Women’s competition starts Sunday.
I’ll be tweeting LIVE @GymCoaching.
Final places for the 2016 Olympic Games in play at the Test Event April 16-22 in Rio
Category: Olympics
Toni-Ann Williams in Rio
When California takes the floor at the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships in Fort Worth, Texas this week, there will be one notable absence in the lineup: Toni-Ann Williams.
Instead, the four-time Regular-Season All-American and two-time regional Gymnast of the Year will be more than 5,000 miles south in Rio de Janeiro, preparing for a competition equally as exciting and important to her gymnastics career. …
“When I talked to Cal’s coaching staff, they said they supported me whether I wanted to continue my international competition or not. That was a huge factor for me to choose Cal,” Williams said. “I couldn’t ask for better coaches, and since I started the university has been very supportive with my class schedule and training schedule.”
“The only question that we had for Toni was whether or not she wanted to defer or whether or not she wanted to compete with her team,” Crandall-Howell said. “There wasn’t a question in her mind that she wanted to compete with her team as long as she possibly could. That is unique to her as an individual. To me, it’s incredibly selfless and all about what a team should be.”
Williams eventually went with the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. …
related – BBS: “… she has a better chance of making the Olympics than Cal has of making Super Six.”
Olympic Test Meet MAG podium
The HSBC Arena was built 2007. It has capacity of 14,981 for sports, but feels smaller.
Apparatus is Spieth. But the Floor is Gymnova. They must have collaborated to get just the right shade of green. 🙂
This competition is a rehearsal. Responsible are the IOC and the Rio Organizing Committee. Needless to say, they have far less expertise than do the FIG when they organize a World class event.
There was confusion and some minor problems day 1. I’m assuming those will be fixed by Saturday’s first competition. Lets cut them some slack. This IS the first Olympics ever held in South America. 🙂
Eight teams are fighting for 4 spots at the Olympics: Belgium, Canada, Spain, France, Germany, Netherlands, Romania, Ukraine
It’s Men’s Gymnastics so anything can happen: Pommels, Vault landings, H Bar release moves, Pommels, Anything.
It’s Men’s Gymnastics so podium training is absolutely no indicator as to competition performance.
If Germany doesn’t qualify, it’s a national disaster. They should have qualified at Worlds 2015.
France impressed me most of all 8 teams. Don’t bet the mortgage, but I’m putting down a sizeable bet they will qualify.
Belgium is ranked lowest of the teams here. It would be a huge happy surprise for them to get through as a team. I was impressed with their discipline and seriousness today. Respect.
As for the other 5 teams, I’d advise hitting as many routines as possible trying to save every tenth of Execution deduction.
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Individual Qualifications
The Olympics has many goals only one of which is gathering all the best athletes together to decide whom is best on the day. “Sport as a human right”, for example. A “spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play”.
It’s not easy for Cyprus to compete against the USA, for example. But it certainly helps sport in Cyprus when they do. 🙂
Marios Georgiou of Cyprus had he best over-bar salto releases on H Bar today. HUGE. Catching with extended arms. (training VIDEO)
Sun Wei CHN hit the best Pommel routine I saw today. He scored 15.033 at American Cup. Filip Ude from Coatia is here, however. And Daniel Corral from Mexico. And more.
Randy Leru of Cuba showed the best full Floor routine all day. Small hop on 3/1 twist dismt the only obvious deduction. Great height & control.
related – 7 Caribbean Gymnasts Set to Compete at Rio Test Event
A new favourite gymnast for me is Oskar Kirmes from Finland. Exquisite form. Excellent technique on just about everything.
The Olympics wants representation from many countries, not only the best. I cheer stars from nations with limited resources. Like Ukraine.
Saturday will be interesting. Anything can happen. 🙂
more Grace Chiu photos
Charlotte Drury at the Test Meet
Charlotte Drury, an American trampoline gymnast, has dreamed of the Olympics for as long as she can remember.
After spending 10 years training as an artistic gymnast (alongside childhood best friends and future Olympic gold medalists Kyla Ross and McKayla Maroney), Drury strayed from the conventional path and started paving one of her own. After discovering trampoline gymnastics at the age of 13, Drury made the US National Team within two years and is now, at 19, in position to take her own shot at Olympic glory.
Click PLAY or watch a mini-documentary on YouTube.
(via GymCasstic)
Douglas Family Gold
#DouglasFamilyGold
TV Series starts Wed May 25 10/9c
You might be able to watch a preview from this Facebook page.
via Gymternet Clan
first look Rio Gymnastics venue
Though media accreditation does not start until tomorrow, I dropped by the arena a day early.
It is as green as we’d heard.
Perhaps offsetting highlight colours will (later) make the venue more visually appealing.
The Gym looks ready. Outside venue construction continues.
I jogged over from my hotel about a mile away. But this room is BEST for the die hard Gymnastics fan. 🙂
more IG photos
Brazil at Olympic Test Meet
Marcos Guerra translated a Globo Esporte article from April 12.
Daniele Hypolito:
“The test event in 2012 was very exciting, especially on beam. I was the last athlete to compete, and we could not have any more mistakes because Jade had just fallen. She came down from the podium looking at me as if saying, ‘please fix what I’ve done.’ We have those secret codes in competition, our looks at one another. As I was chalking up before my routine, I looked down at the girls and they were all praying. I was calm because I knew I could hit my routine. The decision would be up to the judges. Thank God it worked. …
The veteran believes that this time, Brazil will have no need to pray in the final rotation to earn their spot at the Games, as their outlook next Sunday is much more encouraging. The host team is among the favorites this year, with Dani, Jade, Flavia Saraiva, Lorrane Oliveira, and Rebeca Andrade set to compete (Carolyne Pedro and Milena Theodoro will vie for the final spot to be named following podium training). … “
“We are nervous because we are competing at home. It’s different. You want to show everyone in the country that we’re good as a group. We have psychologists, we have our technical staff, we practice meditation to reach the point of tranquility we’ll need during the competition.
… All teams there have the ability to fight. At the moment, we’re training, not thinking about the other teams, but Romania, Belgium, Germany, and France are all going to be very close. We just have to compete the way we did at worlds,” Dani said, noting that Brazil ranked ninth in 2015, one spot away from qualifying into the team final. …
Newfoundland comedy Olympics
Every 4 years fans like myself can enjoy a unique take on the Summer Games held at Campia Gymnastics.
Click PLAY or watch it on Facebook.
Rules of Olympic Gymnastics
I’m traveling to Rio for the Test Meet today.
It’s time to learn the Rules of the Game of Gymnastics. 🙂
(via theliukin)
#PacRim2016 Men’s Finals
Floor
1. Jake Dalton (USA): 15.625
2. Eddie Penev (USA): 15.525
3. Aaron Mah (CAN): 14.525
Team Jake vs Team Edward. 🙂
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEC1xzAiNv4/
Pommels
1. Alex Naddour (USA): 15.65 (redemption)
2. Sam Mikulak (USA): 14.950
3. Xiaoming Wu (CHN): 14.75
Rings
1. Donnell Whittenburg (USA) 15.925
2. John Orozco (USA) 15.325
3. Weifeng Cai (CHN) 14.875
Vault
1. Eddie Penev (USA) 15.100
2. Donnell Whittenburg (USA) 15.075
3. Terachi (JPN) 14.387
Click PLAY or watch Eddie’s vaults on Facebook.
There were many dangerous landings. Vault rules should be changed to provide less incentive for “chucking” difficulty. Guys like Eddie should get more credit than they do now.
P Bars
1. Donnell Whittenburg – 15.800
2. Weifeng Cai – 15.750
3. Javier Sandoval – 15.400
Click PLAY or watch Donnell’s set on Facebook.
H Bar
1. John Orozco (USA) 15.400
2. Naoki Yamane (JPN) 14.650
3. Carlos Calvo (COL) 14.500
Click PLAY or watch John’s routine on Facebook.
American guys looked better in finals than in the team competition. 🙂
Certainly this final was far, far too long. 😦
Ron Galimore, the chief operating officer of USA Gymnastics, was elected president of the Pacific Alliance National Gymnastics Federation. Let’s tweak the format. It’s a fun meet. But could be better.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 