Category: Uncategorized

It’s easy to criticize the parents for letting their “child” do something so dangerous:

A 13-Year-Old Kid Has Summited Everest

But this kid is no rookie. He’s already completed 6 of the 7 summits. In December he’s scheduled to attempt Vinson Massif in Antarctica.

There’s some age that’s “too young” for high altitude mountaineering. But I’m not sure what age that would be. It depends on the child, I’m thinking.

I fear some sort of age competition like the one to be the youngest to sail solo, unassisted around the world.

Perhaps F.I.G. could legislate the age.

… just kidding.

Don Eckert on the saltocafe YouTube channel:

First of all let me say that I think WOGA is the best team in America and this gymnast was great to watch. I have been coaching in region 3 for a little over a year now and they are amazing at every level.

The one strange flaw I think is this tap on giants. I see no advantages from this tap and only problems. Watching them compete at meets has made this more clear to me. My example would be their average dismounts/release moves and the many times I have seen missed blind changes in competitions. They have great strength and super lines but I would love to hear why this tap?

Click through to the YouTube page to comment.

Here’s what I posted there:

I almost never like the “tap over the low” bar. A smaller “beat action” is preferable aesthetically even if it results in slightly less power.

In the USA you can widen the bars. Does this gymnast have them at the maximum width?

Follow on Facebook. Or on twitter (CdnGymChamps). … If you post to twitter about Championships, add the hash tag #CdnGymChamps.

Gymnastics Examiner
Stu Cram – Gym Score Depot (links)
official meet home page

Web Broadcast: Saturday, May 28 Pacific Time Zone 2:30 – 6:00 pm: WAG, MAG and TG senior Finals – Barabus.TRU.ca/gymnastics (Link not live except during broadcasts.)

I’m assisting with the “open” Cirque audition Sunday morning. Anyone can attend. Simply meet us at the competition training gym at 9AM sharp. Athletes under age-18 need be accompanied by parents or have permission.

It’s “open” so that athletes can learn about the opportunity. Attend even if you want to know more. There’s no commitment. Best practice is to attend audition at least a year before you might want to join the company.

Full NBC TV coverage is online. How about that?

Click PLAY or watch part 1 on YouTube.

Follow the links to part 2, part 3, etc.

Update: Here’s another version on YouTube, higher resolution.

(via AGB)

UPDATE: Andrew’ Thornton’s comments on the TV coverage.

Weiber’s twisting is so “clean”. WOW. And better even than Raisman.

by site editor Rick McCharles

I’ll be attending part of our annual week long (May 30 – June 5th) coaching clinic following Canadian National Championships in Kamloops.

Presenters include Canadian National Coaches Vladimir Lashin (WAG) and Edouard Iarov (MAG). And MAG Youth National Coach, Markos Baikas.

As always, the course will be coordinated by Keith Russell, current President of the FIG Scientific Commission.

Welcome to our special guest, planning guru, Dr. Istvan Balyi.

You don’t hear much about planning these days. It’s fallen out of favour, me thinks. Istvan can light the fire, once more.

Any ideas of genius coming out of the course, I’ll post here.

I’ll be doing a short presentation to the group myself, “The Internet for Elite Coaches”.

The former Utah star jumped into a new sport. Apparently Elite Gymnastics and the NCAA weren’t enough to convince her to retire.

Only to hang up her grips.

… Postell dabbled with both trampoline and power tumbling – sports which involve many of the same skills as gymnastics but require less of a time commitment. Power tumbling came more naturally, so Postell shelved the trampoline challenge for a later date. …

Utah’s Postell takes a tumble

Her goal is to qualify to VISA Championships for the first time, … first time as a tumbler, that is.

Almost 24yrs-old, Ashley coaches at Black Diamond Gymnastics in Park City Utah.

_____

Disclosure: I’d finished writing this post before realizing that Black Diamond is a club website built by one of our advertisers, Direct Works Media. Click through their link to support Gymnastics Coaching.

In the States:

NBC will be televising the recent Pacific Rim Championships from Melbourne Australia today (Saturday, May 22nd) … I believe it will primarily be women’s coverage, with some men’s highlights included. …

American Gymnast

If you think Russia has been tearing it up in Women’s Artistic Gymnastics, look at what’s happening with their Winter Olympic sports program.

May 20 – Alexander Zhukov (pictured right) will today be formally installed as the new President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), replacing Leonid Tyagachev, who resigned in March in the wake of the team’s disastrous performance at the Olympics in Vancouver. …

Russia finished a relatively lowly 11th in the overall medals table in Vancouver, winning just 15 medals, only three of which were gold, the team’s worst performance since the break-up of the Soviet Union.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has already set out what Zhukov’s goal must be.

Putin’s adviser Rostislav Murzagulov said: “The task is set clearly: first place in overall medals table in Sochi is a successful result, second – unsuccessful, third – an epic failure.”

Inside The Games

Zhukov is Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister. (I’m surprised that Putin didn’t take over the Russian Olympic Committee himself.)

Money is no obstacle in Russia. This at the same time 12 sports just had funding cut in Great Britain. And more cuts might be coming under the new government there.

I was guest coach last week at Go For It Gymnastics in Vegas, invited by Dana Brass.

One of the girls was training with some kind of Insulin pump, the first time I’d seen one on a gymnast.

Online I later saw an article about this girl, Lena, a L6 now a L8 gymnast who trains 22hrs/wk.

… Lena was diagnosed with type one diabetes when she was four years old and is on an insulin pump. She is an inspiration to other children with type 1 diabetes. …

Type 1 Diabetes – Lena gymnastics meet

The comments on that post include some from parents of other gymnasts with Type 1.

Leave a comment if you’ve an opinion on the Insulin pump for gymnasts. Especially if there are any complications.

I didn’t link to the crazy story that the Romanian Head Coach called British gymnast Beth Tweddle a possible “doper”.

The same Beth Tweddle that was just awarded the MBE by the Prince of Wales. Role model to gymnasts everywhere.

It must have been some sort of misquote. I assumed.

Nobody would be silly enough to make that kind of accusation … right after his team was beaten by the British.

The next day Forminte fumbled an apology.

Now we’re hearing buzz that former Head Coach Octavian Belu MIGHT return after the World Championships.

This would be akin to the USA, in a panic, hiring Bela Karolyi or Steve Nunno, to replace Marta.

A bad idea.

Update: Dmarten of gymgossip.com tells that Belu’s role might be that of consultant, no more. Whew.