Author: Rick Mc

Not many gymnasts look as good as Vasiliki. In anything.

The Greek Olympic Committee and Adidas have presented the Official Greek Sportswear for the London Olympics …

GYMMIN’ MIEL

Greece will field about 100 athletes in London, despite their economic problems.

… doesn’t exactly sound like the smartest idea, especially when there’s knives and fire involved, but I can assure you we are fully capable. Last week we all made lamb steaks with mint snow peas and cherry tomatoes. It was a delightfully refreshing change to our weekly schedule. …

Olivia Vivian – Australian WAG Olympic Preparation Camp Update #2

American girls complaining about Marta’s Ranch should be informed that Peggy’s Camp for the Aussie Olympic Team is 4-5 weeks long!

Shun Fujimoto represented Japan at the 1976 Summer Olympics, where he won gold in the team competition.

Fujimoto achieved fame by continuing to compete in the team event right after breaking his knee during the floor exercise. He scored 9.5 on the pommel horse and 9.7 on the rings with a broken knee …

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

… Later, when asked whether he would do what he did again, he replied frankly, “No, I would not.”

I ask gymnasts to NEVER hide injuries from their coach.

When in danger, this spider literally turns into a wheel and does cartwheels away from danger! …

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

That’s the way it looks.

Stoica’s given him a week or so to prove readiness. He could yet be added to the competing team.

Romanian Teams for London:

… Catalina Ponor, Larisa Iordache, Sandra Izbasa, Diana Bulimar and Raluca Haidu — is identical to the one that won gold at May’s European Championships in Brussels, while the men will be represented in London by Flavius Koczi, Ovidiu Buidoso, Marius Berbecar, Cristian Bataga and Vlad Cotuna.

The team’s first alternates are Diana Chelaru and Marian Dragulescu, respectively. But before we say this team is set in stone, it should be noted that this seems like more of a nominative team than anything else …

Examiner

No doubt this weekend’s competition in Bucharest will factor large in deciding the women’s Team line-up for Olympics.

Canada’s best Olympic apparatus finals candidate is Victoria on Floor.

This is a very cool montage.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Twitter: @CSaccullo
FB page: http://www.facebook.com/CSacculloEdits

Has anyone crunched the numbers on Team GBR?

Based on the final trial competition, seems Dan could have been considered on 5 of 6 apparatus for the 3-up, 3-count Team Final

Before NOT being selected to the competing Team, Dan was quite optimistic that he’d get the nod:

… British Championships at the Echo Arena in Liverpool which also served as the final trial for the Olympic team selection and WHAT A WEEKEND IT WAS!!!

In my first All Around competition since returning from my ankle injury I produced a near perfect competition and walked away with five medals including 2 Gold and 3 Bronze. …

Daniel Keatings’ blog for Opus Energy Challenge

He’s about as angry as a classy gentleman can be.

BBC – London 2012: Gymnast Daniel Keatings admits omission anger

Examiner – British name men’s Olympic team, and Daniel Keatings misses out

The good news?

Dan’s planning on training for Rio. And proving the Olympic selectors wrong.

Louis had better win a medal on Pommels. If not, the selectors may have been proved wrong.

A few photos of my visit to Byers, California, July 3rd.

See more facility photos on the Byers website.

It’s the home of coaching legend Mas Watanabe (DVDs).

I posted a few video clips.

Thanks Debbie. Thanks Eli.

And thanks to the entire staff. It was a treat to finally see your terrific gym.

My visit was sponsored by Tumbl Trak. 🙂

The IOC posted this Olympic athlete montage featuring Muse’s London 2012 official song, Survival.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The Olympics truly are the greatest sporting spectacle. Professional sports to me are boring entertainments, by comparison.

(via Mashable)

Claudine sent me a link to a photographers blog called fstoppers. Pros were unimpressed with the quality of some of the work from the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Media Summit in Dallas last May.

Something’s lacking in this pic. 🙂

see more good bad shots – These Photos Of The 2012 United States Olympic Team Have Hit A Nerve With The Public

more links on this topic – Solstice – Outrage Over The Photographs Of The United States Olympic Team

Some of the shots from that event were excellent, of course.

Update:

… The photographs were taken by Joe Klamar, and they are not good. Klamar was evidently on assignment for AFP … and the photos were then distributed by Getty Images …

Klamar is an award-winning Czech photographer. …

Slate – The World’s Ugliest Photograph of Michael Phelps

Somebody needs to be monitoring the Getty feed. Obviously.