update: commentary from Andrew Thornton

gymnasts turn to aerial skiing

Lydia Ierodiaconou Lassila just won the Women’s Aerial skiing Gold Medal for Australia.

Australia ??

… Lassila took a congratulatory phone call from Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and showed her same knack for twisting and turning on the slopes by urging him to increase funding for better facilities at home.

“I was trying to persuade Kevin, my mate Kev, to build us a water ramp so that we can spend more time at home and also encourage some other youngsters to get involved with this sport,” said Lassila, who spends more than nine months a year training abroad. …

Reuters

Lydia was an Artistic gymnasts as were the Silver and Bronze medalists from China.

The judging I find quite confusing. Many of the athletes do similar jumps with similar performance. Here Lydia tries to explain the rules for the rest of us.

Click PLAY or watch it on Olympics.com.au.

quadruple back saltos on skis

Poly did some browsing on YouTube, coming up with this historic clip on Aerial Skiing.

Frank Bare performs the first triple twisting quadruple back flip in 1983. This is from Dick Barrymore’s film entitled “The Golden Years of Ski films”. Buy it at dickbarrymore.com

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Frank learned it on a water ramp he helped build in 1978. No doubt they were inspired by the swimming pool used for landing extreme dismounts off horizontal bar and swinging rings near Muscle Beach, California.

Frank’s jump was impressive for that era. Only 4 or 5 men have ever done quadruple saltos. There’s very little incentive since it’s (happily) been banned in competition.

His father, Frank Bare Sr., was the first Executive Director 1963-1980 of the U.S. Gymnastics Federation (USGF). And later (1976-1980) was elected Vice-President of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG).

Nastia frustrated with media

It’s been wonderful to see how both Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson translated their success as athletes into “brands”. Very few gymnasts have been able to do this in the past.

But the buzz on the blogosphere regarding her relationship with Olympic Figure Skating Champion Evan Lysacek led to this tweet …

Seems she later removed it. Sober second thought.

I’m sympathetic for Nastia. Relationships are difficult enough without a spotlight on your every move.

But you can’t have it both ways. No doubt her agent thinks this is great publicity.

US Olympians at the USA House

(via Full Twist)

aerial skiing – 3 flips, 5 twists

What are the top freestyle aerial skiers competing in 2010?

Quadruple saltos are banned. Athletes must, therefore, add twists to increase difficulty score.

Here’s Jeret “Speedy” Peterson from Idaho landing what he calls “The Hurricane“.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Jeret plans to compete that jump in the Olympic Final, if weather conditions are optimal.

“Bond Girl” skater Kim Yu-Na

by site editor Rick McCharles

Just arrived in Vancouver. I’m parked in front of the high definition TV, catching up on The Games.

For every gymnastics person who loves figure skating (like my Mom) there’s one who dislikes the sport (like me).

I dislike the judging. Find the routines too long. Dislike the scandal mongering, this time involving the Artistic Olympic Gymnastics Champion.

But even I can appreciate Kim Yu-Na. She’s an awesome athlete.

Kim Yu-Na is 19 years old and is the favorite to become South Korea’s first Olympic figure skating champion. …

International Sports Examiner

Click PLAY or watch her Short Program on YouTube.

Update: Unorthodox Gymnastics takes issue with a clearly under researched article by Aileen Gallagher controversially titled Why Figure Skating Is So Much Better Than Gymnastics.

I assume Aileen is an expert in both Figure Skating and Gymnastics. Otherwise, why would NY Mag assign her to write about the topic?

Charlie Tamayo goofing

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Thanks Don.

Hey, he’s launched a website called Flip For Charlie:

… my most important challenge- making the 2012 Olympic team. Despite the obstacles I may face, I know with your support my Olympic dream can be kept alive. I would like nothing more than to give back to a country that has already given me so much.

Sincerely,
Charlie Tamayo
2012 Olympic Hopeful

FlipForCharlie.com

more posts tagged Charlie Tamayo

2008 Olympic Gymnastics montage

A strange and dramatic edit of the champions in Beijing.

… Music’s from “The Lion King” the track entitled “King of Pride Rock. …

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I like the final clip, Nastia nailing her Vault.

(via gymgal92 on IG forum)