Author: Rick Mc

Zou Li Min was swept off rocks by a rogue wave. 😦

Mr Zou was well known in the Canberra gymnastics community, having trained senior gymnasts at the Woden Valley Gymnastics Club.

In a statement the club said members had been deeply affected, and sent condolences to Mr Zou’s wife and two children.

“This tragedy has deeply affected everyone at the club, particularly coaches and the senior boys and girls competitive training squads,” the statement said. …

ABC

Zou Li Min was silver medalist on Horizontal Bars at the 1985 World Championships. He’d been coaching in Australia since 1993.

Rest in peace.

VAULT

On vault, the big news is the fact that the Yurchenko layout full (a round-off onto the board, back handspring onto the table and a layout with a full twist) and Yurchenko layout-half have been devalued to start from a 9.95 …

… vaults that are still valued at a 10.0 start value. For example:

Front handspring pike-front half

Tsukahara (cartwheel or half turn entry directly onto the table) layout full or layout half (or Phelps, 1/2 turn to Front Layout)

Yurchenko or Tsukahara tuck 1 1/2

Omelianchik (round-off half turn to front pike) and Podkapaeva (round-off half turn to front tuck 1/2)

Tuck or pike Luconi (round-off backhandspring with a full twist on, back tuck/pike off)

Pike Ilg (front handpring onto board, front pike off)

Handspring 2/1 twist

Click through to College Gym Fans for more.

Originally I’d heard Y 1/1 would not be devalued until 2017. But this document states it will begin January 2016.

Nothing is ratified, as yet. There could be clarifications yet to come.

In my opinion Handspring pike 1/2 is the easiest of the remaining 10.0 vaults.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

(via College Gymnastics Board)

I’ve liked this skill since I saw Yelena compete it at the 1985 Worlds.

It’s weird and interesting.

Click PLAY or watch Shushunova’s original and a variation on YouTube.

Of course finishing the Blind Change before doing the release makes the variation far easier. Neither should or could be called “full twisting Tkachev”. (Ask a gymnast who can actually do a full twisting Tkachev their opinion on Shushunova release.)

Click PLAY or watch the easier version on YouTube. In slow motion.

Note that Yelena’s name is often spelled Shushunova or Schuschunova.

related – Bars: Shushunova vs Monckton

(via Region 5 Insider)

I like this drill better than jumping from boxes as kids of different height can all use the same mini-tramp.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The centre of gravity should be kept as far behind the bar as possible to increase the down swing. Gymnasts can increase the height and distance from the bar on the drop as they get more confident.

I do love that T-Trainer from Tumbl Trak.

Anne Josephson:

James Harrison returned his children’s participation trophies and my Facebook newsfeed blew up with news of the story as well as numerous op ed pieces, most all crediting Harrison for a parenting job well done. …

I want to be clear: I have no problem with the parenting choice Harrison made. In fact, I have huge admiration for his Instagram post.

Not so much for the act of returning the trophies as for these lines “I am very proud of my boys for everything they do and will encourage them till the day I die…” and “I’m not about to raise two boys to be men by making them believe that they are entitled to something just because they tried their best…cause sometimes your best is not enough, and that should drive you to want to do better.”

But I am not convinced that jumping on the “no participation trophy” bandwagon is the way to go. At least without considering the unintended consequences of doing so. …

SHOULD EVERYONE GET A TROPHY?

I tend to agree with Anne. Extrinsic rewards are neither good nor bad. It depends on how they are used.

related – mothering.com – Trophy Kids and the Cycle of Artificial Self-Esteem

… The NACGC/W announced in the summer of 2015 a partnership with RoadToNationals.com (RTN) for the upcoming season. Going forward, RoadToNationals.com will serve as the primary statistical and rankings site for NCAA Women’s Gymnastics and this site is one of the first products of that partnership. …

Road to Nationals

I assume the old Troester GymInfo site will not be updated next season. I much prefer the layout of Road to Nationals. GymInfo still looks like a site from the 1990s.

(via College Gymnastics Board)

Island Gymnastics Academy in PEI brings in a headliner guest coach each summer. This year it’s Kelly Manjak, coach of Olympic Floor Gold medalist 2004 Kyle Shewfelt.

Kelly has coached both WAG and MAG international competitors. At Camp he works with both boys and girls.

Thanks Sharon.

The NFL’s concussion crisis is about to hit the big screen. …

It stars Will Smith as Bennet Omalu, the real Pittsburgh forensic pathologist who first discovered a neurodegenerative disease called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in the brains of football players. CTE is the result of repeated brain trauma over time and causes depression, dementia, and other behavioral changes.

Omalu’s 2002 finding — and the subsequent discovery of CTE in dozens of deceased football players — has transformed the football world, leading many to question whether football can ever be a truly safe sport. …

Will Smith’s new movie “Concussion” terrifies the NFL.

Click PLAY or watch a trailer on YouTube.

Artistic gymnasts land on soft mats and pits. I’ve always assumed our flat back landings and “candle” timers put them at zero risk of brain damage.

But I know of elite coaches who are not so sure.

We need more research.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Donnell already has the most impressive Ring dismount in the world. But he’s still working to upgrade it.

Click PLAY or watch it on Instagram.

 
Someone has competed triple twisting double tuck. Leave a comment if you can recall who that was.