Category: Uncategorized

children as SLAVE gymnasts

Galax-Arena is an award winning children’s book by Gillian Rubinstein (1995).

Kids are taken away from their families and trained as slave gymnasts. … Hey, that sounds like CHINA.

… When 13-year-old Joey, her older brother, Peter, and younger sister, Liane, are kidnapped, they believe they have been abducted by aliens and removed to the planet Vexak. Along with 20 other children from Earth, they become Peb and are trained as acrobats to perform in the Galax-Arena for the Vexa, who thrive on vicarious danger. …

The kids who don’t make it as gymnasts, become pets for the (supposed) aliens.

beach fitball flips

Hilarious.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Ryan blademonki posted that fun edit listing as a website Kinesthesist:

… (n): a weblog about acrobatics

(via FlipCatch)

John Macready gymnastics comeback?

I linked to one of 1996 Olympian John Macready‘s rants at World Championships.

He’s hinting at making a comeback. Let’s demand one.

John’s in shape. Check this pic by Jennifer Hardt from Oct, 2010.

… John is a Pommels / Rings specialist. … Right?

Ryan Doyle – Parkour master

This guy’s phenomenal. Click PLAY or watch a professional edit on YouTube.

Ryan (YouTube channel) is … expresses himself though movement. … international freerunning champion at the Red Bull Art of Motion.

Ryan opened Airborn his own freerunning academy in 2004 which is now the largest in the UK. He is currently undergoing many projects around the world and co-stars in the new MTV series Ultimate Parkour Challenge in 2010.

(via FlipCatch)

FlipCatch calls for a showdown between Ryan Doyle and Damien Walters.

specialist female gymnasts

Many of the big names in Men’s gymnastics are specialists.

Has the time finally come for specialists to be the biggest stars in women’s Artistic gymnastics?

Who’s the best gymnast all-time out of Great Britain?

ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - OCTOBER 23: Elizabeth Tweddle of Great Britain competes on the Uneven Bars during the Apparatus Final of the 42nd Artistic Gymnastics World Championships at Ahoy on October 23, 2010 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Jamie McDonald/Getty Images)http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.js

Who has the highest profile of any active American gymnast?

Alicia Sacramone of the U.S. jumps to gold during the women's vault finals at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Rotterdam October 23, 2010. REUTERS/Jerry Lampen (NETHERLANDS - Tags: SPORT GYMNASTICS)http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.js

Let me predict here that Cheng Fei, 3 time world vault champion, will compete for China at the 2012 Olympics. China needs experience and stability on that team.

Chinese gymnast Cheng Fei leaps into the arms of coach Lu Shanzhen after the final competition of the Women's Team Final, at the National Indoor Stadium, August 13, 2008, at the Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. The Chinese team won the gold medal, Americans won the silver and the Romanians won the bronze. (UPI Photo/Mike Theiler) Photo via Newscom Photo via Newscomhttp://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.js

All 3 are specialists. All older. All have history, well known by the general public in their nations.

related – thread on IG forum – Tweddle vs. Sacramone

Who else should I include on a list of GREAT specialists?

European Gymnastics Championships 2011

April 4th – 10th 2011, in Berlin.

There’s no team competition this time around.

Max-Schmeling-Halle (7000 seats) was tested, hosting the 2010 German National Championships.

German leader Angela Merkel will be patron of the event.

The official website is posted in both German and English.

Robbie Gregory 1/1-in

Robbie Gregory is a cheer tumbler, coach and choreographer.

Full in, back out … Stunt/TumbleFest Daytona NCA 2007

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Bazigar acrobats in Punjab

Bazigar is a Persian word sometimes applied to jugglers and acrobats.

In the Punjab they use a crazy “spring board” to do high flips, landing on sand!

Click PLAY or watch the Bezigars on YouTube. The burning ring of fire trick is at the very end of the edit.

These acrobats try to earn a meager living doing performances. But it’s not easy in 2010.

The Story Behind the Smile

Gift for a gymnast?

Shawn Johnson – the book. (2008)

Shawn Johnson Olympic Champion: The Story Behind the Smile

Shawn Johnson, 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medal-winning gymnast, shares personal stories of her childhood, relationships with family and friends, training, the road to the Olympics, and how it feels to be in the international spotlight and a role model for children. …

Amazon

psychology of injury recovery

Robert Andrews, based in Houston, has endorsements from Jay Thornton, Raj Bhavsar and Kevin Mazeika.

He’s a sports psychology consultant helping athletes maximize their potential, a good consult for anyone unmotivated after career threatening injury.

Check Robert’s website – The Institute of Sports Psychology

Especially the videos, resources and articles. A few samples:

• Burnout: Help, I’ve Lost My Mojo!
• Can Dedication Become Dangerous?
• Coming Back: When is An Athlete Fully Recovered When Injured?

Here’s one athlete, Savona, who kept an amazing positive (Courtney Kupets level) attitude after serious knee surgery. She came back to compete Worlds 2010.

How many other kids would have left the sport?