Author: Rick Mc

A few observations from Long Beach on the American Men’s age group program:

The depth in American Men’s Gymnastics is amazing. Is there any other nation with this many gymnasts Level 10 and FIG?

In the sessions I watched, the gymnastics looked quite safe. Spotters are mandatory on 3 apparatus when competing.

I was watching, too, for ‘American traits‘: poor toe point, poor line, egregiously more difficulty than artistry.

Not so. There are plenty of young American guys with beautiful gymnastics.

Pommels and Rings are conspicuously the weakest events. But these boys are young. Rings will improve. I’m not so sure regarding Pommels.

Historically the American competitive system has pushed boys on to the horse with pommels too soon. The inevitable result has been muscled, piked swing.

It doesn’t help that North Americans are, on average, heavier and bigger than average.

… Leave a comment if you feel the problem with American pommel horse will improve in the next few years.

USAG:

… The levels are determined by age and skill level. Level 10 is split into two age groups, 14-15 years old and 16-18 years old, while Level 9 has only 12-13 years old.

The Junior Olympic National Championships are a qualifier for Level 10 gymnasts to advance to the Visa Championships (Aug. 17-20 in Saint Paul, Minn.), where the national teams for both age groups are determined. The top gymnasts in Level 9 are named to the Junior Olympic National Team. …

read more

The march in at the start of the 2011 USA Junior Olympic Championships was impressive. I’ve never seen so many male gymnasts in one place at one time.

Gymnastics is a humbling sport. Most gymnasts modest, and disciplined.

But what happens before the march-in, behind the curtain, when you tell hundreds of teenage boys to HURRY UP and WAIT for an indeterminate time?

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The natives were restless. 🙂

Includes the quad turn on Beam.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

She is a trickster. Amazing.

(via International Gymnast Magazine on Facebook)

Gymnastics Examiner:

Peter Vidmar will not be chef de mission at the London Olympic Games after all.

The U.S. Olympic Committee announced Friday that Vidmar had resigned from the post after his anti-gay marriage beliefs drew negative attention from athletes and gay rights activists. …

Vidmar, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has participated in anti-gay marriage demonstrations and given money to groups that worked in support of Proposition 8, which ended gay couples’ rights to marry in California in 2008. …

In the comments on this site I defended Vidmar’s selection, … while disagreeing with his lobbying for Proposition 8.

I said he could still be an effective Chef.

… Obviously Peter disagrees with me.

Vidmar:

“I have dedicated my life to the Olympic Movement and the ideals of excellence, friendship and respect,” Vidmar said in a press release issued Friday by the U.S. Olympic committee. “I wish that my personal religious beliefs would not have become a distraction from the amazing things that are happening in the Olympic Movement in the United States. I simply cannot have my presence become a detriment to the U.S. Olympic family. I hope that by stepping aside, the athletes and their stories will rightly take center stage.”

Vidmar’s replacement has not been named.

Gymnastics Examiner – Peter Vidmar out as Chef de Mission for London Olympics

In fact, I saw Peter earlier today at J.O. Nationals and hoped to congratulate him. But he was on the phone. Something serious.

Some have noted that Canadian Chef de Mission Mark Tewksbury is openly gay, and is a prominent advocate.

Tewksbury is a great fit for the role of Chef, too. (He spoke once at our Gym club. Very inspirational.) … But I don’t see how Mark’s sexual orientation makes him any better a candidate for the job than Vidmar.

Sport is sport.

The Olympic Charter states:

Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement.

Would Vidmar have discriminated against anyone on the U.S. Team?

Will Tewksbury better defend those on the Canadian Team?

No and no.

… Please leave a comment if you have a new point to add.

Region 1 won the Level 10 team title for both the 14-15 and the 16-18 age divisions at the 2011 U.S. Men’s Junior Olympic National Championships, May 5-8, at the Long Beach (Calif.) Arena. …

Region 1, which includes gymnasts from Arizona, California, Hawaii and Nevada, won the 14-15 title with a total score of 417.200 and took top honors for the 16-18 division with a 425.150. …

details on USAG

Stick It Media has the best coverage of the Men’s J.O. Championships 2011.

If not for a fall on high bar, Orlando Metro’s Sean Melton would have hit 90 in the qualifying round. Seemingly on autopilot, Melton was cruising along, posting the day’s highest scores on rings (15.10), vault (16.40) and parallel bars (15.00). Settling down after his high bar mishap (12.75), he ended up with the 2nd highest score on pommel horse (14.75) and the 4th highest score on floor (14.80). Not only did he post the highest Level 10 (14-15) all around score (88.75), he even outscored the senior Level 10 division by almost a full point.

Meanwhile, SCATS’ Jesse Glenn (87.95) barely fended off 2010 AA champ (14-15 division) Jake Martin (87.55), to lead the senior division. …

more commentary and links to results on Stick It Media – Glenn and Melton Lead After Day 1 of 2011 Men’s JO Nationals

Is young Sean Melton a future American Olympian?

Let’s check his Pommel Horse, the weakest apparatus for team USA right now.

Sean Melton – Pommel Horse – 2011 Winter Cup Challenge Day 1. Score: 12.600

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

For over 50 years, the fate of almost half of the Dutch ladies’ gymnastics team, which won the Olympic title in Amsterdam in 1928, was unknown.

The 1928 Games were the first in which women participated in gymnastics events, and the all-around competition was dominated by the hosts. …

Five of the gymnasts, as well as their coach Gerrit Kleerekoper, were Jewish.

Only one of those six survived the Holocaust. …

read more in the Jerusalem Post

(via Full Twist and IG)

Recall that Japanese robot gymnast catching Kovacs?

He was called #6.

… Turns out he has a little sister, #8, who catches Pak salto.

Click PLAY or watch her on YouTube.

(via Alexa Ainsworth on Universal Sports)

At this rate Japanese robot enthusiast Hinamitetu will create a mechanical gymnast for their National Team. … KP says he already has, Kohei Uchimura.

Click PLAY or watch Colton on YouTube.

… after a stunning performance at the Japanese Nationals, where he marked the highest score of his still budding career, Kohei Uchimura can now turn to making his routines even more complex. 

Gymnastics bloggers from around the world were asked what the gymnast often called “Superman” would do next. Here’s what they had to say:

… read more on Gymnastics Examiner

Click PLAY or watch a montage on YouTube.