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. …
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.
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.
Here’s the conference I’d most like to attend this year:
Birmingham, England Apr. 30th – May 1st, 2010
It’s multi-sport, but has very strong gymnastics representation.
“This is unique opportunity for coaches working with young performers”, said Hardy Fink, Canada, Director of Education and Academy Programme of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG).
Prof Keith Russell (CAN), Prof Adam Baxter Jones (CAN), Prof Joachim Mester (GER), Prof Joan Duda (USA), Prof Nicola Maffulli (GBR), Prof Neil Armstrong (GBR), and David Hemery CBE.
Chairs: Professor Craig Sharp, Professor Colin Boreham, Professor Fred Yeadon, Professor Lew Hardy, Dr. John Atkinson, Mr. John Aldridge and Professor Greg Whyte.
Kelly's wedding with best man Kyle Shewfelt
Kelly Manjak (CAN) will be presenting on Coaching Issues.
Manjak coached Kyle Shewfelt to the Olympic gold medal … in Athens as well as a fourth place finish on the vault. Manjak and Shewfelt worked together for 16 years …
The new issue starts with an article by German authors Thomas Heinen, Pia Vinken, and Konstantinos Velentzas addressing a very interesting dilemma of twist directions.
The second article is the contribution by Trevor Dowdell from Australia who is exploring characteristics of coaching.
The third article is about the reliability of judging in men’s artistic gymnastics at the University Games in Belgrade 2009, written by a group of authors from Slovenia and Hungary: Bojan Leskošek, Ivan Cuk, Istvan Karacsony, Jernej Pajek and Maja Bu?ar.
The fourth article comes from Slovenian author Matjaž Ferkolj who has researched kinematic characteristics of Roche vault on vaulting table.
The second issue of our journal concludes with an article from Portugal in which José Ferreirinha, Joana Carvalho, Cristina Côrte-Real and António Silva analyze the evolution of flight element on uneven bars from 1989 to 2004.
It’s all free. Click through to the home page for links (PDF) to each article.
A word of caution from Dr. Ross Tucker and Dr. Jonathan Dugas:
… I guarantee that the media are going to be all over this and they are going to tell you that you should be running barefoot or in Vibrams. You will hear how science has proven that being barefoot will prevent injuries, and that those of you who are injured should blame your shoes as you lob them into the garbage bin. …
If you wish to guarantee yourself an injury, then go out for a 2km run barefoot on a hard surface, and you will be asking your calf muscles and Achilles tendons to do work that for perhaps 30 years, they haven’t had to do. …
Disadvantages of Forefoot Striking Barefoot or in Minimal Footwear
* Thick-soled shoes are much more forgiving when running over glass, sharp objects, ice and so on.
* If you have been a heel striker, it takes some time and much work to train your body to forefoot or midfoot strike, especially because you need stronger feet and calf muscles. Runners may be at greater risk of developing Achilles tendonitis when they switch from heel striking to forefoot or midfoot striking …
I’ve recently reviewed a book called Born to Run by Christopher McDougall.
Excellent.
Man became the dominant species on this planet because we could run long distances efficiently, barefoot.
Yet companies like Nike over the past 3 decades have convinced us that we need buy $150 shoes to run. And convinced us to completely change running technique in those shoes.
There’s a growing body of research indicating that expensive running shoes are causing more injury than they are preventing. Other researchers are concluding that bare foot running is more efficient.
If this new research eventually proves that barefoot running prevents injury, it may turn out that gymnasts have been doing the right thing all along by working out barefoot.
Make It or Break It might be a lame TV show when it comes to explaining gymnastics to the general public.
But one theme is important. How does a dedicated athlete handle serious injury. Especially if they cannot return to the sport.
While the fictional Payson was falling on Shoot Half on Bars at National Championships, fracturing her back, a real life gymnast in Florida suffered a catastrophic injury on Bars.
… High School senior Dounia Bendris was practicing at Broadway Gymnastics in Oviedo when she slipped off the uneven bars, broke two ribs, collapsed a lung and severed her spinal cord.
Doctors told the 17-year-old that she was paralyzed from the waist down four days after Christmas. …
Donations can be mailed to CHASE care of Dounia Alyssa Bendris, 3924 Town Center Blvd. Suite 103-104, Orlando, FL. 32837. Donations can also be made via PayPal to DBendris@att.net or by clicking HERE.
When is the best time during the workout to train strength?
“It depends.”
Exactly the answer you did not want to hear.
Coach Chris has a Masters in Kinesiology. He elaborates:
… I would put the strength/conditioning at the beginning of the workout during the off-season as you should be focused on building strength in order to both enhance and enable skill development. To maximize strength development, it’s important for the gymnasts to not be fatigued.
During the season, I would put it at the end of practice. By this time, your training emphasis will have shifted more to technical preparation and trying to make the routines as good as possible for competition. …
… The technology provides a training aid that will allow coaches and gymnasts to review performances immediately following their routine or skills. The video training system will make its debut during the national team camp in late January. …
Eight cameras have been stationed around the training gym, and the coverage can be viewed on six, 42-inch plasma screen TVs. The cameras were placed to show different angles of each of the four events. …
Valentin Uzunov posted an article on The Gym Press:
… a 12 week off-season sprint training program, for preadolescent gymnasts (7-12 years of age), who have not had formal sprint training. A detailed discussion is presented on the theoretical and practical application of the key concepts to effective sprinting for vault: optimized running mechanics, start of run-up and acceleration. The methodology behind this program is based on current track and field coaching methods, scientific literature on sprinting biomechanics and preadolescence speed and strength training principles. …
It’s available to download for a few dollars. (This is a great way to support Valentin’s work studying the art and science of gymnastics coaching.)
He’s posted a number of videos on TheGymPress channel supporting this article.
One sample is a drill that I use a lot – Partner hamstring curls. Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Gymnasts often have a muscular imbalance: their quads are too strong relative to the hamstrings. Partner hamstring curls are ideal for getting close to a maximum contraction safely.
The young trampolinist from the U.K. some were calling the next Jason Burnette had to withdraw from World Championships.
What a shame.
His training was going superbly … then 5-days before departure to St. Petersburg he reportedly dislocated his knee cap and broke bones in his lower leg.
He’s in hospital for some time having a series of operations. As an elite athlete the doctors will be very cautious in trying to bring him back to 100%.
Former World floor champion Daiane dos Santos of Brazil has tested positive for a banned weight loss drug, according to the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG).
In an imaginatively titled article called “Furosemide strikes again!”, the FIG reports that dos Santos tested positive after being given an out of competition drug test in July. …
… Dos Santos, who is recovering from knee surgery, did not compete at the 2009 World Championships earlier this month. The FIG admitted that dos Santos might have been given the drug by mistake because of the surgery, according to the Associated Press.
Furosemide is a diuretic, meaning it causes urination and thereby drains the body of water, which can cause weight loss. It can also be used as a masking agent for other banned substances.
At the 2008 Olympics, Do Thi Ngan Thuong of Vietnam also tested positive for furosemide and was expelled from the Games, then given a one-year suspension. …
While the fictional Payson was falling on Shoot Half on Bars at National Championships, fracturing her back, a real life gymnast in Florida suffered a catastrophic injury on Bars.
