Year: 2010

The heart and soul of Tumbl Trak, Doug Davis, has turned 60yrs-old.

… hard to believe as Doug’s so healthful and energetic.

If you can catch up with him, check out the new “softer more friendly training bar for the Tumbl Trak” (VIDEO).

Great idea! Doug’s crediting Al Fong with the innovation, but likely many coaches have replaced the wooden rail with something softer. And safer.

home page – TumblTrak.com

related – check strength training videos of Fritz, “age-69 this month, 6’1”, 169 lbs”, doing muscle-up on Rings.

Bea from Romania is reporting that their Women’s Head Coach Nicolae Forminte is getting a lot of heat, especially online, regarding “problems” with the current team:

• Sandra Izbasa, Anamaria Tamarjan and Gabriela Dragoi out with injury
• Anamaria Tamarjan and Gabriela Dragoi “weight issues”
• superstar Ana Porgras out with injury
• Raluca Haidu sprained ankle

It didn’t help, I’m sure, that Romania was beaten by Great Britain at Europeans.

Some are even worried that Romania won’t qualify a full team to the 2012 Olympics. (I’m not one of them.)

Nicolae:

“Tomorrow, if I am asked to leave, I leave. And as I said before, I would like to invite others to try and do something under the current circumstances. When you are on the side, it seems easy. But no one will ever accept Romania not to be on the podium, even if some would declare that.”

Click through to read Bea’s translation of a terrific interview of Nicolae by Filip Standavid, one of the most honest I’ve read in some time.

I like Nicolae even better after reading it.

Gymnastics, No Ceiling – In his own words…”The gymnasts know better when, how and in what way Forminte encourages them”

If you do fire Nicolae, who should replace him this close to the Olympics?

… Don’t reply Belu. Please.

The NCAA Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Championships air on Saturday, May 8 from 12-2 pm PT on CBS.

And on YouTube shortly after.

Decide for yourself who won “best dressed coach”.

more nominees on Aunt Joyce

Some strange and bizarre.

see more – Big Fake Smile

… Following Singapore’s successful bid to host the inaugural 2010 Summer Youth Olympics, the floating stadium will be under the spotlight during the Games, having chosen as the venue for the Games’ opening and closing ceremonies …

Wikipedia – The Float@Marina Bay

It’s rated to support 9000 people.

Cool.

(via FIG and Inside the Games)

Update: Kerri Strug was in Singapore as part of “99 days until the 1st Youth Olympic Games begin“.

Since the F.I.G. abandoned the “perfect 10” scoring system, I’ve been very critical of women’s international gymnastics.

Perhaps I’m softening.

The elite girls competing last weekend looked … happier. Is it just my imagination?

Trying to compete all-around F.I.G. these days is nearly impossible.

gymnast: Annie Sheridan

MostepanovaFan can add Beth Tweddle 2010 to this edit.

1969 – Olga Karasova (USSR)
1971 – Ludmilla Tourischeva (USSR)
1973 – Ludmilla Tourischeva (USSR)
1975 – Nelli Kim (USSR – footage from another competition)
1977 – Elena Mukhina (USSR) and Maria Filatova (USSR)
1979 – Nadia Comaneci (Romania)
1981 – Maxi Gnauck (GDR)
1983 – Olga Bicherova (USSR) and Ekaterina Szabo (Romania)
1985 – Elena Shushunova (USSR)
1987 – Daniela Silivas (Romania)
1989 – Svetlana Boginskaya (USSR) and Daniela Silivas (Romania)
1990 – Svetlana Boginskaya (USSR)
1992 – Gina Gogean (Romania)
1994 – Lilia Podkopayeva (Ukraine)
1996 – Lavinia Milosovici (Romania) and Lilia Podkopayeva (Ukraine)
1998 – Svetlana Khorkina (Russia) and Corina Ungureanu (Romania)
2000 – Ludivine Furnon (France)
2002 – Alona Kvasha (Ukraine)
2004 – Catalina Ponor (Romania)
2005 – Isabelle Severino (France)
2006 – Sandra Izbasa (Romania)
2007 – Vanessa Ferrari (Italy)
2008 – Sandra Izbasa (Romania)
2009 – Elizabeth Tweddle (Great Britain)

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Dwight Normile loves it:

Thirty years after the publication of his popular Biomechanics of Women’s Gymnastics, Dr. Gerald George has done it again, only better. Championship Gymnastics, which was released earlier this month, is more than just a textbook for women’s gymnastics technique, as the subtitle suggests. Its unique voice engages the reader through a seamless blend of instruction and inspiration. …

read the review – International Gymnast – Dr. Gerald George’s new book scores high marks

Order it instantly from the official website – Winning Gymnastics. Or phone 888-796-5229.

The doctor needs your $79.

Problems. Problems. Problems.

Will they never end for Romania?

Ana Porgras is in a cast for 3 weeks.

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

Romanian Head Coach Nicolae Forminte is not happy, his team beaten soundly at European Championships by Great Britain.

Gymnastics, No Ceiling – translation of a Romanian news report – Prosport reports: Ana Porgras’s diagnosis; Forminte not satisfied with the EC results

… Bea, who edits No Ceiling, admires Forminte, saying he’s like a father to the Romanian girls.

Some are even “baying for the blood of Nicolae Forminte”, according to The Couch Gymnast.

Personally, I’m cheering for Nicolae. It’s not easy keeping Romania, a small and under-funded nation, competitive with the best in the World.

Good question.

Great Britain Women’s team was only 1.425 points behind Russia at Europeans!

I’m impressed because this question comes from LOUD Channel 5 Action News sports correspondent and BlaccuWeather man Ollie Williams on Family Guy …

Wait a minute …

It’s the other Ollie Williams, young BBC reporter. I hear he’s become a total gymnastics nut.

… The GB team are leaving the European Championships with a total of 15 medals (senior boys: team silver, individual gold, silver and bronze; junior boys: team gold, four individual golds, a silver and two bronze; senior girls: team silver, two individual golds).

That total is unprecedented, particularly the success of both the junior and senior men’s teams, who have for decades toiled in the lower echelons of world gymnastics.

Why, though, is this all happening now? Who has flicked a switch to turn Britain from a gymnastics also-ran to a world power with an eye on medals at a home Olympics? Is it all down to money?

Actually, one reason for this success may be down to a lack of cash. …

an important read – BBC Sport – Why are Britain’s gymnasts suddenly so good?

I’m sure if you ask Paul about how sudden their success is, … he’ll laugh.

(via Full Twist)