Author: Rick Mc

Personal shout out …

Canada’s Corissa Boychuk won gold in the women’s double-mini final at the trampoline world championships Saturday.

Boychuk, from Airdrie, Alta., finished first with 70.500 points. Bianca Budler of South Africa won silver with 70.300 and Russia’s Svetlana Balandina took bronze with 70.200. …

Globe and Mail

Congrats to coach Jamie Atkin. Recall that Airdrie recently opened a huge new training centre.

Thanks Brett. Watch a terrific Cory video montage.

David Durante, Morgan Hamm, John Macready, Stephen McCain, Sasha Artemev, Alexei Bilozertchev, Chris Brooks, Wes Haagensen and Derek Shepard. What a gig!

(via Gymnastike)

Personally I like best Isabeli Fontana, the weight lifter.

More photos on Style Bistro.

From the messy floor at World Championships 2010.

see more on Couch Gymnast

Vanessa Atler was an awesome vaulter, the first American to compete layout “Rudi” (forward salto 1½).

But when I finally went back to take a look, there’s no comparing this vault to the one done by World Champion Alicia Sacramone. Even factoring in the different vault horse, boards and runway surfaces, Alicia is far superior.

Click PLAY or watch her on YouTube.

Somebody that knows Vanessa, please ask. I’m sure she’ll concur.

Vanessa was born February 1982. Exactly 6wks too young for the 1996 Olympics. And then again too young for 1997 Worlds when FIG raised the age to 16.

Galax-Arena is an award winning children’s book by Gillian Rubinstein (1995).

Kids are taken away from their families and trained as slave gymnasts. … Hey, that sounds like CHINA.

… When 13-year-old Joey, her older brother, Peter, and younger sister, Liane, are kidnapped, they believe they have been abducted by aliens and removed to the planet Vexak. Along with 20 other children from Earth, they become Peb and are trained as acrobats to perform in the Galax-Arena for the Vexa, who thrive on vicarious danger. …

The kids who don’t make it as gymnasts, become pets for the (supposed) aliens.

Hilarious.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Ryan blademonki posted that fun edit listing as a website Kinesthesist:

… (n): a weblog about acrobatics

(via FlipCatch)

I linked to one of 1996 Olympian John Macready‘s rants at World Championships.

He’s hinting at making a comeback. Let’s demand one.

John’s in shape. Check this pic by Jennifer Hardt from Oct, 2010.

… John is a Pommels / Rings specialist. … Right?

This guy’s phenomenal. Click PLAY or watch a professional edit on YouTube.

Ryan (YouTube channel) is … expresses himself though movement. … international freerunning champion at the Red Bull Art of Motion.

Ryan opened Airborn his own freerunning academy in 2004 which is now the largest in the UK. He is currently undergoing many projects around the world and co-stars in the new MTV series Ultimate Parkour Challenge in 2010.

(via FlipCatch)

FlipCatch calls for a showdown between Ryan Doyle and Damien Walters.

Many of the big names in Men’s gymnastics are specialists.

Has the time finally come for specialists to be the biggest stars in women’s Artistic gymnastics?

Who’s the best gymnast all-time out of Great Britain?

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

Who has the highest profile of any active American gymnast?

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

Let me predict here that Cheng Fei, 3 time world vault champion, will compete for China at the 2012 Olympics. China needs experience and stability on that team.

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

All 3 are specialists. All older. All have history, well known by the general public in their nations.

related – thread on IG forum – Tweddle vs. Sacramone

Who else should I include on a list of GREAT specialists?

April 4th – 10th 2011, in Berlin.

There’s no team competition this time around.

Max-Schmeling-Halle (7000 seats) was tested, hosting the 2010 German National Championships.

German leader Angela Merkel will be patron of the event.

The official website is posted in both German and English.