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larger version – flickr – beth alderson

Texas Woman’s University’s Rashonda Cannie, Temple University’s Katie Canning and Yale University’s Alina Liao tied for the all-around title at the 2009 USA Gymnastics Women’s Collegiate Championships at Southern Connecticut State University’s Moore Fieldhouse in New Haven, Conn. …

The three gymnasts posted a score of 38.725 to share the all-around crown.

Cannie, Canning, Liao tie at 2009 USA Gymnastics Women’s Collegiate Championships

UPDATE:

Bridgeport and Cornell tied for the national championship with a 191.675. William & Mary was second with a 191.1, and Texas Women’s, despite a big lead after two events, fell to fourth place with a 190.8. …

College Gymnastics Board

What’s a winning international score under the new new Women’s Code of Points?

From Gymnastics In Europe:

Now that we have had a few International Competitions this year with the new code I have decided to compare scores and see what a good score is on each apparatus and All Around and who has scored the highest scores so far. I know some of the scores may not be completely accurate (e.g. the American Cup) but it’s just so people can get an idea of the scoring under the new code.

All Around
1. Jordyn Wieber 60.200 (American Cup)
2. Bridget Sloan 59.600 (American Cup)
3. Jordyn Wieber 58.500 (Gymnix Junior Cup)
4. Ksenia Semenova 58.175 (Europeans AA Finals)
5. Ksenia Semenova 57.625 (Europeans AA Qualifications)
6. Ksenia Afanasyeva 57.600 (Europeans AA Finals)
7. Ariella Kaeslin/Ana Maria Tamirjan 57.275 (Europeans AA Finals/Quals)
8. Ana Maria Izurieta 56.375 (Europeans AA Finals)
9. Aagje Van Walleghem 56.150 (Europeans Qualifications)
10. Kim Bui 56.000 (American Cup)

Vault (1 Vault)
1. Jordyn Wieber 15.750 (American Cup)
2. Ariella Kaeslin 15.300 (Europeans AA Finals)
3. Bridget Sloan 15.150 (American Cup)

Vault (2 Vaults)
1. Ariella Kaeslin 14.625 (European Event Finals)
2. Ariella Kaeslin 14.550 (Cottbus)
3. Yulia Berger 14.325 (Europeans Event Finals)

Uneven Bars
1. Beth Tweddle 15.650 (Jesolo)
2. Beth Tweddle 15.575 (Europeans Event Finals)
3. Ksenia Semenova 15.500 (Europeans Event Finals)

Beam
1. Jordyn Wieber 15.00 (American Cup)
2. Bridget Sloan 14.90 (American Cup)
3. Amelia Racea/Ksenia Semenova 14.80 (Jesolo/Europeans AA Final)

Floor
1. Beth Tweddle 15.150 (Europeans Event Finals)
2. Sandra Izbasa 15.050 (Nadia Comaneci International Invitational) (old code)
3. Beth Tweddle 14.975 (Europeans Qualifications)

Gymnastics In Europe – Comparison of International Scores under the 2009 Code Of Points

The Chinese girls are yet to be compared.

Click PLAY or watch Ariella Kaeslin VT 2009 Euro EF on YouTube.

15.125, 14.125 – 14.625 (1st)

Most coaches DON’T for fear of (later) being blamed for contributing to disordered eating.

The do at University of Georgia. Four times a year.

photo credit – Kelly Lambert

… Amber Trani, who competed in the 2008 Olympic Trials just before beginning her freshman year at Georgia, came from a gym where coaches kept a close tab on their athletes.

“Back home, my gym was very strict,” she said. “We’d have weigh-ins, and they’d expect you to maintain your weight. You weren’t supposed to go up. It was restricted in that we weren’t supposed to eat breads and pastas. It was elite though. It’s supposed to be strict. You have to stay in the best shape to stay on top if you want to go anywhere.”

Once Trani got to college, she had more freedom to eat what she wanted. She said it was harder to eat healthy meals without a watchful eye. She’s realized that she had to make healthier choices, but she doesn’t have to restrict herself as much as she did when she was an elite-level gymnast. …

There are not any food restrictions placed on the Georgia gymnasts. …

The Gym Dogs also have a snack bar available to them in the practice facility where they can refuel if needed.

“It’s just really nice and convenient when you’re going from class to class,” Tolnay said. “Even if you’re here late studying, it’s just nice knowing that you can get some nutrition in you.”

The snack bar is stocked with Balance bars, protein and nutrition shakes and Powerade. …

larger size

“Our girls work with the food and nutrition lab and research lab here on campus,” Yoculan said. “They do their body compositions four times a year with the emphasis on increasing lean muscle mass and decreasing body fat. In addition to that measurement, it also looks at bone density and bone mineral content.”

Yoculan said the coaching staff has found that the gymnasts are at their optimum strength and perform more consistently when they have a 10 percent to 14 percent body composition.

“We don’t like them to go lower than 10 because that can cause a lot of problems for female athletes in general,” said associate head coach Jay Clark.

If the gymnasts’ body composition is too low, they are required to go to counseling. …

Online Athens – Balance key to Gym Dogs’ fitness

(via honey bear page on College Gymnastics Board)

I missed watching this routine from European Championships. But went back to it on recommendation from Darius.

It’s the most original and outrageous set I’ve seen in years.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Handspring forward layout double twist punch double front. Stuck.

AMAZING.

Fahrig finished second.

Floor Exercise Final Men
1 HAMBUECHEN Fabian GER – 15.450
2 FAHRIG Matthias GER – 15.400

From GymFanMW on College Gymnastics Board:

Looking back over the past 4 seasons, it is interesting to note the programs that have seen the greatest improvement in terms of final team ranking, and the programs that have seen the greatest decline. From 2006-2009 (using the pre-NCAA championship team rankings), these are the top 5 programs in terms of improvement:

commentary – Teams on the rise/decline

That Nebraska stat hurts.

It’s a fantastic program, with great coaches, that has had some very bad luck over the past 2 years.

She’s addicted.

Search for NLiukin on Twitter.

This past weekend saw the return of the Wild Rose International. The senior women’s all-around was won by the host gym’s Kristin Klarenbach, who also captured three medals in the apparatus finals (silver on vault, bronze on beam, and gold on floor). Other apparatus winners included Charlotte Mackie (vault), Sydney Sawa (bars), and Miranda Meyer (beam). …

Gymn.ca

As expected, the revived Wild Rose Gymnastics competition was, once again, excellent.

original

Meet Director Michel Arsenault filled us in on his plans to expand the meet over the next 2 years.

It’s run as a non-profit Society, not a money making business. Michel wants to raise the quality of gymnastics in Canada by bringing more top gymnasts here to compete. And increasing the prize money into the future.

==== related

At the coaches social Friday night, I dropped off a TumblTrak Air Floor at Champions Gymnastics. They will be testing it for a couple of weeks.

larger original

details – TumblTrak – Air Floor

Here’s a great idea.

Click PLAY or watch Semenova on Beijing Event Finals Bars on YouTube.

Unfortunately there are errors on this example. But this concept would go a long way to helping the general public understand our insanely complicated scoring system.

You should be able to turn the text on and off. And — obviously — the text should not obscure the gymnastics.

(via Senor Nico on the IG forum)

Suzie Tuffy-Riewald, Ph.D. posted an article for the U.S. Olympic program:

… All coaches and athletes understand the importance of training the mental aspect of performance. The mind can have a positive (or negative) influence on how athletes perform. However while many coaches recognize the importance of a strong mental game, they may not be comfortable with teaching mental skills. One remedy for this situation may be to have a sport psychologist develop and implement a psychological skills training program. Unfortunately, few programs/coaches have access to sport psychologists; therefore, coaches must take responsibility for physically, technically and psychologically preparing their athletes.

You don’t have to be a psychologist to set up a psychological skills training program. First, it is not necessary (or realistic) for the program to be comprehensive.

Second, with just a little planning, you can combine basic mental training principles and techniques into daily practice sessions. When the coach stresses the importance of mental training, it may be more effective than when mental training is a separate component of practice, delivered by an outside consultant. …

… read the rest of this article on the US Olympic Coaching Newsletter – MAKE MENTAL TRAINING PART OF PHYSICAL TRAINING

original – flickr – www.jugendsport-foto.de

Gymnasts are thinking of “something” while they train. While they compete.

Good coaching is helping athletes find the right things to think about. At the right time.

Every gymnast is different. Coaching mental training is more of an art, than a science.

Coach – David Brubaker

See more articles like this one linked from the Fall 2008 edition of the USOC Olympic Coach E-Magazine.