STOP WAR

Illia KOVTUN from Ukraine is wearing a STOP WAR t-shirtย at Podium Training. OK, I think.ย  And of course I agree with him.

Putinโ€™s invasion of a neighbouring nation took out both Olympic Champion teams from our sport.ย  And killed many innocent people.

STOP WAR.

Of course training for this competition has been super challenging for Ukraine. Their athletes have been all over the world trying to get ready.

Lee Chih-Kai withdraws from Worlds

One of the favourites for the Pommel Final, we were surprised when Lee Chih-Kai didn’t appear with the Taiwan team for Podium training.

It sounds like he had to withdraw for Covid reasons.

Very, very few are masked in the arena. Notably most of the Chinese and Japanese coaches.

Germany rocking unitards

Thanks AGAIN to the women of Team Germany for choosing to wear unitards.

No competitor should feel forced to wear a leotard in competition.

Trinidad pays Thema Williams

I happened to be there when news broke that Canadian-born gymnast Marisa Dick would replace Thema. It was at the Olympic Test Meet in Rio.

We were surprised as Thema had looked healthy during Podium Training โ€” in a striking gold leotard. No observable problems.

But her coach at the Games was John Geddert. He told the Federation Thema wasn’t ready enough. Trinidad had to fly the replacement in from Canada. Last minute.


FORMER national gymnast Thema Williamsโ€™s four-year battle for compensation, for the โ€œbiased and flawedโ€ decision of the TT Gymnastics Federation to pull her out of the 2016 Olympic Games, came to an end at 2.20 pm on Thursday.

That was when the federationโ€™s bankers, Republic Bank Ltd, delivered a cheque for $223,800.19 …

On November 26, 2018, Seepersad ruled Williams was entitled to $200,000 for loss of endorsements and other opportunities because of the federation’s โ€œbiasedโ€ and flawed decision to withdraw her from representing this country in the 2016 Rio Olympics. …

Gymnastics Federation pays Thema Williams damages

Federations must have clear selection policies. And enforce them.

The ONLY good news from this disaster was that Marisa had a good competition. And did qualify Trinidad to the Olympics.

more MAG Podium highlights

FIG will compile a medical report from Liverpool Worlds.

In it they will record what percentage of athletes left the competition due to injury.

Gymnasts were injured on day 1, including one of the H Bar favourites โž™ Tyson Bull. A lower back injury on H Bar.

But I felt there were fewer injuries than at past Worlds. MAG Vault landings were less horrific than in the past. Hopefully athletes are better prepared than in the past to survive a Code of Points where difficulty is so much more rewarded than quality. Hopefully.

MAG Gymnastics is really dangerous.

watch Jake Jarman

One of the big stories at Worlds Liverpool is Jake Jarman, from Huntingdon Gym Club.

Now age-20, he’s the 2022 Commonwealth Games AA Champion โ€” and is still improving.

With a British dad and a Filipino mom, he’s very popular in the Philippines as well as the U.K.

Looks like Jake will compete triple twisting double layout on Floor. It’s so fast and clean I had to watch slowmo to confirm it’s 3 twists. ๐Ÿ˜€

Click PLAY or watch it on Instagram.

On Vault he made the most difficult twisting skill look … EASY.

I spoke with Jake after training. He was once injured on Kas + 2 twists landing in competition. At that point he and his coach decided to move to Kas + 2.5 twists as the landing is so much safer.

British Gymnastics Reform ’25

CEO announces the launch.

British Gymnastics ETHICS

Here’s how British Gymnastics plans to improve the culture of the sport.

All should have equal opportunity.

AND end up with the greatest amount of GOOD for the greatest number of people.

Maryland’s PRIDE leo

Cool t-shirts, as well.

Gymnastics is one of the top Olympic sports for females.

Gymnastics should offer leadership in promoting equal rights and human rights.

Universities should offer leadership in promoting equal rights and human rights.

ย “all men are created equal

ย “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness

Ukraine, Norway, Estonia, Poland, Lithuania, Italy, Netherlands

All boycotting Congress 2022 as FIG is allowing Russian and Belarusian delegates to participate.

Certainly it’s difficult to decide exactly WHICH delegates to ban.

For example, do you ban a Russian citizen who has lived in another nation for decades?

Or do you only ban those committee members and judges representing Russia and Belarus?

IF possible, I would vote for the latter.