Year: 2010

Elegant, yet functional. Unique. Clean. Finally an RSS feed.

I love it.

My region now has a better website than your region. So there.

Gymnastics Alberta

Last chance to audition.

Starting this Wednesday, April 28 at 12:00pm PT through Thursday, April 29 at 11:59am PT, you will be able to submit an audition

MySpace

…MySpace still exists?

In College gym, judges pretty much only deduct conspicuous errors, handstands (for vertical, not for body position) and landing. You’ll see why Stanford’s Carly Janiga won.

Though the judging on Bars was terrible in preliminaries, there was no doubt that this was the best routine in Finals.

Click PLAY or watch Carly on YouTube.

She very nearly won Beam, as well.

Subscribe to 2010 Pacific Rim Gymnastics Championships on Facebook for the best coverage:

The might of China and the United States are expected to reign supreme, when a host of the world’s best male gymnasts hit Hisense Arena this Thursday night for the Pacific Rim Gymnastics Championships in Melbourne.

As the countdown to the Commonwealth Games continues, the Australian men will take on the superpowers of world gymnastics including China, Russia, Canada and the United States from 7pm this Thursday (April 29) in the men’s team and all-around competition, before the best of the best return for the apparatus finals on Saturday (May 1) from 7pm.

The extremely strong United States team arrived in the country yesterday and had their first training hit out at Hisense Arena this afternoon. The US team is spearheaded by Danell Leyva, who finished fourth in the high bar at last year’s worlds, Steven Legendre who placed eighth on the floor and exciting emerging talent John Orozco, the 2009 USA junior all-around champion. …

“I definitely want to hit all of my routines, try to clean up and try to break 92,” said Leyva. “This competition is pretty important for us. It’s a big meet and I just want to go in there and do my stuff, nice and clean. “ …

Team China will be led by Yuguo Huang, who is currently ranked No. 1 in the world on floor, and recently took out the gold at the 2010 World Cup event in Doha. …

More detailed notes from The All Around:

… Russia started in which one is one of their best apparatus nowadays, uneven bars.

Aliya Mustafina is the starter but she struggled connecting a stalder 1/1 – Tkatchev – Pak – stalder 1/2 combo, at the end, she was able to do it succesfully; her routine also includes a stalder 1/1 on low bar to toe on shaposhnikova 1/2, inside stalder 1/2 – pikded Jaeger.

Tatiana Nabieyva was the second with a stalder 1/1, shaposhnikova, giant 1/1 – Pak, shaposhnikova 1/2, inside stalder 1/2 – Jaeger, stalder 1/1 – full in. The dismount combo didn’t work the second try.

Ekaterina Kurbatova did a clear hip shaposhnikova, giant 1/1 – Tkatchev – Pak (twice too close to the bar), shaposhnikova 1/2, Ono – full in off.

On beam, Semyonova was unstable with a fall on the onodi – flic – layout combo, she also had a big wobble out of the free aerial – flic – whip, that prevented her to connect it to the sheep jump, her routine also had a free cartwheel, a side somi and a ro – double pike dismount.

Mustafina did a beautiful double turn, arabian, switch ring leap, flic, free aerial – side somi, side somi, onodi, ro – 2 1/2 off. Secure. The decision for the Russian coaches is who to use for the last beam position during team finals.

Kurbatova performed a switch ring leap, free aerial – flic – layout, Kochetkova, turn with leg at head, ro – double back (close to beam). In my opinion, Myzdrikova did a much better effor with a free aeral – flic – layout, switch 1/1 leap, side somi, switch leap – back tuck, 1 1/2 turn, split jump – wolf jump, ro – double pike off. It’s a tough decision.

On floor, Semyonova surprised with a double layout opening tumble that watered down to a double back at the moment of tumbling with the music, her routine also included a 2 1/2 – barani – stag jump, 1 1/2 – 1/1, doulbe pike off. Ekaterina Kurbatova did a double arabian, 1 1/2 – 1/1, double back, double pike. Aliya Mustafina, surprisingly, did floor with a doulbe arabian (stuck with a beautiful position to open it), 2 1/2 – 1/1, turn with leg at head, 1 1/2 – 1 1/2 and 3/1 off. Anna Myzdrikova performed a whip – double arabian, 3/1 – back tuck, 2 1/2 – barani – stag jump, double pike off. This must be the most beautiful floor line up in recent history.

Russia finished on vault where Mustafina, Nabieva, Kurbatova and Myzdrikova all vaulted double twisting Yurchenko. Out of all of them, Mustafina’s was the best one followed by Nabiyeva, Kurbatova and Myzdrikova. The last three gymnast had second vaults, piked podkopayeva that turned into layout for most of them. Myzdrikova even tried to add an extra 1/2 twist on it but she couldn’t land it. It will be difficult to choose the three vaulting gymnasts since Myzdrikova’s second vault is the best of all of them, but her Yurchenko double twist is really bad and full of deductions. …

WAG Senior Podium Training

from Facebook – British Gymnastics – Photos – Senior Women’s Podium Training

Building the Gymnastic Body ($44) is the name of a must read book by respected Arizona MAG coach Christopher Sommer.

I first met Chris at a competition in 2004, and have been a big fan of his coaching ever since.

If you’ve not met him, you’ve likely seen his very popular videos. One sample: Click PLAY or watch Bowers on YouTube.

This book is geared towards MAG though it’s useful too for CrossFit and other strength sports, for both male and females.

… Building the Gymnastic Body allows you to go deep within the world of gymnastics strength training. Extremely comprehensive and detailed, with nearly 200 exercises (many of which have never been seen before by the general public) and well over 500 photographs, it is a complete developmental template for building the essential foundation of strength required for all gymnastics success. Whether you are a competitive athlete looking for an edge, a fitness enthusiast or just beginning a healthier lifestyle, Building the Gymnastic Body is the answer you have been searching for.

CHAPTER ONE – Gymnastics as Conditioning

CHAPTER TWO – General Information, Tools of the Trade – 9, Basic Gymnastics Terminology – 11, The Selection of These Exercises – 15, Handstands & Press Handstands – 16

CHAPTER THREE – Basic Strength – 21

CHAPTER FOUR – Fundamental Static Positions; L-sit – 26, Straddle L – 30, Manna – 35, Back Lever – 41, Front Lever, Planche – 49

CHAPTER FIVE – Upper Body Pressing; Fundamental Bodyweight Exercises, Push-up Variations – 61, Dip Variations – 68, HSPU Variations – 76, Multi-plane Pressing Variations – 83

CHAPTER SIX – Upper Body Pulling; Row Variations – 91, Pull-up Variations – 96, Curl Variations – 103, Multi-plane Pulling Variations – 106

CHAPTER SEVEN – Combined Pull/Press; Muscle-up Variations – 113, Other CPP Variations – 118

CHAPTER EIGHT – Core; V-up Variations – 123, HLL Variations – 127, Lower Back Variations – 132, Oblique Variations – 138, Straight Body Variations – 144

CHAPTER NINE – Legs; Deck Squat Variations – 156, Single Leg Squat Variations – 159, Hamstring Variations – 165

CHAPTER TEN – Program Design Options; Static Strength Training – 171, Basic Strength Training – 175, Integrated Training – 178, Managing Intensity – 179, Group Training – 182

APPENDIX A – Tips for Increasing Pull-ups – 185

APPENDIX B – Static Strength Only Training Results – 186

APPENDIX C – 120 Muscle-ups in 15 minutes – 187

Here’s a review of the Book and companion DVDs from Robb Wolf.

Everything is available through GymnasticBodies.com.. Click through the link on the top right of every page for more information. Every gym should have a copy.

gymnastics issues:

The best gymnast on beam is obviously Ana Porgras and if she can hit I don’t think anyone can beat her.

Click PLAY or watch Ana on YouTube.

She won’t win with that many wobbles.

Other contenders picked: Romanians Amelia Racea, Raluca Haidu, Diana Chelaru. Youna Dufournet, Ksenia Semenova, Yana Demyanchuk, Elisabetta Preziosa, Vasiliki Millousi, Sanne Wevers, Valeriia Maksyuta. Even Vanessa Ferrari. And Aliya Mustafina is overdue for a great routine.

Click through for videos – gymnastics issues – What are the best in Europe doing? – Senior Beam

We’ll know more after Senior podium training today.

BIG week in Gymnastics. Simultaneous with European WAG Championships is the start of Pacific Rim.

Russia must field teams for both.

The Pacific Rim Championships … is open to teams from member nations of the Pacific Alliance of National Gymnastics Federations, including the U.S.A, China, Australia, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia and other nations lining the pacific coast.

Before 2008, the event was known as the Pacific Alliance Championships.

From the 28th April to 2nd May 2010, Melbourne will host the championships with disciplines that include Men’s and Women’s Artistic Gymnastics (MAG & WAG), Rhythmic Gymnastics (RG), and Trampolining (TRP).

Gymnastics Australia

Click PLAY or watch a short preview on YouTube.

That’s the way it looks on the official website.
Rotterdam in October.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday tickets not available.

Ideas?

So says American Coach Hal Halverson, who’s there in the U.K. as part of the organizing committee.

The All Around’s Albert Minguillón i Colomer is there too. It wasn’t all sunshine for the Russkies:

… The Russians took the stage in the subdivision 5.

First up showed a double turn with leg to head, 1 1/2 – 1/1, double pike, double back, 2/1. Next on floor opened with a 1 1/2 through 3/1, Tsukahara, double pike and a short double tuck.

Victoriya Komova had a not so hot floor with a 1 1/2 through double arabian in tuck position (low landed), double back (stuck), 3/1 (a bit underrotated) and double pike to end. After the routine, she trained a Tsukahara tucked to change the double back!

After her, gracious Anastasia Grishina danced to classical music with a stuck double pike, double turn with leg at horizontal to stag jump (beautiful), 3/1, triple turn, 1 1/2 – 1/1 and a short 2 1/2 that saved to sit down. Violetta Malikova, who has been injured, opened her routine with a double turn with leg to head, back layout, 2 1/2, 1 1/2 through 1/1 and 2/1. The twisting technique was a bit rough and with legs apart and crossed. …

Russians vaulted quick, all of them Yurchenko entries type vaults. I don’t know if my eyes were tired or what, but Komova overrotated a double twisting Yurchenko.

On bars, suprisingly, Komova was the first up with an excellent Shaposhnikova 1/2, inside stalder 1/2 – layout Jaeger, inside stalder 1/1 – Tkatchev – Pak, Tsukahara off. The second Russian gymnast didn’t have the same lines but her routine was difficult with a stalder – toe- on 1/1 – Tkatchev, Pak, double front off.

Grishina was up next with a inside stalder 1/1 – piked Jaeger, inside stalder – inside stalder 1/1 – piked Tkatchev – Pak, giant 1/1 – Tsukahara off. Malikova had problems with her routine, inside stalder – in-stalder 1/1 – Tkatchev – Pak, form break and fall, toe on Shaposhnikova, double front off.

The fifth Russian, did a Shaposhnikova, Markelov, Tuskahara off. Clearly, the weakest link on bars.

read more – WAG Junior Podium Training

Needless to say, I’ll be following The All Around over the coming week.

photos from British Gymnastics on Facebook

Sr WAG Podium training goes Tuesday

________

Update: Blythe Lawrence is there too:

… The Romanians looked very well prepared themselves. I attended a portion of the afternoon training session and was able to see the Romanian juniors perform on bars, beam and floor. Young Diana Bulimar was the cream of the team. A few notes:

In person, the Romanian juniors don’t look dreadful on bars. …

read more – Gymnastics Examiner – 2010 European Championships: Jots from junior women’s podium training

All agree that Vault is the weak apparatus. Coaches focus on Bars and Beam, waiting for the Juniors to get strong and heavy enough to vault from the fixed F.I.G. beat board. (They are not allowed to remove springs.)