Category: Olympics

Jamie Dantzscher interview

One of GymCastic’s best yet. 

Jamie Dantzscher was a 2000 Olympic medalist, at the end of the darkest era of USA Gymnastics in my opinion.

She went on to a fantastic career at UCLA. One of the greats of all time. She led UCLA to 3 NCAA Championships in four years.

But we know Jamie best as one of the most vocal critics of the Karoli years. And her February 2017 60 Minutes interview alongside  Jeanette Antolin and Jessica Howard accusing the USAG criminal doctor.

What makes this interview so winning is Jamie’s blunt honesty. Down to earth. Saying what she thinks.

I was totally won over. Let’s all wish Jamie Dantzscher well.

You can listen online or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

IT’S JAMIE DANTZSCHER YOU GUYS

Morgan, Yile, Angelina – episode 9

Morgan comes back from winning American Cup 2020 to see Delaware under lockdown and her gym closed; Yile and the Chinese gymnastics team continue training in isolation under the lockdown; And Angelina is having trouble focusing on her training in the light of competitions being cancelled.

Click PLAY or watch the #9 & #10 trailer on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/olympicchannel/status/1254002324932042753

Watch episode 9 on The Olympic Channel. (10min)

Subtitles in many languages.

Stacey Umeh interviews Georgia Godwin

Stacey Umeh is one of the top choreographers in the world.

Stacey recently launched an attractive new website called Parallel Universe. And a Facebook page.

Also a new home studio where she’s recording one podcast a month, to start.

Episode #2 is a long, entertaining and uplifting interview with Aussie qualified 2020 Olympian Georgia Godwin.  Turns out I knew very little about this Georgia.

Listen to it online here.

Individual apparatus Olympic qualification

Now that the 2020 Olympics are postponed to the following year, here’s how gymnasts can qualify as individuals.

Only the TOP ranked gymnast on each apparatus wins an Olympic berth.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Morgan, Angelina, Chen Yile on COVID-19

Click PLAY or watch it on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/olympicchannel/status/1251465768556003328

Nick Ruddock interviews Ellie Seitz

Great interview.

Ellie is still psyched training for her 3rd Olympics. Even with a 1-year delay.

She loves Gymnastics and it shows in her performances.

I wasn’t surprised to hear that Ellie was not the perfect hotshot wunder child gymnast. She was not petite. Not flexible. Not all that powerful. In fact coaches suggested her Mom consider other sports.

Many of the greatest gymnasts of all time were not the best kids in their precomp group. Beth Tweddle was another.

It’s dumb for coaches to dismiss young children for lack of talent.

Dumb.

One of Ellie’s talents is courage. In fact she states she is never afraid — one reason she likes training the big skills including Def.

Could the 2020 Olympics be cancelled?

On GymCastic #419 Spencer said he predicts the 2020 Olympics will be cancelled if the announced dates in 2021 are not possible.

That rings true to me.

The additional cost of the current postponement is  billion$. 

I doubt those paying the extra would be willing to do it yet again.

“I don’t think anyone would be able to say if it is going to be possible to get it under control by next July or not,” Tokyo organizing committee CEO Toshiro Muto said, speaking through an interpreter at a news conference conducted remotely.

”We’re certainly are not in a position to give you a clear answer.”

Tokyo Olympic CEO hints games could be in doubt even in 2021

FIG Olympics qualification decisions

Yesterday FIG announced what they plan to do in light of the 2020 Olympics being delayed to 2021.

Spencer’s posted the most thoughtful reaction I’ve seen so far:

FIG GONNA FIG: THE 2021 OLYMPICS DECISIONS

  • 2017-2020 code of points will remain in force until the end of 2021.

 

  • Athletes who turn senior in 2021 WILL be eligible to qualify for and compete in the Olympics.

Spencer is OK with that decision. Kyle Shewfelt, for example, disagrees.

For example, 2019 Junior World all-around champion Viktoria Listunova is now eligible.

  • Weirdly, FIG is going to use the Baku World Cup 2020 preliminary rankings for points, since the Final was cancelled.

 

  • Copenhagen Worlds 2021 will be held as scheduled.

Syrian gymnast Yazan Alsouliman in Japan

…  the gymnasium used by the Syrian team was bombed. Alsouliman was not there at the time, but when he visited the next day, he found that the equipment had been smashed to pieces. …

He was elated to be chosen to go to Japan with the support of the Tokyo 2020 Solidarity Special Program, jointly organized by the International Olympic Committee and Japanese Olympic Committee. …

Konishi Yasuhito—coach of the gymnastics squad at Tōkai University, where the young Syrian is enrolled in the Japanese language course for international students, and a trainer for the Syrian team—applauds Alsouliman’s language progress …

Two years have passed since he came to Japan. …

Alsouliman is naturally also concerned about his family back in Syria, and says that the war-torn country is always in his prayers. He video-chats with his mother almost every day. …

Nippon.com