Author: Rick Mc

Australian Gymnastics Blog posted the updated list:

SENIOR NATIONAL SQUAD

GEORGIA BONORA (VIC)
SOPHIE BUDACK (NT) *
ALEX BYERS-ARMSTRONG (VIC) **
FIONA COLEY (VIC)
EMMA DENNIS (VIC)
BRITT GREELEY (VIC)
EMILY LITTLE (WA) *
ZOE LORENZIN (VIC) *
LARRISSA MILLER (QLD)
LAUREN MITCHELL (WA)
MARY-ANNE MONCKTON (NSW) *
SHONA MORGAN (VIC)
GEORGIA SIMPSON (WA) *
GEORGIA WHEELER (VIC) *

* Denotes Athletes elevated from Junior to Senior National Squad
** Denotes New Senior National Squad Member

Australian Gymnastics Blog

As named by the same blog, an easy pick, Australian Routine of the Year …

Lauren Mitchell, Beam, World Championships event final

2nd Place D-Score: 6.3 E-Score: 8.575 Total: 14.875

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Will Australia qualify a full team for the 2012 Olympics?

The launch of the women’s College season gets far, far more publicity than does the men’s. That’s a shame.

The 2010 men’s gymnastics season is about to launch into hyperspeed this month, with three high-profile meets taking place next weekend (January 15-17).

The Windy City Invite will feature top club teams such as Bartlett Gymnastics, Buffalo Grove, Orlando Metro, Queen City and Hocking Valley. It will also serve as the season opener for Illinois-Chicago, Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota and Ohio State.

The Rocky Mountain Open will help kick off the season for Air Force, Arizona State, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Washington. Top club teams from that region will also compete.

The Vitaly Scherbo Invitational will showcase top club teams from the west coast, including San Mateo, WCOGA and SCATS. …

read more on StickItMedia

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

I’m looking forward to the Cal Berkeley v Stanford clash Friday, Jan. 15. The top 2 ranked teams in the NCAA.

This was my favourite Floor routine of the last quadrennial.

It was ranked the 6th best gymnastics performance of the last decade on Tsuk the Pain.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Click through to Tsuk the Pain to see more of the top 25 performances.

Nastia Liukin and figure skater Evan Lysacek attended the Lakers Game together last night. Nastia was in town for the UCLA meet and to promote her new Gym Camp.

… I don’t think this friendship is going anywhere serious.

Gymtruthteller is certain – Worst kept secret is out.

Gymnastike was there for the 2010 shoot.

They posted an entertaining video called Behind the Scenes of the Utah Gymnastics Photo Shoot.

Here’s a still outtake.

Thanks wordsmith!

When was the last time the Bruins were atop the NCAA Team standings?

full list

Last night on T.V. American viewers could watch:

The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special: In 3-D! On Ice!

and / or

The Progressive Skating & Gymnastics Spectacular

I watched The Simpsons.

Here’s the first review I read on the Gymnastics:

The Progressive Skating & Gymnastics Spectacular was boring last year. This time, it was painful. Crimes were committed. CRIMES, I SAY! …

Full In Full Out – Skating and Gymnastics SpecSnoozular

Leave a comment if you feel it was actually worth watching.

I watched Georgia video highlights of what coach Jay Clark called an “ugly win” over Stanford.

McCool looks ready. It was interesting to compare the veteran’s solid Beam against rookie Shayla Worley.

I still think Shayla needs to mature quickly if Georgia is to win again this season. The competition will be tougher in 2010 than last season, it seems to me. It’s not easy replacing Kupets, even with a team of superstars.

I’ve also been looking forward to the retired Georgia coach turning commentator. She’s straight spoken, sometimes outspoken. And very entertaining.

Will she dish on College judges now that she no longer has to fear grudges?

From her blog:

… I’m sure most of my readers will think I’m going to unload on what a poor job they do.

If that’s what you think, you’re absolutely wrong. I think college gymnastics judges are people of tremendous skill and integrity. …

… I believe the judging in college gymnastics today is the most accurate and fairest judging of any sport, college or professional. …

read more – The Ladies and Gentlemen in the Blue Coats

Judging in College Women’s Gymnastics is … weird. But simplistic. They only take “obvious” deductions, carefully defined. And ranking a relative low number of competitors is relatively easy.

At $200 / meet, not a bad part-time job.

Called in the Men’s Code Liukin, one of the many skills first competed by Valeri Liukin.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

… WOW! He could TOTALLY connect something out of that, and I bet he’s planning on it. Will Danell be the first gymnast to use the Liukin in a release combination??? …

Andrew Thornton – Valeri Liukin Invitational!

That’s Danell Leyva. He competed it at the Liukin Invite.

Dan now has 5 coaching DVDs with the addition of Learning the Glide Kip. Something tells me this will be his most popular. Kip is one of the most difficult skills to teach.

Dan was the Head Women’s Gymnastic Coach at Bowling Green State University, for 10 years. Dan has been an influential leader in the gymnastic community as an athlete, men’s & woman’s coach, judge and clinician for over 40 years. He is recognized as one of the most knowledgeable gymnastics coaches in the world.

As Head Coach of California Sun Gymnastics Club, Dan Connelly, trained 1976 Olympic team member Tom Beach, 1984 Olympic gold medalist Mitch Gaylord, and 1988 U.S. Olympic Trials champion Charles Lakes.

Lakes had the highest Tkachev and highest Jaeger I’ve ever seen, using totally different technique than anyone else.

Dan Connelly knows swing.

That’s Tom Beach of GymSmarts, by the way.

Click through to GymSmarts for details.

related – Dan Connelly’s GymSmarts blog