Nora Schuler of THE ALL AROUND:
The All-Around series was supposed to be the jewel in the crown of the new World Cup series. Four stops on three continents – Jacksonville, Glasgow, Stuttgart and Tokyo – were to see the top eight male and female gymnasts from the all-around final at the 2010 World Championships compete for prize money and ranking points.
The series flopped completely. …
… Only a single female gymnast, overall winner Huang Qiushuang, competed in three competitions. Not one female gymnast attended all four.
At the final competition in Tokyo in late November, the FIG wasn’t even able to find eight female gymnasts willing to compete. …
read more – All-Around World Cup Flops, FIG blames coaches
FIG’s Wolfgang Willam is committed to staying the course for the next 2yrs:
… The 2012/2013 World Cup will include six stops. Starting in New York in March 2012, the series will include Tokyo (April 2012), Stuttgart (November 2012), Glasgow (December 2012) before returning to the USA in early 2013 and finishing off in Tokyo in April 2013. …
… On the other hand, Nora points out that the Swiss Cup which offered 85.000 Swiss Francs in prize money and appearance fees this year was a better meet than Stuttgart.
Let’s wait and see. The AA World Cup is not working as badly in MAG. Many of the top guys are willing and able to get to most of the meets.
I still feel that money is the best way to grow international stars who can reach the general public in non-Olympic years.
I’m keen to see what the FIG Competitions and Marketing Commissions recommend in terms of “simplifying the rules” to better appeal to a mass audience.
I’ve got one recommendation for them …
Research what the WAG NCAA is doing.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 