Year: 2011

Between The Olympics explains:

Since the upgrading of the double tuck from C to D, it has become more and more common. It has trickled into the routines of gymnasts who are certainly capable of more difficult tumbling passes. …

If you want a D-part, the double tuck is less deductible than other skills. For example:

… Viktoria Komova had been competing a full in as her second pass since 2007. But recently, she has been playing it safe with a double tuck. I think it is a smart move, and that she should probably keep the double tuck. As you can see, the landing on her double tuck would be defined as “good position.” …

Click through for the detailed explanation. Makes sense.

For most gymnasts the double tuck is safer, too.

My favourite handstand drill. Be alert to wrist pain, however.

January 4, 2011 by Jaycie Phelps Athletic Center on Facebook.

College Gym Fans updated their list of which College teams most strengthened their roster over 2010-2011:

1. Florida
2. Alabama
3. UCLA
4. Utah
5. Stanford
6. Georgia

CollegeGymFans.com Top Recruiting Classes of 2010-2011

I saw Aunt Joyce speculate that, due to injuries and late arrivals, Alabama may be the team that comes out strongest at the start of the year.

Likely Florida and UCLA will be favoured at Championships. I’m calling Stanford to be the biggest happy surprise.

The Chinese system (WAG, not MAG) has been fairly criticized for not innovating. Yet I was surprised how many skills were first competed by Chinese girls. Mostly Bars.

Those include the brilliant Mo Salto and 1-arm giant.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Thanks Skyler Wang.

DScore is a simple little app. A good way to check your routines.

You decide on one of 5 different sets of rules:

FIG
NCAA
Level 10 J.O. (USA)
Level 9 J.O. (USA)
Level 8 J.O. (USA)

DScore is a program, designed for Gymnastics coaches, athletes, and enthusiasts, that assists in the creation of Men’s Gymnastics routines and calculates start value. …

DScore is available for Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux, and also supports live updates to the Code of Points. You can download it for free and try it for 10 days, but then to continue using it you must purchase a license key using the button above.

Version 1.1.0 Release – $14.99

Author Michael L. Wilner has just updated for 2011.

come back Kathy pointed out that it would be a tight squeeze for any gymnast to compete both these major competition:

World Championships, Tokyo – Oct. 7-16, 2011
Pan-Am Championships, Guadalajara, Mexico – Oct. 22-29, 2011

On the other hand, the MAJOR meet is first. The less important meet second. And Juniors can compete Pan-Ams.

It’s not as daunting (for nations like Canada) as 2010 when Commonwealth Games preceded Worlds.

What?

… Canada’s new physical activity guidelines, due later this month, lower the targets to 60 minutes a day for kids and 150 minutes a week for adults — changes that reflect the latest research and harmonize standards with the World Health Organization and U.S. and U.K. authorities. …

Read more – CBC

Currently the guideline is 90min / day for children.

Why is Canada trying to keep up with those racing for the bottom?

This makes no sense.

This kids are getting bigger and less fit.

Parents need take responsibility for the physical fitness of their own children. Canadian schools aren’t doing the job. Not even 60min / day.

The morons making this recommendation are the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology and ParticipAction.

Alan Owen sent the bad news. On Facebook, Ukranian Dariya Zgoba announced that she has retired from gymnastics.

I best remember the Olympic Bar finalist from her transfer low to high we called the “Zgoba”.

2010 was not a particularly good year in the records of the Romanian National team, nor was it an extremely bad one. But it was not a predictable year either: there were plenty of shocks, extremely happy moments and extremely sad ones. …

So begins a superb summing up by Beatrice Gheorghisor on Couch Gymnast.

I’ve heard similar conclusions from others. … Personally I feel that Romanian fans should be extremely happy with 4th place at Worlds. Romania has such a small base of gymnasts and coaches that they should aspire to beat Texas :), not the massive gymnastics nations of the USA, Russia and China.

… The road from the devastated team in January to the gold medal contender of 2011 was tough. The team has returned with one gold and three bronze medals from Euros 2010 but the entire country did not hesitate to call it one of the biggest failures in history. …

Click through to read that – Romania, 2010: From Deva to Milan

There’s a far better than average discussion thread on IG forum started by jerrylynch that goes into specifics of what Romania needs to compete for an Olympic team medal – ROMANIA: News, Pictures in 2011-part 1

Tips for improving a press to handstand from Tony Retrosi.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.