Author: Rick Mc

From Bea & Blythe. SURPRISES at podium training:

team: Sweden, so improved!

… Roxana Popa of Spain. I’d never heard of her before, but she’s one of five gymnasts I’d shortlist for the all-around title.

… Kim Singmuang‘s full twisting double layout off bars. And the prospect of her having a double double!

Click PLAY or watch Kim’s Bars on YouTube.

Kim’s improved greatly since 2011. (VIDEO)

Top three teams and why: Italy, Russia, Romania. Though maybe not in that order. …

Top three all-around and why: Maria Kharenkova (RUS), Roxana Popa (ESP), Elisa Meneghini (ITA). Not necessarily in that order. Honorable mention: Noemie Makra (HUN) and Enus Mariani (ITA). …

Coach of the day: Cristian Moldovan, ROM. Lovely to see him being a great mentor to the young Romanians, showing corrections with kindness, gently lifting spirits and demonstrating that he was there every step of the way.

Examiner – B & B’s Junior Europeans podium training summary

The 2004 Olympic Floor Champ signed on as a spokesperson with I’ve Been Bullied.

Kyle Shewfelt grew-up much smaller than the other boys.

‘WIMP’, ‘Pansy’, ‘Homo’..were all words he would hear regularly, causing him to cry on occasion. At six he began gymnastics and continued to receive name calling for his choice in athletic sports. This bullying only made Kyle push harder.

He refused to be known as a wimp, so he continued training in gymnastics and forced himself to become tougher. …

If you want to help eradicate bullying, click over to Facebook photo and SHARE.

Kyle’s not gay. But suffered bullying from homophobes.

Happily, I think things are changing for the better. At least in some parts of the world.

Josh Dixon came out publicly while competing for Stanford, I think. He’s now at the USOTC in Colorado Springs commenting:

… he has not had a single negative response “in any way, shape or form.” If anything, the only homophobia he has encountered has been from within himself. He acknowledges he once felt internal pressure about being a gay man in what some label the “gay sport” of gymnastics. He didn’t want to fall into a stereotype. But he’s come to embrace it, and he says his sexual orientation now makes him stand out more at the elite level. …

Out Sports

Victoria Moors is credited with linking to this photo.

I think so. They are certainly the favourites on the Men’s side. Check out the guys named alternates.

Kohei Uchimura
Kazuhito Tanaka
Koji Yamamuro
Ryohei Kato
Yusuke Tanaka

Surprisingly, missing from this team are Makoto Okiguchi, Kenya Kobayashi and Shogo Nonomura.

Full Twist – Kohei Uchimura leads Japans 2012 Olympic Team

Both Tanaka boys on the Team. Sister Rie will be in London, as well.

RedNasvw trying some unusual special effects.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Says Andres Montoya:

Jordan Jovtchev’s competed something like 15 Olympics and 37 World Championships. Something like that. 🙂

Here’s Jotchov’s excellent Ring Strength Training VIDEO.

via @TumblTrak and Luke Wiwatowski

Seriously difficult.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The Kaboom action tends to kill your rotation.

Geoffrey Taucer only gives him 3 1/2.

(via The Gymnast Life)

It was an honour to be one of the coaches for Team Saskatchewan at the Western Canadian Championships this year.

A special thanks to 8 girls from Gymnastics Adventure who represented so well.

We’re headed home today. Training for 2013 starts at 3pm.
🙂

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

(via Trampoline Pundit)

I’ve been researching best conditioning exercises to add to our current program.

Female gymnasts do too many full range leg raises, in my opinion. I do like leg raises to and from L-sit position. These are even better.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

… To progressively ease into the challenge of Russian Leg Lifts, the descent may also be performed in a tuck, flat tuck, straddle or half lay in addition to the layout or straight body demonstrated in the video clip below. You may also want to consider using the same position during the ascent …

Gymnastic Bodies