Month: January 2012

A really, REALLY bad idea.

I can’t embed this wipe-out. Click through to YouTube, if you dare.

Thanks George. I think.

“Winning Balance: What I’ve Learned So Far about Love, Faith, and Living Your Dreams”

… The writer is Nancy French, who co-authored Bristol Palin’s book, “Not Afraid of Life: My Journey So Far.” …

Amazon

Scheduled June 5, 2012 in the build up to her attempt to qualify for a second Olympics. On the same day, Dominique Moceanu’s Off Balance: A Memoir will be released.

via @ShawnJohnson

From an interview with Elena Rotaru in Observatorul de Covasna:

Was your decision (to make a comeback) based on this year´s London Games and on your desire to end your career on a high note?

– It was 100% based on these Olympics. No matter what will happen, nothing will keep me from getting to my second Games. And why not, with God´s help, maybe even win a medal, even if it´s silver or bronze.

Then Catalina laughed and asked me: “Who said I would retire after the Olympics?”

…

What is next for Catalina Ponor, beyond the Olympics?

– There is nothing planned for now. I honestly see myself in the gym in the next 7-8 months.

translated by Romanian Gymnastics Fans on Facebook

Is Catalina Ponor cool, or what!

Chris Castner posted this pic of Mitsuo Tsukahara:

… We were working out at Muscle Beach when a bus dropped off members of the touring Japanese Mens’ and Womens’ Olympic Gymnastics Teams…to see this world-famous location.

… No warm up…he didn’t even unbutton his coat or loosen his tie! (Note the Olympics logo on his jacket). At the time, the Japanese Men were the best gymnasts in the world…

See the original on Facebook.

Tsukahara was recently back in California, training at Byers with the Japanese girls.

Ron Bell (coaching out of the Stanford Gym) recognized Tsukahara and shared the photo. Thanks.

There are a number of athletes who qualified for Olympics you might question. (See the full list.) But not Daniel Corral — this guy’s the real deal. Loaded with potential. The best gymnast representing Mexico since the great Tony Pineda.

Click PLAY or watch his P Bars from Mexican Open 2011 on YouTube.

He won P Bars at the London Test Meet.

Read the Examiner profile – Daniel Corral: “I just can’t describe the feeling” of Olympic qualification

An inspiring Powerade TV ad.

At certain points in their journey, every athlete faces moments that make them want to give up. We asked four athletes how they Power Through… in the hopes of making Olympic history in London in 2012.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

In the era of smart phones, Twitter has caught on with gymnasts, especially from the USA, Canada and Great Britain.

Couch Gymnast posted a few to humourous effect, including this one from Danell Leyva (who’s flooding my Twitter client. Slow down, dude.)

see more gymnastics tweets

Have you seen the new Trampoline and Tumbling blog – flipping out TNT?

Jenny links to videos from the Trampoline Olympic Test Meet, noting that the Men’s videos are better.

Women’s Prelims
Men’s Tramp

Click PLAY or watch Dong Dong’s optional on YouTube.

Congratulations to Rebecca Morrison, Tara Purvis (reserve), Brittany Robertson (North Harbour), Charlotte Sullivan, Millie Williamson, Hanna Malloch, Courtney McGregor, and Waverley Gee (reserve) who have been named as New Zealand Team to the 2012 Pacific Rim competition in Everett, Washington, USA in March.

Five of that team are from Christchurch School of Gymnastics, impressive since their city, gym and lives have been so disrupted by earthquake.

Thanks Kendra.

Update. The Gym Club is the last sport still operating in the damaged QEII Complex. There’s even a chance they’ll eventually lose the building. Click through to learn of the Earthquake Fundraising campaign.

Early in the season, with a team average score of 196.775 (tied with UCLA) this is the first time Arkansas has ever been atop the page on the GymInfo rankings. The program is exactly 10yrs old.

Congratulations.

The worst start to the season must be Michigan. They suffered a 193.15 splatfest this past weekend, and rank … 36th as a team.