Author: Rick Mc

I really enjoyed episode 41 of the GymCastic audiocast.

Especially the wide ranging interview with one of the highest potential Juniors in the world, Laurie Hernandez, and her straight talking coach Maggie Haney.

Lauren “Laurie”/ “Baby Shakira” Hernandez turns 16 right before the 2016 Olympic Games. She completely stole the show at the 2012 Secret Classic in Chicago and she’ll be back this weekend.

In our interview she told us her epic wipeout stories, opinion of cutsie routines, which area of The Ranch should be filmed for a TV show [Gymnastike! That question was for you!] and cultivating her signature style.

Her coach, Maggie Haney talks about the pressure of coaching a gymnast who’s routines stop traffic, her difficulty vs execution strategy, the advice Marta Karolyi gave her, teaching her athletes how to lose as well as win, dealing with burnout when she was done racking up perfect 10s at North Carolina State University, giving birth just days before returning to the gym to coach and the appropriate amount of time to keep a floor routine.

Click PLAY or watch her Floor on YouTube.

More than any other American, she reminds me of Courtney McCool. Yet has never trained ballet.

Laurie’s one of the few junior gymnasts that have been named to the U.S. National Team.

Episode 41: Laurie Hernandez & Coach Maggie Haney

You can listen to the interview from that link. And watch recent highlight routines from Brinn Bevan, Maria Kharenkova, Kim Janas and more.

At our annual summer Gymnastics Camp we’ve added a mixed Gymnastics / Parkour set-up outdoors.

Many of the girls did not know what the word Parkour meant.

It’s getting increasingly popular with girls. And it’s good psychological cross training for WAG.

Lynn Jung … with her sisters Daniell and Tamara.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Trampoline goes July 29-31, 2013.

USA sent 13 gymnasts to compete in synchronized trampoline, tumbling, double mini-trampoline and acrobatic gymnastics.

Sounds like there’s some problems with the T & T venue. 😦

Rod Floor to resi.

Click PLAY or watch it on Gymnastike.

http://www.gymnastike.org/embed/ODc0NzE4MTM4?related=1&autoplay=false

Watch more video of 2013 Secret US Classic on gymnastike.org

Nick Blanton:

The closer the springboard is to the Vaulting Table the faster the heels must drive…

Check out this video – this gymnast is experimenting with the board in line with the front of the Table!

Click PLAY or watch it on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/video/embed?video_id=10201778798251146

Scherbo did exactly this. I recall him, at age-17, putting the Spring board UP on to the legs of the old vault horse. Far closer than any other international competitor.

It’s counter-intuitive, but fact is that weak, slow beginners need move the Spring board back. Or lower the horse.

EYOF 2013 Beam Silver – Eythora Thorsdottir from Netherlands 13.800.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

She makes an Onodi wobble look elegant.

via Beautiful Gymnastics – EYOF in a nutshell

Dave Demanty:

Warren Long taught me more than all the many professors I had. His cheerful demeanor in the face of difficulties, his intense curiosity about everything, his great physical skills, his warmth and friendship set a standard that I’ve tried to meet in the years following college. This picture is from the compulsory round of the 1975 NCAAs. — with Warren Long at Indiana State University.

Warren competed for Cal. And was later named to the Canadian 1980 and 1984 Olympic Teams. He was a Vault finalist in Los Angeles.

Today Warren is still in the gym coaching. His son is a gymnast, too.

That was shared with a private Facebook group called NCAA MEN’S GYMNASTICS ALUMNI.

Anna Rose Johnson:

I find it fascinating to look at the list of Olympic gold medal-winning routines over the last 20 years:

2012: Sandra Izbasa (ROM): double-twisting Yurchenko, roundoff half-on, handspring-layout front with full twist

2008: Hong Un Jong (PRK): 2 ½-twisting Yurchenko, roundoff half-on, layout salto with 1 ½ twists

2004: Monica Rosu (ROM): 2 ½-twisting Yurchenko, double-twisting Tsukahara

2000: Yelena Zamolodchikova (RUS): double-twisting Tsukahara, double-twisting Yurchenko

1996: Simona Amanar (ROM): double-twisting Yurchenko, Tsukahara to a layout Arabian front off

1992: Henrietta Onodi (HUN): full-twisting Yurchenko, handspring piked front with a half twist, Lavinia Milosovici (ROM): full-twisting Yurchenko, handspring tucked front with a half twist

read more on Full Twist – Olympic Difficulty Part 1: Vault

Here’s the Olympic Vault Final from London.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Another terrific coaching tutorial from gymneo.tv out of France.

Click PLAY or watch it on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/video/embed?video_id=659672154062866

For the U.S. Secret Classic

… Seven of the seniors come from Texas, with California coming in second with four athletes and a handful of other states only sending one …

Click over to ImPress to Handstand to see where the Juniors train.