Author: Rick Mc

Just added a link to an excellent new blog to the right hand navigation. (Under BLOGS.)

It’s called Past & Present Gymnastics.

Emily edits the site. It puts modern competitive Artistic Gymnastics in perspective by looking back in history.

Sample posts:

She did a test shoot, helping a 13-year-old girl with a teenage “makeover”.

The 21-year-old Winchester homegal was back in town this week shooting a “video treatment” – a sort of test reel – for Bravo, A & E, Style and MTV – with Lou Reda Productions.

The production company was “very intrigued by Alicia during the Olympics and thought she’d be great on TV,” said the silver medalist’s marketing gal, Kelly Downing of TrinityOne Worldwide. …

Olympics beauty eyes dose of reality – Inside Track

Alicia is destined for big things.

Bigger than Reality TV, I hope.

First Takehiro Kashima announced he would retire after the Toyota Cup.

Now Tomita.

Tomita’s generation led Japan back to prominence after a relatively fruitless decade in the 1990s …

International Gymnast

Hiroyuki Tomita is a national hero in Japan.

In 2004, Tomita led his Japanese team to an upset victory over China (and everyone else) capturing the Olympic team title for the first time since 1976. Tomita was 6th all-around.

He was the first Japanese gymnast in 31 years to win the men’s World Championship in 2005.

After problems in the qualifying round, Tomita finished 4th all-around in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. This despite a freak, dangerous looking fall on Rings.

It’s the end of an era.

Happily both Tomita and Kashima plan to coach.

Zimbabwe is a disaster under megalomaniac President Robert Mugabe.

A (white Canadian) gymnastics coach friend of mine had to be evacuated out of Harare years ago due to the excesses of his regime.

Yet gymnastics survives there, despite the many problems.

The Zimbabwe gymnastics team is off to Namibia at the end of this month to compete in the Zone 6 Southern African Championships. The team consists of 40 gymnasts, 4 coaches, 2 judges and 2 official delegates.

Zimbabwe Gymnastics- support the dream

For general conditioning:

Lightweight, compact and easy to set-up, you can take them anywhere.

Straps are 14.5ft in length.

MD Gymnastic Rings

A better value, I think, are the Elite Rings for $72.

UPDATE:

The best deal of all right now is from Coach Sommer:

Normally retailing for $72, The Xtreme Rings are currently on sale for $55.

Consider these NEW support resources, as well: a Rings book and 5 DVDs from Gymnastic Bodies:

I somehow missed this book when it was first published in the run up to the Olympics.

Going for Gold: The 2008 U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team

Leave a comment if you have an opinion on it.

I’m at a well organized training event this weekend.

Alberta P5 girls and higher have a camp at Stampede City Gymnastics Club Friday November 7th – Sunday November 9th, 2008.

Apparatus leaders:

• Vault – Guy Lavoie
• Bars – David Altmeyer
• Beam – Liz Brubaker
• Floor – Adrian Capatana
• Floor – Derek Hanson

• Sport Psychologist – Keith McDonald

Here are half the girls:

larger version

It’s coach focused. But gymnasts are getting some good basics work, as well.

That’s the buzz on the world wide web after she was quoted as saying:

… The national championships next August in Dallas and world championships next October in London appear doubtful, she said.

“To compete next year, I’d have to start training directly after the tour,” Johnson, 16, of West Des Moines said Friday by phone before a performance of the national Tour of Gymnastics Superstars in East Lansing, Mich.

“It would be hard to get into the kind of shape I’m happy with. If I did come back, I’d want to be better than ever, even if it takes three years. I’d want to be more perfect and precise.”

Johnson said she’s unsure when or whether she will return to competition. …

Gymnastics: Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson unlikely to compete in 2009 – Des Moines Register

Gymnastics Media

Sounds like Shawn might have said too much, too soon.

Her Mom and agent Sheryl Shade are trying to backpedal on that statement.

Thanks Stu Cram.

GymScoreLite MAG & WAG score programs have been updated for the new FIG Code with D- and E-scores. 

        – These are Excel programs for tabulating gymnastic meet scores in most club meets. 

        – Available Free at Gym-Score-Depot.ca in the software section.

Works on both Mac and Windows systems.

Does NOT work with Excel 2008 until MS restores macro support as promised. 😦

Use previous versions of Excel.

Class always starts with stretching and ends with a trip on the trampoline followed by a big group hug led Coach Jade. While that’s all well and good, the tots know that Head Coach Trevor Ramsey is the one to impress and they look forward to his high-five of approval. …

Gymnastics is Child’s Play for Tumbling Tots – Bahama’s Weekly