Rick Mc

only 7000 gymnasts in China

Canadian coach Liang Cheng is taking western style Gymnastics back to China. He set up his first club in 2012. And Inspire Sports is expanding.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. English language instruction.

Some in China feel mass participation clubs are needed.

Wang Tongjie, director of gymnastics at China’s General Administration of Sport:

… There are only 7,000 registered Chinese gymnasts, Wang said. The United States — with a population only one-fourth of China’s — has nearly 150,000 competing gymnasts at all levels. …

Team China is covered for now.

The future is not so certain.

“What we have is about to become broken, but the new system is yet to be established,” Ye said. He points to a former powerhouse that failed to qualify for Rio as a team this year as a tale of caution. “If we don’t change, we will be like Romania.” …

In China, ‘Happy Gymnastics’ replaces grind of strict study

(via Nancy Armour)

Japanese Men’s Olympic team on TV

Japanese TV is pretty goofy.

I highly doubt Uchimura enjoys these kinds of appearances. :-)–

In which the team votes for who they think has the No.1 muscles and No.1 fist-pumps.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

(via Beautiful Moments in MAG)

Dan Purvis out, Louis Smith in

I can see Brinn over Dan. Though it’s risky. Purvis is a proven performer who only just recently showed inconsistency.

Dan Purvis confessed last night he was stunned after suffering a shock axe from the British gymnastics team for next month’s Olympic Games. …

British Gymnastics declined to comment on why Purvis, arguably the squad’s most consistent performers, was cut at the eleventh hour with selectors gambling on Smith to hit top form. …

The National

papaliukin:

… It’s pretty clear to me Brinn’s vault was a deciding factor. Brinn has been competing the Tsuk double pike again (6.0), so that helped his case a lot.

Nile and Dan are the weakest vaulters of the team (both just 5.6) who often have direction and landing issues. It would’ve meant having to put up one of them in team finals if Dan had been on the team. Fortunately for Brinn he has a few other strong events like rings, pommels, and bars. …

Daniel_Purvis_glasgow

Sérgio Sasaki in Rio

Sérgio finished 10th AA at the London Olympics. This video features his comeback from injury in time for the 2016 Olympics. He’ll be a big media story there.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (10min Portuguese)

Mary Lou Retton interview

Click PLAY or watch it on Facebook.

(via Mary Wright)

Vasiliki – Gainer layout

One of the best Beam workers in the world has often struggled with dismounts. She’s switched to layout Gainer.

Click PLAY or watch it on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BH17mcAjbuo/

via papaliukin

Frank Baines – Tejada

GBR could field two men’s teams and both would finish top 8 in Rio.

This is high. Look how long he waits before starting the salto.

Click PLAY or watch it on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BH2MpIBgeW1/
via papaliukin

top 5 AA gymnasts to Rio

Cordelia posted an interesting factoid:

All are aware that the P&G Championships and the US Olympic Team Trials are both qualifying competitions as spelled out in the selection procedures. If you look at the gymnasts AA scores over both competitions this is what you get:

1. Biles 248.25
2. Hernandez 241.65
3. Raisman 240.85
4. Douglas 235.25
5. Kocian 233.5
6. Smith 232.55
7. Skinner 232.1

As it turns out, the Olympic team that was chosen is composed of the top 5 AAers over the two competitions.

Certainly that’s not the only reason the American Olympic team was chosen as it was. They most likely picked top 3 AA … then filled in the best, reliable routines for the team final. I could still see Gabby being replaced if she’s not hitting Bars and Beam very consistently at training camp.

Gabby GK