Author: Rick Mc

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Courtney Kupets with Carly Patterson and Courtney McCool.

All results from prelims are now posted on the-all-around.com.

WAG BB
1.Victoria Komova (RUS) 15.175
2.Liufang Wu (CHN) 14.850

Here are the top 2 Beam routines:

Click PLAY or watch Komova on YouTube. (LINK FIXED)

Click PLAY or watch Liufang Wu on YouTube.

Gymnastics – No Ceiling has photos and commentary.

THE ALL AROUND is there posting results:

The morning qualification session of Ghent Challenger Cup finished; here the finalists and reserves for tomorrow finals on vault and uneven bars (WAG); and floor, pommel horse and rings (MAG).

Click PLAY or watch Wu Liufang’s Bars on YouTube. – 1st 15.35 (6.8)

Click PLAY or watch Victoria Komova’s Bars on YouTube – 2nd so far 15.3 (6.7)

Click PLAY or watch Jiang Yuyuan’s Bars on YouTube. – 3rd so far 14.950 (6.3)

I’m liking all those straddle cast handstands from some of the very best in the world. 🙂

Zou Kai is second to Hypólito on Floor.

Gymnastics No Ceiling is LIVE blogging, too.

Canadian gymnast Laura-Ann Chong finished her eligibility with Oregon State last season, returning to train with her club coach, David Kenwright, at Flicka. I stopped by the gym to chat with David and his partner coach Dorina Stan.

We were lucky enough to have Laura-Ann demonstrate at BC Congress last weekend for clinician Steve Arkell from Gymnastics Plus in Panama City, Florida.

Click PLAY or watch a snippet from that clinic on YouTube.

David said the biggest problem transitioning back to FIG from NCAA is getting used to ‘narrow’ Bars.

We talked about a potential new model for elite performance: Older girls retire → Completely recover medically → … Then train specifically for one BIG competition. Like Chellsie Memmel.

The psychology of the comeback is easier than trying to ‘stay on top’ as one of the National Team members.

Another of David’s gymnasts was at Congress too, Kate Richardson, but not to announce she was coming out of retirement.

Kate, a physiotherapist, presented on Injury Prevention.

At BC Congress last week I was asked to do a presentation on Making a Career Out of Coaching.

Going over my notes the night before, I suddenly realized how little I knew about the topic … though I’d been a full-time coach since 1980.

I emailed Frank Sahlein and (happily) he offered to sit in. In this way we had at least one expert on coaching “careers” in the room.

Click PLAY or watch a brief summary of my presentation on YouTube.

The topic drew only a small group of coaches, resulting in a brainstorming session. I posted the resulting notes on RecGymnastics.com

My main conclusion was that coaches from socialist nations like Canada are mostly ignorant when it comes to business and career planning. The USA has many experts in that field. My strongest advice for coaches is to bring in an expert like Frank Sahlein, Founder and CEO of 3rd Level Consulting.

I’ll be taking my own advice, consulting with Frank this Fall.

Check his gym, the Wing Center, in Boise, Idaho.

And this initiative, too:

Motion Evolution:

Based on the premise that people are made to move, Motion Evolution integrates physical literacy, nutrition education, brain-body science, personal best and play, making the program a complete wellness package.

Frank Sahlein on Facebook.

Funny. Entertaining.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

GYMNAST Beth Tweddle greeted a train adorned with her name at Liverpool’s Lime Street station. …

Emblazoned with Beth Tweddle MBE, the No 390022 arrived at the station from London.

It highlighted Virgin Trains’ scheme to sponsor travel for sports stars who are hoping to represent their country in major events.

Read More on the Liverpool Daily Post

Her first meet back after dislocating a knee cap.

2011 Canada WAG World Trials – Peng Peng Lee – Floor Day 2

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

(via Double Front and International Gymnast Magazine on Facebook.)

A personal thanks to Brigid McCarthy and her contributors for communicating the personal stories of gymnasts & coaches worldwide.

I read every post on Couch Gymnast.