Category: ethics

Olympic problems

Security is good. Hundreds of military in and around the Olympic arena look very capable.

Rio-security
security drill at the Gymnastics venue

But there are many problems.

… International sports federations expressed concern Tuesday over problems with venues for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, including power failures at the gymnastics arena this week. …

FIG official Ron Froehlich cited power outages, putting at risk athletes’ safety and the scoring system, plus missing equipment at an underfunded temporary training venue. …

Sports federations concerned about venues for Rio Games

Power is still being produced by generators. 😦 Generators fail.

Still, the Artistic competition was a success. We only had one major injury over the 3 days – Achilles rupture tumbling for one of the Austrian gymnasts. 😦 Injury rate is normally higher at these biggest meets.

The purpose of the Test Event is to test all aspects. FIX the problems in time for the Olympics.

The venues should be ready.

Click PLAY or watch a Cidade Olimpica promo video on YouTube.

Yet as I walk the Olympic City during break, there are very few workmen to be seen. You’d expect they’d still be working 24/7.

I’m worried.

(via Lauren Hopkins)

Dipa Karmakar – 1st female Olympian from India

Dipa Karmakar, who became India’s first woman gymnast to qualify for Olympics, will receive the sports ministry’s funding of up to Rs.30 lakh under the Target Olympic Scheme (TOPS), it was announced on Monday. …

The ministry of youth affairs and sports (Department of Sports) has formulated the TOP scheme for identifying and supporting potential medal prospects for the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games. …

Besides being the first Indian woman, Dipa will also be an Indian gymnast qualifying for the quadrennial extravaganza after 52 long years.

The last time Indians participated in gymnastics at Olympics was way back in 1964, but during that time there was no qualification system in place. Six men competed at Tokyo 1964 in the artistic individual all-around category.

Till date, 11 Indian men gymnasts have competed in the Olympics –two in 1952, three in 1956 and six in 1964. …

F. Sports

The Federation in India has been a disaster over recent years. Happily the Department of Sports will ensure she has training funds to prepare safely for the Olympics.

I saw 3 Produnovas in Rio, her best during podium training. Here’s the highest quality video I’ve seen of those.

Click PLAY or watch it on Facebook.

Dipa wins Vault

A National hero to 1.3 billion people back home. 🙂

1 KARMAKAR Dipa IND 14.833
2 CHUSOVITINA Oksana UZB 14.716
3 LITTLE Emily AUS 14.383
full results

Dipa’s Handspring double front was better than in the prelims. Definitely not a zero vault.

Under current FIG rules I’d say the ranking of the top 3 was fair. WTC did not address how to more severely evaluate dangerous deep landings. They should. There is too much incentive to “chuck” the Prudnova.

That said, Dipa is great on this apparatus. Her 2nd Kasamatsu (like Tsuk double twist) was one of the best vaults at Test Meet.

Dipa will inspire many tens of thousands of kids to try the sport.

Gymternet LIVE blog

related – Indian Express – Dipa Karmakar vaults into history books after qualifying for Olympics

Dipa Karmakar – Produnova

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Not a zero vault, in my opinion. Judges gave her 8.066 execution score. Final = 15.066.

FIG WTC should be more severe on dangerous landings than that.

An excellent YDT scores about 15.0

Dipa’s podium training double front was better.

women in Gymnastics Coaching

Average salary? 🙂

Marisa Dick replaces Thema Williams

UPDATE – T&T says Thema has an ankle injury.

___original post:

… Marisa will now compete for Trinidad and Tobago at Test Meet rather than Thema.

Thema is here with coach John Geddert. She looked good in podium training. Perhaps she was injured in the training hall.

The switch was so last minute that Marisa’s coaches could not get a visa in time. Ricardo Lue Shue will coach Marisa in Rio.

Both are great gymnasts. Either could qualify to the Olympics.

stupid Karolyi training

The most severe, the most stupid Gymnastics training was in the 1980s. Here’s a case study. Other coaches tried to emulate.

Retton has undergone 19 surgeries, including having both hips replaced, partially because of all the pounding as a gymnast. She needs back and shoulder surgery, which won’t be scheduled until after the Rio Games.

“When I say we did 60 to 70 vaults a day, we did — and that was landing on that hard surface,” Retton said. …

Catching up with Mary Lou Retton, Olympic darling of 1984

Mary-Lou

Click PLAY or watch part of that interview on Facebook.

Mary Lou Retton: Ignore your critics, do what you love

(via GymCastic)

Pommels – Max v Louis

Click PLAY or watch Max on YouTube. (7.4 difficulty)

Click PLAY or watch Louis on YouTube. (7.2 difficulty)

Tough call for the judges. In the end it was 16.325 for Max and 16.100 for Louis. Both scores a little too high, in my opinion. Neither hit their best set. But as for ranking, I can’t decide.

Louis later complained about the judging in social media. Then apologized.

via @GymCastic

Bridget Sloan talks about Marvin Sharp

Bridget Sloan does not recall bad moments with her former coach. Only good.

The Pittsboro gymnast has had nearly seven months to process events surrounding Marvin Sharp, who was held on four counts of child molesting and three counts of sexual misconduct with a minor. He was found dead in his Marion County Jail cell Sept. 19, 2015 in what was ruled a suicide. Sharp was 49.

“I definitely had a few rough weeks. It was a very big shock,” Sloan said. …

“I told my parents, ‘I want to be kept out of it,’ ” Sloan said. “There was nothing I could do in Florida to help or fix anything.”

She added: “Marvin was a very, very important person in my life. He will always be an important person in my life. No one will ever be able to take away what we went through and what we accomplished together.” …

“When we were in the gym, it was strictly coach and athlete,” she said. “Nothing else.” …

Olympic gymnast Bridget Sloan opens up on coach’s death, final meet

(via papaliukin)

mixed ability level at #PacRim2016

Yes it’s stupid that Panama (population 3.9 million) competes against USA (population 320 million).

But that’s the format of the Pacific Rim competition. If you don’t like it, don’t watch.

Personally I like this format. It’s interesting seeing Juniors compete at the same time as Seniors.

Anthony Tawfik, for example, competing alongside John Orozco.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BD9TU-UDFw1/
 

It’s one of the few meets where gymnasts from smaller nations get a lot of media attention.

Louise Lopez (MEX) 51.450 leads the Junior competition after session 1 of 2. A very impressive talent I wouldn’t know if it were not for this competition. 🙂