Category: Olympics

Scott Hann: 2 decades of coaching Max Whitlock

Scott Hann reflects on the many years and 4 Olympics coaching the greatest gymnast in British history.

After a remarkable and successful relationship came to an end this summer in Paris, Hann reflects on nearly 20 years working with Whitlock, his own gymnastics journey and his passion for developing the next generation of coaches in the sport. …

Max was 12 years old when we started working together at South Essex Gymnastics Club. He was a happy-go-lucky kid but someone with such good basics in gymnastics as well.

I remember taking him to his first major competition in 2006, the UK School Games as a reserve, but the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India was the moment where it all changed.  …

Inside the Games

10 WAG highlights 2024

  • Simone
  • Rebeca
  • Suni
  • Kaylia
  • Alice
  • Manila
  • Zhou Yaquin
  • Emma Nedov, Jana Mahmoud, Michelle Pineda and Hu Jiafei
  • An Chang Ok, Nina Derwael, Charlize Moerz, Melanie de Jesus dos Santos, Anna Lashchevska, Greta Mayer 
  • Chad

Click through for details.

Kaylia Nemour – Vogue Arabia

Our Olympic Bars champion can be a role model for Muslim girls and women.

“It wasn’t just a personal victory but also a symbol of hope and pride for the Algerian people and, more broadly, for the entire Arab world,” the 18-year-old champion says. … 

Vogue

4 WAG, 6 MAG to Worlds 2025 Jakarta

Hardy Fink encouraged Federations to vote for a return to the system used 2005 to 2021.

And they did. Common sense has prevailed.

Credit FIG for realizing they’d made a terrible mistake in trying to reduce the number of competitors.

NOW … resume arguing WHY nations should send more men than women to the World Championships. 😀

Paris Olympics – Statistics

The December 2024 FIG Bulletin includes detailed reports on MAG & WAG Olympic competitions. It includes good graphics.

For example, only 25% of WAG competed 2 Vaults in the qualification round.

Average age for WAG was 21.91.

December 2024 FIG BulletinDownload

Best Women’s Scores 2024

See the entire list on Lauren’s site theGymter.net

Best Scores in 2024

AA

1Simone BilesUnited StatesU.S. Championships D160.450
2Rebeca AndradeBrazilOlympic Games TF57.966
3Shilese JonesUnited StatesU.S. Classic57.650

Vault

1Simone BilesUnited StatesU.S. Olympic Trials D115.387
2Rebeca AndradeBrazilOlympic Games EF14.966
3Skye BlakelyUnited StatesU.S. Championships D114.575

Bars

1Kaylia NemourAlgeriaOlympic Games EF15.700
2Qiu QiyuanChinaChinese Championships EF15.566
3Shilese JonesUnited StatesU.S. Classic15.250

Beam

1Qiu QiyuanChinaDTB Pokal Team Challenge EF15.500
2Zhou YaqinChinaChinese Championships EF15.466
3Manila EspositoItalyItalian Championships AA14.950

Floor

1Simone BilesUnited StatesU.S. Championships D115.200
2Viktoria ListunovaRussiaRussian Championships AA14.500
3Angelina MelnikovaRussiaRussian Championships QF14.400
Simone Biles finishes Paris Olympics with 4 new medals, 3 of them gold

Heath Thorpe interview

Here’s a terrific PODCAST for every Gymnastics coach. Two of the most articulate pundits, both who truly know the sport inside out.

Sam Oldham, bronze medalist at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Heath Thorpe, long time Aussie National team competitor, still training for L.A. 2028.

Heath will focus on H Bar. Compete other apparatus, as well, but likely not do the AA.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

controversial Béla Károlyi

Getting over the shock of Béla’s death at only age-82, many are still wrestling with conflicting emotions about the legendary coach.

YES he inspired many around the world. YES he helped popularize the sport in the USA.

But many, many gymnasts were injured and psychologically damaged by the Károlyi system which I would call unscientific and unsafe.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Béla Károlyi was never convicted of any crime. You might argue that he escaped justice many times.

GymCastic has always done a good job covering the controversies. Listen to this PODCAST episode if you want to know more:

The Legacy of Bela Karolyi

Béla Károlyi is dead

Controversial coach Béla Károlyi has died, age-82.

One Romanian site says he was living in Huntsville, Texas at the time.

In my opinion, Béla was no technical coach, but a great motivator and promoter.

Without question, he helped popularize Artistic Gymnastics around the world, personal coach to two Olympic champions.

Many of those who knew him best had mixed feelings.

I felt his training methodology was unscientific. Unsafe.

Márta was somewhat better — but in the early 2000s, still required kids to do 10 routines / day immediately before competition. Dumb. Dangerous.

Worst of all, Károlyi success in the USA motivated Steve Nunno and others to emulate harsh coaching.

Márta Károlyi remained the national team coordinator for USA Gymnastics until 2016.

In 2024, we are far better off with elite American leaders like Alicia Sacramone Quinn and Chellsie Memmel.

“I Have Made Their Lives Miserable”

That’s what famed gymnastics teacher Bela Karolyi says about the rival coaches who criticize his ruthless methods—but he could say the same about the girls he is training to become Olympic champions.