Author: Rick Mc

The Couch Gymnast made the long flight from Australia just in time for European Championships in Italy.

She’s posted some interesting and entertaining notes from podium training:

… The Italian faction was very delighted to have a last minute Vanessa Ferrari in their midst. They followed her around the rotations excitedly snapping pics and chasing autographs. She was looking okay, muscling a lot on bars. Her beam was solid, and her planche mount still looks strong. Her tumbling was okay on floor, with a lot of stepping, and she is back to her old music …

read more – euros podium training… Greetings From Milano!

International Gymnast’s Paul Ziert is there too.

Check his usual self-indulgent ramblings here:
Ziert Alert: European Championships Blog

I wish he had assigned Amanda Turner to do this event, instead.

An April Fool’s Day resolution.

Some jots have been posted online …

GymNiceTic – Podium Training at European Championships

… The comment that stood out to me was “Women’s Podium Training finished today in Milan without brilliance. Falls were common rather than isolated and the general skills level was not impressive,” maybe the new code isnt quite doing its job improving form and removing falls I just hope the actual competition is better. …

Gymnastics In Europe – European Championships Podium Training

GYMmedia European Championships coverage (German)

… Dancing last among the 11 couples, Johnson and Ballas performed an athletic, fast-paced routine that included a few front and back flips. They scored 25 out of 30 points, tying them with rodeo champion Ty Murray and partner Chelsie Hightower for the evening’s fourth-highest total. …

International Gymnast – Johnson Flips to Fourth-Place Tie on ‘Dancing’

Billionaire Apple founder Woz was eliminated.

Many noted how out of competition shape Shawn has gotten since Beijing.

GymNiceTic linked to the FIG press release confirming that the FIG A category World Cup from June 3-7 in San Juan, Puerto Rico has been cancelled.

The reason?

Sponsorship money they were counting on did not materialize.

There’s a world financial crisis, of course.

GymNiceTic – World Cup cancelled!

A call to arms from the Gymnastics Association of Texas:

Gymnastics Association of Texas and Texas USAG support the COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE version of House Bill 1393, authored Representative Leibowitz. Further, we call on Senator Nelson to change Senate Bill 68 by adopting the language of the Committee Substitute version of House Bill 1393.

…

We call all GAT members, parents, and gymnastics enthusiasts to join us in Austin at the Capitol Rotunda at 11:30 AM, THIS Thursday, April 2, 2009to make history! THIS IS OUR CHANCE to RAISE OUR VOICES and BE HEARD to SAVE OUR SPORT!

We need phone calls – emails – letters to your STATE representatives. Time is short ask all your team parents and coaches, everyone we MUST unite!

Gymnastics Association of Texas

I’m hopeful the amendment they support will be accepted.

Recall this awful accident from 2007?

Wang Yan, listed as 15 or 16 years-of-age, fell headfirst from the uneven parallel bars, breaking her neck and losing consciousness after attempting an audacious dismount. …

Teenage gymnast feared paralysed for life after horror fall | the Daily Mail

How is she doing now?

Teenager Wang Yan is walking, talking and text messaging her friends less than two years after suffering a nightmarish accident on the uneven bars that put her in a coma and was expected to leave her permanently paralyzed.

Wang, 17, no longer requires help with her day-to-day life after experiencing a miraculous recovery from surgery that saw her on crutches two months after her horrific tumble in the summer of 2007.

She said she is literally taking her rehabilitation one step at a time. “I am still walking very slowly and when I speed up, I lose my rhythm,” she was quoted as saying by Sina.com. …

Despite the poor to non-existent odds of her walking again after fracturing her second and third vertebrae, Wang is getting faster by the day during her rehab sessions at the hospital attached to Zhejiang Vocational College of Sports.

Doctors there say she will need their assistance for another 12 months. After that, Wang will be able to do all her rehab at home – a program she will need to follow for the rest of her life.

China Daily – From coma to cook, teen gymnast on the mend

One mistake can have a lifetime of consequence.

An interesting video was posted by igorgymn1 on YouTube.

There are some errors and ommissions. Correct and update the list, if you like, and post it in the comments.

Named Gymnastic Elements. High bar

MUSIC:
London mc – What is my name
Nightwish – Passion And The Opera

1) Adler;2) Carballo;3) Keler;4) Gienger;5) Finland uprise;6) Endo;7) Cuervo;8) Russian giant;9) Quast;10) Steineman;11) Yamawaki;12) Russian-czech giant;13) Koste;14) Jager;15) Hoffmann;16) Italian giant;17) Liukin I;18) Liukin II;19) Marinich (Xiao Ruizhi);20) Ono;21) Tkatchev;22) Tsukahara;23) Voronin;24) Zou Li Min;25) Pogorelov I;26) Pogorelov II;27) Rumbutis;28) Straumann;29) Hayden;30) Deltchev;31) Balabanov;32) Markelov;33) Piatti;34) Rybalko;35) Weiler;36) Watanabe;37) Stalder;38) Nicusor Pascu;39) Pegan;40) Kovacs;41) Gaylord I;42) Gaylord II;43) Suarez;44) Pineda;45) Maras;46) Krysin – Andrianov;47) Kolman;48) Fardan;49) Cassina;50) Fedorchenko;51) Shaham;52) Belle

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Is that Charles Lakes doing the Jaeger?

UPDATE:

I’ve removed it from the post. But you can still see the photo by clicking the link, if you wish.

==== original post:

waɪ.t posted a strange image from Prague, Czechoslovakia on flickr:

PHOTO REMOVED

the sacrifice of the gymnast – larger version

DWTS WEEK 4 Season 8, Episode 6 ( March 30 2009 )

The Lindy Hop in front of a live studio audience.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

This was something special, I thought.

But the judges wanted more dance, fewer tricks.