Author: Rick Mc

For American coaches ….

From Judge Judy of JustGymnastics.com by email. (I’m quoting just a few of the highlights. Confirm these changes in your region.)

JO rule changes and clarifications to come out of the annual May meetings effective as of August 1, 2010.

COMPULSORIES
– The “air-o-board,” a cross between a mini-tramp and a vaulting board, has been approved for use at Leve1-3 and Prep Optional. Tiny gymnasts formerly unable to get anything out of a stiff board will be able vault without that drawback.

OPTIONALS
Bars
– climbing onto the LB after a fall, then jump to HB is no longer considered a “bar change” fulfilling a Special Requirement. A listed value part element must be performed on the LB.

– Level 7 and 8 may do the “C” skills Back Stalder Circle and Back Pike Sole Circle to Handstand (also with 1/2 turn)in addition to the already permitted Clear Hip Circle to Handstand (also with 1/2 turn). No other “C” skills are permitted.

– Level 7 only may perform a counter swing without an extra swing penalty (0.30) prior to a front (salto forward) flyaway dismount.

– The maximum deduction for multiple extra swings after an element is 0.60, i.e., stop deducting after 2 extra swings per element. (Applies to all levels.)

Balance Beam
– Continuous but slow connections on all series receive the same deduction – Up to 0.20. (Exception remains unchanged: Backward acro series with at least 1 flight element does not receive Special Requirement [0.50] if performed “continuously but slowly.”)

Floor Exercise
– C+C dance elements may be the SAME element and receive +0.10 Bonus e.g., Popa + Popa = +0.10 Bonus

– Definition of dance passage Special Requirement has been expanded to allow any kind of turn on 1 or 2 feet to be performed between the 2 dance Value Parts, and it doesn’t matter if a jump used as the first element lands on 1 or 2 feet as long as the passage keeps moving.

– Balks on the final salto Special Requirement or falls with failure to initiate the salto receive an additional 0.30 deduction resembling the “no dismount” deduction on bars and beam.

– Coach on the FX mat deduction has been reduced to 0.50 (Levels 7-10).
(There is no deduction for Coach on the FX mat for Compulsories or PREP Opt.)

The winning Bar routines in L7 and L8 will be using more Stalder and, especially, toe-on, toe-off. It’s the easiest of the 3 allowed C-parts.

Bitang and Belu are back competing internationally.

British Gymnastics:

The 2008 Olympian and 2010 British Champion Hannah Whelan won the All-around competition of the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Friendly International GB vs. Romania at Pipers Vale Gymnastics Centre with a total of 55.650pts. Second was Daniela Andrei (ROM), 55.600 and third, Raluca Haidu (ROM), 54.900. …

“We have started our preparation for the World Championships in Rotterdam (NED) in June under the new Head coaches Mariana Bitang and Octavian Belu. We have been invited to come here with 7 gymnasts, but arrived with 5, because some of our strong gymnasts are recovering from injuries and others are not ready to compete as yet,” said the Romanian Head of Delegation Mircea Apolzan.

“In fact, the results are not very important for us! What is important at this moment of our preparation for Rotterdam – is the content of the routines; what are the new elements, which our gymnasts have added to their exercise and how consistent they are”. …

Imogen Cairns dominates the Finals in Ipswich

It must have been very friendly. Despite not competing in the Team meet, Imogen was put directly into Finals.

(via Couch Gymnast)

… By the way, I love Amanda Turner’s coverage for International Gymnast. But the criticism I’ve often heard that her reporting is deceptive is true in case of this post – Romanian Women Top British Hosts

At first glance you would assume that she got the Romanian quotes herself. … She didn’t.

The external link takes you to the home page of British Gymnastics, not where she got the quote.

If old media are going to “blog”, they need to follow ethical blogging conventions. Fairly and clearly attributing where they got the information.

2010 Visa Championships
Junior Women’s Day 2 Final Results

… Kyla Ross won her second consecutive U.S. junior national all-around title at the 2010 Visa Championships at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn.

Ross scored a two-day all-around total of 116.450, clinching the beam title at 29.90 …

Women’s All-Around
1. Kyla Ross, Aliso Viejo, Calif., 116.450
2. Katelyn Ohashi, Plano, Texas, 114.300
3. McKayla Maroney, Laguna Niguel, Calif., 113.250
4. Gabrielle Douglas, Virginia Beach, Va., 112.750
5. Madison Kocian, Dallas, Texas, 112.100
6. Sarah Finnegan, Lake Latawanna, Mo., 111.350
7. Sabrina Vega, Carmel, N.Y., 110.600
8. McKenzie Wofford, McKinney, Texas, 110.300

Women’s Vault
1. McKayla Maroney, Laguna Niguel, Calif., 32.000
2. Lexie Priessman, Cincinnati, Ohio, 31.200
3. Kyla Ross, Aliso Viejo, Calif., 30.450

Women’s Uneven Bars
1. Katelyn Ohashi, Plano, Texas, 28.550
2. McKenzie Wofford, McKinney, Texas, 27.950
3. Madison Kocian, Dallas, Texas, 27.900

Women’s Balance Beam
1. Kyla Ross, Aliso Viejo, Calif., 29.900
2. Gabrielle Douglas, Virginia Beach, Va., 28.550
3. Ericha Fassbender, Katy, Texas, 28.450

Women’s Floor Exercise
1. Sarah Finnegan, Lake Latawanna, Mo., 29.200
2. Sabrina Vega, Carmel, N.Y., 28.900
3. Kyla Ross, Aliso Viejo, Calif., 28.500

USAG – Ross repeats as Junior U.S. National Champion at the 2010 Visa Championships

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Rebecca Bross earned the 2010 U.S. all-around title gradually, but the emotion came all at once.

After eight solid performances over two nights of competition at the U.S. Championships, Bross finally broke down after sticking her dismount on uneven bars, her final event of the night, Saturday at the XL Center in Connecticut.

After a year filled with high expectations and near misses, Bross had the national title, and all the history and prestige that goes with it. She won it the way she would have preferred to, without falling on any apparatus or committing a major error. …

read more on Gymnastics Examiner – With determination and focus, Rebecca Bross captures U.S. all-around title

… With world and defending champion Bridget Sloan not entered in the all-around, first-day leader Rebecca Bross (WOGA) faced little challenge in claiming her first senior national title. And winning in Hartford should be a fitting test-run for Bross with regard to a bigger meet in October, the world championships in Rotterdam. …

IG – Dwight Normile – Bross Claims First Senior U.S. Title

1. Rebecca Bross, Plano, Texas, 120.300
2. Mattie Larson, Los Angeles, Calif., 117.000
3. Alexandra Raisman, Needham, Mass., 115.650
4. Kytra Hunter, Frederick, Md., 114.350
5. Mackenzie Caquatto, Naperville, Ill., 113.350
5. Chelsea Davis, Lakeway, Texas, 113.350
7. Samantha Shapiro, Los Angeles, Calif., 112.000
8. Vanessa Zamarripa, Shiloh, Ill., 111.400

U.S. senior national team: Rebecca Bross, Mattie Larson, Bridget Sloan, Alexandra Raisman, Amanda Jetter, Alicia Sacramone, Cassie Whitcomb, Morgan Smith, Vanessa Zamarripa, Samantha Shapiro, Chelsea Davis, Mackenzie Caquatto, Kytra Hunter, Rebecca Bross.

USA Gymnastics Athlete of the Year: Rebecca Bross
USA Gymnastics Sportsperson of the Year: Alicia Sacramone (as chosen by the athletes)

Women’s Vault
1. Alicia Sacramone, Winchester, Mass., 30.675
2. Vanessa Zamarripa, Shiloh, Ill., 28.675
3. Brandie Jay, Ft Collins, Colo., 28.150

Uneven bars
1. Rebecca Bross, Plano, Texas, 30.050
2. Cassandra Whitcomb, Cincinnati, Ohio, 29.400
3. Mattie Larson, Los Angeles, Calif., 29.000

Balance beam
1. Rebecca Bross, Plano, Texas, 30.900
2. Alicia Sacramone, Winchester, Mass., 29.800
3. Alexandra Raisman, Needham, Mass., 28.300

Floor exercise
1. Mattie Larson, Los Angeles, Calif., 30.350
2. Rebecca Bross, Plano, Texas, 29.700
3. Alexandra Raisman, Needham, Mass., 29.500

full results

… for Canadian coaches:

Lisa Smith (U of Calgary) and I will be leading an NCCP Level 2 Technical course Sept. 3-6th.

The WAG spots are full. But we still have space in the Men’s Artistic Gymnastics modules (Pommel, Rings, P Bars).

Email gpeake -AT- abgym.ab.ca if you want to add those to your coaching resume.

This character from Altadore will be guest expert on Bar and Physical Preparation.

Great song lyric by John Mayer.

2008 Olympic bronze medalist Raj Bhavsar said Friday he will retire from competitive gymnastics and join Cirque du Soleil as a performer for the troupe’s show next year in Los Angeles.

Bhavsar, 29, was an alternate for the 2004 Athens Olympics and was selected as an alternate in 2008 but was elevated to the bronze medal-winning team when 2004 gold medalist Paul Hamm withdrew because of injury.

Bhavsar returned to gymnastics in 2009 to debut a skill on parallel bars that was named in his honor, one of two in the code of points that bears his name. He also won two world championship medals and was the 2002 NCAA all-around champion at Ohio State. …

Houston Chronicle

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I’m still cheering for Vanessa Zamarripa to qualify to the USA World’s team.

It’s so refreshing to see a gymnast with fantastic execution.

… The popular UCLA gymnast stunned everyone in Day 1 by sticking a world class Cheng vault – a monstrous 6.5 value vault that only a handful of gymnasts have ever competed. If she hits it again tonight, she could become the most shocking member of the 2010 world team. …

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Much cleaner than the Amanars.

Andy Thornton:

Barring injury, Bross and Sacramone are locks for the world team. Sloan’ status is uncertain at this point, but if she gets healthy she’s a lock as well. …

American Gymnast – Women’s World Team Alert – Top 10 Routines to Watch

1. Jonathan Horton 181.65 ($10,000)
2. Danell Leyva 179.35 ($7,000)
3. Brandon Wynn 178.7 (NCAA)
4. Chris Brooks 176.7 ($5,000)
5. Glen Ishino 176.15 (NCAA)
6. Steven Legendre 175.2 …

… What’s with the money?

The International Gymnastics Camp has developed a prize money program to help athletes who are eligible for funding to support their training (read: this is not for NCAA athletes, whose eligibility would be compromised if they accepted cash.) The prize money is distributed as follows: All around — $10,000 to the all-around champion, $7,000 for second, $5,000 for third, $3,500 for fourth, $3,000 for fifth, $2,000 for sixth, $1,500 for seventh and $1,000 for eighth, ninth and tenth.

Individual event winners get $2,500 each. It should be noted that if the winners are still in the NCAA, the money will go to the next athlete on the list who is eligible to receive it.

Gymnastics Examiner – 2010 U.S. Championships men’s results, national teams and moneywinners — a rundown

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I love this photo by Craig Maccubbin, posted by The Olympic Games on Facebook.