Author: Rick Mc

… Rodionenko considers the U.S. team the main threat to the Russians at the Olympics.

… Alexander Alexandrov, named the four countries likely to compete for medals: the U.S., China, Romania and Russia. But I believe that the Americans are our main rivals.

Three of the total five spots on the team have already been assigned. Head coach Andrei Rodionenko has announced that Viktoria Komova, Aliya Mustafina and Anastasia Grishina have already been confirmed …

We’ll know more after next week’s Russia Cup in Penza. Keeping the top girls healthy is highest priority, I’m sure.

… Alexandrov described the daily routine of Russian female gymnasts at their training camp at Lake Krugloye. With school already over for the summer, training for the London Olympics is in full swing. The athletes get up at 7:30 a.m., and after some warm-up exercises, they go out for a walk or a jog. A half-hour later, they have their breakfast, and at 10 a.m. sharp their first training session begins; it lasts for about 2.5 hours. Then they take a break, do some recovery exercises, and have some personal time. Their second training session lasts from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., followed by massage and personal time. They have no second training sessions on Thursdays. They turn in at 10:30 p.m., and have a day off, just like everyone else, on Sundays. …

Russia Beyond the Headlines – Training for Olympics in full swing

Rewriting Russian Gymnastics links to the latest issue of Gymnastika online. (Russian)

related – Alfosov and Rodionenko speak – men’s team selection

Thanks Alan.

DVORA MEYERS has another good article on Deadspin, explaining to the general public the issue of body type in women’s Artistic Gymnastics. Shawn and Nastia are used as examples.

… “In America, we’ll score the stocky, athletic builds normally,” 1996 Olympic gold medalist Dominique Dawes said, in response to Johnson’s comments. “Internationally, there still remains a stigma to that type of body type.”

Given Johnson’s success, it’s hard to make the case that she has suffered much under-scoring internationally—she won nearly every senior meet she entered in 2007 and 2008—and many similarly built gymnasts have also fared well in competition, including Mary Lou Retton and 1991 World Champion Kim Zmeskal. …

“Athletic” Shawn Johnson Retires: How Gymnastics Talks About Bodies In Code

Do you need the “international look” (rail thin) to be competitive in London?

In 2012 there’s less stigma than ever before. It’s far more advantageous to be built like Shawn than Nastia in an open-ended Code. Ask the Chinese coaches.

Highest difficulty score will usually beat highest execution score. Regardless of body type. Good leg and foot form has never been less rewarded than in this cycle.

related – response on Rewriting Russian Gymnastics – ‘The Artistry Fallacy’

The latest from Ws van Wijk. A great preview of what’s to come at Olympics. Rock out to ACDC.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Is it possible to do better than this?

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

From Nick Blanton.

… At 24, the Beijing captain was already on borrowed time, competing against gymnasts in their mid-teens for a spot on her second Olympic team. Then, eight months ago, she blew out her right Achilles, a devastating injury made that much worse for its timing.

“I’ve been to one Olympics and I would love to go to another,” Sacramone said Wednesday, two days before she returns to competition at the U.S. gymnastics championships.

“If all things work out, great. If not, I went down giving it a hell of a shot.” …

NANCY ARMOUR – Neither injuries nor age can slow Sacramone

I don’t know anything about this troupe. Some interesting stuff, though.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (8min)

Not bad.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Can she pull that out end of routine?

… I wish she’d gone back to double layout.

Somebody calculated Nastia’s routine at 16.5 start. Or 16.6. A hit routine with that dismount would easily put her in contention for the Bars “specialist”.

Here’s the full routine without the dismount. (VIDEO)

Grace Chiu GraceClick on Facebook:

Junior AA Top 16 results from the Salamun Memorial in Maribor, Slovenia with Team Canada sweeping the podium! Bravo Girls!

1. Shallon Olsen 55.20
2. Victoria-Kayen Woo 52.80
3. Rose-Kayen Woo 52.00

Kick open that front.

via Pushy Queen

Talk about tearing your Achilles in training at 2011 Worlds.

In Japan, I was in a good amount of pain. We were actually testing out different methods of tape to try and alleviate my Achilles pain. I woke up one day and something just felt off. I was actually doing a dismount off beam and I was like, I think I’m going to tear my Achilles today. It hurt so bad. Second pass on my floor routine I just hear this pop and I landed flat on my back. I looked around and I was like, I think I broke the floor. Does somebody want to check this? Everybody pauses because they heard it over the music. It was that loud. They’re humoring me, checking the floor, but I was like, oh man. It’s my Achilles. I know it. I flew back to the states two days later and had surgery. …

That’s from a profile piece by NBC – Getting to know Alicia Sacramone

I first became a fan of Alicia Sacramone at Visa Championships oh so long ago. She’s larger than life in person. Dominating the gym with personality.

related – Beam training VIDEO

related – Chellsie (not competing) has signed on for the post-Olympics Kellogg’s Tour of Gymnastics Champions

Jessica Savona is expert, having recovered from two anterior cruciate ligament tears in her career. She said the second was easier, having learned how best to do it during the first.

2010 World Champion Aliya Moustafina is back, but not yet with the level of confidence that she showed pre-injury.

Now Peng Peng Lee is in the process, getting her knee back for College gymnastics.

The Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy just released an issue specifically focusing on the knee. One of the main themes was ligament rehabilitation. They posted some grim statistics from a recent meta-analysis that only 63% of ACL repairs continue on to their pre-injury level of function and that only 44% of these athletes go on to become competitive again. They also quote that the odds of reinjuring the same knee or the opposite knee after surgery range from 3% to 49%. …

EAT. MOVE. IMPROVE. – The Dreaded ACL Tear – Rehab Protocols from JOSPT and Solutions for Coaches and Trainers

Sounds grim.

… On the other hand, ultra-fit and young Artistic gymnasts are far outside norms when it comes to rehabilitation. If they are motivated, they can be back close to 100% within a year.

Ask Savona.

All 3 I mention happened to be injured vaulting twisting Yurchenko on FIG approved competition matting. Is it time to reassess those landing mats?