Category: safety

Donnell for Equality

Sending a message.

USAG WAG approves competition shorts

Good decision.

I predict leo and shorts will become increasingly popular as that’s what many wear in training.

Sam Mikulak on mental health

Sam recommends getting professional help if you ever struggle with mental issues.

Click PLAY or watch it on Twitter.

Degrees of Difficulty by Georgia Cervin

How Women’s Gymnastics Rose to Prominence and Fell from Grace

How the Cold War era changed the trajectory of women’s gymnastics

Georgia Cervin is an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia and a former international gymnast.

Electrifying athletes like Olga Korbut and Nadia Comaneci helped make women’s artistic gymnastics one of the most popular events in the Olympic Games.

But the transition of gymnastics from a women’s sport to a girl’s sport in the 1970s also laid the foundation for a system of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse of gymnasts around the world.

Georgia Cervin offers a unique history of women’s gymnastics, examining how the high-stakes diplomatic rivalry of the Cold War created a breeding ground for exploitation. …

Cervin also charts the changes in style, equipment, training, and participants that transformed the sport, as explosive athleticism replaced balletic grace and gymnastics dominance shifted from East to West. …

Buy it here.

2021 EU STICKS compilation

NOTE that backward salto landings typically result in chest position in a range between horizontal and 45%.

That’s mechanical, medically and physically a good way to absorb those huge impact forces.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

more options for gymnastics apparel

UPDATE – Canada already allows tight fitting shorts in competition for Trampoline sports.

Geman gymnasts good good press for wearing full-body uniforms at Europeans 2021.

For some that was a statement against sexualization of female athletes.

The better athletes feel about themselves in competition, the greater the chances for a safe and successful routine.

Sarah Voss

Canadian company DNA Performance Wear feels this was a step forward. But calls for FIG — in addition — to allow “partial leg coverings” and “shorts”.

Good idea.

Many gymnasts train in leotard and bike shorts. And many would feel comfortable doing the same in competition.

Click over to DNAperformancewear on Facebook to read more.

Or DNAperformancewear on Instagram.

Tom Elder on coaching ETHICS

Ethics in coaching is critical for all our clubs and organizations.

Many Federations are under investigation at the moment, for example.

Our goal is keeping everyone safe, while bringing the most benefits to the greatest number of participants. Fairness. Equal opportunity. And more.

Tom Elder is assistant coach at the University of Pennsylvania and a Bioethics scholar.

Click PLAY or watch some highlights of Tom’s interview on YouTube. (16min)

Watch the entire interview. (79min)

Gymnastics Australia report

An independent review into gymnastics in Australia says the sport has enabled a culture of physical, emotional and sexual abuse which many participants have described as “toxic”.

The report, carried out by the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), made 12 recommendations …

… the report explored power imbalances between athletes and coaches, body-shaming and bullying, and a culture which it said helped “create an environment where abuse and mistreatment can thrive”.

In response, Gymnastics Australia said it “unreservedly apologises …”

Gymnastics Australia report reveals ‘significant cultural challenges’, including physical, emotional and sexual abuse

related – Gymnasts Kirsty-Leigh Brown, Emily Little, and Mary-Anne Monckton are speaking out about their experiences as young professional athletes and the ‘toxic’ culture in gymnastics