Author: Rick Mc

Vanda Maria Hadarean (born May 3, 1976 in Cluj-Napoca, Romania) is a retired Romanian artistic gymnast who competed in international events between 1990 and 1993. She is an Olympic silver medalist and a world bronze medalist with the team and a European all around bronze medalist.

Vanda is also a successful fitness model and she has won various world class fitness competitions. She is a three time Ms. Fitness World (2008, 2009 and 2010).

You may have seen her on the newsstand.

more amazing photos

In recent years she’s been coaching at Tumbler’s Gymnastics Centre in Canada. She still rents space there, coaching competitive Aerobics and Fitness.

Check her official home page – InspiredByVanda.com

(via Senor Nico on IG forum)

You know those Japanese reality TV game shows?

Here’s the real thing.

The 24th annual Tough Guy Challenge took place last weekend, on Sunday, January 31st, on South Perton Farm, near Wolverhampton, England.

… this year’s race still attracted over 5,000 men and women – all of them signing a disclaimer saying “It’s my own bloody fault for being here”. …

The Challenge is annual event to raise cash for charity with funds going to the Mr. Mouse Farm for Unfortunates.

more photos – The Big Picture

Wow.

She makes it look easy.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Alexandra is a junior international elite who trains at Brestyan’s Gymnastics in Massachusetts. Alexandra turned elite in 2009. See an August interview with her on Gymnastike.

Thanks MostepanovaFan.

Some headlines from the weekly Gymnastics Examiner post called The gymnastics week in review:

• Daria Joura back in the gym

• Kytra Hunter wins the Parkette Invitational

• Daiane dos Santos gets five months (suspension for banned substance)

• Jani Tanskanen elected FIG Athletes Commission President

• Utah gymnasts organize shoe drive for Haiti

Click through for more. Commentary and links on Gymnastics Examiner.

Here’s the most interesting story to me:

• Tim McNeill moves from Cal Berkeley to the National Team Training Center in Colorado Springs

… It was a really tough decision to make but I think it was the right one for my gymnastics.

I absolutely loved my life at Cal which made the decision that much harder. I already miss my girlfriend, friends, coaches, and teammates. Oh and I miss the weather too!

But nevertheless I made the move and the transition is getting easier and easier. It would have been pretty tough to pass up an all expense paid life in an ideal training environment with an incredible medical staff!I really like my new teammates and I couldn’t ask for a better training environment. My new coach, Vitaly Marinitch, is incredible and I think we’ll make a great pair.

Tim-McNeill.com

http://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/PicAppPIS/JavaScript/PisV4.js

The MAG American model is ideal, I think. National Team gymnasts can stay with their clubs or Universities. Or train full-time at Colorado Springs. It’s great they have that choice.

College Gym Fans posted an update.

Michigan takes over the top spot in this weeks rankings, overtaking Illinois. Illinois’ Paul Ruggeri leads the AA.

full list

Don’t put as much weight on this ranking as you do with the Women’s NCAA list. With so many fewer teams trying to qualify for Championships, there’s not as much pressure on the top Men’s teams to put up high scores in the early season.

This past weekends line-ups were changed, in some cases, to rest some of the top guys for the Winter Cup in Las Vegas.

Gymnastics Examiner has commentary including a video of Paul Ruggeri competing Tamayo (layout Arabian) on Floor.

Gymnastike has links to even more videos.

Just a few days age we posted a feature on gymnastics coach Barb Gibson of UW-La Crosse, an NCAA Division III program.

Some great news!

Barbara Gibson was honored Jan. 29 for her 25th season as the Eagles’ gymastics coach. …

UW-L Foundation President Al Trapp presented her with the Barbara Gibson Endowment Fund for UW-L Gymnastics. Gibson’s assistant coaches and family members had been working since October to establish an endowment fund for the gymnastics program in Gibson’s name. Over $20,000 has been donated to the fund so far. …

link

It’s great to see a Division III school gain some financial stability. $20k/yr is a drop in the bucket for Georgia, but it’s a lot of money for UW-La Crosse.

Boosters are trying to increase that fund.

1. Donate Online … Click on “Other” and Write Gymnastics Endowment Fund.

2. To Mail In A Check: Write checks out to: “UWL Foundation” and write gymnastics endowment fund in the “For” section. PO Box 1148 La Crosse, WI 54602-1148

Congratulations.

related: Supporters present UW-L’s Barb Gibson with endowment fund

I never miss a post from The Couch Gymnast in Australia. It’s one of the best blogs.

Just released is an associated online magazine. From the editor:

… I was inspired to do this project by my readers and their comments. … I wanted to make a space where people who don’t have time to make their own blogs… could contribute to this ongoing discussion about our favorite sport. …

NEW COUCH GYMNAST PROJECT!

And who are these contributors?

Greg Marsden, Nicola Cairns, Amy Kleefisch, munchthesilivasfan, Nastiafan101, Sing Hon Lo, Nicole Langevin … and many more.

It’s a huge project! Here’s the table of contents:

YOUR SAY: what would you change about elite gymnastics if you could?

Q&A: with Utah coach Greg Marsden

ARTICLE: Rare Birds- a look at Romanian’s best ‘performers’

OPINION: Why don’t gymnasts get enough support?

AMY’S GYM DIARY: What it’s like to go back to the Gym after a looong break!

FEATURE: Ceresela Patrascu, not going home empty handed- not if she can help it!!

NCAA PROFILE: UCLA’s Lone Senior, Anna Li

PROFILE: Making British Gymnastics History- Avril Lennox

TECHNICALITIES: Decoding the Code of Points with Marcus

THE ITALY UPDATE: Giulyx16 tells us what is new in the world of Italian gymnastics

PROFILE: Gymnastics photographer, Sing Hon Lo

INTERVIEW: Precision Choreography’s Nicole Langevin

THE LIST- TCG’s favorite gymnasts without medals

FROM THE VAULT: “It’s not the Olympics”

Random Photo Fun!

QUIZ: How much do you know about gymnastics?

Contributions for future issues are welcomed.

I’ve just started digging into it.

See for yourself by clicking over to The Couch Gymnast Magazine issue #1.

On the Men’s side I really shouldn’t refer to this meet as most bloggers do: The Scam Cup.

It’s a bloody impressive field, assuming all these great gymnasts make it:

Colombia, Jorge Hugo Giraldo Lopez
France, Benoit Caranobe
Germany, Fabian Hambuechen
Great Britain, Daniel Keatings
Japan, Koji Yamamuro
Romania, Flavius Koczi
Russia, Maxim Devyatovskiy
United States, Jonathan Horton
United States, Tim McNeill

I’d happily pay $35 for entry. That’s a bargain.

Reigning Tyson American Cup champion and 2008 Olympic horizontal bar bronze-medalist Fabian Hambuechen of Germany highlights the international list of participants that includes seven 2008 Olympians and four 2009 World medalists for the 2010 Tyson American Cup on March 6 at the DCU Center in Worcester, Mass. …

USAG

One reason this meet is oft ridiculed, however, is that the number of competitors is so small. It’s near certain that medals will be awarded to gymnasts with falls. And that’s a shame.

Another reason it’s called a “Scam” is that the U.S.A. can enter two gymnasts, all other invited nations only one. The results tend to look good for the host, though that’s far from guaranteed on the Men’s results sheet.

Yet, on the women’s side, there’s one thing I’m really looking forward to … the Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup, a new competition held the day prior to American Cup. It’s intended to be a a competitive opportunity for the country’s top Junior Olympic gymnasts, though some Elites will be in the field too.

That’s going to be a fantastic event.

Women’s American Cup?

As usual, I’m personally disinterested. Everyone knows the American girls are supposed to win. That will boost TV ratings.

No use listing the female competitors either as the list always changes in the weeks and days leading up to the meet.

It is a great experience for a young up-and-coming gymnast. Canadian Dominique Pegg, for example, is a good choice for this event.

Leave a comment if you disagree. Many enjoyed the Scam Cup last year.

Read some less cynical commentary on Gymnastics Examiner – Analysis: 2010 American Cup will be exciting, especially for men’s gymnastics fans

UPDATE: A thread on IG forum discussing ideas to improve the Scam.

The first time I ever noticed Vanessa was her perfect 10 vault last season. She was a rookie.

I like her vault from January 31, 2010 even better. She only scored 9.85, but this was only the first time she competed Yurchenko half-on front layout half.

It’s instantly my favourite College vault. (… OK, tied with Daria’s Handspring front layout.)

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Gem wants to see it in super slow motion. Look at that “block”. Totally extended. Very unusual. And very cool.

If Vanessa can qualify to Vault Finals at NCAA Championships, she’d be the favourite. She’s got 2 different superb vaults.

By far the worst of NCAA regulations is that gymnasts qualify to Championships Finals with one vault, then must compete two. It’s stupid, even dangerous.

Vanessa Zamarripa – Gymnastike interview.

Update: Valorie Kondos Field interview after that meet

Romance is in the air at The Rock for the gymnasts and the parents as Valentine’s Day arrives.

The adults are bigger drama queens than the teenagers.

more photos from this episode

Episode 15, Loves Me, Loves Me Not, is online free if you live in the USA at ABCfamily.com. And online here if you live outside the States.