A 5 minute history lesson.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Category: history
Boorman had never coached Elite before
The real secret of the American model isn’t a Ranch in Texas. It’s the HUGE base. Thousands of clubs. Tens of thousands of competitive gymnasts. A fantastic Collegiate competitive program.
Aimee linked to this excellent article – Aimee Boorman, Simone Biles’ Coach: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know
If you have a big enough program, superstars like Simone and Shawn will have a chance to be identified at a young age.
Men’s AA Final results
1. Uchimura JPN 92.365
2. Vernyayev UKR 92.266
3. Whitlock GBR 90.641
full results
It was a thriller. Men’s Gymnastics is almost always more exciting than WAG.
The big battle was Kohei vs Oleg. Both hit 6/6 very well. It could have gone either way.
Many are debating the 6th apparatus – Horizontal Bar.
I thought the judges got it right.
FIG rules are stupid on that apparatus. Uchimura has a huge routine with difficult overbar releases performed with amplitude and excellent leg form. His angles on regrasps are much better than most. Daniel points out that he caught with bent elbows. A fair point.
But in reality Max and Oleg’s routines are Mickey Mouse in comparison. If the three were training together in the Gym all would agree that Kohei is far, far better on pipe. FIG MTC truly has to fix the rules on that apparatus. The cheap difficulty skills must be devalued.
But I would like to go back and watch all three on all 6 apparatus. Seems to me Max was evaluated most generously of the three. His E-score on Rings?
Please leave a comment if you disagree.
King Kohei wins again
“Uchimura is the greatest gymnast all time. Male or female.”
https://twitter.com/uncletimmensgym/status/763491001058992128
Gabby’s shout out for past Olympic teams
Olympian Toni-Ann Williams
Toni-Ann, age 20, is the first gymnast to represent Jamaica at the Olympics.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BI1NGS_B0By/
One goal of the Olympics is to inspire kids from around the world. Toni-Ann’s clearly done that. 🙂
Olympic Opening Ceremonies HISTORY
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
The Sports Gene (2013) – a review
MANY told me I MUST read this book. And I finally did get to it.
Very entertaining. And thought provoking.
Are stars like Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, and Serena Williams genetic freaks put on Earth to dominate their respective sports? Or are they simply normal people who overcame their biological limits through sheer force of will and obsessive training?
In this controversial and engaging exploration of athletic success and the so-called 10,000-hour rule, David Epstein tackles the great nature vs. nurture debate and traces how far science has come in solving it. …
I wouldn’t count on every factoid being correct. He’s out of date on women’s Artistic Gymnastics, for example.
The 10,000-hour rule is quickly debunked, David Epstein repeatedly pointing out that researcher Anders Ericsson NEVER called it a “rule”. If you train Beam seriously for 10,000 hours, your chances of making it to the Olympic Beam final are still infinitesimal.
There’s no controversy. The best of the best have both very specific genetics and excellent training.
If you don’t have time to read this book, you can get a glimpse by watching David Epstein’s TED Talk from 2014 instead – Are athletes really getting faster, better, stronger? (15min)
Read reviews on NY Times and The Guardian.
top 10 male gymnasts at World Championships
USAG buys the Karolyi Ranch Gym
… athlete and coach housing and recreational areas …
… the portion of the Karolyi Ranch that USA Gymnastics is purchasing is 36.2 acres and includes housing for 300 athletes, coaches and administrators; three training gyms, two artistic/acro and one multi-discipline (rhythmic, trampoline/tumbling); a dance studio; dining and recreational areas; medical and rehab facilities; and office space. The training gym for rhythmic gymnastics and trampoline and tumbling was added in 2010.
The Karolyis first began training athletes at the Ranch in 1984. They will retain their personal residences, the Lodge and the remaining acreage. …
The geographic location is poor, of course. Something more central to everyone in the USA would have been better.
The Karolyis are expected to maintain a presence at the ranch, and USA Gymnastics is considering turning an older portion of the main gym — one lined with pictures, medals and trophies from major competitions dating back to the 1980s — into a museum to honor the Karolyi legacy. …
While Penny considers Aug. 24 as Karolyi’s official retirement date, there has been no decision yet on her replacement.
… “I’ve met with the coaches and told them our main goal is to get through Rio and not worry about making it a distraction.” …
Gymnastics Coaching.com 