Author: Rick Mc

Men
1. Dong Dong (CHN) 44.500
2. TU Xiao (CHN) 43.800
3. SOTOMURA Tetsuya (JPN) 42.400

Women
1. HUANG Shanshan (CHN) 41.400
2. HE Wenna (CHN) 40.900
3. KHILKO Ekaterina (UZB) 39.500

full results and commentary on FIG

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.js

Note the arms down twisting technique.

UCLA gymnasts still can’t get on Ellen’s TV show. But the obscure acrobatic sport of Mallakhamb did.

Some call it Men’s Pole Dance.

Click PLAY or watch it on Ellen.

http://wbads.vo.llnwd.net/o25/u/telepixtv/ellen/us/video/player/embed.swf

Andreea Raducan is the 2000 Women’s Olympic Gymnastics Champion.

That’s what I believe. That’s what everyone believes.

After the meet Andreea tested positive for pseudophedrine. (Her team doctor prescribed Nurofen, a common over-the-counter medication. Amânar took it as well, but did not test positive. There is no performance enhancement for gymnasts.)

The gold was re-awarded to Amânar, Olaru was promoted to silver, and former fourth-place finisher Liu Xuan from China was given the bronze medal.

All three declined to attend the ceremony where the Olympic medals were re-awarded.

It was one of the most distasteful injustices in Olympic history. And I can’t wait to read all about it in Andreea’s new book – “The Other Side of The Medal”

I’ll learn Romanian, if I must. This is going to be a terrific read. (Seems there’s some hold up at the publisher. Something to do with the photos.)

Unfortunately, Andreea says she was too young in Sydney to really know what was happening. She has to rely on coaches and others for the details on that chapter.

But since she’s now a journalist. With media training. I’m thinking it’s going to be excellent.

(via fangymnastics and Gymnastics – No Ceiling)

Celebrate the book launch with an Andreea montage by nade00.

This is cool.

Roman Kulesza (Poland) Horizontal Bar in training.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

He didn’t use it in the World Cup Stuttgart 2010 HBar Final (VIDEO). But did do it in training at Worlds.

I assume that’s a new skill, yet to be competed. He better hope “Long” Zhang doesn’t see this clip. And steal the idea. 🙂

Leave a comment if you’ve heard of anyone else training the Kulesza.

(via The All Around Gymnastics News on Facebook)

I blame the code of points.

Let’s compare 2008 Olympic Champion Zou Kai’s Floor routine with great Olympic routines past.

Click PLAY or watch Zou Kai on YouTube.

What exactly was artistic in that routine? Stylish? Unique?

If I want to see only great tumbling, I’ll go to a Trampoline and Tumbling competition.

Click PLAY or watch Shewfelt (2004) Gold.

Click PLAY or watch Nemov (2000) Silver.

Click PLAY or watch Milissandis (1996) Gold.

Personally, I like even better the stylin’ routines of the distant past, including Kurt Thomas.

Click PLAY or watch his winning Floor from Worlds. (1979)

He didn’t need to hold that press as the V-sit to Press fulfilled the requirement. And the start score was already the maximum 10.0
🙂

So why are Men’s routines today less artistic than ever before in history? And why doesn’t the Men’s FIG Technical committee do something about it?

Vanda Hadarean, former Romanian Olympic gymnast, won another fitness contest, the UFE Nationals. What else is new? … She’s four time Ms. Fitness World.

I’ve seen articles saying she will finally retire from Fitness competition. At the top.

Vanda’s in her mid-30s. But in such superb physical condition, … I wonder what kind of gymnastics she could do, if she tried?

I’m Inspired by Vanda. How about you?

Recall that FIG killed the World Cup Final. But it seems there’s still a ranking system in place. It favours the gymnasts who actually showed up at the meets.

… The end of World Cup season means the 2010 World Cup champions, who are determined based on a points system, has also been announced:

Women’s vault: Tijana Tkalcec (CRO)

Uneven bars: Wu Liufang (CHN)

Balance beam: Wu Liufang (CHN)

Women’s floor: Jessica Lopez (VEN)

Men’s floor: Eleftherios Kosmidis (GRE)

Pommel horse: Krisztian Berki (HUN)

Rings: Aleksandr Balandin (RUS)

Men’s vault: Jeffrey Wammes (NED)

Parallel bars: Mitja Petkovsek (SLO)

High bar: Marijo Moznik (CRO)

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.js

I got that from Gymnastics Examiner’s excellent week in review

Amanda Turner posted the list on IG too – World Cup Season Concludes in Glasgow

Next year the World Cup meets should be much more interesting. A new scheme is being put in place. Even the ‘Scam Cup’ is part of the circuit.

Many of the links are not working right now. Aside from PicApp photos. Yep, it’s a PicApp problem. I’m working with them on a fix. Thanks Stu.

Kidding. Kidding.
🙂

It really was no big deal.

GUANGZHOU, China (AP) — The Olympic Council of Asia says there has been a warning but no action taken against Chinese gymnasts who repeatedly made hand gestures of their sponsor’s logo, a move that could have been sanctioned under ambush marketing regulations. …

Warning but no punishment for Chinese gymnasts after gestures of sponsor logo

(via Gymnastics Examiner)

His name … Im Dong-Hyun, from South Korea.

He was World Champion in 2007. And was a member of the gold medal team at both 2004 and 2008 Olympics. He’s defending his Asian Games title right now.

The South Korean has no idea where his arrow lands on the target, and from 70 meters away all he has to aim at is a blob of color.

“When I look down the range at the target all I can do is try to distinguish between the different colors,” the world number one told Reuters in an interview.

“If I couldn’t see the colors, now that would be a problem.”

Im’s eyesight is listed at 20/200 by the Korea Archery Federation, which basically means he can see at 20 feet what a person with perfect vision can see at 200 feet. That makes Im legally blind. …

read more – Reuters – In land of archery, the “blind man” is king

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.js

… Having become the best archer in the world with the handicap, Im said he doesn’t feel the need for going in for any eye treatment. “I don’t take any special treatment. I am not comfortable with the specs so I don’t wear glasses when I am shooting.Instead, I prefer to train harder and harder to maintain the edge,” said Im, revealing that he trains six to seven hours daily. …

Can we expect another world record? “Sure, if the wind and temperature are good, I can set the record.” …

Does he sometimes imagine that he could have been better if he had a normal eyesight. “If I had good eyes, I would have maintained the same level,” he said without hesitating. …

DNA

As coaches we should be careful not to count out athletes with disabilities.

Thanks Richard.