NCAA Gymnastics Rankings

As of February 9th, 2009.

Stanford moves up to 4th. They rocked their Season-Best Gymnastics Performance this weekend.

Nebraska edged Oklahoma. A minor upset.

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GymInfo – Women’s National Ranking for Team Total – Troester

More NCAA commentary on Gymblog.

Shawn Johnson Dancing With the Stars

Confirmed on her blog.

World and Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson (U.S.) is among the 13 contestants for the upcoming season of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.”

… The 17-year-old gymnast will be the youngest contestant yet on the hit reality show that pairs celebrities with professional dancers.

… If Johnson were to win, she would not be the first Olympic champion crowned on the show. Speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno won season four and figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi won season six.

“Dancing With The Stars 8” premieres March 9 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on ABC, and will run through May. …

International Gymnast

Does Shawn have the personality and maturity for this challenge? (She’s gots to be better than Steve Wozniak.)

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(via BodyRhythm)

Shawn is not much in the gym. Only conditioning and running right now.

Many are commenting online that gymnastics competition in 2009 seems almost out of the question. And that “Alicia might have been a better choice for this TV show”.

Likely Shawn knows that Lilia Podkopayeva won the Ukranian version of Dancing with the Stars in 2006.

Hagerty Wins Gymnastics Winter Cup

Feb. 7, Las Vegas

Two-Day All-Around

1. Joseph Hagerty (USOTC) (88.150/89.750) 177.900
2. Danell Leyva (Universal) (87.300/89.050) 176.350
3. Sho Nakamori (Stanford) (87.400/88.700) 176.100
4. Guillermo Alvarez (Minnesota) (85.650/88.850) 174.500
5. Chris Brooks (Oklahoma) (86.400/87.100) 173.500
6. Kyle Bunthuwong (Berkeley) (85.150/86.950) 172.100
7. Steven Legendre (Oklahoma) (84.400/87.650) 172.050
8. Kyson Bunthuwong (Berkeley) (84.750/86.650) 171.400
9. Chris Cameron (Michigan) (84.850/86.250) 171.100
10. Alexy Bilozertchev (Unattached) (84.200/86.250) 170.450

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full results and commentary – International Gymnast

Exelta Cup, Red Deer

Results from the first gymnastics competition of the season in Alberta are not yet available online at midnight, as I write.

Not even on the official website.

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The first meet of the year is always the most difficult. There were many errors. And even some dangerous routines.

I expect to see a BIG improvement by next competition.

Shout out to the hard working judges
. They had two tough days (so far). New rules. New interpretations. Missed routines.

Happily the coaches made a point of not protesting. (Not much, in any case.) Everyone understands we need get through the first meet to set a baseline of expectation for the coming season.

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Held concurrently with the Exelta meet — in an adjacent venue — was the Alberta Second Trials to Nationals for trampoline and tumbling.

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Brett MacAulay, Head Coach of Calgary Gymnastics Centre, is posting photos and videos. Search for those on Facebook.

child killed on backyard trampoline

Can this be true?

… A 4 year-old boy accidentally hanged himself yesterday in what Springs police say is a freak trampoline accident. ‘Angel’ was playing on a trampoline at his home on Wooten Dr. in Colorado Springs when his neck got caught in a cord. …

KOAA News

Terrible. Terrible.

I don’t like backyard tramps. But this sounds to be an unbelievable fluke accident.

bad Cheer movie – Fired Up

You must have seen the trailer by now. They’re spending a lot of money on TV commercials to hype the thing.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Looks lame. Most of the good laughs are in the promo reel, I suspect.

The only review I’ve seen concurs:

… it’s about a pair of high school football players (played by 31-year-old Eric Christian Olsen and 28-year-old Nicholas D’Agosto) who opt out on their team training in order to tag along with the all-female cheerleading squad to their cheer camp/competition.

… I’m pretty certain that we’re looking at a PG-13 here (yes, they can say ‘s–t’ all they want with that rating). Heck, if it were actually R, then this film’s audience would have to ask a parent or legal guardian to come with, and that’s just cruel to consider.

Either way, Fired Up drops down on March 20, 2009. To quote one of the sassy cheerleader foes: B. F. D.

‘Fired Up’ Trailer Leaves Us Anything But

Canadian Gymnastics Championships

Hamilton, Ontario May 31 – June 7th.

The official website is up. Though there’s no content on it yet.

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official website

Historically the Championships hosted in Ontario I’ve found disappointing. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Hamilton can do as good a job as Calgary did in 2008.

Winsport Canada faces shortfall

In my town we have a big multi-sport training centre called Canada Olympic Park (COP). It’s managed by CODA.

The Calgary Olympic Development Association (CODA), which carried on the legacy of the 1988 Winter Olympic Games, recently rebranding itself as the Canadian Winter Sport Institute — or Winsport Canada.

And it’s a Canadian success story.

“Almost three-quarters of the medal winners at the 2006 Winter Olympics were either Albertan or had trained at the COP.”

Bad economic news.

… WinSport Canada says … the organization took a $40 million hit on its endowment funds — worth about $140 million — since March 2007 due to plunging financial markets.

The loss has meant WinSport is unable to draw on any interest and take out the $7 million needed annually for operations at facilities such as Canada Olympic Park, the Canmore Nordic Centre and the Olympic Oval.

Herald – Cash-strapped WinSport to ‘readjust’ legacy fund

One project at risk:

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An artist’s rendering of a new building to be part of the Canada Olympic Park’s $200-million expansion. (CBC) – CBC

Layout Gymnastics magazine

Gymnastics British Colombia’s monthly magazine called Layout is now available online FREE.

(It was formerly called e-Xtra.)

Articles of interest include:

  • 20 Successful Candidates Selected for 2008-2009 Internship Program:
  • … Among the interns are the following gymnastics coaches:

    ~ Katrina Burton, West Wind Gymnastics Club, Lethbridge, AB
    ~ Candice Feinrip, Oakville Gymnastics Club, Oakville, ON
    ~ Mallory Hartley, Kingston Gymnastics Club, Kingston, ON

  • Transition from NCCP Level 1 to Gymnastics Foundations
  • Interview with Brittany Rogers
  • 2009 BC Strength, Fitness and Conditioning Conference: “Recovery, Regeneration and Rehabilitation”
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    Download Layout magazine (PDF).