Year: 2016

British reserves training at home?

As reported by BritishGymnewstics.

That’s surprising. Team USA has 3 reserves in Rio following the same training regime as the named team. In case of disaster a replacement would be instant and seamless.

(via Couch Gymnast)

pit foam can be dangerous for gymnasts

Courtney Carignan from Harvard sends a link to an update on the research.

… a new study published online in the journal Environment International, co-authored by School of Public Health researchers, reports that popular gymnastics training equipment contains mixtures of flame-retardant chemicals that have been linked to increased risks of ADHD, cancer, and brain development delays.

The study found higher levels of those chemicals in gymnasts’ urine, indicating that gymnastics-training—specifically, pit cubes found in foam pits—are a source of exposure to toxic flame retardants. …

While prior studies have found high levels of such retardants in the air and dust of gyms, the new study, which analyzed foam pits in 11 US gyms, found that 89 percent of pit cubes sampled contained flame-retardants. …

Managers of the gyms reported that they had been required by local fire marshals to purchase equipment containing flame retardants. …

In the short term, one way that gymnasts can reduce their exposure is by washing their hands with soap and water after practice, rather than just with hand-sanitizer, Carignan said. …

Gymnasts Exposed to Toxic Flame-Retardant Chemicals

gymnastics pit foam

For more information gymnastcollaborative.org

Simone, Gabby, Laurie, Maddie and Aly

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Why I Hate the F Word

Miss Val:

This past year the UCLA Gymnastics team set a goal to win the National Championship. We finished 5th.

It doesn’t equate to failure. It means we didn’t perform well enough to earn enough points to take first place.

Facts: We finished higher than we’d been ranked all year. We hit 48 for 48 routines at the NCAA championships. We stuck more landings in those two meets than we did all season. We reached the pinnacle of Coach Wooden’s pyramid of Success – Competitive Greatness: “to be able to be your best when your best is needed.” …

Why I Hate the F Word

Miss Val

why Gabby will do the AA in Rio

Lauren Hopkins:

… Gabby was fifth at nationals last year and yet did the all-around – ahem, and won the world silver all-around medal – because she was a lock for a bars spot just like she is this year.

With Madison likely going up only on bars, it means the other four will all do vault, beam, and floor in qualifications, so Gabby getting a bars spot in addition to those three events automatically makes her an all-arounder. It’s literally that simple. …

You Asked, The Gymternet Answered

In a recent interview Kyle Shewfelt projected Simone, Gabby and Laurie in the AA. Aly to compete only 3 apparatus. That’s the most likely final decision … assuming all 4 are healthy and ready for prelims.