Author: Rick Mc

Career gymnastics coach who loves the outdoors, and the internet.

Yoder’s story

A real shot at an Olympic medal, Alec is finally getting the respect he’s deserved all along.

Click PLAY or watch it on Twitter.

talking about the ‘gymternet’

Fans are Fanatics.

We once had to rely on “mainstream media” to cover Gymnastics.

A few TV channels. International Gymnast magazine.

Sports Illustrated … every 4 years.

The situation for fans (and coaches) is much better today.

YOU and anyone online can post your own opinions the sport at no cost. And you might find an audience.

I recall when non-gymnast Spencer Barnes launched The Balance Beam Situation.

Instantly it was my #1 source of information on NCAA Gymnastics.

On the down side, every #hater, #troll and #bully can get online, as well.

Check an AP (mainstream media) article:

The ‘gymternet’: gymnastics’ devoted, sometimes toxic fans

GymCastic’s Jessica O’Beirne interviews Mandy Mohamed in Tokyo

Simone withdrew from Vault & Bars

MyKayla Skinner will replace her on Vault.

Melanie de Jesus dos Santos will go in on Bars.

Suni Lee to Auburn

The past 4 American Olympic champions did not compete in the NCAA.

They went PRO, disqualifying them from College.

So far Sunisa Lee plans to report to Auburn on August 11th.

“I do want to go to college and have fun and kind of get away from this elite atmosphere just because it’s so, like, crazy,” Lee said. “And I know that college is going to be way better.”

The transition should be easy. Lee’s longtime coach Jess Graba and Auburn coach Jeff Graba are twin brothers.

Jeff Graba doesn’t see why Lee can’t go to school while enjoying the trappings that come with being a multiple-medal winner in one of the Olympics marquee sports. …

Time permitting, she should be able to make just as much money as she would have normally made.” …

Olympic champ Sunisa Lee still focused on college, not fame

Smart.

As Jessica O’Beirne pointed out, Suni will have non-stop attention from the media while competing College.

Exactly what sponsors are looking for.

Olympic Trampoline Champion Zhu Xueying

🥇 Zhu Xueying CHN 56.635
🥈 Liu Lingling CHN 56.350
🥉 Bryony Page GBR 55.735

Full results.

Two-time defending Champ Rosie Maclennan finished 4th.

Hardy Fink – Be Gymnast Centered

I highly recommend this presentation.

Gymnastics is under review worldwide. We hear much about the problems.

Hardy Fink offers solutions.

Hardy has attended more World Championships & Olympics than anyone else. He’s the principle author of the FIG Age Group Programmes for all disciplines. And he’s led more FIG coach education courses worldwide than anyone else.

We should listen and learn.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (49min)

gymnasts commiserate with Simone

Mental blocks are common in Gymnastics.

Simone’s could not have popped up at a worse time.

The one upside of all this publicity is preventing future injuries.

Every gymnast will remember the time the G.O.A.T. withdrew from the Olympics rather than risk getting lost in the air.

Gaar Adams , for example, trained at the Gym that produced the Hamm brothers:

… I tried to push myself past a “twisties” block at the end of one practice in September 2001.

Lost in the air, I fell on my neck and required spinal surgery, a halo brace and four months in a hospital bed.

A shade away from quadriplegia at the age of 13, my dreams of pursuing collegiate and elite gymnastics were over. …

The twisties: My gymnastics career may not have ended in hospital if I’d had a role model like Simone Biles

I’ve seen over a dozen similar stories recounted over recent days.

Victoria Moors, for example.

If it can happen to Simone, it can happen to anyone.