Author: Rick Mc

Four of the eight all-around champions have been determined at the 2011 Women’s U.S. Junior Olympic National Championships at the Long Beach Sports Arena. The competition wraps up on May 14 with the final four divisions. The two-day event features nearly 450 of the USA’s best Level 10 gymnasts …

Junior A – Alexandra McMurty of Richmond, Va./Richmond Olympiad Gymnastics

Senior A – Asi Peko of Las Vegas and Brown’s Las Vegas

Junior B – There was a tie for first place in the all-around between Elizabeth Gangale of Henderson, Nev./Brown’s Las Vegas, and Bayle Pickel of Kentwood, Mich./Twistars USA

Senior B – Hollie Blanske of Anoka, Minn./Twin City Twisters

Commentary and links to full results on USAG.

The Russian women won 6 of 12 medals at today’s Moscow World Cup of Stars. This world cup competition included event finals for men and women.

World and European gold medallist Anna Dementyeva won three medals: gold on beam and floor and silver on the uneven bars. She had an excellent day of competition and is keeping up the momentum for the Russian women. …

read a summary on Double Front – Russians Shine at Moscow World Cup of Stars

That links to MAG and WAG event finals results, as well.

Sat. 14th, 3pm Eastern Time zone.

CBS SPORTS SPECTACULAR presents the 2011 NCAA WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS CHAMPIONSHIPS presented by Buick on Saturday, May 14 (3:00-5:00 PM, ET; taped 4/15-17) from the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio.

No. 1-seed Alabama attempts to win its first NCAA team title since 2002, while defending champion UCLA tries to win its seventh championship in the last 15 years. Also competing are the University of Utah, women’s gymnastics’ original dynasty team; as well as Oklahoma, Nebraska and Michigan, who are all seeking their first NCAA team gymnastics championship. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships. CBS Sports’ Tim Brando, along with 1996 Olympic gold medalist Amanda Borden call the action, while Vin DeVito produces and Suzanne Smith directs.

CBS

Spoiler … Alabama wins.

It’s 2011 and we still don’t have LIVE TV coverage of Women’s Gymnastics. That’s crazy. What a lost opportunity.

This week the College coaches recommended a change from the traditional Super 6 to a Fantastic 4 team finals. Hopefully that shorter, simpler format will better appeal to TV.

Penguin888 on International Gymnast Forum evaluates the routine:

Whip (B) + Double Arabian Pike (E) + 0.1CV
Back 1-1/2 (C) + Randi (E) + 0.1CV
Back 2-1/2 (D) + Front 2/1 (D) + 0.2CV
Japanese Press (C)
Tuck Thomas (D)
Layout Thomas (E)
Triple Full (D)

BCCDDDDEEE – 0.4CV

6.8 D-Score

via Full Twist

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Official as of Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Ohio State officially named Rustam Sharipov, a two-time Olympian from the Ukraine, as its men’s gymnastics coach today.

The announcement confirmed a Dispatch report that Sharipov, an assistant coach for the Oklahoma men’s gymnastics team since 2005, would take over the position that had been filled on an interim basis since November by Blaine Wilson and Doug Stibel. …

Sharipov, a native of Kharkov, Ukraine, was selected over two others interviewed by OSU: Wilson, a three-time Olympian and five-time U.S. all-around champion, and Air Force Academy coach Kip Simons. …

Columbus Dispatch

Sharipov is yet another new, young Head Coaches in the NCAA. He’s over in Russia now at the World Cup meet coaching Steven Legendre.

The competition finished so late today, Friday the 13th, that we skipped the party. It’s an early start tomorrow, Saturday.

I’ve added a quick link to College Gym Fans. That’s been the best site reporting on this meet, so far.

… Actually, in every way I’m finding this meet inferior social media wise to the boys J.O. Championships a week ago, same venue. There’s surprisingly little coverage online.

The gymnastics, however, is far stronger top to bottom on the women’s side. Check the 2011 Women’s J.O. Nationals Results.

There are very few girls competing whom I wouldn’t warmly welcome on to my College Team (if I had a team).

In fact, I don’t know how NCAA coaches narrow their list of candidates to any reasonable number to watch. There are a lot of good kids in the USA.

Has anyone used this product?

The soap is used to soften calluses and keep them away with regular use.

caribisle.net

If so, leave a comment.

Between The Olympics has one of their great posts linking results and videos.

That post includes this bonus clip on an interesting training set-up:

… Anastasia Grishina training vault. She’s doing a Podkopayeva and then a half turn after landing- will she be attempting the front “layout” full soon?

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I’m a big fan of vaulting off a TumblTrak, without a spring board.

Many years retired, Krista is back in the gym, training at Adult Rec.

Somehow she and former teammate Kerby talked themselves into coming out of retirement.

Weirdest part?

… In the gym where formerly they were the best gymnasts, nobody knows them anymore. 🙂

There are hundreds of fantastic gymnasts competing in the Junior Olympic Championships 2011.

John Carney of Oregon State calls this a “mini NCAA Championships“.

College girls are better in performance, choreography and stability on Beam, … but otherwise these younger girls are just as good.

Alex McMurtry wowed the crowd last session with double twisting Yurchenko. (9.95)

Click PLAY or watch her vault from earlier this season on YouTube.

Alex seems to be competing her Elite routines here, in preparation for the future.

… She trains at the Olympiad under the longtime husband-and-wife coaching team of Boris and Larissa Choutkin, who previously coached in Russia. Boris Choutkin is effusive in his praise of McMurtry.

“She has extraordinary talent. It’s like God kissed her,” he said, citing what he called an old Russian saying. “She’s a very, very smart girl. She loves gymnastics, and she has phenomenal athletic ability.” …

Her Floor (9.65) was astounding too. … Bars a strong Level 10 routine, but not at international standard yet.

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