Author: Rick Mc

Career gymnastics coach who loves the outdoors, and the internet.

R.I.P. Vladimir Kondratenko

This is to inform you that Vladimir Kondratenko, husband of Elvira Saadi, passed away a few hours ago after a long battle with cancer.

Vladimir was an expert in gymnastics, a coach loved by his athletes at the Cambridge Kips Gymnastics Club and more recently at Dynamo Gymnastics and a person esteemed by everyone who knew him. Vladimir and Elvira were one of the most successful teams of coaches in the history of Canadian Women’s Artistic Gymnastics and many of their athletes are renowned internationally. This is a great loss for the Canadian gymnastics community and Vladimir’s smile will be dearly missed on the competition floor.

Elvira has asked for some private time right now but we will inform you as soon as arrangements are made.

That was forwarded by Lise Gosselin-Simard of Gymnastics Canada.

competitions this weekend

In progress …

Italian Grand Prix:

BARS
Komova 15,7
Iordache 14,15
Campana 13,6

BEAM
Komova 14,85
Ponor 14,7
Preziosa 14,3

Full Twist

Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images AsiaPac

Tokyo:

Asian gymnasts swept the titles Saturday at the first day of the Toyota International in Japan. Japan won four gold medals, while Vietnam and Korea each picked up a title. …

IG – Asian Gymnasts Dominate Day 1 at Toyota Cup

Acapulco, Mexico:

International Gymnast Magazine on Facebook:

After the first day of competition, the results are:

Women–1. Afanaseva RUS, 2. Lee CAN, 3. Yamagishi JPN, 4. Little AUS.
Men–1. Purvis GBR, 2. Girlado COL, 3. Leyva USA, 4. Khorokhordin RUS

Peng Peng (hit 4/4) & Leyva won the “partner competition”. They had an earthquake before Danell had fnished!

CAN National Gymnastics Week

Wow.

Fantastic job on the new website for the Canadian annual event. I’m loving the new logo.

Kyle Shewfelt explains this year’s Gym Revolution Challenge — upload a video to win prizes. I’m going to get in on that, for sure.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

National Gymnastics Week

Kyle’s prepping, too, for his role as CTV commentator at the London Olympics. He’ll be attending the January Test Meet, as well.

(via RecGymnastics.com)

Zapp back at ArtSports World

I was hoping to stop sending readers to SCOTT M. REID / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER.

No luck.

… In October, following an Orange County Register investigation into sexual and physical abuse in top level gymnastics, Michael Zapp, a convicted sex offender, agreed to sell ArtSports to a group of investors headed by U.S. national team coach Tex Womack, according to Womack.

But Womack said he was fired via email last week from his head coaching position at ArtSports World gym while traveling in Europe after coaching at the World Championships in Birmingham, England. …

Convicted sex offender regains control of Colorado gym

Doug Boger, also fired by Zapp, is still fired.

Parents at ArtSports World should demand to know what’s going on.

Was Zapp’s departure simply a ploy to make sure the athletes were able to compete Trampoline Worlds?

Olympic tickets on sale USA

… Phase III Live Sales for individual tickets to the 2012 Olympic Games in London. The sale will commence for residents of the United States today exclusively through the CoSport website http://www.cosport.com. All tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis …

details on USAG

Horton, Maroney, Raisman looking good

Three members of the medal winning 2011 World Championships Team – Jonathan Horton of Houston, Texas, McKayla Maroney of Long Beach, Calif., and Alexandra Raisman of Needham, Mass. – are on the athlete roster for the Ralph Lauren Corporation, an official outfitter of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams for London 2012.

The gymnasts will serve as Ralph Lauren brand ambassadors leading up to and throughout the Games. …

USAG

See a larger version of that Business Wire photo on Full Twist.

There seems to be more opportunities for more gymnasts leading up to this Olympics. It’s not Nastia and Shawn, everywhere.