tumbling, tramp, diving, acrobatics, circus, cheer, dance, martial arts, X sports … and more
Elvira Saadi coached in Canada. But was suspended by Gymnastics Canada late 2020, pending an investigation into abuse allegations.
She has not returned to coaching, so far as I know.
Tatiana Groshkova is age-49 as I post. She trained at Moscow Dynamo with Saadi. An astonishing gymnast — but Tatania was overshadowed by the many other stars of the late 1980s Soviet team. Training was harsh.
Click PLAY or watch a documentary on YouTube. (28min)
“The Queen” will retire after this season.
In this interview she thinks back to her coach Laura who had faith in her switching from Cheer to Gymnastics. And much more.
I’ve always felt the average teen competitive gymnast is psychologically safer — on average — than their classmates.
Spending 20+ hours a week on a sport or activity has risks. BUT staying home scrolling TikTok and other social media may be even more damaging.
The Gym is one place in a teen’s life where profanity is rare. Structure is clear. Rules in place.
The culture of a Gymnastics club is far healthier — on average — than school or the mall.
Sadly, this is increasingly true in the USA according to a new study.
Of course this is even more true of teens identifying as — or confused about — being LGBQ+. One American political party is targeting those young people for attack.
Bottom line for coaches and all adults is to be patient and supportive of teenagers. It’s a difficult time of life for many.
UPDATE. Oleg is now training with the National Team.
ODDS of Ukraine qualifying a full team to Paris and contending for a team medal in Paris would be increased if Oleg can get back to form.
On the other hand, Ukraine might boycott if gymnasts from RUS are allowed into the Olympics.
… Verniaiev has been able to successfully argue that he did not take meldonium intentionally and his suspension was reduced, although not annulled. He is now eligible to compete again.
Additionally, even if he does not return to competition as an athlete, the suspension also prevented him from attending international competitions as a coach or official, so he will now be able to continue working in gymnastics with no restrictions. …
America’s best and brightest standing up for human rights.
All are created equal.
And — therefore — all wear the same leo. 😀
In 2023 one of the top Olympic women’s sports is Gymnastics. One of the few domains where males are the minority.
Increasingly, leadership has been taken over by women. A good trend.
I’d say the most successful competitive division of WAG in the world is not FIG, but rather NCAA. And Utah led the way in making the College sport so big in the eyes of the general public.
Congratulations to all the ladies in Gymnastics on #progress. And thanks to Utah for building the sport.
Viner has been so controversial for so many decades, I wasn’t instantly sure why she was banned.
Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation President Irina Viner has been banned by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) for two-years for her behaviour following the Olympic Games in Tokyo when Israel’s Linoy Ashram beat Dina Averina to the gold medal in the individual event and Bulgaria won the group event. …
The punishment will not begin until one day after Russia’s current ban from international competition …
Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation President banned for two years after Tokyo 2020 protest
College Gym News:
I compiled a list of all the season-ending injuries since the start of the CGN Injury Updates page in 2017. I then determined the general career outcome for each athlete, such as medical retirement, return to competition, etc. …
Of the 251 athletes that were included in this analysis, 124 athletes (～49.4%) went on to recover and return to competition, while the remaining 127 athletes (～50.6%) either medically retired, graduated before returning to competition, or left their respective teams for undisclosed reasons …
Data Deep Dive: Season-Ending Injuries
In 2004, Valeriy Goncharov became Ukraine’s second-ever male gymnast to earn Olympic gold, capturing the top spot on parallel bars in Athens. …
Just 15 when the Soviet Union crumbled, Goncharov represented Ukraine at three Olympic Games (2000-08), winning seven Olympic, World and World Cup medals in a senior career that began at the 1997 World Championships and spanned more than a decade. …
Oklahoma assistant coach Valeriy Goncharov:
One day (Rustam Sharipov) called me and said, ‘Listen, there is an open position in Oklahoma, and I think it’s a really good opportunity. It’s one of the best places I’ve worked. I’m going to text you a phone number and you should call Mark (Williams) right away.’ …
You still have a large contingent of family and friends in Ukraine, how difficult has that been this past year?
Every day it’s like half of me is here, and half of me is there, worrying about all the people I know, I care about. Nothing has really changed since the beginning, and things don’t seem to be getting better, unfortunately.
I’ve had the same routine every day for a year now. I wake up, call my friends, call my family, to know what’s going on. It is very difficult. …
Do you have any thoughts about the IOC saying it could be possible for Russian and Belarussian athletes could compete in the 2024 Olympics under a neutral flag?
You know, a recent case I just saw, Ukrainian and Russian soccer teams met by accident in Turkey, and it was a huge fight. A physical fight. Just because they saw each other in a hotel.
I think it’s difficult to imagine, in the situation we are in now, how we could compete together. How we could share the Olympic dream. I don’t know, maybe it could happen, but right now I have a lot of doubts. …
Inside Gymnastics – FROM UKRAINE WITH LOVE, PART TWO: VALERIY GONCHAROV
A member of the gold-medal-winning Unified Team in 1992, Rustam Sharipov returned in 1996 to claim Ukraine’s first men’s gymnastics gold, with a parallel bars win in Atlanta, where the Ukrainian men’s team also claimed bronze. …
Ohio State head coach Rustam Sharipov:
You became a U.S. citizen in 2008 and have lived in the United States for more than 20 years now, but you have family still living in Ukraine.
Yes, my parents are still there, my brother is still there, my nephew. I’m glad they are fine so far, but it’s hard every day …
The IOC recently said they’d consider letting athletes from Belarus and Russia compete under a neutral flag in 2024. As a Ukrainian Olympian, what are your feelings about that?
When this war first began, I sort of agreed about keeping politics and sports separate, but then I saw Russian athletes start actively supporting the war, supplying stuff for the war, and creating young military kids who are going to ‘protect’ their country…That’s when I completely changed.
This idea that letting Russia and Belarus compete will help bring the war to an end? That’s, excuse me, B.S. …
The other thing that really bothers me is that the Russians, their life didn’t change. They have everything they need to prepare for competitions, while Ukraine athletes…Some are dying, and most don’t have a place to practice, no coach, no gym. But the IOC says they should compete on the same field? That’s not fair. …
Inside Gymnastics – FROM UKRAINE WITH LOVE, PART ONE: RUSTAM SHARIPOV
Gymnastics Coaching.com 