Year: 2010

Andy Thornton has been searching YouTube for videos of the top all-around gymnasts, especially the American girls.

His highest praise goes to Jordyn Wieber:

… What an unbelievable return to competition…this girl is unstoppable. This performance would have won the 2009 world all-around championships (not just from her score, but also from actually watching her routines). …

…my guess is this would be good enough to win the all-around at this year’s worlds as well, although she of course won’t be eligible since she turns 15 this July.

At least she’ll be eligible at next year’s worlds and in London…

… Her beam here was absolutely stunning – one of the best standing fulls probably ever done. And her bars was much improved over last year as well – I love the Weiler kip pirouette – such a unique skill and she did it ex …

I don’t know, I think Wieber is pretty much neck-and-neck with Viktoria Komova for the honor of #1 gymnast in the world right now. …

Click PLAY or watch Jordyn’s Floor on YouTube.

Commentary and more videos on Andy’s American Gymnast blog – Pacific Rim Videos!!!

Hey, I like the new clean look of American-Gymnast.com.

More Pacific Rim videos on YouTube:

• nade00
• ausgymblog
• ausgymnastics
• RK2197 (MAG)

… according to E-Poll Market Research, a research firm that, for the past 12 years, has measured over 5,000 celebrities on 46 attributes for their E-Score Celebrity (ESC) metric …

Shawn Johnson may have started to fall out of favour with her peeps, the gymnastics community, but with the American general public, she’s still #1.

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

… the top 10 most appealing athletes aren’t your superstars, but rather Olympians, like Shawn Johnson (who leads all athletes with a 75 appeal-rating), Lyndsey Vonn and Shaun White. …

ESPN

What’s next for SHAWNEYj …

(via luvindy on IG forum)

… Oh and just fyi HUGE news coming ur way… Will be a bit before the official release of it… But I think u all will be extremely happy 🙂 …

Who knows?

JUNIOR BARS:
1. Wieber (USA) 14.825
2. Ross (USA) – 14.250
3. Zheng (CHN) – 13.925

SENIOR BARS:
1. Huang (CHN) 15.450
2. Bross (USA) 14.700
3. Afanasyeva (RUS) 14.250

JUNIOR VAULT:
1. Ross (USA) 15.100
2. Wieber (USA) 14.925
3. Zhou (CHN) 14.325

SENIOR VAULT:
1. Pegg (CAN) 13.850
2. Little (AUS) 13.737
3. Moreno (MEX) 13.675

JUNIOR BEAM:
1. Tan (CHN) 15.350
2. Vega (USA) 14.475
3. Gardiner (CAN) 14.425

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

SENIOR BEAM:
1. Bross (USA) 14.925
2. Raisman (USA) 14.675
3. Wu (CHN) 14.625

JUNIOR FLOOR:
1. Wieber (USA) 14.600
2. Ross (USA) 14.200
3. Tan (CHN) 13.950
3. McGrath (AUS) 13.950

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

SENIOR FLOOR:
1. Bross (USA) 15.175
2. Raisman (USA) 14.625
3. Vaculik (CAN) 13.925

At Pacific Rim Championships. .

Karen Cockburn rules. After winning medals at the past 3 Olympics, she was selected as Canada’s flag bearer for the closing ceremonies in Beijing.

Is she planning on competing London?

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

via The All Around on Facebook:

Russia wins the European title with 169.700 points; while Great Britain makes history with a silver medal and 168.275. Romania obtains the bronze medal 164.975. After the podium, 4th France 163.575; 5th Italy 161.675; 6th Switzerland 156.175; 7th The Netherlands 156.00 and 8th. Ukraine 155.375.

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

Congratulations. Seems everything is going right for the 2012 Olympic hosts.

… Medal ceremonies. Team Russia couldn’t keep the smiles off their faces as they stood at the top of the podium and mouthed the words to the Russian anthem. Ksenia Semyonova looks especially delighted, and Mustafina has a huge grin on her face.

The Romanians, by contrast, look rather somber. …

Gymnastics Examiner – live blog notes

Coach Laura would love some feedback on an old issue?

Is it ethically and psychologically appropriate to assign physical conditioning as a penalty for minor rules infraction in the gym?

For example:

… sit-ups for running across the floor while someone is tumbling, 50 push-ups for forgetting to put away hand grips (for a level 6-7) …

She’s talking about competitive gymnasts. (For Recreation kids best is a time out / inactivity penalty.)

Here’s gymnast Luke Boyd updating the tally of rope climbs he “owes” coach Rhett Stinson.

Leave a comment if you have an opinion for Laura.

According to a very excited New Zealand coach after the main competition, New Zealand were the only team in the entire competition to hit every single beam routine in teams and AAs (Bross fell on the beam). The small band of four hit four-for-four!

The Couch Gymnast

CONGRATS

Jack Nicklaus is still the greatest golfer in history.

Did he do the right thing in the Ryder Cup, 1969?

… Big pressure putts are familiar territory for a top golfer; the added expectation of representing a team and a nation in such a historical and prestigious event is not. The situation might destroy a lesser man, but not Nicklaus, who nonchalantly rolls the ball into the centre of the hole and breathes a massive sigh of relief. Now he can do no worse than draw the tie and the overall match, and if nerves get the better of Jacklin, he would claim outright victory for himself and the USA.

One can only imagine what thoughts are racing through Jacklin’s mind as he watches Nicklaus hole out. The putt he faces is relatively straightforward under normal circumstances, but this situation is anything but. This is pressure at its most intense, and with everyone’s eyes trained on him he has nowhere to hide.

However, of all the scenarios playing out in his brain, the one he has not considered is the one that actually occurs. Nicklaus picks his own ball out of the hole, pauses, and then reaches over to pick up his opponent’s marker, conceding the putt. He goes over to the Englishman, offers his hand, and explains, “I don’t think you would have missed that putt, but in these circumstances, I would never give you the opportunity.”

The two golfers leave the course together with an arm around each other’s shoulder to heartfelt and deserved applause from the crowd. It is a fitting end to an honourable match between two great rivals.

In the final analysis, Nicklaus and Jacklin halved their match, and the overall score finished 16-16, the first tie in Ryder Cup history. Under the competition’s rules, this meant the USA, as the current holders, retained the trophy. Nicklaus knew this; he knew it made no material difference to the fate of the Cup whether he himself won or drew. The concession cost nothing in competitive terms, but was of immeasurable sporting value.

Nicklaus explained later, “I believed good sportsmanship should be as much a part of the Ryder Cup as great competition.” Jacklin has always been quick to agree, calling it “the greatest single sporting gesture in golf”.

Not everyone involved saw it that way. American captain Sam Snead was apoplectic: “It was ridiculous to give him that putt. We went over there to win, not to be good ol’ boys.” Fortunately, others were able to see the bigger picture. Leo Fraser, President of the US PGA, graciously agreed the two countries should each retain the trophy for a year, contrary to tradition. …

Sport At Its Best – A Defining Moment for Golf

(via Sport At Its Best)

From Gymnastics Training Tips.

Click through for a link to a high resolution PDF version.

First our Big Fake Smile blogger found online the Sears Action Gymnastics Set.

Now, on Ebay, she’s found Gymnast Whitney and Gymnast Stacie dolls.

Is this Whitney? Or Stacie.

Click through to find out. And to see the home made leos …

Big Fake Smile – i don’t trust a man with curly hair. i can’t help picturing small birds laying sulfurous eggs in there, and i find it disgusting.