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… trampoline sales are buoyant. “They’re not cheap, but they’re cheaper than foreign holidays and that’s why everybody’s buying trampolines for the garden during these harsh economic times,” says a spokeswoman for the Stockport-based Trampoline Sales Ltd. … John Lewis trampoline sales went up 55% last year and it expects them to rise even more this summer. …

An unexpected consequence of the very serious recession in the United Kingdom.

Needless to say, with trampolines of this dubious quality, injuries are booming too.

… Latest figures from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) show 11,500 hospital admissions a year after trampoline accidents. Some 80% of the injuries are caused by more than one person bouncing at the same time. …

read the article – Guardian – The big bounce: why Britain’s going mad for trampolines

Good news.

One of our favourite gymnasts will try to hang on until 2012 in her home country.

The 24-year-old City of Liverpool gymnast had contemplated bowing out this year but is now targeting a glorious finale at the 2012 Olympics in London.

Tweddle has bounced back from the disappointment of just missing out on an Olympic medal in Beijing last year with a string of impressive performances.

In April she won both the floor and bars competitions at the European Championships in Milan. Last month she repeated the trick with two golds in the same events at the Glasgow Grand Prix and recently led her club to the British Team Championships title at Guildford.

“It’s been a successful year for me so far and I just hope I can keep it going,” she said. “I’ve got the World University Games in Serbia next month and then the World Championships in London in October so it’s an exciting time.

“I thought I would retire this year but then I was so close in Beijing that there is still some unfinished business. Now I don’t really know when I’ll stop. …

Retirement plans on hold as Liverpool’s Beth Tweddle eyes dream 2012 finale

Beth’s official website

Watch a second TV broadcast of more Sr MAG & WAG Event Finals

Saturday June 13 2:00-3:00 pm ET on CBC Sports.

Kyle Shewfelt linked to a 9min video wrap-up about the meet.

The post-mortem buzz on the internet is that Women’s Bars was very weak overall compared with the other apparatus.

2009 Moscow World Cup – 2nd 15.875

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I’ve always liked this guy on Pommels. Certainly one of the best sets in the world.

(via Australian Gymnastics Blog)

I missed the live TV coverage. But it sounds like a good Final this year.

Two-time Olympian Ken Ikeda of Abbotsford, B.C. struck gold twice and senior team rookie Kevin Lytwyn soared to victory in the high bar on an exciting day of event finals Saturday at the Canadian gymnastics championships in Hamilton. …

Other veterans picking up gold medals were Calgary’s Nathan Gafuik, who topped the field on floor and Edmonton’s Brandon O’Neill who won gold on vault. …

Other newcomers to the senior team making a strong showing were Matt Beiler of Calgary who won gold on rings and Peter Anderson of Vancouver who took bronze on rings. …

… In the women’s senior event finals 15-year-old Miranda Meyer of Edmonton won gold on beam and silver on floor and vault.

This year’s all around champion, Sydney Sawa of Calgary, tied for first with Cynthia Lemieux-Guillemette of Montreal on uneven bars, Kristin Klarenbach of Edmonton won gold on floor and Marie-Chantale Lépine of Montreal topped the field on vault.

In the women’s junior competition gold medal winners were Anysia Unick of Calgary on bars and vault, Riley Cholod of Oshawa, Ont., on beam, and Mikaela Gerber of Cambridge, Ont., on floor. …

read more on Gymnastics Canada – Ken Ikeda of Abbotsford, B.C. wins three medals at Canadian gymnastics championships

Results via Gym Score Depot.

Miranda Meyer, Champions Gymnastics, Edmonton

Good luck to all attending the open audition after the Canadian National Gymnastics Championships.

Wish I was there.

… Cirque du Soleil, the Montreal based entertainment phenomenon that plays to packed houses around the world, is increasingly becoming career options for gymnasts.

“We have about 1,300 artists working in our company now and more than 50 per cent of them come from a gymnastics background,” says Barnard Petiot who is vice-president of casting and performers for Cirque du Soleil. …

Gym to Cirque just a flip away – Canadian gymnasts find new careers

… the stunning Nastia Liukin has graced the cover of the last two editions of the 50 Most Photogenic issue. That’s the sole reason why, as we set out to select this year’s honorees, we began with the intention of selecting someone different to appear on this year’s cover.

As we made our way through the photographs, however, it became apparent that there was one clear cut favorite for the cover, and that it had to be the Olympic Champ. With breath-taking elegance and a style all her own, image after image after image of Liukin had members of our editorial team saying, ‘Wow!’

We also asked for your feedback via our Twitter and Facebook pages and through our contact line, and our readers seem to agree that Liukin truly remains the most photogenic gymnast. All of that, along with a banner year for Liukin, couldn’t be ignored. And so we’re pleased to announce that this year’s honoree, gracing her third 50 Most Photogenic cover is none other than Nastia Liukin. …

Inside Gymnastics

There are a couple of funny gymnastics scenes in the 2003 movie Old School starring Luke Wilson, Vince Vaughn and Will Ferrell.

Watch Vince Vaughn do an Iron Cross on Rings.

Gymnastics Canada posted two:

Casey Sandy

Sydney Sawa

Personally, I can’t see Francis Allen retire. I just don’t see him puttering around in the garden. Or retiring from Lincoln, Nebraska to Florida.

Francis Allen, 66, who has served as men’s gymnastics head coach for the University of Nebraska for 40 seasons and won eight NCAA team championship titles, announced he is retiring effective July 1, 2009. Allen, who had nine former gymnasts compete in the Olympic Games, was the head coach for the men’s 1980 and 1992 U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Teams. Under his leadership, his gymnasts won nearly 30 U.S. titles.

“It is almost impossible to measure the impact Francis has had, not only on the sport of gymnastics but also on the lives of many young men,” said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. …

read more on USAG – Nebraska head coach Allen retires

Francis Allen is a larger than life individual, unforgettable if you’ve ever met him.

When I was a young coach, his reputation was as a stand up comedian. Constantly cracking wise.

Even when I visited his gym last year, Francis was as energetic as ever. A great student of the game. Always enthusiastic to share his latest training video.

I expect he’ll still be very involved in gymnastics. But no longer officially Head Coach.

Read tributes in ESPN, USA Today, Sports Illustrated, and the official notice on Nebraska Huskers.com.

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What’s next?

Long time assistant coaches Chuck Chmelka and / or Jim Hartung are the likely candidates to take over for Francis.

Inside Gymnastics on Facebook pointed me to the BAD News:

Athletic Director Tom Osborne does not guarantee Nebraska Men’s Gymnastics will continue past the 2010 season. It’s under ongoing review.