TUANH DAM posted an excellent retrospective on the head coach of UCLA who has won 6 NCAA team championships since 1997.
Gymnastics coach Valorie Kondos Field shapes more than just routines
Category: history
Zou Kai is back
Though he’s not competed since 2014, the veteran is listed to compete the Doha World Cup.
With a total of five gold medals and one bronze, Zou currently holds the record for most Olympic gold medals won by any Chinese athlete in Olympic history, and is tied for the record of most medals won overall. …
Zou Kai, a Sichuan native, auctioned off one of his Olympic gold medals in 2008, donating all proceeds to fund relief efforts in the aftermath of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.
Thanks Ono.
new Nadia book
10.0: The Nadia Comaneci Story
February 24, 2016 by Ellen Aim (Author)
Growing up in Romania, Nadia Comaneci was just a five-year-old kid who performed cartwheels for fun. Nine years later, she tumbled her way into the history books when she became the first gymnast to earn a 10.0 at the Olympics. …
via Gymnastics – A Golden Era
Moreno & Lago to Olympic Test Meet
… 21-year-old Alexa Moreno and 20-year-old Ana Lago proved to be the two strongest gymnasts in the country and were thus chosen for the two available spots at the Olympic Test Event in Rio this April. Moreno placed first in the competition with a 53.2 while Lago was close behind with a 52.825. …
The fantastic Elsa García was not selected. At age-26, she’s considering her future.
Hopefully Elsa will stay on for the next quadrennial. I’m certain the Mexican team could use her leadership.
Liliya Podkopayeva mini-montage
Click PLAY or watch it on Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BCO7VbdAic1/
There are more like that on the gym_art_ Instgram page.
Gabby Douglas – your life’s blueprint?
In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“I want to ask you a question. What’s in your life’s blueprint?”
Thank you Dr. King for the powerful words and inspiration! Tell me your story #powerofone #justdoit
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Here’s the Facebook version.
Click PLAY or watch African History Month – Gabrielle Douglas Profile on YouTube.
Gabby recently donated some of her Olympic mementos to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Thanks Mary.
new Uchimura book – Eileen Langsley
A legend in his lifetime
A pictorial tribute to the phenomenal Kohei Uchimura
details – Ebook, Apple iPad format £5.99
Eileen shows some sample pages on her website.
Inside Look: Marian Dragulescu
Marian says he’d like to continue competing at least until 2017 – European Championships in Romania.
In our second episode of Inside Look: Journey To The Games we have the privilege to speak with Marian Dragulescu from Romania.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
GymCastic interviews McKayla Maroney
The blockbuster athlete interview of the year, I’d say. Episode 187: McKayla Maroney
McKayla requested a one-on-one with Jessica O’Beirne. 🙂 It’s wonderful to hear McKayla clarify a few things about her amazing career. (She trained Yurchenko double back. Marta freaked.)
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Kyla and McKayla, who started together in the same training group, both announce they will not try for the 2016 Olympics the same week. This is tough on fans of the London Olympic gold medalists. 😦
related – Lauren Hopkins – McKayla Maroney Moves On
on Kyla Ross’ retirement from Elite
Reflections are still being posted. Kyla is very popular with fans, gymnasts and teammates.
Lauren Hopkins:
I started writing this but kept procrastinating and putting it off. Somehow, me not writing my goodbye will mean she never left. Right?
If you haven’t heard, it was yesterday afternoon that Kyla Ross – the 19-year-old who made her elite debut in 2009, won an Olympic gold medal three years later, and went on to win five world medals without taking more than a few weeks off – announced her retirement on social media. ..
Saying Goodbye to Kyla Ross
Arabian Punch Front:
What is there to say about Kyla?
Kyla is beautiful.
Her gymnastics is beautiful.
I will always miss her beautiful double twisting Yurchenko where she had a cat like sense of finding the landing. Uneven bars always served as Kyla’s claim to fame where a beautiful Jaeger and floaty double layout earned her a spot in multiple international event finals and even a silver medal at the 2013 World Championships. With Kyla fully extending through her shoulders, I suddenly was able to appreciate a bail to handstand. Something I never thought was humanly possible. …
An Ode to Kyla Ross
We can pretty much assume that Kyla will make more history as a UCLA Bruin. 🙂
related – High Profile Gymnasts React To Kyla Ross’ Retirement
Gymnastics Coaching.com 