tumbling, tramp, diving, acrobatics, circus, cheer, dance, martial arts, X sports … and more
I’m hoping to get to Todd Gardiner’s Navy Pier competition for the first time. Over 4000 competitors I’m told.
“Chicago Style” 2008
10th Year Anniversary
February 8, 2008 – February 10, 2008The Largest Women’s Gymnastics Invitational Meet in the World!
“Chicago Style” is held at Chicago’s Historic Navy Pier.
NEW for 2008! NCAA Session featuring Stanford University, UCLA, University of Illinois and University of Washington
Karen Owoc contacted us about a great boys competition hosted in Oakland, California Feb. 21-23, 2008.
Obviously, it’s for a good cause. Everyone wants to see the NCAA program survive and thrive.
Our Goal
To provide direct assistance in preserving men’s collegiate gymnastics programs and increase scholarship and training opportunities in the United States.
In 1969: Approximately 230 collegiate gymnastics programs existed. Today: Only 18 NCAA programs remain in the U.S.
Our generation has taken responsibility to reverse this declining trend because ultimately, it is our action or inaction that will affect the longevity of men’s gymnastics programs in the United States.
Proceeds from the Pacific Coast Classic benefit two organizations that significantly impact the future of men’s gymnastics in the United States. But it is only with the support of many participating teams, coaches, judges, volunteers, sponsors, spectators and our staff that makes direct assistance to collegiate teams and to the following organizations possible:
Men’s Intercollegiate Gymnastics Support Program (MIGSP)
National Gymnastics Foundation Men’s Scholarship Program
A Benefit Event for Men’s Collegiate Gymnastics – Pacific Coast Classic Home
Fake Martha.
Someone posted a funny MySpace page. This is high tribute, actually. Once you have a MySpace impostor you know you are a true celebrity.
About me:
I am zee National Team Coordinator of the USA Womens Gymnastic team. Together with my husband Bela we have trained nine Olympic champions, fifteen world champions, sixteen European medalists and six U.S. national champions, including Mary Lou Retton, Betty Okino, Kerri Strug, Teodora Ungureanu, Nadia Comaneci, Kim Zmeskal and Dominique Moceanu.
But do not let zee media fool you, I am zee brains behind zee operaaayshun. …
MySpace.com – Martha Karolyi – 65 – Female – New Waverly, TEXAS – www.myspace.com/marta_owns_you42
(via Gym Blog)
The Wall Street Journal published an amusing article describing the unusual problems faced by Cirque talent scouts:
… As Cirque du Soleil rolls through its 23rd year and prepares to expand to 22 shows by the end of 2010, from 14 today, it has become one of Canada’s marquee cultural exports and a $620 million-a-year business. Cirque du Soleil shows will appear in 24 countries this year, drawing nearly 10 million people.
Scouts like Ms. Giasson will travel the world, scour the Internet and vet thousands of unsolicited applications to fill 500 new roles. In their quest, they have created a database of 20,000 potential performers.
Among them: 24 giants (including a Ukrainian who is 8 foot 2), 23 whistlers, 466 contortionists, 14 pickpockets, 35 skateboarders, 1,278 clowns, eight dislocation artists and 73 people classified simply as small.
But a problem arises when talent is truly unique and either difficult or impossible to replace. If, for example, one enters the words “giant” and “opera” into the database, only one name pops up: Victorino Antonio Lujan, a 39-year-old Argentinian who stands just shy of seven feet and weighs about 400 pounds. …
25-year-old Alan J. Silva, the acrobat from Brazil, who stands 3-feet-10 inches tall. Mr. Silva first came to the attention of Cirque scouts in December 2000 at an audition in Saõ Paulo. “He walked as if he were a prime minister or the president of the United States,” Ms. Giasson said.
… read more – Talent Scouts For Cirque du Soleil Walk a Tightrope – WSJ.com
(Thanks Tom Mangan.)
Casting – Cirque du Soleil
After reading a detailed and insightful post (see below) raving for Alicia Sacramone (What’s not to love? She’s wonderful!) I’ve subscribed to the GymBlog: “News and analysis of men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics”.
But it’s Sacramone who is being widely touted as the force behind the U.S.’s recapturing the world team title, which it wrought back from a young Chinese team 184.4-183.45. The Chinese women won its first world team championship in 2006 over a seemingly stupified group of Americans, who won it from an equally stunned group of Romanians back in 2003.
At this world championships, Romania displayed its usual consistency to take a distant third with 178.1. The surprise exception to all that consistency came from all-around leader Steliana Nistor, who reportedly fell on balance beam (14.8) and had severe problems on floor exercise (13.95, the second-lowest Romanian score of the day).
Back to the real story here. As a gymnast, Sacramone falls somewhere between graceful Liukin and powerful Johnson. Her tumbling is on par with Johnson’s, but she moves far more fluidly than the short, muscular 15-year-old from Iowa and has enough sass to ignite a building with a single look.
Sacramone, like Svetlana Khorkina, doesn’t just do a floor routine — she performs. But for the first time at a world championships, she showed the steadiness of a team leader. She nailed balance beam on both days, fighting not to give small tenths away with wobbles (her front pike mount on day one could have been a much bigger problem than she let it be) and being first in line to cheer and congratulate her teammates.
This is pretty typical Alicia Sacramone, actually. The difference is that this is arguably the biggest competiton before next summer’s Olympic Games, and she remained rock solid while everyone else was a little, well, rocky. …
Here’s the Floor routine that sealed the deal, securing the win for the USA in Team competition.
Click PLAY or watch Alicia rock her Floor routine in Team Finals on YouTube.
Another great post from Scott Bird:
At least in the ability-to-climb-walls department.
A team of Italian scientists is currently looking at ways to use carbon nanotubes (just think of really, really small drinking straws made of carbon) to create a suit which will allow the wearer to climb vertical walls. The nanotubes are bent into hooks, much like a microscopic version of velcro.
Very cool indeed. …
Straight to the Bar: Spiderman suit may not be that far away
Click PLAY or watch Spiderpig on YouTube.
World Artistic Gymnastics Championships 2007 – Women’s Final Results
World Artistic Gymnastics Championships 2007 – Men’s Final Results
The Christchurch School of Gymnastics, has a vacancy for a full time senior trampoline coach.
The club currently has trampoline gymnasts up to World Open and World Age level and has the largest and most successful trampoline programme in New Zealand. And an excellent facility.
Contact avril @ chchgymnastics.co.nz
Some were not convinced that Ksenia Semenova should have won Bars at Worlds 2007 over Nastia Liukin (2nd).
Watch both routines and decide for yourself.
Click PLAY or watch Ksenia Semenova’s Finals Bars routine on YouTube.
Click PLAY or watch Liukin’s Finals Bars routine on YouTube.
I like Nastia’s routine far better. Her selection of skills and amplitude are superior.
But judges must also deduct errors. It’s a tough call for the officials.
UPDATE:
A breakdown of the women’s uneven bars results
Ksenia Semenova: 7.20 A score
B scores: 9.1, 9.1, 9.2, 9.2, 9.2, 9.0 (9.150 average)
Total score: 16.350Nastia Liukin: 7.10 A score
B scores: 9.1, 9.1, 9.5, 9.3, 8.8, 9.2 (9.200 average)
Total score: 16.300
UK Coach Paul Hall trains Louis Smith, Daniel Keatings, Luke Folwell and Marissa King at Huntingdon Gymnastics Club, all who qualified for the 2007 World Championships in Stuttgart. In fact, Paul blogged that event:
Blogging with the champion gymnasts – BBC
Paul is charismatic, media savvy … and obviously a great coach. Smith and Keatings BOTH qualified for Pommel Finals.
Key Skills in Advanced Gymnastics for Girls and Boys with Paul Hall is the title of a 2-disc DVD instructional video set available from expert videographer coach Charles Minster from Australia. He’s been producing superb video Down Under for decades. (We’ve raved about Charles’ videos before.)
Running time is over 3 hours !! (180min) for the two disks.
Charles gave me permission to excerpt the DVD to show you a sample. I chose two drills I had never seen before. (Paul includes many interesting, unusual drills on the video. I’m definitely going to try his method of introducing “tilt” twisting to beginners.)
Click PLAY or watch a sample of Paul Hall’s instructional video on YouTube.
Charles has a number of other Paul Hall video previews on his official website.
COST:
Australia – AUS $120 + tax
UK = UK £46
USA = GymSmarts $75
Contact Charles Minster by email if you have any questions:
sales @ CharlesMinsterProductions.com
Gymnastics Coaching.com 