Category: Uncategorized

July 13, 2011:

NEW YORK – Former Chinese gymnast Sang Lan, who was paralyzed in a fall at the 1998 Goodwill Games in New York, scored a major victory on Monday after reaching an agreement with three insurance companies and USA Gymnastics.

Under a confidential deal inked on Monday afternoon after a three-hour discussion, TIG Insurance Co, Riverstone Claims Management and TIG Specialty Insurance Solutions agreed to cover future medical and rehabilitation fees for Sang in both the United States and China.

The three insurance firms had previously paid Sang only for fees incurred in the US and not in China …

In the deal, the three insurers agreed to give an undisclosed amount of money to Sang in addition to the insurance she will receive. Both Sang and her lawyer Hai Ming were not allowed to disclose the exact sum.

But the total insurance Sang would be covered for could amount to $10 million …

Despite the deal, Sang implied on Monday that she was not done in her fight for her disability rights, saying that she achieved “half of the complete success” in protecting her rights. …

Hai told reporters on Monday that 12 lawsuits are still in progress against Mo, Liu Guosheng, Xie Xiaohong and 15 people who defamed Sang on the Internet. He said Sang is now seeking $1.2 billion.

read more on China Daily – Sang wins big victory in compensation battle

So, USAG settles out of court setting a precident for future multi-million dollar accident claims. The American way.

Not so. Later I read this on Forbes:

USA Gymnastics said in a statement: “USA Gymnastics was never served in the lawsuit and is being dismissed from the suit. This matter has been resolved through the insurance carriers, and we hope the settlement will assist Sang Lan in the coming years.”

_____ original post from April 29, 2011:

Update from Vanessa Atler who was competing in that meet:

It was 1998 Goodwill Games. One of the most important competitions of my life. I was to compete in the vault and floor finals against my favorite gymnasts in the world. One of them was Sang Lan. I loved that she always seemed happy and very calm.

We were in the beginning of warming up on the vault. Usually each gymnast warms-up some timers for each vault they were performing. Basically just the first half of the vault or the entry part. I know Sang Lan competed a fronthandspring front layout 1/2. She did it so well and beautiful. Usually when you warm-up you do a fronthandspring and over rotate landing on your feet to a forward roll. I saw her over rotate in the air and came off a little high. It looked like she was deciding in the air, should I tuck my head under or land on my face. She tucked her head under and there was just not enough time to make it. All of the coaches knew it right away. …

If anyone is looking for the video of her fall it does not exist. Jack Carter (Kristen Maloney’s coach) was the only one who had it on video. When the media found out they ran over to him and he deleted it right in before they got to him. Good for you Jack! I love that guy.
read more … – From Gymnast to Coach

Brigid McCarthy has the most detailed write-up of this bizarre story:

According to the Wall Street Journal, Chinese gymnast Sang Lan has sued Time Warner and US Gymnastics. After her neck injury, which occurred whilst warming up on vault at the 1998 Goodwill Games, Sang Lan has been paralysed and wheelchair-bound. …

… For those of you who remember the sad event, Lan was performing a timer when she fractured her C6 and C7 vertebrae, resulting in paralysis from the chest down. She stayed in the USA for one year, where she was treated in hospital and then returned to China. …

Couch Gymnast – Sang Lan Files Lawsuit

Certainly she has every right to sue. The amount and the number of years lapsed makes this appear frivolous, however.

I’ve never heard anyone hint that there was any fault on the part of meet organizers. Gymnastics is a dangerous sport.

I’m also surprised in that Sang Lan has been spun by the Chinese media as a ‘good news story’, a TV celebrity and an advocate for the disabled.

Likely her lawyers expect to settle out of court.

Newfoundland. Understand.

Cygnus Gymnastics Training Centre is seeking a dedicated and enthusiastic Men’s Artistic Gymnastics Coach to join our coaching team. The successful candidate will coach our Pre-Competitive and Competitive Men’s Artistic Gymnastics athletes on a Part-Time or Full Time Basis.

Currently, the Men’s Team consists of a strong base of pre-competitive boys and small team of competitive Level 1-4 Boys. With the depth in the program already existing, this program requires a strong, consistent individual to further its development.

Details on cygnusgym.com

Salary is dependent on experience and qualifications. Interested individuals can submit a Coaching CV in confidence to angela@cygnusgym.com

From the excellent Gymnaestrada Media Centre:

The World Gymnaestrada has begun! …

Today, Beaulieu Lausanne hosted 188 performances, each one more astonishing than the last, representing 46 of the 55 participating delegations.

The Swiss Evenings took place at the Sports Center of Malley, each one attended by 5000 spectators. From the start, these evenings generated lively interest. The entrance tickets, which were available from the 18th of March, were in fact sold out in the first two hours. During these evenings, 20 groups from all over Switzerland, with a total of nearly 900 athletes of all ages, presented performances which they had been practicing for two years. …

Aside from Opening/Closing Ceremonies and the FIG Gala, the biggest draws of the week are Les Soirees Nationales, the National Nights, 14 shows in all.

The opening number at the host night was an impressive 12 sets simultaneous swinging rings. (Love front uprise and inlocate on the forward swing.)

Both Men and Women showed a lot of difficulty on this near forgotten apparatus, mats only on the dismount side! (Actually, the gymnastics was VERY safe, over all.)

Swiss engineering and efficiency was evident in the disassembly and removal of the massive structures.

My favourite act was dancer / acrobats inside Swiss pup tents. Hilarious. (I will post video later.)

The crowd loved a bizarre bit, older dancers dressed as Cheese, especially when giant fondue forks arrived.

We saw swinging rope ladders, 6 synchro tramps, hand supported P Bars, silks, scooters, inline skaters, … and much, much more. A dance troupe called “Objectif Gymnastique” impressed by integrating physically and mentally challenged performers.

Gymnaestrada is all good. There’s no downside. Win – win – win. No losers.

I will be posting more on RecGymnastics.com.

In training.

USA National team member Bridgey Caquatto of Legacy Elite training bars in early July of 2011 in preparation for the CoverGirl Classic and the Visa Championships.

http://www.gymnastike.org/embed/NjQzNDk5Nzk4?related=1

Watch more video of Legacy Elite Gymnastics on gymnastike.org

Jason points out that Bridgey has an even higher start value in training that Anna Li. (Anna is going to up hers soon, I’m certain.)

George sends us the link to this video, Mike Outram walking on his own. Fantastic.http://player.ooyala.com/player.js?autoplay=0&embedCode=w1dTdtMjq4aWOWSkvw7HylKrOI1G1qsd

Details on The Windsor Star.

One of the Urban Trees on San Diego Bay’s Waterfront.

“Handstand” by Daniel Stern

The artist reflects on his career in theater and films in this eight-foot bronze sculpture that depicts a man performing a one-armed handstand balanced 12 feet above the pavement. His hope is that people who see the artwork will get a feeling of motion, joy, color, chaos, balance, humor, danger, possibilities and impossibilities.

An unusual edit, the forest Parkour does not start until 5min in.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Meet the Magic is the theme of Gymnaestrada 2011.

Swiss star Ariella Kaeslin (Käslin) announced her retirement from competitive gymnastics Monday at a press conference, just 12 months before what would have been her second Olympic Games. …

Kaeslin leaves the Swiss women’s team far stronger than she found it. During an international career that lasted more than a decade, Kaeslin set a stupendous number of firsts for Swiss gymnastics. She was the first Swiss gymnast to win an all-around medal at the European Championships (bronze in 2009), the first to win a European title (vault, 2009) and the first to win a World medal (silver on vault at the 2009 Worlds). …

read more from Blythe Lawrence, Special to Universal Sports – Gymnast Kaeslin shocks with retirement announcement

In 2010 she was voted “Swiss Sportswoman of the Year”. It is a bit of a shock here in Lausanne.

via THE ALL AROUND on Facebook.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

She got a 6.2 start one day, 6.5 the next.

More videos from that competition on Couch Gymnast.

Participants, organisers and spectators at the 14th World Gymnaestrada were all anxiously observing the skies on Sunday afternoon. With a thunderstorm and heavy rain hanging over Lausanne during the day, the risk of a soaking during the Opening Ceremony scheduled for 4pm was very high!

However, it seems the Organising Committee had a direct line to the weather Gods as, just one hour before the big show, the sun came out and blue skies opened up over La Pontaise Olympic Stadium. …

… the 55 international delegations marched in one after the other, waving their national flags, clapping and entertaining the crowd with scattered gymnastic and acrobatic performances on their way around the stadium. …

read more on FIG – Heavens smile on opening extravaganza

It’s a blast marching in as I recall from 1975 and 1982. Watching 19,000 people march-in is not nearly so entertaining. After France I went wandering around the stadium, catching a nap in the sun at one point.

The background music didn’t help, the most current musical selection being Y.M.C.A. (1978). All in all, not much has changed since march-in 1975.

Best dressed, I thought, were Qatar in traditional desert costume. Those nations each person carrying a flag were impressive: Germany and Austria, for two.

The Top Secret Drum Corps from Basel stole the show, as they did last year at the Edinburgh Tattoo. The only performance to get a standing ovation. The Swiss Airforce buzzing the audience was a thrilling finale, too.