Rick Mc

love Laura Jurca

Darling of the European Championships. Second all-around. Charming. And with personality. This girl has a future.

Click PLAY or watch her Beam on YouTube. One section will make you laugh out loud.

Some great photos are featured in this montage linked by Couch Gymnast.

Post by Lotul Feminin de Gimnastica al Romaniei.

TCG Junior Watch: Laura Jurca (March 2013)

Pauline Schäfer – side somi 1/2 on Beam

via @theallaround at European Championships

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

1/4 twist one direction, 1/2 twist back in the other direction.

shutupmckaylasvaulting posted the GIF.

We’ve yet to see anyone compete 3/4 twist in the same direction.

(via GymFever and WOGymnastika)

whither Russia?

Queen E:

I personally think that winning the bronze was a great achievement for this inexperienced team. Aliya Mustafina proved that, even at 50%, she is 100% boss. Kharenkova established herself as a real little scrapper who is now a leader in the team and even in world gymnastics. Even with the unpredictable Komova I doubt Russia would have done much better today; it comes down not so much to the errors that were made, as to the low difficulty rating of those floor exercises. The team needs its Olympians for good floor scores, but they just aren’t available at present, nor perhaps in the future if I am reading Afanasyeva’s rather damning account of the handling of her injury correctly.

I wonder if there will be any fall-out or consequences after this result? No blame should lay at the gymnasts’ feet, they gave their all; only Anna Rodionova perhaps let the team down somewhat, but since when did a Russian team go error free in a team final?

Spiridonova is forgiven her beam error as she did so well elsewhere in her first big assignment. Sosnitskaya, Mustafina and Kharenkova couldn’t have done much more, and I think Mustafina and Kharenkova will both be going all out for gold in tomorrow’s event finals. …

Thoughts

Bronze or Silver was the expected result for Russia competing Yurchenko 1/1 and low difficulty Floor.

But Andrei’s usual line to the press is GOLD is the goal. Always.

Lizzy LeDuc to Philippines?

via Couch Gymnast comes this news:

I'm ranked #1 in the Philippines!! ?

— Lizzy LeDuc (@lizzyleduc) May 15, 2014

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

I’d love to see the Texas gymnast compete for Philippines.

Update. Shergymrag adds to the good Filipino news:

• WOGA’s Ava Verdeflor qualified to represent the Philippines at the Youth Olympic Games.

Claudia Fragapane – Floor

In Team Finals. Even BETTER than prelims. 🙂

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

That’s the most exciting routine at Europeans this year, in my opinion.

via GymFever

Romania, GBR, RUS

European Championships Team Final

Romania 172.754
Great Britain 170.663
Russia 169.329
Germany 166.796
Italy 161.488
Spain 160.921
Belgium 160.728
Switzerland 160.397

Romania kicked off their day with three strong DTY vaults to claim the early lead, which they maintained during the second rotation despite a form break and a near fall from anchor Larisa Iordache on a low-bar handstand. On the balance beam, Munteanu and Iordache wowed the crowd with two-foot bhs, tucked full tumbling series (earning scores of 14.533 and 14.7 respectively) to maintain their first-place rank. A strong showing on the floor, highlighted by Bulimar’s stuck double layout and full-twisting double pike, solidified their rank and secured them the gold.

… (GBR) started off with a clean set on beam but lost a bit of momentum on floor when Ruby Harrold sat down her third tumbling pass. Sitting in third place after two rotations, team GB performed three clean vaults to move ahead of the Russians. Three high-flying bars routines, capped off by Becky Downie’s 14.833, secured them the silver medal. The British team and fans alike were ecstatic with this outcome!

… Spiridonova (RUS) fell on her double tuck dismount and scored a disappointing 12.3 …

read more on Gymnastike

official results

Bea Gheorghisor – 2014: Senior Team Final Results and Report

Stan Lee – Parkour Master

Stan Lee … is an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, media producer, television host, actor, voice actor and former president and chairman of Marvel Comics.

In collaboration with several artists, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Thor, X-Men …

Click PLAY or watch him superhero it up on YouTube.

Pretty good for age-91. 🙂

Thanks to Vadim Golub for the link.

IGHOF inducts Yurchenko, Fie, Yuejiu, Koeste

Today.

Five gymnastics legends will be honored at the 18th annual International Gymnastics Hall of Fame (IGHOF) induction ceremony on Saturday, May 17,2014, at the Petroleum Club in Oklahoma City.

The IGHOF Class of 2014 Inductees are:

Natalia Yurchenko (Russia): 1983 World All-Around Champion, inventor of the Yurchenko vault

Jackie Fie (USA): 1956 Olympian, former President of FIG Women’s Technical Committee

Li Yuejiu (China): China’s first mens World Champion, 1984 Olympic silver medalist

Klaus Koeste (GER, deceased): 3-time Olympian, 1972 Olympic vault champion

The Frank Bare Award will go to renowned TV commentator for ABC Wide World of Sports Gordon Maddux for his important contributions, and promotion of gymnastics. …

IGHOF

Listen to Gordon Maddux colour commentate on Olga Korbut’s Olympic Bars routine. He was the “voice of ABC’s Wide World of Sports from 1964-89” along with Jim McKay.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.