Year: 2010

The gold rush continues for the Aussies in day 1 of Finals.

Click images for details of the scores on Gymnastics Results.

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http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.js

… I wonder if Canada and England are second guessing their decisions not to send their #1 teams. England has done well, but not as well as I expected.

Let’s see how the Aussies do at Worlds.

Gymnastics must be Australia’s best sport at these Games.

Gymnicetic compiled a good list of active gymnastics blogs.

To keep track of that many you’d need to get an RSS reader (i.e. Google Reader) and subscribe.

That list doesn’t include YouTube channels like Saltocafe.

Or some excellent micro-bloggers on Facebook and Twitter that I follow.

In fact, I feel everyone should be (at least) a microblogger.

Get on Facebook and “Write something …” about the things you like on the internet.

Just a few of the critters coaches had to chase off the apparatus at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

Canadian coach Val Arsenault:

… while (Kristen Klarenbach) was waiting to mount on beam, I was trying to swat away a bat that was flying around her ! How do you prepare an athlete for distractions like that ? We do contingency planning as part of our preparation, but that kind of situation never occurred to us as a possibility…

Alberta Gymnastics

Yeesh.

Big, strong athletic guys can pick-up the skill of spotting quickly. And they often enjoy the challenge.

Al Fong:

… I’m recruiting spotting substitutes who just happen to be policemen, karate experts, and paint ball specialists. Works for me. It might work for you too. …

Click PLAY or watch the guys spotting on YouTube.

A breaking story I’ve just seen linked via Gymnastics Examiner:

… “Today, the President of the FIG Disciplinary Commission in charge of this case – based on Art. 20 of the FIG Code of Discipline and the evidence in his hands – has taken immediate action and provisionally suspended the Gymnastics Association of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (PRK) and their Gymnast Ms. Hong Su Jong, as of 6th October 2010 for a period of 30 days,” the FIG wrote in a press release issued Tuesday night.

The ban will keep North Korean gymnasts from participating at the 2010 World Championships, which begin in Rotterdam two weeks from today. …

This as a result of that nation having registered Hong Su Jong under 3 different birthdates over the years.

Unless PRK appeals, their gymnastics teams (WAG and MAG, I assume) will not compete in Rotterdam. And therefore will not qualify for Worlds 2011. Nor Olympics 2012.

Click through to Gymnastics Examiner for details – Wow: North Korea banned from World Championships

… I don’t get it.

Why such a different response than that levied against China for age falsification in 2000? … In that case, China was stripped of individual and team medals.

The result is much more severe for North Korea.

… Personally I think this is the correct discipline measure. China should have been banned from participating in the 2010 Worlds, as well.

Rebecca Bross of Plano, Texas/WOGA
Mackenzie Caquatto of Naperville, Ill./Legacy Elite Gymnastics
Chelsea Davis of Lakeway, Texas/Texas Dreams Gymnastics
Mattie Larson of Los Angeles, Calif./All Olympia
Alexandra Raisman of Needham, Mass./Brestyan’s American Gymnastics
Alicia Sacramone of Winchester, Mass./Brestyan’s American Gymnastics
Bridget Sloan of Pittsboro, Ind./Sharp’s Gymnastics Academy

USAG

Many can’t fathom why Kytra Hunter was not named. Commentary by Andy Thornton.

Making up for the loss to Australia in the team meet, the lads HIT in the individual AA competition.

England’s Luke Folwell took gold ahead of team-mate Reiss Beckford in the men’s individual all-around gymnastics final at the Commonwealth Games. …

“The difference between me and Reiss was the tiniest margin, perhaps just a little step on a dismount. I’m just delighted we came out with these medals,” said Folwell.

A handspring double front on the vault, on which he scored 16.200, was the decisive moment for Folwell as he edged into a lead he refused to surrender. …

read more on BBC

full MAG AA official results

CONGRATS

So, Australia came back from some shaky performances last night to take the top three spots in the Commonwealth Games All-around. It went a little something like this;

1. Lauren Mitchell
2. Emily Little
3. Georgia Bonora

read more on Couch Gymnast

full WAG AA official results

related – commentary on Gymnastics Examiner

She’s cover girl on the October issue of Inside Gymnastics.

Always entertaining and interesting, here is perhaps the best article yet on the de facto leader of Team USA.

Regarding her coach, Mihai Brestyan:

“I have put that man through hell,” she says. “I am really grateful he has taken me back.”

read Alan Abrahamson‘s article on teamusa.org – Age just a number to Alicia Sacramone

Audi has a number of commercials featuring gymnasts. This one is the best I’ve seen, so far.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

There are more TV commercials, many from Europe, on a post on gimnastas.net. (Spanish)

(via Gymnicetic)