Category: history

1988 Olympian Svetlana Baitova interviewed

An Olympic gold medalist speaks. It’s a fascinating read.

Q: Do you often dream about gymnastics?

A: I used to, but I rarely do now. I’ve never dreamed about my favorite bars, only about my hated vault. …

Q: how much money were you paid for your Olympic gold in 1988?

A: I received 8,000 rubles and an apartment. It was a decent amount for that time, you could buy the most coveted car of the time – Lada Sputnik. … 

… On that national team, any single one of us could win the all-around. And the same was the case with the men’s team. I think that those were the strongest USSR teams in the history. This was true not just in Seoul but also in Barcelona in 1992. … 

SVETLANA BAITOVA: VICTORY IS MORE DIFFICULT TO SURVIVE THAN DEFEAT

Click PLAY or watch her Vault on YouTube. The second is Yurchenko Double Twist.

Mary Lou Retton competed Tsuk 1/1, not Kas

#respect

Tsuk 1/1 is much more difficult than the Kasamatsu used by Ellie Black, Oksana and … almost everyone.

Mary Lou did half-on, full-off. (1.5 twists total)

Kasamatsu is quarter-on, three quarter-off (1.0 twists total)

Watch it on YouTube. (Right hand on the horse first, left twist on the salto.)

In addition, she trained Tsuk double full. Seriously.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Almost nobody does the more difficult version of Tsuk twisting. René Cournoyer from Canada is one.

If still confused on Kasamatsu, click over to Uncle Tim’s post – What the H is a Kasamatsu?

Olympic history – NADIA

1976 Montreal.

Paul Hall new GBR Head Coach

Hall, who has been associated with Huntingdon Gymnastics Club for a quarter-of-a-century and as head coach since 2003, begins work in his new role next week. …

“When offered the job it was a very difficult decision as Huntingdon Gymnastics Club has been such a massive part of my life, but it was made so much easier by the fact that Huntingdon operates so smoothly with great staff and trustees.

“I’m very proud and very pleased with how the club has developed and feel sure I leave it in safe hands for the future. …

Hall’s first big event as Great Britain chief is the European Championships in Glasgow at the beginning of August….

Paul Hall leaves behind a Huntingdon Gymnastics Club legacy as he begins work as Great Britain men’s head coach

best Amanars

1. McKayla Maroney
2. Simone Biles
3. Monica Rosu
4. Cheng Fei
5. Elizabeth Price
6. Hong Un Jong

Balance Beam Situation – AMANAR RANKINGS

Click through to see the top 32 all time.

While McKayla Maroney has done the best woman Shewfelt 😀competed, I’ve always used Cheng Fei as the model of an ideal Amanar.

top 15 gymnasts all time

As ranked by Mary Emma. 😀

Simone in 2015

Gymnastics Greatest Stars on YouTube

I watched this classic hundreds of times back in the day.

1991 video with highlights of the best gymnastics from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (90min)

(via GymCastic)

Nastia, Andreea, Paul, Alexei and Slava Corn

Honoured last night at the 22nd annual International Gymnastics Magazine Hall of Fame (IGHOF) ceremony in Oklahoma.

All are super famous aside from Slava who’s been one of our best FIG Executive Committee volunteers since 1992. She would have been an excellent President of FIG but consistently declined to run.

Congratulations.

Rome Milan’s traveling museum of Gymnastics history

If you’ve seen Rome Milan’s collection at an American Gymnastics meet, you will remember him.

Rome is passionate:

I have a desire to educate young gymnasts of the evolution of the greatest sport on earth, Gymnastics.

For many years I have traveled to various gymnastics events around the country to display vintage equipment and historic pictures of the sport … in order to educate people.

Recently, I have been diagnosed with ALS. This has pushed me to complete the projects that I have began and to search for an opportunity to continue to promote these vintage Gymnastics Displays.

The campaign

… All expenses for travel, truck rental, signage, and purchases have been mostly on my own. Now with my diagnosis, it will be difficult to keep these displays going. I will need approximately $4000 to bring the display to National Gymnastics Congress in Rhode Island. Please help me bring the History and the evolution of our sport to the young athletes, so they can appreciate how our sport has evolved.

Sponsor.me