Author: Rick Mc

In NCAA Gymnastics in particular, I keep hearing people refer to “chest low on landing” deduction.

Yet in the current FIG Women’s Code of Points I see only this reference: Landing faults ~ Body posture fault = 0.1 or 0.3 deduction

An angled chest on landing is not necessarily a “body posture fault”, though it could be. If the impact forces are not safely and smoothly brought to zero, the gymnast can be deducted. Regardless of the angle of the chest.

For example, here’s a good landing that should not be deducted. Check the angle hip to shoulder on first contact.

How many judges are deducting that landing?

None in Men’s Gymnastics. Few in FIG WAG Gymnastics. But in College Gymnastics gymnasts are wrongly penalized, in my opinion. The good lady judges of the NCAA have so few deductions to take, they incorrectly jump on “chest low”.

Leave a comment if you have an opinion on this. Especially if you are a College judge.

Those graphics come from a study by Gittoes, Irwin and Kerwin. Kinematic Landing Strategy Transference in Backward Rotating Gymnastic Dismounts in the Journal of Applied Biomechanics.

related – deduction for “chest low” on landing

Since week #1 I’ve assumed Nastia would win DWTS 2015. It was not to be. 😦

… Olympian Nastia Liukin and five-time mirror ball champion Derek Hough were voted off “Dancing With the Stars” tonight, just one week shy of the season 20 finale. …

‘Dancing With the Stars’ 2015: Nastia Liukin and Derek Hough Cut in Season 20 Semifinals

CrossFit, Inc. is a fitness company founded by Greg Glassman and Lauren Jenai in 2000 …

… workouts incorporate elements from high-intensity interval training, Olympic weightlifting, plyometrics, powerlifting, gymnastics, girevoy sport, calisthenics, strongman, and other exercises.

It is practiced by members of over 10,000 affiliated gyms …

Turns out billionaire owner Greg Glassman, a former gymnast, is outrageously outspoken and unrepentant. Click PLAY or watch a feature on him on CBS.

http://www.cbsnews.com/common/video/cbsnews_video.swf

Criticism:

… websites allege that CrossFit exercise sequences are illogical, random, and lack periodization. Those same blogs allege that CrossFit lacks accreditation standards for trainers …

CrossFit needs to evolve. It needs to become more individualized. Needs to be made safer.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Ironman flying. But for real. 🙂

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (12min)

The future of human flight is clear. … Completely autonomous. …

(via Mashable)

From the Super 6 Team Final.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Ivana’s Bars and Beam were (probably) my favourite routines on both apparatus.

(via Balance Beam Situation)

I really like the Pit Pillow Mat because it is perfect size for just about anything in training, GREAT for any dismount, timers or many drills. We also use it for bars release skills. …

– Liang Chow

I visit about 40 gyms every year. Often I ask the kids: “What’s your favourite soft mat?”

They bring me some old beaten up wreck of a mat that’s normally kept in the pit. It’s soft. Friendly. Perfect for “timers”.

Tumbl Trak can sell you a mat like that. And they are comparatively inexpensive.

I guarantee this mat would get a LOT of use in your facility.

related – Pit Pillow as trampoline throw mat

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

(via Gymnast #391)

Ludivine Furnon (born October 4, 1980 in Nîmes) is a retired Olympic athlete from France. She was the first French female gymnast to ever win a medal at the World Gymnastics Championships.

Although she attended dance classes from the age of eight, Furnon did not study gymnastics until April 1992, when she was eleven years old. …

LIKE her (amazing) photo on Facebook.

Eight Regional Championships with 4 teams at each.

The winner moves on to National Championships.

Eight teams compete day 1. The top 4 compete day 2 for the National title.

I like it. 🙂

According to stats released by the Pac-12 viewership was up 495 percent from the 2013-14 season and Monday viewership was up 280 percent from Monday meets in 2013-14. …

The SEC saw similar results in their broadcasts numbers …

Chris Waller, UCLA’s assistant who is acting as the league’s rep at the meetings May 18-20, is hopeful other schools will support the move, understanding how important it is to be on TV.

“We have this incredible window of opportunity because the TV ratings have exploded,” he said. “We have to make sure we continue that growth and where we aren’t seeing that growth is in the post-season, which should be our biggest meets of the season.” …

Utah gymnastics: Pac-12 coaches push for format change for NCAAs