Year: 2011

There are set to be two less countries competing at London 2012 following the International Olympic Committee’s decision to suspend Ghana and stop recognising the Netherland Antilles.

It reduces the number of countries eligible to compete from 205 to 202, with Kuwait already suspended.

India have also been warned that unless they resolve several issues they face the risk of being banned from competing at London next year. …

Inside the Games

Big decisions. Especially India.

Tickets go on sale in March.

The host of the 2020 Games will be decided September 7, 2013.

Doha, Dubai, Istanbul, Madrid, Rome and Tokyo are likely to bid. Perhaps others.

An update from FIG:

What are the major changes in 2011?

• As of January 1, 2011, Declarations of Use (DoU) no longer exist.
• Beta-blockers are no longer prohibited in gymnastics.
• Salbutamol and Salmeterol taken by inhalation are no longer on the list of prohibited substances. For any other beta-2 agonist, a TUE is requested. …

Leave a “translation” in the comments if you understand what this means.

Bea posted her favourite Bar routines over the last year. Here’s one.

Click PLAY or watch her on YouTube.

Ultra clean.

Wu Liufang was Chinese alternate in Rotterdam.

See the rest on Gymnastics – No Ceiling – Favorite moments of 2010 – Uneven Bars

John, the editor, posts in English. Yet has some insider information on the sometimes mysterious gymnastics superpower.

check a sample post – Photos from Winter Training

If you asked me what coach I’d most like to invite to a clinic, I’d likely name Paul Hall from England.

Mark Taylor:

Louis Smith is already an Olympic star, Daniel Keatings is on his way to becoming a household name and Luke Folwell made his big breakthrough at last year’s Commonwealth Games.

Behind those success stories lies Huntingdon Olympic Gymnastics Club, and therefore head coach Paul Hall.

He is softly spoken, affable and very modest, but not very much is said about the man who has played an integral part in increasing the profile of British gymnastics.

Essex-born Hall has been at Huntingdon for 17 years …

read more – Cambridge News – Hall, the reluctant coach who hit gold

Paul has an excellent video on GYMsmarts.

related – Keatings will be back and better than ever

What is Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark?

It’s a Broadway show with music and lyrics by Bono and The Edge from Irish rock band U2. It is being directed by The Lion King creator Julie Taymor …

Aunt Joyce posted this comic magazine cover:

… The New Yorker poked fun at the injury-plagued production with a cover featuring “a hospital wing populated by convalescing Spideys.”

Yet Monday brought one important piece of good news for “Spider-Man:” The show is attracting record crowds. The New York Times reports that “Spider-Man” topped perennial favorite “Wicked” as the highest-grossing production on Broadway last week, making close to $1.6 million. …

read more – The Week – Could the musical Spider-Man be the ‘biggest disaster in Broadway history’?

Who else?

Click through to find out …

The Couch Gymnasts Awards: The Gymnast of the Year

The All Around Gymnastics News on Facebook (… Happy New Year) posted a link to the list of invitees.

Looks GREAT. … But before you book a flight to Jacksonville, Florida know that there’s no guarantee these gymnasts will actually compete.

They want to attend such a high profile event. But it will depend on injury and readiness closer to the meet. Especially on the Women’s side.

see that list on the FIG website

(via Full Twist and Keishlieta Gymnastique)

The NASA education portal has a promo video with Nastia as Biomechanist.

You can watch or download a copy for yourself on NASA.

(via USAG on Facebook)

For the first time in the history, in recent years, many male gymnasts look like Justin Beiber.

Get a haircut, hippie.

For sure the old farts (like me) don’t like long hair in competition. It looks unsporting.

Some coaches worry their gymnasts with long hair might even get deducted. (Not Uchimura, though.)

Fashion is fickle. This problem will go away soon.

In the meantime it’s a bit of an issue. Youth Sports Parents blog cites a case where the parents went to court:

An Indiana child has been kicked off a middle school basketball team for wearing his hair too long. His parents have filed a federal lawsuit challenging the grooming policy.

“The school’s athletic policy bans hairstyles that “create problems of health and sanitation, obstruct vision, or call undue attention to the athlete.” …

read more – A boy with long hair and other youth sports follies

Americans are insanely litigious. That case would never get to court in most countries in the world.

But all clubs need have a policy in writing regarding hair.

Most gymnasts still get a hair cut before major competitions to show they’re serious, like this guy.

related post – bad gymnastics hair