Author: Rick Mc

Blythe Lawrence highlights what an amazing week it’s been.

Dong Fangxiao too young at the 2000 Olympics. Chinese unrepentent. Peggy Liddick’s reaction. Dominique Dawes. Jenna Zito. Jennifer Iovino. International Gymnix. Nathan Gafuik. And more …

Gymnastics Examiner – The gymnastics week in review

One story linked suggests The Cardinal is peaking for Championships:

Stanford Men’s Gymnastics scored 361.4 to easily defeat #1 ranked Michigan 352.15.

… Before Saturday, the highest score posted by any team so far this year (aside from the Japanese collegiate all-star team, which scored 358.8 at last week’s Pacific Coast Classic) was 356.5, set by Oklahoma against Nebraska on Feb. 13. …

Nebraska will host Stanford and Oklahoma on Sunday in arguably the biggest shootout of the regular season. …

Congratulations to all those selected to compete. This is the best new meet in the U.S.A.

March 5, 2010, at the DCU Center in Worcester, Mass.

The American Cup will be shown live on Universal Sports (and universalsports.com) from 11:30am- 1pm ET on Saturday, March 6, then NBC will continue to air the event live from 1-3 pm ET.

Also, in conjunction with the American Cup will be The Nastia Liukin Cup, an invitational … held on Friday evening. Universal Sports will air it live 7-9 pm ET Friday. …

About.com Gymnastics

2010 Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup Field
Arranged alphabetically by last name

Nikole Addison, Fort Myers, Fla., Coast Elite Gymnastics
Lauren Beers, Warren Center, Pa., Southern Tier Gymnastics
Hallie Benjamin, Fortville, Ind., DeVeau’s School of Gymnastics
Alexis Carroll, Gaithersburg, Md., Hill’s Gymnastics
Marie Case, Erie, Pa., Lakettes Gymnastics Academy
Stephani Canizaro, Nesbit, Miss., Memphis GymStars
Alexa Davis, Harrisburg, Pa., Central Pa. Academy of Gymnastics
Lia Del Priore, Center Valley, Pa., Parkettes Gymnastics
Gabrielle Douglas, Virginia Beach, Va., Excalibur
Jazmyn Estrella, Allentown, Pa., Parkettes Gymnastics
Shealyn Farley, Lancaster, Pa., Prestige Gymnastics
Kylie Fischer, Addison, Ill., Palmer’s Gymnastics
Summer Garcia, Lawrenceville, Ga., Ultimate Gymnastics
Ashleigh Gnat, Lake Mary, Fla., Ace Gymnastics
Lloimincia Hall, Dallas, Texas, Texas Dreams Gymnastics
Pauline Hanset, Knoxville, Tenn., Premier Athletics Knoxville
Kimberly Jacob, Raleigh, N.C., Superior Gymnastics
Mary Jane Horth, Akron, Ohio, Gymnastic World
Amelia Hundley, Hamilton, Ohio, Cincinnati Gymnastics
Madison Krentz, Cave Creek, Ariz., Arizona Sunrays
Sarah Lokos, Damascus, Md., Hill’s Gymnastics
Kassandra Lopez, Tucson, Ariz., Gym World East
Maggie Lundeen, St Charles, Ill., Palmer’s Gymnastics
Megan Marenghi, Plano, Texas, WOGA
Maliah Mathis, San Antonio, Texas, Aerial Athletics
Jaclyn McCartin, West Covina, Calif.,Charter Oak Gliders
Nina McGee, Cincinnati, Ohio, Gym-Nation
Diandra Milliner, Andover, Kan., Folgers Gymnastics
Sammie Musto, Franklinville, N.J., Atlantic Coast
Shonacee Oliva, Groveland, Fla., Brandy Johnson’s Gymnastics
Lexie Priessman, Cincinnati, Ohio, Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy
Shelby Salmon, Noblesville, Ind., Sharp’s Gymnastics
Hayley Sanders, McKinney, Texas, WOGA
Mykayla Skinner, Gilbert, Ariz., Desert Lights
Megan Walker, Brackney, Pa., Southern Tier Gymnastics
Kiersten Wang, Colorado Springs, Colo., Colorado Aerials

USAG

http://www.twitvid.com/player/ACF35

There’s a number of things doctors would advise you not do after suffering a broken neck… gymnastics might just top that list.

But Boise State’s Amy Glass was never one for being told what she couldn’t do. …

Click PLAY or watch it on KTVB.

http://www.ktvb.com/v/?i=85438407

Update: Natasha Kelley is competing for Oklahoma with a completely torn ACL.

Why don’t you see more female free runners?

Former gymnast Hayley Brice-Nicolson from New Zealand, now training in Sweden, sends us some interesting links.

A good starting point is GirlParkour.com.

As the name suggests, it’s about girls and it’s about parkour…
it’s about girls that practise parkour… nothing more… nothing less… simple.

Click PLAY or watch traceur Ann Grjukach on YouTube.

High resolution version of this calendar available on Rik Feeney’s Gymnastics Training Tips site.

Gymnastics Examiner commentary on “mini-Alicia“.

=== original post:

On Full In Full Out:

The very loud rumor mill is reporting that Aly Raisman has been added as the second American, along with Rebecca Bross. I am excited to see Raisman in a non-grainy video. Yes, we all know she has Brestyan’s bars. I can overlook that for now. I need elite gymnastics.

That’s Alexandra Raisman of the 3 1/2 twist.

Brandi is up to #2. Congratulations!

top 25

Now ranked by RQA …

see top 20

Update: Gymnastike rankings page with linked videos.

Here’s a great example of why Canada’s “Own The Podium” is the right program, with the wrong name.

One of the great success stories is this guy …

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

He was shattered after finishing with a personal best, Canada’s best ever 5th place in the men’s 50KM Mass Start cross country ski race.

… “My goal was to stay with the leaders, conserve as much energy as I could,” Kershaw explained. “It’s a marathon. It takes over two hours. You have to be so calm and collected. I accomplished everything I hoped for, and more. But to be 1.5 seconds from the gold medal in a race so long …… when I see my technicians, it’s going to be really hard. It’s the best 50K of my life. But, at the same time, it’s really tough to place fifth.” …

Vancouver Sun

Devon Kershaw really believed he could beat Petter Northug of Norway, the reigning World Champion.

That’s the psychology you should have to compete at the Olympics.

Kershaw is pysically, technically and psychologically ready to win. That’s what Own The Podium is all about.

====

That’s the same race, by the way, where coaches decided not to compete the alternate, blind skier Brian McKeever:

… Alex Harvey of St-Ferreol-les-Neiges, Que., and Ivan Babikov of Canmore, Alta., were the last skiers on the course to cross the finish line.

Harvey was 32nd and Babikov 33rd, which called into question the decision to sit alternate Brian McKeever, the legally blind skier who was seeking to become the first winter athlete to compete in both the Olympics and Paralympics.

Harvey and Babikov didn’t appear to have anything left in the tank after a series of earlier races, whereas McKeever was fresh. The 50-km race would have been his only Olympic event. …

I’m not a figure skating fan. When I see Johnny Weir, I find it difficult to get past his appearance.

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

It’s too extreme. My inclination is not to watch him skate. I assume he’s more flamboyant style than substance.

And his antics play into many of the stereotypes about male figure skaters. Even gay pundits are asking: Is Johnny Weir “Too Gay” For Figure Skating? (VIDEO)

My respect for Weir climbed a notch or two after hearing him fire back at broadcasters Claude Mailhot and Alain Goldberg of RDS, a French-language sports channel in Quebec. Here’s that interview.

U.S. men’s figure skater Johnny Weir says he was ‘frankly, pissed’ upon learning that the two French-language commentators questioned his gender and made other jibes during his Olympic skating performances last week. (Feb. 24)

Click PLAY or watch his interview on YouTube.

Still, I’m more inclined to cheer (or at least smirk at) the macho antics of Silver medalist, Russia’s Yevgeny Plushenko.

Plushenko and his coach want his competitors to man up and throw quad twists. I agree.

Comments? … Should I simply give up on Figure Skating completely?