Author: Rick Mc

The best Floor Exercise of all. Moran Hamm is still the only Artistic gymnast to have competed it.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

bboy cico, included, has one of the best.

Aunt Joyce has resumed blogging. He has 13 posts up already on the fresh start version of Aunt Joyce’s Ice Cream Stand.

For example …

… The NCAA conferences have been doing some major realigning over the last few days. Nebraska is leaving the Big 12 to join the Big 10 and Utah is finally joining the Pac 10. For gymnastics, this is definitely a boost for both the Big 10 and the Pac 10. While these changes are mostly the result of football, they will impact gymnastics.

The Pac 10 now has 15/29 NCAA Titles in gymnastics and 1/2 of the Super Six. This may end some of the SEC gloating. Utah will be aided by competing in a conference meet against tough opponents, and the rest of the Pac 10 will benefit from the strengthening of the field. …

read more – NCAA Update

I like one comment on that post:

So we now have a “Big 10” with 12 teams, a “Big 12” with 10 teams and a “Pac 10” with 11 teams. That hurts my head.

Other recent posts of interest:

• WOGA Update
• Hell Hath Frozen Over (Romanian update / the return of Corina Ungureanu)

He’s been even busier over on Formspring – Aunt Joyce

What is Formspring? … click through to see.

… formspring.me is a questions and answers website, launched on November 25, 2009. The site, which links to Facebook and Twitter, became popular in early 2010. …

A new site has been launched to rally support for the Men’s team. From this page you can donate to the cause, or send a letter of support.

Cal Gymnastics Forever

Why all the new Facebook links on this site?

Because Facebook is taking over the internet.

… according to a new study from Nielsen showing Internet usage in April 2010, 22% of the time, you’re engaging with social media. …

That’s a big jump over the year before. Brazilians, Australians and Italians are particularly addicted to social networking sites like Facebook.

Are you an addict?

1. You lose sleep over Facebook
2. You spend more than an hour a day on Facebook
3. You become obsessed with old loves
4. You ignore work in favor of Facebook
5. The thought of getting off Facebook leaves you in a cold sweat

Five clues that you are addicted to Facebook

Leave a comment or a LIKE if you linked to this post from Facebook.

Recall the Volkswagon publicity stunt where they installed a keyboard on stairs?

This Volkswagon creation is even better.

A long staircase. Next to it a slide. Which way would you go?

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Thanks Marceline.

Big meet for MAG.

HAMBUECHEN vs UCHIMURA vs HORTON.

Update: For the USA, Alexander NADDOUR and John OROZCO have replaced Danell and Tim on the list below. (Thanks Anne.)

As good as Kohei Uchimura is, perhaps the 2008 Olympic Champion Yang Wei was even better.

That’s the opinion of Canadian Olympian Adam Wong.

Yang Wei was a little cautious in Beijing only because he had the AA sewn up if he could simply avoid any conspicuous error.

official competition website (English)

Hollie Vise was one of the most beautiful gymnasts ever, the 2003 World Champion on Bars.

Her piked Jaeger is certainly one of the best ever done.

In 2004 Hollie was not selected to the American Olympic Team, on live T.V. … An outrage to many fans.

Click PLAY or watch a Hollie montage on YouTube.

Happily, Hollie finished her career with a superb finish, leading Oklahoma to a second place finish in the 2010 NCAA Collegiate Championships.

From a coaching clinic hosted by Calgary Gymnastics Centre.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

One of the coaches never did gymnastics. We asked him to look at all of these variations as simply double leg circles.

flank forward > rear support > flank backward > front support … REPEAT

The most important talking point of the session was wrist pain. It’s ended the career of many good gymnasts.

Cut back even at a young age for those kids who suffer a lot of pain. Consider splitting training into two 15min sessions each day, early and late.

Consider bracing the wrists. Take long breaks (e.g 2wks) off pommels if wrist pain gets bad. But continue with all other apparatus.

Mushroom and Floor are hardest on the wrists. Avoid those if you have wrist pain.

Leave a comment if you have other strategies on how to deal with that problem.

First some good news. Now some bad.

One of the good guys is stepping down.

… “I have decided to retire from coaching after a 30 year career in gymnastics, to pursue other career opportunities,” said Shephard. “It has been my great honor, and privilege, to work with all of the gifted young people associated with this program over the last 21 years. …

In 18 years as the head coach, Shephard, the eighth coach in Penn State women’s gymnastics history, amassed a career record of 256-144-2 while guiding the Nittany Lions to eight NCAA Championship appearances. …

Steve Shephard Resigns as Head Coach of Penn State Women’s Gymnastics Program

Penn State is advertising for a successor.

(via College Gym Fans)

Inside Gymnastics just posted the cover of their 50 Most Photogenic issue, my favourite of the year.

Good call. Ivana Hong is cover girl.

Inside Gymnastics