Author: Rick Mc

Career gymnastics coach who loves the outdoors, and the internet.

protesting on the podium

Věra Čáslavská made clear her opposition to the 1968 Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Tommie Smith and John Carlos were less subtle at those same Olympics.

In his autobiography, Silent Gesture, Smith stated that the gesture was not a “Black Power” salute, but a “human rights salute”. …

The american sprinters Tommie Smith,John Carlos and Peter Norman during the award ceremony of the 200 m race at the Mexican Olympic games. During the awards ceremony, Smith and Carlos protested against racial discrimination: they went barefoot on the podium and listened to their anthem bowing their heads and raising a fist with a black glove. Mexico City, Mexico, 1968 Mexico city, Mexico, 1968

In a perfect world we would keep politics and sport separate.

We don’t live in a perfect world.

On Nov. 1, Smith and Carlos will be inducted into the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame, an honor bestowed because of their “character, conduct and off-field contributions,” as well as their athletic achievements.

Nancy Armour – USA TODAY – Opinion: ‘We were wrong,’ as USOPC finally do right by Tommie Smith, John Carlos

It’s been 51 years since the USA expelled Tommie and John. Time to make it right.

related:

Hurd, Melnikova, Chen Yile – part 2

This documentary episode was posted before Morgan was named a non-traveling alternate for USA. You can see how competing 3 meets back-to-back did not work out for her.

Both Angelina Melnikova and Chen Yile did qualify to Worlds.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

day 2 WAG podium training

I’ll be commenting LIVE via Twitter @GymCoaching.

More LIVE coverage:

First — let me say how blessed we are to be seeing these dominant Simone Biles American teams. It reminds me of the dominance of the great Soviet teams back in the late 1980s.

All hail the greatest of all time.

  • the Simone Biles Press Conference was fun and relaxed.

https://twitter.com/olympicchannel/status/1178960627299020800

Simone is motivated by getting two more skills named.
  • Everyone enjoyed watching (finally) the young Italian superstars at a Senior meet. Four of the 6 are age-16. Giorgia Villa looks fantastic — but says she is nervous. First time at Senior Worlds. Certainly Italy could finish 3rd with a HIT qualification meet. They could finish top 3 on Vault!
  • Upstart Italy and veteran France will be close in team total, I predict. France was 5th in 2018 but has a podium team goal for 2019.
  • Spencer is worried about Japan qualifying to Tokyo as a team. That would be a disaster for the host nation.
  • Everybody loves Netherlands. Smart routines. Great coaching. And such Artistry.  Sanne is as keen as ever. Her goal is to help qualify a full team of 4 to Tokyo. MUCH improved vault for NED! And has Lieke ever looked better?
  • Spain looks great. Watch for their Floor. Roxana Popa is back. And Cintia Rodriguez‘ toe point, of course.
  • For me the most surprising and exciting team on the rise is Argentina. Very well prepared. Guatemala showed some world class Gymnastics, as well.
  • Russia is often underwhelming in podium training. Then hits when it counts. They looked better than I expected today. Tim Daggett feels they can still finish top 3 in team even without Aliya. Melnikova looks superb.
  • Steingruber is back from injury. A big fan favourite here.
  • You can hand the gold team medal to USA now. It’s an honour for a gymnast to be in the same competition with any Simone Biles’ team.

 

Yeo Seojeong – Handspring front double twist

She put two of these on her feet in podium training. I think she’ll land it.

#respect

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

California: College athletes can be paid 2023

Scholarship athletes are already paid to compete NCAA.

What we are talking about here is allowing the best to negotiate to be paid more. 

Defying the NCAA, California’s governor signed a first-in-the-nation law Monday that will let college athletes hire agents and make money from endorsements — a move that could upend amateur sports in the U.S. and trigger a legal challenge.

Under the law, which takes effect in 2023, students at public and private universities in the state will be allowed to sign deals with sneaker manufacturers, soft drink makers or other businesses and profit from their images, names or likenesses, just like the pros. …

The new law applies to all sports, though the big money to be made is in football and basketball. It bars schools from kicking athletes off the team if they get paid. …

But while the NCAA is the top governing body for college sports, membership is voluntary. If the California schools are forced out, they could form a new league. …

The NCAA does let some athletes accept money in some instances. Tennis players can accept up to $10,000 in prize money per year, and Olympians can accept winnings from their competitions. Plus, schools in the big “Power 5” conferences can pay players yearly cost-of-living stipends of between $2,000 and $4,000.

The NCAA reported $1.1 billion in revenue in 2017.

ADAM BEAM

For example, here’s what Katelyn Ohashi thinks about the issue.

Nina Derwael – Bars

Here’s the defending World Champ in podium training. Her Team Belgium looks ready to contend for one of the top 12 Olympic team spots.

Note that GymCastic is back uploading speedy videos to YouTube as they did in 2017.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

USAG team selection transparency

Good job.

As with their Men’s team, USAG circulated minutes of the 2019 World Championships Athlete Selection Committee Meeting from September 23, 2019.

I wish, Canada, by comparison, did the same thing. Every nation should do so.

That said, many — including Spencer — are questioning the logic of leaving behind one of their highest Bars scores — Morgan Hurd.

With Riley out, USA is least deep on Bars.