Author: Rick Mc

Couch Gymnast:

… Bea Gheorghisor gives a comprehensive look at the Romanian training during the morning’s podium training session as well as video of the girls training. It seems that Romanian are competing as expected, strong on their pet events; beam and floor, while bars is still lacking …

Bars

When the Romanian gymnasts arrived for podium training yesterday, it was Diana Bulimar, Raluca Haidu, Larisa Iordache and Sandra Izbasa who stepped up and trained uneven bars. The most consistent in this rotation was Larisa Iordache. She managed three or four full sets with only minor form breaks. Diana Bulimar was pretty steady as well. Her form though, was not as consistent: she sometimes hits every handstand, has great straight elbows but other times she pikes her body a little bit and loses the rhythm. You can see that she is struggling to overcome this. Raluca Haidu, on the other hand has much better form but looked the most inconsistent of the three. She had issues especially on her Giant 1/2 to Jaeger. Sandra Izbasa did train bars as well – in her usual style, a bit slow with some form breaks but nothing big. She dismounts with a double twist. …

Romanian Podium Training Report and Video

Diana Chelaru is there, perhaps just observing the competition.

TAA linked to an interesting interview with Head Coach Octavian Bellu.

It may be a close Team competition. Romanian consistency vs Russian brilliance.

(via Pushy Queen)

A very cool documentary. Who knew Thailand had Cheer?

In 2011 Thailand tied for 1st place in the Cheerleading World Championships. They are the first international team to hold this title. Unfortunately due to a national disaster in Thailand, the team will not be able to defend their championship on 4/26/2012. See what it takes to be the World Champion.

Click PLAY or watch the trailer on YouTube.

You can watch the entire documentary online for $8.

Thanks Monica.

It looked bad when the Chinese #1 AA was carried out of National Championships in China after a fall on Vault. But reports are she’s OK. But not competing, as a precaution.

Yao is the first Beam routine in a recently posted FIG FX / Beam highlights video from Tokyo Worlds 2011.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (28min)

A couple of carefully edited clips from the April Women’s National Team Camp at Karolyi Ranch.

Click PLAY or watch Price’s Bars on YouTube.

Click PLAY or watch Finnegan’s Beam on YouTube.

Alexa Ainsworth:

… Men’s Qualifier in Colorado Springs on Saturday, where he posted an impressive 91.750 to top the field.

… Orozco appears to have rebounded from a difficult showing at the American Cup in March, where he finished a disappointing fifth. In addition to the highest all-around score in Colorado Springs, the 2011 U.S. bronze medalist also finished first on pommel horse, parallel bars and high bar and was top-4 on floor, rings, and vault. It is the 15.150 on pommel horse and his consistency across all six events that make him a near lock for the five-man London Olympic Team.

… The 19-year-old’s biggest domestic competition, Danell Leyva, competed on floor, vault, and parallel bars at the qualifier and was competitive with Orozco on those events – finishing first on vault, second on parallel bars and sixth on floor. …

read more on NBC

Aside from Europeans, the biggest topic online is the coaching situation at Georgia: Jay Clark‘s departure.

Aunt Joyce, back blogging for the Olympics, posted the most detailed analysis I’ve seen. His opinion:

… Jay was given enough time to prove himself as a coach and the results continually returned the same year after year. …

Whoever inherits the program will have to go big or go home. The boosters, the university and the gymnasts will be eager to make a big splash …

Was Jay Clark Given Enough Time?

I’d probably have given Jay one more year to qualify through to the Super 6. Georgia looked good this year.

I’m not at all sure they’ll get a better replacement, no matter how high the salary offered.

Suzanne Yoculan has said online that she’s not interested in coming back.

Reigning Olympic Rhythmic champion Yevgeniya Kanayeva is a superstar in Russia.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

(via Zhenya Kanaeva Gymnasium)

At the Western Canadian Gymnastics Championships technical meeting, B.C. proposed to host a future “Westerns” in Las Vegas.

• rejuvenate the competition
• average cost / participant could be lower
• insurance seems to be inexpensive (that surprises me)
• hotel rooms as inexpensive as $40 / night
• 3rd Level Consulting / Frank Sahlein would help organize. He’s a pro.

Many spoke against the proposal:

• Western Canadian Championships should be in Western Canada
… Tony Smith countered, suggesting a name change. American gymnasts could be invited.

• Passports and “letters from parents” would be required

• USAG membership might be required

Personally, I feel it’s worth exploring a more detailed proposal. I’d love to try it.

Many of the Western Canadian clubs already compete in the USA. In fact, the Great West Gym Fest two years ago hosted a “Canadian division”, exclusively Canadians at a competition in the USA.

Ontario has used a competition in Mexico as a “trial” for their Provincial team.

The proposal was pushed forward to the Gymnastics Canada Annual General Meeting in June.

Leave a comment if you have a strong opinion.

May 4-6th Burlington, Ontario.

Canada’s largest women’s gymnastics invitational, 1500 athletes, concluded this weekend.

More information on their Facebook page.

Big things are planned for next year, their 25th annual.

Thanks Jenna.

Our Team Saskatchewan had a good Western Canadian Championships.

original photo on Facebook

But the girls at my club concede that Team Alberta danced the most at the “Beat Board Bash”.

Alberta wins the Dance.