Category: Gymnastics

Alyssa DiFrancesco – Why I quit Penn State

PENN BioMy morals, values and mental health were a million times more important to me than seeing my name on the wall in the locker room

… I was practically raised by my Russian coaches and knew nothing but tough love and endless yelling. “Eat, sleep, breathe gymnastics” was what we used to say to make fun of ourselves but it was accurate. I couldn’t count the amount of unattended school activities because of practice, the long weekends spent in hotels for competitions and the quarter-sized rips on my hands. However, with all those hardships came the rewards and the gratitude of winning a competition or perfecting a new skill. It was the highs and adrenaline that kept me going – I loved it.

It’s very clear that sports are physically exhausting and injuries happen all the time – I’ve been aware of this since I was maybe seven. When I walked-on for the Penn State Women’s Gymnastics team, injuries became a whole different story. …

Why I quit gymnastics after walking on to the team

Leave a comment if you’ve seen any response from the Team.

Team USA arrived Calgary

Paul Ruggeri, Eddie Penev, Cameron Bock, Marvin Kimble and C.J. Maestas.

I’ll be there with video camera.

They’ll be competing against teams from China and Canada this weekend (along with a live stream). Canada will be using this competition to finalize the men’s team for the test event.

Papa Liukin

Team USA

THE ARTIST – Ivana Hong

Ivana Hong can be defined by her grace, and her family for its courage

“How do you capture Ivana in words?” wondered Chris Swircek, Stanford’s women’s gymnastics associate head coach. “Her movement is so fluid and graceful, all the way down to her hands and her fingertips and the way she holds her head.

“It’s art, right?” …

Hong doesn’t compete to win, she said. She never has. She competes for perfection, or at least the pursuit of it.

Click PLAY or watch her Beam in Finals at Championships 2015 on YouTube.

Ivana’s Mom was one of the Vietnamese Boat People who fled the war as refugees.

Michelle Hong

Click through to read a fantastic profile on Go Stanford – The Artist

Thanks Cordelia.

Romania, Will They Make it?

Bea Gheorghisor posted the best analysis I’ve seen, so far.

On the 16th of March, the provisional team of gymnasts to compete in Rio in April was announced:

Catalina Ponor, Diana Bulimar, Anamaria Ocolisan, Silvia Zarzu, Dora Vulcan, Laura Jurca; the reserve will be Anda Butuc, while the coaches joining them are Lucian Sandu, Adela Popa, Maria Fumea.

This is similar to the list of gymnasts that were set to compete in Glasgow last October. The notable changes are: the swap of Catalina Ponor and Larisa Iordache, the addition of Dora Vulcan, the absence of Andreea Iridon. …

Considering the team scores from Glasgow Worlds, it looks like a total of 221 points in a 5 up 4 count competition will guarantee the qualification. But this means an average of 13.875 per routine. There is also the added challenge of competing in the first subdivision at the Test Event.

In conclusion, they will need to be as close to perfection as possible.

Romania, Will They Make it?

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Romania starts on Bars. If they survive their worst apparatus, they have a good chance. Even without Larisa Iordache.

related – Ponor’s new Floor routine

Beam Queen Morgan Lane

Morgan is one of the highlights from last week as selected by the NCAA Power Rankings Week 10.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (9.85 @W&M)

Or watch her 9.95 at Florida on Twitter. (VIDEO)

Kenzo – 3 1/2 punch 2 1/2

Click PLAY or watch it on Instagram.

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Thanks Cabriole.

Michael Reid – Magyar with spindle

Check the comments on Facebook to read of others who have done this skill.

Click PLAY or watch it on Facebook.

Evgeniya Shelgunova – Beam

58.666. 57.350. 58.650. Evgeniya has been on a roll.

Lauren:

In addition to upgrading to a DTY on vault, Shelgunova has made efforts on her other three events, but none is more striking than her beam, which now boasts a 6.9 start value, highest in the world. …

Shelgunova’s Epic Start to 2016

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.