Year: 2011

During podium training there was nothing but praise for the competitors at USAG VISA Championships.

… but after one (really) bad meet, the lasers are firing.

(via I Flip, You Flip, We Flip!)

What went down, will probably go up.

_____

Just the opposite buzz from the Moscow Cup:

… The Russians are not in as bad shape as previously thought. Losing Mustafina is a blow, but their World title is not necessarily gone. With Dementyeva, Ksenia Afanasyeva, Komova, Tatiana Nabieva and one or two less experienced but still capable gymnasts like Yulia Belokobylskaya on the team, they should make a formidable showing in Tokyo. …

Gymnastics Examiner – Must-sees: New floors from Anna Dementyeva, Ksenia Afanasyeva and Vika Komova

Having Komova back really does make TEAM RUSSIA much more competitive. Yet I still predict USA will be the team to beat in Tokyo.

Midwest Elite Gymnastics Academy (MEGA) has a team coaching position that could be full-time. And another job available in Rec.

Contact Bill Williamson – General Mgr.
bill.williamson AT megaofelgin.com

International Gymnast Magazine on Facebook is linking routines from Russian Cup – Vika Komova is back and looking pretty good just 3 months after minor ankle surgery!

Click PLAY or watch her on YouTube.

Hardbody blasts GMA …

Good Morning America (GMA) did a piece on Women who are toned or “too toned” in their words. Recently Cameron Diaz was seen rock’n a Hardbody and that has people up in arms. God forbid a woman eat healthy, workout and have abs. …

http://abcnews.go.com/assets/player/walt2.69/flash/SFP_Walt_2_69.swf

33.8% of American adults were obese in 2008, yet GMA green-lights a story about the less than 1% who are super lean, costing the health system almost nothing.

… Remind me never to watch Good Morning America.

P.S. There are old men. And fat men. But no old, fat men.

Good drills. Good kids.

Click PLAY or watch them on YouTube.

The hands can be forward like that for beginners. Later, of course, the forward angle of the arms should approach 45 degrees as the gymnast gets stronger in the planche.

(via Video Tutorial Guide)

To take your mind off the awful VISA Sr Championships, check out how Romanian great Mirela Pasca handles an intruder on her Floor.

Click PLAY or watch Mirela on YouTube. (after 2nd tumbling pass)

Have you ever seen anything like that?

… and I’m not talking about the bizarre Romanian choreography of that era. (1987)

Thank gymnasticsstuff for the link.

1. Jordyn Wieber 59.852
2. Aly Raisman 58.03
3. Chellsie Memmel 57.35

Gymnastics Examiner – Women’s night one: Why we should not despair

Sounds like we should despair. More errors than highlights.

Jordyn Wieber of DeWitt, Mich/Geddarts’ Twistars, claimed the top spot in the senior women’s all-around competition after the first night of competition with a score of 59.850 at the 2011 Visa Championships at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minn. The women’s competition concludes on Saturday, Aug. 20, with live television coverage on NBC Sports beginning at 7 p.m. Central time. Tomorrow, Aug. 19, marks the conclusion of the men’s gymnastics competition, while rhythmic gymnastics starts it two days of competition.

“The competition went really well,” Wieber said. “I had a lot of fun. The main goal was to come out and be confident, hitting four-for-four and I did that.” …

read more on USAG

• Tsuk the Pain – 2011 Visas Night One: ReCrap
• new blog – Gymnastics I Love – 2011 Visa Championships Day 1- Hits and Misses…and misses…and misses.

1. Jordyn Wieber, DeWitt, Mich., 59.850
2. Alexandra Raisman, Needham, Mass., 58.000
3. Chellsie Memmel, West Allis, Wis., 57.350
4. Rebecca Bross, Plano, Texas, 56.900
5. McKayla Maroney, Laguna Niguel, Calif., 56.300
6. Mackenzie Caquatto, Naperville, Ill., 56.000
7. Bridgette Caquatto, Naperville, Ill., 55.600
8. Sabrina Vega, Carmel, N.Y., 55.250
9. Grace McLaughlin, Allen, Texas, 54.700
10. Sophia Lee, Plano, Texas, 54.450

Actually, this will be a good wake up call for Team USA. I’m still calling them the team to beat in Tokyo.

1. Ohashi 60.95; 2. Finnegan 57.9; 3. Ross 57.5; 4. Priessman 56.45; 5. Baker 56.3; 5. Dowell 56.3; 7. Hundley 55.55; 8. Winston 54.75.

Quick hits: Junior women’s prelims at the 2011 U.S. Championships COMPETITION

Katelyn was born on April 12, 1997 in Seattle. …

When Katelyn was three years old, she began gymnastics at Gymnastics East. She later moved to GAGE and then WOGA.

Click PLAY or watch her Floor on YouTube.

Click PLAY or watch her Vault on YouTube.

Congratulations to all her coaches. You did a fantastic job. She’s one American gymnast with many of the best qualities of the Russians and Chinese.

Just came up.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (16.9 including BONUS)

The score of is about 0.5 higher than it would be at Worlds due to USAG BONUS rules. (PDF)

I don’t mind bonus rules, but it would be less confusing if nations posted straight FIG results … and then printed a separate results list with Bonus included for ranking, team selection, etc.

Danell’s 92.50 AA, of course, is also higher than FIG.

Thanks to The All Around for finding that Bonus document. We’re assuming the same BONUS system was used for this routine.

Best video tutorial I’ve yet seen. From Cal Gymnastics.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

That’s not what I do, though. Instead of Lyle’s Golden Syrup (more often honey), I like supersaturated sugar water. I boil sugar water in a microwave for perhaps a minute. … It’s much less slimy than honey.

(via All Things Gym)

Leave a comment if you’ve other systems you like better.