Author: Rick Mc

What a weekend. Scores are escalating.

There were two “perfect 10” vaults on Friday night.

Boise State scored 196.1 this weekend against SUU. (Elise Wheeler broke the SUU school record in the AA with a 39.55.)

The highest score of all time is, I think, UCLA 198.875 in 2004. That record score may have been tied by Stanford in 2004.

(In 2004 judges were drugged even more than usual.)

related – College Gymnastics Board – Best score ever recorded in NCAA gymnastics

Surprise, surprise.

China did exactly the opposite of what I expected. And exactly the wrong thing.

Blythe updates us in this post: Gymnastics Examiner – Chinese officials remain defiant about Dong Fangxiao’s age in 2000

Now … the IOC is in a much easier position to pull the Team and Individual medal from Sydney. IOC must choose to support either China or the International Gymnastics Federation. They’ll back FIG.

China has no influence over Dong Fangxiao because she lives in New Zealand. She and her husband have admitted she was underage. How can China think they can sustain this lie now?

Obviously the correct response for Beijing would have been to fire the coaches and administrators from 2000. And apologize. Since that didn’t happen, … I’m guessing China has more skeletons in the closet.

Let’s assume one of the “fall guys” they would have fired got angry and decides to reveal other rules violations. Age of athletes in 2008, Beijing, for example. …

This is getting interestinger and interestinger.

Recall Brian McKeever, the legally blind skier who qualified for the Canadian Men’s Olympic Cross Country Ski Team?

As of this morning, he’s been dropped from the Team.

… Canadian cross-country ski coaches met Friday night to consider their lineup for Sunday’s final event, the men’s 50-kilometres. The decision was made to go with Ivan Babikov, Alex Harvey, George Grey and Devon Kershaw. Since no nation is allowed to field more than four racers in a cross-country event that means McKeever will not become the first winter athlete to compete in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Team manager Dave Wood along with head coach Inge Braten were unavailable for comment Friday night. Earlier in the day, Braten spoke to the Canadian Press and said he had to be professional “and choose the guys who are the best for the 50-km. Normally, sorry to say, all four are faster than Brian. And I think they can fight for a medal, all four of them. And then I have to pick out one who has a medal chance and put in Brian? That’s the situation. I don’t like it.” …

Globe and Mail – Blind skier denied chance to make history

Tough call. This decision is not going to be popular.

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Brian McKeever will still race in the Paralympics, a big favourite.

emma asks a good question:

How will the qualification process work? How is USAG going to choose gymnasts?

The first annual YOG (Youth Olympic Games) will be hosted in Singapore between 14 and 26 August 14-26th, 2010. That’s 3,600 athletes between 14 and 18 years of age from 205 National Olympic Committees.

Only 1 male and 1 female athlete will compete for each country in individual disciplines. All 26 sports on the London 2012 Olympic Games programme will be hosted.

Surprisingly, Michael Phelps was name official ambassador for YOG by the IOC. An effort to rehabilitate his tarnished reputation.

official website

Here’s the American selection criteria:

Women: born between 1 January 1995 and 31 December 1995

Athletes who have participated at FIG Senior competitions or multisport games (including continental championships and world cup events) may not participate …

The athlete selected to represent the US at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games will be determined from among the age eligible athletes by the selection committee immediately following the conclusion of the US Classic competition in July 2010.

The following criteria will be used to determine the YOG athlete and replacement athletes.

• All Around rank order at the 2010 US Classic Meet
• All Around Rank order using the YOG competition rules
May 2009 3
• Past International Results …

read more (PDF)

Selection procedures for U.S. WAG, MAG, Rhythmic and Trampoline.

So … which gymnast born 1995 should be picked? Leave a comment if you’ve a suggestion.

Posted by Al Fong.

… It’s all in how you raise them from the beginning. When it comes to controlling the fear factor as we teach the “scary” skills, progressions and the right training stations are critical. Our station for the split leap on balance beam is one such example.

Beam Doesn’t Have To Be Scary

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

A lot of good scores so far this weekend. The NCAA Team Championship competition is going to be awesome.

Vanessa Zamarripa, the Pac-10 Gymnast of the Week the last two weeks in a row, scored a perfect 10.0 on vault this weekend. Her team, UCLA, hit all 26 routines (24-for-24 in competition, 2-for-2 in exhibition).

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photos Jamie Deetscreek, Utah

Utah senior Jamie Deetscreek followed the worst meet of her collegiate career with one of her best.

Deetscreek scored a 39.225 in the all-around and had a crucial 9.925 on the balance beam to help the No. 9 Utes beat BYU 195.925-194.375 Friday …

In fact, Utah nearly lost tonight 195.925-194.375 over BYU. Congrats BYU!

… the No. 2 ranked Alabama Gymnastics team beat No. 12 Kentucky in Memorial Coliseum, 197.225-195.650. The Crimson Tide scored a 49.65 on the vault, its highest total since 2004 and its second highest vault score ever during the regular season. It was Alabama’s fourth 197-plus score of the season, the most in the nation this season.

Senior Morgan Dennis led the way with a 9.975 on the vault and a 39.55 in the all-around. …

GymTide

Gymnastics Examiner posted a good overview of the Chinese age falsification investigation:

… Yang, who is married to 2008 men’s Olympic all-around champion Yang Wei, was said to be 16 in Sydney. But in 2008 she gave an interview on Chinese television and stated that she was 14 when she competed at the Olympics. Yang later said she misspoke. She also won a bronze medal on uneven bars at the Sydney Games. …

Decision about age of Chinese gymnasts Yang and Dong expected soon

The decision just announced is that her teammate Dong Fangxiao is guilty, but that there’s insufficient evidence that Yang Yun was underage.

I guess this admission on National TV in China was not deemed conclusive.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (3min 30sec)

I don’t believe for a second that Yang Yun was old enough for the 2000 Olympics. My guess is that she will admit her actual age in the massive media onslaught to come.

If China and her teammate are to be punished, I don’t think she and her Olympic Champion husband will stay quiet. He’s a national hero there.

Update with a few new details is posted on Gymnastics Examiner.

FIG dropped the hammer …

By NANCY ARMOUR AP National Writer:

Dong Fangxiao was 14 during the Sydney Games, according to an investigation by the International Gymnastics Federation. Gymnasts must be 16 during the Olympic year to compete.

A second gymnast on the 2000 squad, Yang Yun, also was suspected of being underage. But there was insufficient evidence her age had been falsified, and the FIG said it was giving her a warning.

The FIG has “cancelled” all of Dong’s results from Sydney and forwarded its investigation to the International Olympic Committee. Because the case involves the Olympics, it is up to the IOC to decide if China should lose any medals.

The IOC has said previously it would take “necessary measures” if any gymnasts were found to be underage. The United States was fourth at the Sydney Games.

“We can confirm that we have received the ruling from the FIG in the case concerning Dong Fangxiao and Yang Yun, and we take due note of their decision,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams said. “Clearly, we need to take time to consider the findings before the Executive Board can consider the matter. …

Investigation: 1 Chinese Gymnast Underage in 2000

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

Most gymnastics experts feel the age requirement is the wrong way to protect young gymnasts around the world. But if FIG is going to make stupid rules, they should enforce them.

Next … why was Yang Yun found innocent? I saw much more convincing “evidence” that she was underage than for her teammate.

And will IOC actually strip Dong Fangxiao and the Chinese Olympic Team of their 2000 Olympic medals?

Update: commentary from Andrew Thornton

I was really moved by the story Georgia gymnast Kat Ding tells in this, one of the Know a Gymnast series of articles:

(barely)controlledchaos: A recent article on the Red and Black website says you just wanted to get away from Reno. What were you looking to get away from? What was your gymnastics experience as a child and teenager like? To be honest, I hadn’t heard of you until you landed at UGA, so I’m curious to know how such talent escaped my notice!

KAT: I was looking to get away from an environment that wasn’t suitable to a positive lifestyle. There are gangs, drugs, and just bad things that are going around there and that isn’t me. My gymnastics experience as a kid was nothing exciting or glamorous. I worked hard, cried a lot, and felt like I never got anywhere.

In the end, obviously the hard work has paid off, but there were definitely times when I was ready to quit. If it weren’t for my mom, I would have… You didn’t hear about me until I came to UGA because I wasn’t that good. I had a talented coach for a few years, but when he left to become a college coach, I coached myself practically for the last 3 years of high school. You can only do as good as you know how to be, so after I had a great year placing 2nd at nationals in the all around, I fell by the way side and just competed when I had to and practiced when I felt like it. It was amazing Jay still wanted me!! …

read the entire interview – Know a Gymnast: KAT DING

UPDATE: The link is down right now. Hopefully it will be restored soon.

That photo is from The Peripheral, a photo blog by the wonderful Kelly Lambert who covers Georgia Sports. Check it out.