Spain’s Gervasio Deferr missed on vault. He won’t reach the final. Will not defend the Olympic titles he won in Athens 2004 and Sydney 2000.
He likely will reach the Floor final with a score of 15.825.
Author: Rick Mc
Career gymnastics coach who loves the outdoors, and the internet.
Olympic Beam Champion Nastia Liukin
Yup. That’s my prediction.
It’s my least confident Gold Medal prediction.
Certainly I would LOVE to see Nastia win beam. She’s unique. Artistic. And has a great family history.
It would be very good for our sport if she did win.
Click PLAY to see her Olympic Trials Day 1 routine on YouTube.
Leave a comment if you know of a better beam routine shown by Nastia in 2008. I would replace the one above.
And — of course — leave a message if I am dead wrong on who will win Gold on Beam.
Olympic Gymnastics Medal predictions
Christian Ivanov on International Gymnast predicts the Men’s winners:
read more – IG
… Bit of a long shot calling Dragalescu on Vault, I think.
Olympic gymnastics competition begins
The U.S. Men started on Rings.
screenshot
I suspect Kevin Tan will not qualify for the Rings Final. His score of 15.75 will likely not be high enough.
Watch live scoring on NBC.
UPDATE: Vault went GREAT. Everyone hit.
Olympic Opening Ceremonies – WOW
Congratulations China!
We’re watching the (delayed) North American TV coverage. Fantastic.
Police watch Olympic rings formed in the sky by fireworks during the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Beijing. (AP Images) – 2008 Olympics Opening Ceremonies Spectacular – Bodog Beat
I love the Olympics.
From Leo Laporte on Twitter:
I think we’ll look back at this and say, this was when the American century ended and the Chinese century began.
Men’s Olympic Gymnastics PREVIEW
From F.I.G.:
Saturday 9 August, 2008 will be a nerve-wrecking day for all the participants in the Men’s Gymnastics Qualifications at the National Indoor Stadium in Beijing, because it is the first and vitally important step to the 2008 Olympic medals.
The outcome of this event will decide:
The top 8 Teams who will proceed to the Team Final on Monday, 11 August; The top 24 individuals who will fight for the All-around title and medals on Thursday, 14 August; The top 8 individuals on each piece of apparatus who will target the highest Olympic honours on 17, 18 and 19 Aug.
By far the most interesting competition, I feel, is the first one. Prelims.
“nerve-wrecking” may not be a typo.
Subdivision 1: 12:00- 14:06
ITA, ESP, USA, MG2 – 2GBR, ISR, UZB, COL; MG 6- EGY, GRE, GEO, YEM, MG 3- 2
SUI, POL, NEDSubdivision 2: 16:00- 18:06
CHN, CAN, RUS, JPN, FRA, MG 4- HUN, CRO, CZE, BRASubdivision 3: 20:00-22:06
BLR, KOR, GER, ROM, MG5-2 UKR, SLO, BEL and MG1- LUX, BUL, VEN, PUR, AUS
full press release from F.I.G. – PDF file
more photos – NBCOlympics.com
Li Ning flies over Olympic Stadium
Wow.
… The 44-year-old Li Ning was hoisted then into the air, hundreds of feet above the National Stadium packed with nearly 100,000 athletes, spectators and world dignitaries. Running through the sky, Li circled the stadium in an homage to the thousands of miles the Olympic flame has traveled on its way from Olympus to Beijing, before finally lighting the cauldron.
…
He earned six medals, including three golds, at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. He retired after the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.
In 1990 Li founded Li-Ning Company Limited, which has grown into one of the largest sportswear companies in the world. With more than 4,000 retail stores, Li-Ning is a major competitor to Nike and adidas in some markets. …
This will sell some apparel !!
more Olympic podium training photos
Morgan Hamm scapegoat?
The first I’ve heard of this conspiracy theory.
International Gymnast Publisher Paul Ziert on podium training:
… OK, the American men had a less-than-impressive showing from what I have heard, but remember this is just a dress rehearsal. Nevertheless, from what IG has learned, the men’s program personnel pushed the big panic button, and irrationally created a situation which I know they will regret later. Sources have told IG that Morgan Hamm became the scapegoat for this shaky rehearsal. …
Ziert is wrong far more often than he is right.
But is there some truth to this allegation?
Li Ning lights the Olympic cauldron
… Ex-gymnast and three-time gold medal winner Li Ning will light the Olympic cauldron, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
Li Ning, China’s best-known gymnast of the 1980s, is also founder of sports clothes manufacturer Li Ning. …
One of my favourite gymnasts of all time.
Nice call, China.
