Author: Rick Mc

When I was a young coach, Art Shurlock welcomed us Canadians into his gym many times.

I particularly remember Christmas 1983 just before Los Angeles hosted the 1984 Olympics. In his gym over the holidays were Vidmar, Dagett, Gaylord and many other greats.

I have terrific admiration for Art Shurlock the man, and the coach.

UCLA may no longer have an NCAA Men’s Competitive Gymnastics Team, but Art is going strong at age-70.

International Gymnast Magazine

What a shame.

This is the two time defending NCAA Champion’s second Achilles injury, both times tumbling on Floor.

Her recovery the first time was amazing.

As I wrote recently, “if there is such a thing as a ‘good’ serious injury, it’s a complete Achilles tendon tear.” Courtney could come back again — but not this season.

What a shame.

… This doesn’t bode that well for the Georgia Gym Dogs, who are hosting this year’s NCAA Championships and are favored despite pressure from perennial no. 2 Utah. But this team has proven itself incredibly well under pressure — last season it lost seniors Kelsey Ericksen and Ashley Kupets to injury before the NCAA tournament and still managed to win. …

Gymblog

Courtney Kupets – Georgia biography

(via difficulty plus execution)

UPDATE: In case you were wondering, it was Courtney’s other Achilles. Now both have been operated upon. (link)

Funastics Gymnastics hosts an annual competition in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho called the Great West Gym Fest. (You may have read something about it on this blog in the past.)

One of the hundreds of nice features of this meet is the big screen powerpoint presentation identifying the current competitor. For once everyone knows exactly who is competing.

Click PLAY or watch it in action on YouTube.

One family — the Wrights — takes responsibility for displaying the correct slide with the correct competitor during finals. (Even when the order is changed due to “scratches”.)

Ann wrote suggesting that this version is springier and is preferred by gymnasts.

Leave a comment if you’ve tried this model and have an opinion.

THE WORLD’S ONLY capsule-shaped TRAMPOLINE

Springfree Trampolines

Of course I am negative about backyard trampolines, in general. Best is to have kids do trampoline in a club, on safe equipment, with trained coaches.

This happened a month ago. But I post now because I couldn’t resist linking to this excellent photo:

original – flickr – HeffTech

Someday the “brains” at F.I.G. are going to realize what a mistake they’ve made giving up the “perfect 10”. (That’s what happens when an organization listens to the judges instead of the marketing department.)

There was a bit of a story to this score, as well:

One judge saw it as a 10.0 routine. The other judge, Mary Ann Mahoney, gave it a 9.95 – that is, until she saw the other judge’s score and quickly changed her mark to a 10.0 as well. Postell’s 10.0s

Mahoney’s action was wrong, since judges are supposed to rate routines independently of one another and should not change their score based on the other judge’s opinion.

Mahoney declined to be interviewed by members of the media afterward.

Regardless of the actual number, Postell said she felt the vault was the best she has performed.

“I was just happy I stuck it; I was running back like, ‘whatever,’ ” she said.

Utah coach Greg Marsden said he didn’t see the judge change her score, but that it didn’t matter to him what Postell earned because he knew what he saw.

“I know it was the best vault Ashley has done since she has been here,” he said. “She absolutely nailed it. She just dropped out of it and nailed it.” …

Utah gymnastics: Postell’s perfect 10 vaults Utes to victory – Salt Lake City Tribune

I couldn’t find the vault on YouTube. Here it is, the first one shown in this montage on YouTube. (Slow run. Helps control the landing, I assume.)

Thanks Stephanie.

For decades Olympians have inked Olympic Rings.

In some countries, athletes get tattoos when they first qualify for National Team.

Most conspicuous are the facial temporary tattoos worn by NCAA gymnasts.

Inevitably, this statement of team spirit will be emulated by age group gymnasts:

at Great West Gym Fest

Entrepreneurs take note, clubs do not yet have their own temporary tattoos. The girls I’ve seen use make-up and glitter — perhaps even felt marker — to draw their own.

This could be a good business opportunity.

Sponsored by Harley Davidson, the first annual Battle in Seattle was a big hit with gymnasts.

Funtastics girls running over coach Rachael Tart

Our hosts, official photographers from Timeless Images, and even the judges all got into the biker chick vibe.

Check out the funky cut-away leos worn by the Gym East girls:

At the end of the excellent Level 10 competition Saturday night, Blythe Lawrence of the Gymblog and myself went to congratulate Meet Director John Carney. He accepted on behalf of Gym East Gymnastics and the entire organizing committee.

(Actually, John had lost his voice having had only “1hr and a shower” after setting up the gym all the previous night.)

I’ll post video from the competition over the coming week. This meet attracted excellent gymnasts from across the USA.

Battle in Seattle – official website

By NANCY ARMOUR – AP

NEW YORK (AP) — Paul Hamm showed the world he’s back while Nastia Liukin reminded everyone she’s still very much here. …

This was Hamm’s first international meet since he won the gold medal in Athens almost four years ago, and he dominated as if he’d never been away. He scored 94.4 despite a fall off pommel horse, and finished more than three points ahead of fellow American Sasha Artemev (91.150) and reigning world bronze medalist Hisashi Mizutori (90.950).

Liukin, who was upstaged by Shawn Johnson last year as she struggled with an ankle injury, rebounded in impressive form. She finished with 63.425 points while Johnson, the reigning world champion, scored 63.1 after a fall on a tough, new vault.

…

Johnson was her usual solid self. Her only trouble came on vault, her first event. She’s doing a new vault that only a few other people in the world do, and she landed it short, needing to take several steps back before sitting down on the mat.

She still scored a 15.175, the best score on vault of the day, and had the highest scores on floor and balance beam. But the fall was enough to put her behind Liukin.

read the entire story on AP – Hamm, Liukin Win American Cup

Nastia original – flickr – katakanadian

Valentin Uzunov has just posted his latest gymnastics coaching newsletter:

This is by far the best issue, with many contributions, and with all the new bells and whistles.

Hope you enjoy, and please leave feedback for articles.

Content of March 2008 Issue

Using the “Understand Teach” model to coach a double layout dismount of the Asymmetrical Bars. By Rick McCharles

Stretching Scientifically Part II: Stretching methods, the pros and cons to each method. By Valentin Uzunov

Men’s Choreography – Its About Postural Alignment. By Nicholas Blanton

Coaching and the Ringelmann Effect. By Warren Milburn

DVD Review: Stall Bar Drills for Conditioning and Flexibility

Download the new issue (and past newsletters) from the right hand “Available Issues” panel on www.thegympress.net

… That Double Layout article looks GREAT. Valentin has added a link to a video of the dismount by Courtney McCool.

🙂

I’m not sure this is such a brilliant idea for the gymnasts themselves:

Under the Lights: Georgia Gymnastics chronicles the top-ranked University of Georgia gymnastics team’s preparation for the opening meets of the 2008 season and its five-day road trip to face powerhouses No. 2 Utah and No. 7 Stanford.

A SportSouth camera and sound crew were embedded with the Gym Dogs for the six weeks leading up to the two season-opening meets to cover intense practice and conditioning sessions, team meetings, classes on campus and the team’s celebration of the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. SportSouth also followed the student-athletes through their typical day-of-meet routine, from the team breakfast through workouts, team meetings and a visit to the local mall.

Wireless microphones worn by legendary coach Suzanne Yoculan and assistants Jay Clark and Doug McAvinn during practice sessions and both meets provide unprecedented insight.

Georgia Dogs

No doubt it will be popular with the legions of Georgia fans, though. It debuts March 1st.

The editing of this teaser preview is not good. The sound is terrible.

Click PLAY or watch a preview of Under the Lights: Georgia Gym Dogs on YouTube.