Author: Rick Mc

Many are raving about this fascinating interview with her folks, former gymnasts Vera Kolesnikova and Aleksandr Komov:

VK: — She cries because of you journalists!

“Another interview? How many can there be! What do they need from me?!”

After Vika had to speak in front of the president of the country, and she couldn’t do it, she became afraid of public speaking. They asked her to speak at the recent Olympians’ ball dedicated to the Russian Olympic Committee’s 100-year anniversary. You can’t even imagine what she was like the day before!

“Why me? There are people older than me!”

I calmed her down as much as I could …

Lucky she isn’t appearing on Ellen today. That’s pressure. 🙂

SHE HATES…

VK: — injustice! For example, when she takes the heat for someone else. Well, sometimes that happens, they dress everyone down without figuring out whose fault it is.

AK: — Lies. She never lies herself. And she tells the truth even when she knows that will get her in trouble.

Wow. This is a real insight into how the family is dealing with the pressure of being an Olympic favourite.

read more – No lies. Sovetskiy Sport Talks With Viktoria Komova’s parents (English translation)
04.01.2012

That’s on the russiangymnasts.net official Komova website, not the viktoriakomova.ru official Komova website. 🙂

Has she clarified her real Facebook and website?

Team Russia really needs someone to coordinate communication.

via @theallaround

This must be the work of Koichi Endo (Facebook), illustrator for the Men’s Artistic Code of Points.

That’s the second World Champion routine breakdown posted on the 2011 World Championships Facebook. Rings next?

(via Full Twist)

The High to Low transfer is a struggle for many kids.

Over 12min long, this tutorial has a lot of good ideas. It starts with spotting the entire skill. … Then goes into conditioning, specific orientation and drills.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

After crowd sourcing opinions, Brigid McCarthy has posted part 1. Categories include:

Floor Routine of the Year
Disappointment of the Year
‘Skill’ of the Year
Most anticipated NCAA signee/recruit/freshman of the Year.
Reserve Gymnast of the Year

‘Dark Horse’ of the Year =

Winner: Phan Thi Ha Thanh, Vietnam

In the midst of impeccable Amanars, surprise Produnovas and a wealth of vault specialists, no one quite saw the Vietnamese vaulter, Phan Thi Ha Thanh coming when she took the World bronze medal.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

For the record, I’m actually against this popular opinion:

Rule Most in Need of changing =

Bringing back the six-member Olympic team.

The smaller team size allows more individuals to contend for the Olympics. Given the number of spots Artistic gets from IOC, the current set-up with teams competing 5-4-3 is OK with me.

Phan would not be competing at Olympics 2012 if we still had teams of 6 /nation, for example.

Read and comment on Brigid’s original post – Couch Gymnast Awards Part One

I’ve seen several clubs in the Pacific N.W. using this methodology. VERY advanced strength / flexibility training.

The last drill should only be done with extremely flexible kids. There’s a risk of groin or hamstring muscle tear.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Those particular sliders are sold by Tumbl Trak. ($9.25 for a set of two)

Have you heard of that acronym?

WASHUP recovery techniques:

Water
Active rest
Sleep
Hydration and refueling
Unwind mentally
Physical therapies

details on Sports Coaching Brain

Wayne Goldsmith feels training is more important than recovery. Keep things in perspective.

CollegeGymFans.com Top Recruiting Classes for 2011-2012:

1. Florida
2. Alabama
3. UCLA

See the rest of the top 10.

Let’s get it started:

No. 1 UCLA vs No. 5 UTAH
No. 7 OREGON STATE vs No. 8 STANFORD

It’s the Olympic year. A good time to publish a gymnastics book. The more controversial, the better it SHOULD sell.

An unflinchingly honest memoir from Olympic gold medalist Dominique Moceanu that reveals the often dark underbelly of Olympic gymnastics as only an insider can—and the secrets she learned about the past that nearly tore apart her family.

At fourteen years old, Dominique Moceanu was the youngest member of the 1996 U.S. Women’s Olympic Gymnastic team, the first and only American women’s team to take gold at the Olympics. Her pixie-like appearance, passion for the sport, and ferocious competitive drive quickly earned her the status of media darling. But behind the fame, the flawless floor routines, and the million-dollar smile, her life was a series of challenges and hardships.

From her stubborn father and long-suffering mother, to her acclaimed Svengali-like coach, Bela Karolyi, Off Balance reveals how each of the dominating characters contributed to Moceanu’s rise to the top. Here, Moceanu finally shares the haunting stories of competition, her years of hiding injuries and pain out of fear of retribution from her coaches, and how she hit rock bottom after being publicly scorned by her father.

But medals, murder plots, drugs, and daring escapes aside (all of which figure into Moceanu’s incredible journey), the most unique aspect of her life is the family secret that Moceanu discovers, opening a new and unexpected chapter in her adult life, just as she reclaims the love of the sport that had defined so much of her life.

A multilayered memoir that transcends the world of gymnastics and sport, Off Balance will touch anyone who has ever dared to dream of a better life.

Amazon

Recall 4yrs-ago the dark underbelly of elite gymnastics book was called Chalked Up. I found it opportunist and riddled with errors. Dominique Moceanu gave it a glowing review in International Gymnast magazine.

… But I liked Dominique as a gymnast. And she’s certainly never boring. I’ll read her new book if only to see the murder plots revealed. Just as I read her many other books.

Off Balance strikes me as an ideal title.

Spray bottles used for Bars quickly fail.

Ben wonders if something a little more substantial might work better.

Leave a comment if you’ve ever seen something like this.

Pump Sprayer $8

Did you happen to catch the CrossFit Games Show Marathon on TV?

Defending champion, former gymnast Annie Thorisdottir is one awesome fitness machine.

This year’s edition will go in Carson, Calif. July 13-15.

Comedian Jason Auer:

… prepares for the 2011 Reebok Crossfit Games. Problem is, that he hasn’t qualified. That won’t stop the Auer of Power …

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

via Marcus Harlin on Facebook