Year: 2011

Click PLAY or watch her cautious routine on YouTube. (6.3 + 8.675 = 14.975)

After the good results last weekend in Ghent, she’s been named to the nominative team for China. (Don’t get too excited about nominative line-ups. They often change. Zou Kai is the Chinese MAG reserve. But I suspect he’ll end up competing in Tokyo.)

One final link from that meet … Between the Olympics again posted Ghent World Cup Finals Videos linked to Results. The best possible way to show results. Thanks.

… Louis has been named in the nominative MAG team list for the 2011 World Championships along with Daniel Purvis, Daniel Keatings, Sam Oldham, Kristian Thomas and Ruslan Panteleymonov. Max Whitlock has been named reserve for the moment. …

Full Twist – In demand – Louis Smith

Louis Smith presents a dilemma for the coaches, I’m guessing. He could medal on Pommels. But will he count a score for GBR on any other apparatus at Worlds?

The British media loves the guy:

… It seems both Louis and fellow 2008 Olympian Beth Tweddle are in the two British gymnasts who are most in demand. …

CONGRATS to my old friend.

Scottish Gymnastics is please to announce the appointment of Jim Holt as 2014 Men’s National Coach. Mr. Holt, a US citizen, was named after an extensive international search, is charged with the preparation of Scotland’s senior team for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and the overall development of the men’s sporting discipline in Scotland. …

He has coached at the All-African Games, Commonwealth Games, and at 13 different World Championships for 6 different Federations, resulting in Olympic qualification of individual athletes in 2000, 2004, and 2008. …

read more on Scottish Gymnastics

Jim will be adding more chapters to his future memoirs titled, I assume, Chasing Impossible Dreams 2.

Scotland hosts World Gymnastics Championships 2015. Nanning, China will host 2014 Worlds.

Gym Rats is a new series of books for kids by Mary Reiss.

The first in the series is already available for $10:

Read about Morgan as she goes through the highs and lows of going for her round-off back handspring for the first time! Meet her best friend, Madison, and be up close and personal as you read their notes to each other. Also, learn some great drills and techniques for your round-off back handspring from Morgan and Madison’s coach …

Gym Rats: Basic Training (Book 1)

Leave a comment if you’ve read it.

Book 2 – Gym Rats: Toe Jam will be available September 17, 2011.

Details on the publisher’s website.

I heard about the books on Chalk Bucket forum.

It’s very, very rare that I disagree with Blythe Lawrence. (She’s a far more reputable and reliable blogger than I.)

But I disagree with the conclusion of her Universal post:

With Bross and Mustafina both out for the season after sustaining knee injuries on vault, the 2011 rivalry is likely to be between another Russian-American pair: Youth Olympic Games gold medalist Viktoria Komova and new American champion Jordyn Wieber.

Who has the advantage? …

Vault: Wieber
Bars: Komova
Beam: Wieber
Floor: Wieber
AA: Wieber

Difficulty score throwdown: Viktoria Komova vs. Jordyn Wieber

If both girls are healthy and HIT equally well in Tokyo, Komova will win. Vika’s composition, execution, amplitude, choice of skills and artistry are superior.

That said, I predict that Jordyn Wieber will win the World Championships. She’s far more likely to HIT than Komova, who will have a lot of pressure on her narrow shoulders. The spotlight in Tokyo is going to be bright. The advantage in psychological toughness I give to Jordyn.

Of the many excellent girls at Oakville Gymnastics near Toronto trying out, I felt Savona (@SavonaJessica) would be strongest at World Championships, Tokyo.

Sadly she injured her knee on Vault at Japan Cup in July. Here’s her Floor routine on YouTube from that meet, including huge double Arabian and Moonwalk.

Peng Peng Lee and Mikaela Gerber did qualify to the Canadian Worlds Team. Coach Sue Manjak will go this time, her first Worlds.

I’ve been astonished with the Spanish girls in their preparation for Worlds. Spain easily beat Italy last weekend. Silvia Colussi Palaez from Oakville was 5th AA, 3rd on bars with 14.0.

Obviously Spain plans to win one of the full team positions for Olympics 2012.

Jessica Dowling from Oakville is trying to do the same as Silvia, qualify for Tokyo with another nation — Netherlands.

Click PLAY or watch Jessica’s Beam routine vs Poland on YouTube. (LOVE the mount.) She was 5th around.

See results and more videos from the friendly on Couch Gymnast – The Dutch Defeat Poland

Netherlands will announce their team on Sept. 14th.

… Oakville has yet more gymnasts training towards Worlds London 2012 and the Olympics. It’s one of the best elite women’s gyms in the world.

25yr-old Jessica Lopez seems to compete more than any other international gymnast. She keeps getting better, too.

Her Bars (6.1 difficulty) is one of the most exciting sets in the world now. (Unfortunately she fell on dismount in Ghent prelims.)

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Brigid McCarthy posted an excellent interview with the fan favourite.

Bea Gheorghisor interviewed her coach Nilson Savage.

Bea posted some personal commentary from the meet too – Ghent: Seen and Heard

First days back can be intimidating. Many are happier at gym than they are at school.

Click PLAY or watch it on Gymnastike.

http://www.gymnastike.org/embed/Nzk0NTA2MDc5?related=1

Watch more video of Challenger Cup Ghent 2011 on gymnastike.org

via @theallaround

With four gold medals, the Chinese gymnasts dominated the the finals of the Challenger Cup, held Sunday in Ghent, Belgium.

Wu Liufang (balance beam), Zhang Hongtao (pommel horse), Wang Guanyin (parallel bars) and Zou Kai (high bar) each walked away with an event title. …

Wu was the most successful gymnast in Ghent with a complete set of medals, including the silver on floor exercise and bronze on uneven bars.

results and more on IG – Chinese Gymnasts Up to Challenge in Ghent

Many are talking about Maria Livchikova’s win on Floor.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

See more on GymNiceTic – The Best of Ghent – EF Videos