tumbling, tramp, diving, acrobatics, circus, cheer, dance, martial arts, X sports … and more
With Bruno Grandi retiring, there are two candidates in the running for FIG President: Georges Guelzec (FRA) and Morinari Watanabe (JPN). Guelzec runs the European Gymnastics Union while Watanabe is Secretary General of the Japan Gymnastics Association.
Guelzec is well known worldwide. Watanabe is not. He did not declare until the last minute.
Read Watanabe’s campaign pitch.
At Canadian Nationals, Mike Burns remarked that forward pirouette is a very risky skill. You can easily suffer a 0.3 deduction on an A-part. 😦
Click PLAY or watch a breakdown of angle deductions on YouTube.
NBC is doing something interesting in advance of Olympic Trials.
related – Lauren Hopkins will be a research assistant for NBC through the Olympics. They should be better informed than any time in the past. 🙂
Watch Senior WAG here. (3 hours)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BGRv3QPkxxD/
(via Fans of Canadian Gymnastics on Facebook)
Click PLAY or watch the Champ on Facebook.
I’m no boxing fan. But Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson are two of the very best athletes I can name in all sports.
Even more than his sporting achievements, I admired his brave personal stance as a conscientious objector. He strenuously opposed the Vietnam war.
Click PLAY or watch it on Facebook.
Emily Little and Lauren Mitchell will be alternates.
After years of training and dedication three Australian gymnasts have been named to compete at the Rio Olympic Park in August. Rhythmic gymnast Danielle Prince will make her Olympic debut, while trampolinist Blake Gaudry and artistic gymnast Larrissa Miller get the chance to build on their London 2012 performances. …
related – Japanese Olympic Team has been named | 2016 All-Japan Event Championships Results
Romania will send either Cata or Larisa Iordache. Both wonderful. Either would have a good chance for finals.
Larisa is the better gymnast. And I assumed Larisa would end up being the Olympian.
But Larisa is not competing. (Hand injury.) Cata is. And very successfully.
Click PLAY or watch her Floor on YouTube.
Click PLAY or watch her Beam on YouTube.
I recently heard a great Ponor story. While training in Puerto Rico, she climbed on to the Beam. Did not fall or jump down for 55 minutes. 🙂
The Art of Gymnastics blog posted a thoughtful overview on the perception of Chinese gymnasts in Western media and general gymnastics fans.
Coaches and judges love Chinese gymnastics, especially Bars & Beam. Every insider I know feels China will be amongst the top 3 teams in Rio.
But I would agree that popular western media a bit unbalanced in coverage.
Read the post for yourself – Body Bias and Micro-Aggression: A Case Study in Lopsided Scrutiny
Shang Chunsong is used as an example. Shang is listed at 1.40m (4 ft 7 in), 35kg (77 lb).
There are many Chinese women this small. Shang’s not underage.
If Bela Karolyi or anyone else hints that she’s underage, he should be called out.
That said, China has deliberately cheated in the past. I’m more suspicious of that nation than others. (I’m more suspicious of Russia as a nation than others when it comes to doping, as well.)
Thanks Cordelia.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 