Author: Rick Mc

Kristina Vaculik of Whitby, Ont., won the women’s all around title on the first day of competition Friday at the Elite Canada gymnastics meet.

Vaculik, competing for the first time since helping Canada qualify a full women’s team for the 2012 Olympics last month in England, topped the field on beam, placed second on floor and uneven bars and was sixth on vault for a total score of 56.350 points.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

results

Albert Minguillón i Colomer of THE ALL AROUND might just have more data on more gymnasts than anyone else in the world.

Albert:

… There are 14 gymnasts fighting for 5 Olympic spots. In the reserve group, there are some gymnasts that might join the national team if they improve throughout the year. …

Taking the 5-4-3 format into account; the logical strategy would be to have 2-3 strong all arounders and a couple of specialists.

For me, there are three locks at this point: Emin Garibov, David Belyavskiy and Denis Ablyazin. The first two are 90+ All Arounders with the potential to make event finals in different apparatus. Garibov is an excellent high bar worker; while Belyavskiy could sneak into floor, vault or P-bars finals. What makes both of them so valuable, though, is that they can produce mid-14s routines on pommel horse, an event on which Russia has struggled for a few years now. …

read the detailed GUEST POST on Rewriting Russian Gymnastics

One factoid I learned is that Anton Golotsutskov, Bronze FX and Vault in Beijing, might not make the cut.

A big decision for Rodionenko and the coaches is whether or not to put Team highest priority. It’s a long shot to finish top 3, IMHO.

JPN, CHN, USA, GER, GBR …

If you concede that Bronze, you might be able to carry Golotsutskov who tends to finish 2nd or 3rd on Vault. A LOT.

I hate hearing parents demonized by coaches.

Managing parents is a skill set. A skill set that the majority of coaches could improve.

Many are linking to an article by Bruce E. Brown and Rob Miller on The Post Game:

FIVE SIGNS OF A NIGHTMARE SPORTS PARENT

• Overemphasizing sports at the expense of sportsmanship
• Having different goals than your child
• Treating your child differently after a loss than a win
• Living your own athletic dream through your child

… Many YOUNG coaches are guilty of the same things, by the way.

• Undermining the coach

FIVE SIGNS OF AN IDEAL SPORTS PARENT

• Cheer everybody on the team, not just your child
• Model appropriate behavior
• Know what is suitable to discuss with the coach
• Know your role
• Be a good listener and a great encourager

read more …

Chalk Bucket forum discussion

Right now I’d say the top 3 contenders for the U.S. Olympic team are Gabi Douglas (Bars) and Jordyn Wieber. … Oh, and the next best Bar routine, regardless of AA. (Nastia?)

But Andy Thornton warns that our best guesses this far out often go awry, especially due to injury – Expect the Unexpected: A Look at Past U.S. Olympic Women’s Surprises

related – Examiner – The case for Gabby Douglas (Oct. 2011)

Dominique Moceanu on Facebook posted covers of her soon-to-be-released gymnastics books for kids.

See more covers.

First two books release on April 17, 2012. Books #3 and #4 release on June 19th!

More BIG scores tonight.

NCAA Team rankings will be changing come Monday.

Oklahoma (13-2, 2-0 Big 12) posted its third straight score of 197-plus, and fourth overall, all of which have come away from Norman. OU is the only school in the NCAA to break the 197-mark four times this year, and one of just two schools to break the mark on the road. …

No. 3 OU Defeats No. 16 Tigers, 197.400-196.375

OU head coach K.J. Kindler said they had a slow start tonight!

Auburn had their second-highest score in program history (196.875) in a loss to Florida (197.500):

… There were some changes in the lineup Friday as the Gator coaching staff wanted to give some gymnasts a break and also wanted to see how other routines would score. Florida Head Coach Rhonda Faehn liked what she saw …

Gator Zone

UCLA 196.775 TIED at Oregon State 196.775

With all those hit routines, I’m posting a COMEDY tribute from last season for Avery Gee from Cal*.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

* University of California, Berkeley, is popularly known as “Cal.” Thanks Jody.

Got the news on Facebook from Grace Chiu.

Kristina Vaculik dominates senior women’s AA at Elite Canada.

1. Kristina Vaculik 56.350
2. Brittany Rogers 55.150
3. Victoria Moors 55.050
… full results (PDF)

Savona did not compete but ‘verified’ on 3 apparatus. Peng Peng Lee opted not to compete, training instead for London.

Robert Watson surprise senior men’s AA winner at Elite Canada

1. Robert Watson 84.100
2. Anderson Loran 83.850
3. Hugh Smith 83.150
… full results (PDF)

Teams from London Test Meet were not required to attend. But Nathan Gafuik did 2 apparatus, first on P Bars 14.700. Jackson Payne did 3 events, first on Pommels 14.950. The best kept secret in Canadian gymnastics, Scott Morgan, was first on Rings 15.250 and second on FX 14.700 in prelims.

… Is this the ‘start’ of a rebuilding phase for Canadian Men’s Gymnastics?

Should Canada send a proven veteran to London? Or a young guy with potential to improve for 2016?

Stu Cram is mirroring official results on Gym Score Depot.

It’s very difficult to believe coach Doug Boger’s claims of innocence after watching both him and his accusers on TV.

http://video.losangeles.cbslocal.com/global/video/videoplayer.js?rnd=395789;hostDomain=video.losangeles.cbslocal.com;playerWidth=615;playerHeight=365;isShowIcon=true;clipId=6740234;flvUri=;partnerclipid=;adTag=News;advertisingZone=CBS.LA%252Fworldnowplayer;enableAds=true;landingPage=;islandingPageoverride=false;playerType=STANDARD_EMBEDDEDscript;controlsType=fixed

Only On CBS2: Women Coming Forward To Accuse Gym Coach Of Sex Abuse, Torture

It’s one thing to talk. Another to start a Facebook page. But when this many women agree to appear on screen, I’m compelled to believe them.

It may be too late to prosecute Doug Boger. …

But I still don’t understand how coaches and athletes from non-affiliated clubs can participate in sanctioned USAG meets?

Boger is on the “permanently ineligible list”. But could still coach at a U.S. Trials?

How is that possible?

It wouldn’t be allowed in Canada.

It’s got something to do with the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act. … Or does it?

Buckeye Classic coming this weekend! Over 2,300 gymnasts from across the country travel to frozen central Ohio for one of the top meets in the country. Friday through Sunday in the Celeste Center on the Ohio State Fairgrounds. …

Buckeye Facebook

official website – Beach Party!

Rewriting Russian Gymnastics summarizes:

The national team had an outing yesterday to Moscow’s famous Dynamo Club. This was more of a training competition than anything, but it is nice to see the girls and be able to chew over how they are doing.

Lauren has done a good report on the competition at the Couch Gymnast and there are links to videos on Triplefull’s Youtube Channel.

read more – Moscow regional championships – WAG national team compete

That post also has (seemingly unimportant) scores and some pics from the Russian Gymnastics Federation photographs from the meet.

Full Twist linked available videos so it’s easy to find your favourite gymnasts.

Russia wants to arrive in London with the highest Difficulty scores of any team. They very well might do that.

But when will they start focusing on consistency?