Month: March 2010

All regionals competitions go 6PM local time, Saturday, April 10.

Which of these great meets could you attend?

Los Angeles Regional – California (University of California, Los Angeles, host)
1. UCLA
2. Arkansas
3. Iowa State
4. Arizona
5. Brigham Young
6. Arizona State

Salt Lake City Regional – Utah (University of Utah, host)
1. Florida
2. Utah
3. Auburn
4. Boise State
5. Denver
6. Washington

Columbia Regional – Missouri (University of Missouri, Columbia, host)
1. Georgia
2. Oregon State
3. Missouri
4. Minnesota
5. Iowa
6. North Carolina

Lexington Regional – Kentucky (University of Kentucky, host)
1. Alabama
2. Nebraska
3. Illinois
4. Kentucky
5. Central Michigan
6. Michigan State

University Park Regional – Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania State University, host)
1. Oklahoma
2. LSU
3. Penn State
4. Maryland
5. Ohio State
6. New Hampshire

Morgantown Regional – West Virginia (West Virginia University, host)
1. Stanford
2. Michigan
3. Southern Utah
4. North Carolina State
5. Kent State
6. West Virginia

… The top two teams and the top two all-around competitors (who are not on an advancing team) from each regional will receive an automatic berth to the national championships in Gainesville, Florida, April 22-24, hosted by the University of Florida.

In addition, the event winners at the regional championships will advance to the national championships (in that event only) if they are not part of a qualifying team or the all-around qualifiers. …

read more on NCAA

http://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/PicAppPIS/JavaScript/PisV4.js

(via Gymtruthteller)

Update: From Gymnastics Examiner:

… Unlucky schools in this draw: Auburn and Boise State, which have to get by either Florida or Utah in Salt Lake City. At another school, either would have a better chance at knocking off Utah, which has had better seasons. But not in Salt Lake City — the fan presence at Utah alone should be enough to boost the Utes, who don’t perform at a conference championship, to the NCAA prelims.

Georgia, whose gymnasts have been fighting injury and lack of “flow” in the post-Suzanne Yoculan era, are seeded first in the Columbia Regional but are certainly the most vulnerable no. 1 seed. For one thing, they have to compete against the home team, which has one of the best all-around performers in the nation in Sarah Shire. They also have to meet Oregon State, which is capable of matching Georgia on a good day on the road. The Gym Dogs without Shayla Worley in top shape have a real chance of not qualifying to the NCAA Championships. …

Utah, UCLA, Missouri, Kentucky, Penn State, West Virginia to host NCAA Women’s Regionals

Action-Sam on IG forum posted an important photo. Here’s a partial screen grab.

See the entire photo.

Three of the best gymnasts in the world. One is “normal”, one is bow-legged, one is … Rebecca Bross. You might call her knock-kneed.

Read the entire thread – Rebecca Bross … feet on UB… no nasty comments

Obviously you can be a World Champion with bow legs (i.e. Valeri Liukin) or knock-knees like Rebecca, but it’s not nearly as artistic.

Click PLAY or watch Rebecca’s Bars on YouTube.

The fact that her heels are apart is not nearly as obvious from the side, the judge’s perspective.

RipGuardian has a Facebook page. They’re asking for pics of the worst hand rips you’ve ever seen.

Search for RipGuardian on Facebook.

A great quote from theamazingjaide, a Level 6 gymnast who simply cannot get used to hand guards on bars: “get grips or get rips”

This is one of the most problematic skills in gymnastics.

Gymnastics-Skills.com posted a unique series of drills.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

This is one small piece of a coaching strategy. I’ve never used this drill, but I like how it encourages lateral displacement of the centre of gravity.

Great news. Chelsie Memmel’s gym in Wisconsin hired Morgan.

M&M Gymnastics Welcomes Two Time Olympian, and Olympic Silver Medalist Morgan Hamm, as our New Boys Team Coach!

One of the knocks against the fantastic Hamm brothers, both now retired, is a perception that they were selfish, not giving much back to the sport.

Forget that when it comes to Morgan. He’ll be welcomed warmly into the coaching fraternity.

http://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/PicAppPIS/JavaScript/PisV4.js

(via cgallet1 on IG forum)

The favourite to win Bars at Championships 2010 is UCLA Senior, Anna Li.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

More superb work by malimalimali123. It’s got some great moments, especially dance parts.

Song: “United States of Pop 2009 Mashup” – DJ Earworm

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

This is another excellent pick by the Quitter’s Try gymnastics montage blog.

All coaches must never forget one of the saddest moments in Olympic history, the death of Nodar Kumaritashvili in Vancouver. And we must do everything we can to prevent catastrophic sport injury in future.

David Kumaritashvili, 46, the father of Olympic luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, who was flung from the track during a practice run in Vancouver and died, hold the portrait of his son at funeral service in Bakuriani, Georgia. Photo by David Urbani/Itar-Tass/Cameleon/ABACAPRESS.COM
Content © 2010 Newscom

http://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/PicAppPIS/JavaScript/PisV4.js

… Tuesday’s ceremony was held 40 days after Kumaritashvili’s death, in line with the rites of the Georgian Orthodox Church.

An Orthodox priest read a prayer and local men sang traditional Georgian chants over Kumaritashvili’s grave in the cemetery of a tiny church in this mountain village, Georgia’s top winter sports resort.

The athlete’s father, David Kumaritashvili, said in a speech at the ceremony that his son’s death shouldn’t discourage young men from practising luge.

“The tragic death of my son mustn’t stop the development of that sport,” he said.

Georgian Olympic Committee chief Georgy Natsvlishvili said a luge track will be built in Bakuriani in the luger’s memory.

The International Olympic Committee has said it will help fund the track’s construction in the village that was formerly a winter sports training centre for Soviet athletes. …

Globe and Mail – Furlong, other sports dignitaries pay tribute to Georgian luger

Condolences to friends and family.

… the Sooners clinched their third straight Big 12 title with a team score of 197.175 on Saturday at the Devaney Center in Lincoln, Neb.

OU swept all four team event titles en route to the highest score by a Big 12 Champion since 2001.

Sooner Sports – OU Women’s Gymnastics Notches Three-Peat

1 Oklahoma 197.175
2 Nebraska 196.625
3 Missouri 195.900
4 Iowa State 194.850

full results

more Oklahoma photos

(via gymtruthteller)

The team to beat at National Championships.

UCLA Gymnastics team won its 15th Pac-10 Conference title and second consecutive, scoring 197.35 to record the highest score amongst all conference championships this weekend. The Bruins hit 24-for-24 routines, with all but the very first routine of the day scoring 9.8 or better.

Bruin sophomore Vanessa Zamarripa won the all-around with a 39.575 and vault with a 9.95 to capture her first career Pac-10 titles. She was also named the Pac-10 Gymnast of the Year. Senior Anna Li recorded her first-ever perfect 10 on uneven bars to win the event, her third Pac-10 event title in her career. Junior Brittani McCullough also won a Pac-10 title, tying for first on floor exercise with a career-best 9.925. …

read more – UCLA Bruins