Author: Rick Mc

Who is this gymnast? Alexei Nemov?

Sergei Kharkov at 1991 Moscow World Stars. Thanks Hertzen.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I’m looking for more examples of the world’s best Tkachevs.

Nemov’s layout reverse hecht is as high as any I’ve seen.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

A superb edit by Selicious, film student at Brook’s Institute.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Hardly “fluff”.

If you like that, check out his other videos.

What’s the essence of sport?

People challenging others to see who’s “best” under some arbitrary set of rules.

Short Track Speed Skating is exactly that.

The race itself is madness. There’s a delicious uncertainty about who’s going to win.

… the story of Steven Bradbury, “The Last Man Standing” in the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in 2002. …

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Salt Lake City Olympic Coach Kendra Wilkie Street linked to this video on Facebook. Thanks Kendra.

Do you call it overshoot? Shootover? Shoot half? Bail to Handstand?

This skill has many different names.

Here’s a nice series of progressions posted by Bart on Gymnastics-Skills.com.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Next, this non-spotting set-up used by Coach Milo. Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The One Arm Drop drill only needs be used if a girl has problems with the system above.

Most coaches end up standing in on this skill in competition for a long, long time. It gives the kids confidence to go for handstand.

Pak is a better alternative, in my opinion.

Cirque’s Marceline Goldstein went out to try this insanely extreme sport. Looks hairy.

This is the latest snow kite promo video from Ozone, manufacturers of power kites , snow kites, kitesurf kites and paragliders.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Luisa Portocarrero was the alternate for the beam final at the 1992 Olympic Games representing Guatemala.

One of the many wonderful gymnasts coached by Carol-Angela Orchard at now defunct Seneca Gymnastics, Toronto. Recall that Carol-Angela married and moved to England after the Beijing Olympics.

Click PLAY or watch Luisa’s 1993 American Cup routine on YouTube.

Like so many other Seneca girls, Luisa went on to compete for UCLA.

I was reminded of Luisa after seeing this routine linked from a Gymbits post – Sport Seneca Style.

Click through to see more Seneca highlight routines from the past.

(barely)controlledchaos mentioned Luisa this week, too. She’s a legend.

Canada’s National newspaper the The Globe and Mail posted a summary of the many problems (so far) at the Vancouver Winter Olympics: VANOC, the truth hurts

There have been many problems. No use denying them.

But it’s not “the truth”.

The truth is that the Olympics are marvelous for almost all of those intimately involved.

If offered a chance to go to the Olympics, would you say “NO”?

Does this athlete feel luge is too dangerous? Will she quit the sport?

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

The rest of the world mostly ignores the Winter Games.

That’s the truth that hurts.

Not a figure skating fan, I forced myself to watch the entire Short Program tonight. From what’s been called the strongest field in Olympic history, here’s the top 3, so far, if you missed it.

1. Evgeni Plushenko 90.85
2. Evan Lysacek 90.30
3. Daisuke Takahashi 90.25

Long Program goes Thursday, Feb. 18th at 8:00pm (ET).

Lysacek was good. I really liked Nobunari Oda, currently 4th.

And the NBC fluff piece on Plushenko was brilliant. The bad boy that everyone hates and fears.

From The All Around Gymnastics News on Facebook:

Montreal World Cup (Gymnix) nominative roster; the women’s competition appears to be canceled

I’m not surprised. Details to come.

UPDATE:

… Acrobatic Gymnastics has been withdrawn from the competition program of the 2010 Pacific Rim Championships due to only two countries entering teams into the event …

Gymnastics Australia

What a shame.

=== original post from Feb. 10th:

These days my favourite form of competitive gymnastics is Acro. What amazing things can the human body do without any apparatus?

I keep hearing that discipline is dying. But here’s some good news:

Never before seen as part of the program, Acrobatic Gymnastics will be a demonstration sport at this year’s Pacific Rim Championships. The world’s best acrobats will be on show from April 29 – May 2

Click PLAY or watch a promo on YouTube.