Year: 2011

Rarely do I link to sensational news stories about supposed sexual misconduct. People are innocent until proven guilty. But I’m linking to this one. It’s big.

A former U.S. Olympic team coach who guided American gymnastics to some of its most iconic and triumphant moments could face a lifetime ban from the sport after three women have come forward to accuse him of having sex with young gymnasts in the 1980s.

Don Peters coached the groundbreaking U.S. women’s team to a record eight medals at the 1984 Olympic Games and built SCATS, a Huntington Beach gymnastics club, into an international powerhouse with a string of Olympians and national champions.

It was during that same decade that Peters had sex with three teenage gymnasts, three women have told The Orange County Register. …

read more – INVESTIGATION: Ex-gymnasts accuse renowned coach of sex abuse

It sounds like the Hall of Fame coach is under investigation by USAG.

Fantastic. 7th China Intercity Games prelims.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

6.6/15.1 … idiotic execution judging.

AA:
1. Huang Huidan (Zhejiang) – 55.30(5.0/13.2 ; 6.6/15.1 ; 6.1/13.55 ; 5.2/13.45
2. Luo Peiru (Guangdong) – 55.25(5.8/13.8 ; 6.5/14.35 ; 5.7/13.9 ; 5.1/13.2)
3. Shang Chunsong (Hunan) – 54.35(5.0/13.45 ; 6.0/13.9 ; 6.3/13.2 ; 5.5/13.8)
4. Zhu Siyan (Zhejiang) – 53.35(4.4/12.75 ; 6.1/13.9 ; 5.8/13.6 ; 5.0/13.1)
5. Deng Chunfeng (Hunan) – 53.20(5.0/13.4 ; 5.8/13.8 ; 4.9/12.7 ; 5.1/13.3)
6. Li Shanshan (Hebei) – 52.80(5.0/13.35 ; 4.9/11.9 ; 6.6/14.05 ; 5.3/13.5)

That via Chinese Gymnastics blog.

I suggested to Canadian Men’s National Coach Naosaki that Great Britain might win the Bronze team medal at Worlds.

He didn’t disagree. Nao has been watching the U.K. closely in recent years. They are good. And clean.

Click PLAY or watch Kristian Thomas’ Floor on YouTube. Especially the landings.

Kristian went 16.5 start on H Bar at British Championships, 9.1 execution score. (VIDEO)

related – Gymnastics Examiner – Britain’s best ever: Why we should get excited about these two World teams

15.825 – Lexie Priessman (USA)
14.875 – Amelia Hundley (USA)
14.425 – Maegan Chant (CAN)

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

It’s nice to see a Tsukahara vault rewarded internationally. Bronze medal.

FX
14.750 – Ryohei Kato (JPN)
14.350 – Tatsuki Ichise (JPN)
14.150 – Frank Baines (GBR)

PH
14.300 – Shogo Nonomura (JPN)
14.100 – Bo Wang (CHN)
13.900 – Tomomasa Hasegawa (JPN)

R
14.500 – Courtney Tullock (GBR)
14.300 – Shogo Nonomura (JPN)
14.000 – Tomomasa Hasegawa (JPN)
13.900 – Simon Porter (CAN)

V
15.550 – Ryohei Kato (JPN)
15.550 – Shogo Nonomura (JPN)
15.300 – Courtney Tullock (GBR)

PB … best final
14.950 – Shogo Nonomura (JPN)
14.700 – Peng Wang (CHN)
14.250 – Frank Baines (GBR)
14.250 – Ryohei Kato (JPN)

HB
14.450 – Tatsuki Ichise (JPN)
14.250 – Ryohei Kato (JPN)
14.150 – Frank Baines (GBR)

all results (PDF)

Vault
15.825 – Lexie Priessman (USA)
14.875 – Amelia Hundley (USA)
14.425 – Maegan Chant (CAN)

Bars
14.175 – Lexie Priessman (USA)
13.700 – Jihye Sung (KOR)
13.625 – Amelia Hundley (USA)

Beam
13.200 – Jihye Sung (KOR) … with fall on dismount
13.025 – Azumi Ishikura (JPN)
12.175 – Jordyn Pedersen (CAN)

Floor
14.425 – Lexie Priessman (USA)
13.750 – Amelia Hundley (USA)
13.150 – Jihye Sung (KOR)

all results (PDF)

I’m getting grief for criticizing the “sport” of children’s Mixed Martial Arts.

Jerin Valel via email:

I think the British reporter in the peace was very irresponsible in his presentation of the topic, and was driven by sensationalism.

This is “my” sport so I take exception to it. I was a former professional MMA fighter and Coach, and moved on to become a reputable referee travelling the world over.

All though i don’t support drinking alcohol in a crowd context, what the two young athlete did was not MMA in its true definition, as there was no striking allowed (punching, kicking, hitting).

What they did do was a submission grappling match (which is combination of Wrestling, and Brazilian Jiujitsu on a wrestling mat), which you can find at many local elementary schools (it’s amateur sport). Its seems that in order to allow kids to follow and support a sport they love (MMA – orgs like the UFC), some parents and small organizers/promoters allow kids to compete at submission grappling in a professional MMA cage prior to the start of and event (it’s always a draw with no winner, more of demonstration). This is similar to “tim bits” 4 year olds hockey teams playing on the ice before an NHL game (for the experience), and we all know the beer that is consumed and fights that happen later at a hockey game.

OK.

I’ll concede that in some circumstances MMA could be a healthy sport. Safer perhaps than Women’s Elite Gymnastics.

That concession out of the way, I vote to remove boxing from the Olympics. And remain convinced that children’s MMA will escalate in violence, perhaps reaching the level of Canadian ice hockey someday.

related –

Guardian –

Full prelim results. (PDF)

The Men’s competition was far stronger and more competitive than the women’s. You needed to be incredible just to get noticed these days.

Shogo Nonomura just might be the next Uchimura. And a future world champion. He won this meet with 87.00 and shows terrific potential.

He’s the little kid shown above, there winning Junior Asian Championships 2010.

In fact, I heard today that Nonomura nearly qualified for the powerhouse Japanese Sr Men’s Worlds Team. But a fall on the last apparatus in trials dropped him to 7th.

This was the 20th International Junior Gymnastics Competition, an event held every 2 years in the same venue. Highly recommended. Komova won the WAG competition in 2009.

WAG results from the preliminary competition. (PDF)

Click PLAY or watch her 4 routines on YouTube. (55.70)

She looked very good difficulty wise. I was impressed.

In Iceland I saw two of these height adjustable resi-pits. (The lift mechanism was broken, on one.)

It’s Cirque du Soleil level technology!

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (best shown at 1min 20sec)

details

They were originally marketed for Team Gymnastics, a sport that often sets-up and takes-down every day. But the very best use I’d say is for Vault training. They lift up as high as 2m 20cm.