Author: Rick Mc

Biles’ father, Ronald Biles, said in a statement issued Thursday through USA Gymnastics that Biles and her coach, Aimee Boorman, will be moving to another gym from Bannon’s Gymnastix in Spring, where she has trained since age 6.

“Simone got her start in gymnastics at Bannon’s Gymnastix, and what she has learned there is the foundation for her achievements in gymnastics,” Biles said. “We appreciate everything that Bannon’s has done for Simone.

“However, we believe for her future growth and development that this is the time for us to make a change. … We are in the process of finalizing where she will be training while she recovers from her shoulder injury.” …

Luis Brasesco, who owns Bannon’s, was not immediately available for comment. Brasesco assisted Boorman, who accompanied Biles on international competition trips, with coaching on vault and uneven bars.

Biles, who will celebrate her 17th birthday on March 14, won the USA Gymnastics all-around title and the International Gymnastics Federation all-around title in 2013 during her first year as a senior competitor.

She was scheduled to compete this weekend at the American Cup meet in Greensboro, N.C., but withdrew last week because of injury.

blog.chron.com

Balance Beam Situation:

… it’s time to think about the all-around. The NCAA all-around title is a bit like the ugly cousin who is forced to live in the attic and be silent when visitors come around (you know, like you have). No one is really allowed to talk about it or acknowledge caring about it because that might make it seem like they are putting personal goals above the team (THE HORROR!), but the quest for the all-around title is an exciting battle this year that I’m eager to keep an eye on more than I have been in most years …

So, who are the frontrunners?

1. Bridget Sloan – Florida
2. Rheagan Courville – LSU
3. Katherine Grable – Arkansas
4. Kytra Hunter – Florida
5. Georgia Dabritz – Utah
6. Emily Wong – Nebraska
7. Joanna Sampson – Michigan
8. Tory Wilson – Utah
9. Jessie Jordan – LSU
10. Alaina Johnson – Florida
11. Kristina Vaculik – Stanford
12. Jessie DeZiel – Nebraska
13. Lindsay Mable – Minnesota
T14. Caitlin Atkinson – Auburn
T14. Sarah DeMeo – Alabama
16. Brittany Rogers – Georgia

read the fine print on BBS

@KatherineGrable

28-30 March 2014, Liverpool

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The 2nd annual GymConUSA, an independent conference designed for Coaches, Club Owners and Industry Professionals, goes June 16-18, 2014 at the Mirage Resort in Las Vegas.

Cirque du Soleil will offer GymConUSA 2014 attendees a special once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a stage visit to The Beatles LOVE on the opening day of the conference. Later that evening, attendees will have the opportunity to be part of the audience for the live performance at 9:30 p.m.

A member of the casting and coaching teams from Cirque du Soleil will also be among the featured presenters at the conference on Tuesday, June 17th. The session will include a look at preparing for a career with Cirque du Soleil and an inside perspective from an Artistic coach.

Other speakers confirmed so far include Shannon Miller, Gina Pongetti, Jeff Lulla, Rick McCharles, Tammy Biggs and Frank Salhein.

Click PLAY or watch the Beatles LOVE trailer on YouTube.

Register soon to get the best possible prices on conference, resort and Cirque tickets. GymCon is a bargain when compared with what you get at USAG Congress events.

GymConUSA.com

Terrible. Terrible.

A former German Olympian killed his son before committing suicide on Tuesday, multiple German media outlets reported.

Jürgen Brümmer, a member of the West German gymnastics team at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, reportedly killed his disabled 15-year-old son before jumping to his own death off a bridge. …

The former gymnast was a nine-time West German champion and a member of the West German squad that finished eighth at the 1987 World Championships, 12th at the 1988 Olympics and 10th at the 1989 Worlds. business website, he worked with gymnasts, handball players and soccer players since establishing his own practice in 1997 in Stuttgart.

Brümmer, 49, is survived by his wife and another son, aged 16.

IG – Tragedy Strikes Family of Former German Olympian

Garth Rowan:

Here are 9 of the most critical Olympic traits that the rest of us could apply in a crisis:

1) Confidence

That elusive factor that everyone strives for but few can conjure up at will. The fallacy is thinking that someone else can give it to us. Far from it; not even the best coach can hand us that secret. It comes from within, it’s about getting the small things going well and building from there. …

2) A Support network

3) The road map

4) Stay in the “Now”

5) Self assessment

6) Mental toughness

7) Preparation routine

8) Purposeful practice

9) Grab the best behaviour

Crisis Intelligence Blog – Lessons for critical communications from the Sochi Olympics

Darya Domracheva became Belarus’ most successful Olympian of all time on Monday with victory in the biathlon 12.5-kilometer mass start, her record third gold medal of the Sochi Winter Games.

McKayla Maroney, meet your Winter Olympics counterpart, Ashley Wagner. … Team USA figure skater …

As a disappointing score of 63.10 was posted, Wagner’s expression changed from excitement to disgust. …

Mashable – Ashley Wagner’s Angry Face Inspires Olympics Meme

Jeff Robinson:

Before anybody begins to panic…Yes, it has been proposed that up to thirteen sports are to be cut at the U.S. Air Force Academy and Men’s Gymnastics is among the sports to potentially be cut. That being said, it hasn’t happened yet. As I understand it, we will know more on March 4. This is the date that has been given for the Air Force Academy budget to be solidified. Many different scenarios / drills have been proposed by our Athletic Dept. to bring the budget into proper balance. …

read more …

LIKE the Protect Air Force Men’s Gymnastics Facebook page.

related – Save Air Force Academy Women’s Gymnastics

Josh Levin:

This is the enduring image of the Sochi Games:

Russia’s Adelina Sotnikova with her palms facing the ceiling, imploring the crowd to cheer her on during the women’s free skate. The home fans complied, helping to lift Sotnikova to a controversial victory over South Korea’s Yuna Kim. Take a closer look at that iconic photo, and you’ll see something else besides Sotnikova’s sly grin. The 17-year-old gold medalist is wearing flesh-colored fabric in three different places: on her upper torso, her hands, and her legs.

The International Skating Union requires that costumes “be modest, dignified, and appropriate for athletic competition” and “not give the effect of excessive nudity.” Griffies uses a stretchy, translucent fabric called nude mesh; he prefers it to the alternative, nude lycra, because it allows you to see a skater’s muscle tone. …

What about the nude gloves that Sotnikova was wearing? Griffies, who was a competitive figure skater before he moved into fashion, explains that most triple-toe-loopers wear gloves in practice to stay warm, as well as to prevent cuts and scrapes (which can arise from falling on the ice or grabbing your blade during a spin). It feels strange to compete without them, Griffies says, so many skaters go with flesh-colored gloves, which make them feel comfortable but don’t distract the judges. …

Sotnikova completed her flesh-colored look with a set of over-the-boot tights. Griffies hates that look—he prefers the classic feel of a bright white skate. (So does Gracie Gold.) Sotnikova and other skaters wear those “OTB tights” for a bunch of reasons: because they supposedly make their legs look longer …

Nude Mesh vs. Nude Lycra: Figure Skating’s Faux-Nudity Secrets Revealed

Hate it. 😦