Author: Rick Mc

Awoke to find this stunning edit. Linked by Gymnastics Examiner on Facebook.

Gaah artistic gymnastics is so beautifuuul. I can watch it all day long. Love love love the sport. Watch in HD …

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

One of Uncle Tim’s best posts details 2012 for one of our most entertaining athletes.

2012: The Year in Louis Smith

Louis lost the Olympic Gold medal in a tie breaker to Krisztián Berki. Let’s compare those two routines again.

Berki competes at 14:40. Louis last at 23:15.

Click PLAY or watch the Pommel Final on YouTube. (30min)

Berki wins, in my opinion. More extended swing. Far better single leg and handstand work.

No need to tie those two routines.

Mirela Basescu for Prosport translated by Romanian Gymnastics Fans:

How did you feel about going back to the gym after London?

Bulimar: It was like coming back from holidays. It’s just a normal training stage: you slowly start learning new skills with next year’s competitions already in mind.

Iordache: I had to take in the disappointment after London so it was a bit more difficult for me. I moved on with the help of my coaches and team mates. I’m already thinking about next year’s European and World Championships. I really want to work hard to do better there.

Have you got used to using grips on bars?

Bulimar: Yesss. It took us a while to get used to them – I sometimes have the feeling my hands will slip – but it’s much better now. We know this is in our own best interest, so that we can develop here as well.

Iordache: It’s going good! (smiles)

The future of Team Romania.

related – Octavian Bellu: “The ones who wish to get to Rio, should think that Rio will be tomorrow”

Our surprise Olympic Vault champion is one of our favourite gymnasts.

Mirela Basescu for Prosport translated by Romanian Gymnastics Fans:

… I know there were many discussions around the vault medal, around the fact that I didn’t try something more difficult and I decided to go for safety after Maroney fell. Yes, I could have tried the Cheng Fei vault, I did that in the podium training, the judges saw it. I could have performed it but it would have been an unnecessary risk. I wanted to win gold …

On the worst moment from London: The fact that many people first comforted me for the fall on floor and then congratulated me for the gold medal. …

One how rich a two time Olympic champion is: Rich at heart (laughs). What I experienced, the memories, the unique feelings, those make me happy. Having the anthem played for you and taking Romania with you everywhere means more to me than any financial reward I got after each medal. …

Sandra Izbasa interview

Plenty of laughs in the final podcast of 2012.

It’s a sexist romp with Epke Zonderland “winning” Best Photospread over fellow nudists Louis Smith and Danell Leyva.

Episode 14: The GymCastic 2012 Awards & Wish List

They’ve added a “GymLine” where you can call (415) 800-3191 to leave an audio message or ask a question.

Alternately, Skype “GymCastic Podcast”.

Next week – Little Girls in Pretty Boxes author Joan Ryan.

Linked by Aimer la Nature on Facebook.

Google Translate:

Ana Sofia Gomez, from Guatemala … Pan American Champion 2011, Olympic gymnast reaches this level thanks to her coach Adrian Boboc …

Tommy Ramos, from the island of Puerto Rico, … did a lot during the season 2011 – 2012, achieving great results in World Cups, especially in … rings, embodies the best gymnast GIMNASIALATINA.COM 2012.

Ana Sofia Gomez (GUA) 56.32% (9.261 votes)
Yamilet Peña (DOM) 11.94% (1.963 votes)
Valeria Pereyra (ARG) 9% (1,441 votes)
Barbara Achondo (CHI) 8.62% (1,418 votes)
Alexa Moreno (MEX) 5.43% (893 votes)
Jessica Lopez (VEN) 3.61% (594 votes)
Jessica Gil (COL) 3.38% (555 votes)
Adrian Gomes (BRA) 1.94% (319 votes)

Total Votes: 16.444

Tommy Ramos (PUR) 44.34% (12.208 votes)
Tomas Gonzalez (CHI) 39.32% (10.827 votes)
Federico Molinari (ARG) 7.59% (2,090 votes)
Arthur Zanetti (BRA) 2.21% (608 votes)
Daniel Corral (MEX) 2.06% (567 votes)
Danell Leyva (USA) 1.94% (535 votes)
Jorge Giraldo (COL) 1.63% (449 votes)
Sergio Sasaki (BRA) 0.9% (249 votes)

Total Votes: 27.533

Winners will receive a beautiful memory by CA Gymnastics Grip Inc, a U.S. company that sponsored us throughout this month.

The best gymnasts 2012 (Spanish)

Arthur Zanetti was the controversial Olympic Gold medalist on Rings. Surprising he was not voted #1.

Click PLAY or watch Olympic Rings highlights on YouTube.

Eddie Olsson from Sweden has been posting his favourite Men’s Artistic routines of 2012.

For example, Best of Vault 2012.

Click PLAY or watch Kristian Thomas’ Yurchenko double pike on YouTube.

Click PLAY or watch Uchimura’s flawless Shewfelt on YouTube.

Yeesh. There are a dozen other vaults he could have chose. MAG Vault is the most insane apparatus right now.

This is not a TALENT that we want to encourage. Best practice is to twist all somersaulting skills the same way.

It’s a serious coaching mistake to allow kids to develop Barani Confusion.

But there are some acrobats who can twist both directions.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Johan Hvidemose from Denmark has done triple double in both directions !

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Coming to theaters in the U.S. and Canada December 13, 2013.

The Crash Reel follows the rise and fall of Kevin Pearce’s snowboarding career and exposes the irresistible, yet potentially fatal, appeal of extreme sports.

At his athletic peak, Kevin was known as “the man who could beat Shaun White” in the 2010 Olympics. But his path changed drastically after a training accident in Park City, Utah that left him in a coma with a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

As he struggles with his “new normal”, Kevin finds new successes in life and devotes himself to raising awareness of “invisible injuries”, which are so pervasive in extreme sports today. Stunning action footage shows the drama and the fearlessness behind every trick in intimate detail, making it impossible to ignore the danger that is inherent in these defying moves.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Sarah Burke, a four-time Winter X Games gold medalist, died crashing on the same Half Pipe in 2012. 😦