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Everyone wants Sasha Artemev on the U.S. Olympic Team.

If he hits, Sasha is a near certain Olympic finalist on Pommel Horse. His routine is brilliant and unique. He’s got style and artistry on the other apparatus too.

Bus Sasha fell on Pommel both days at the VISA Championships. He had problems hitting other routines.

I don’t think the Olympic Team selectors will vote for him unless he can prove consistency over the coming weeks, especially in competition situations. Perhaps he should compete in the next World Cup meet.

(AP Photo/Dave Einsel) – ESPN

I am very happy to report that Jason has secured the Canadian spot in the Olympics. He’s done more crazy things on trampoline than anyone else in history — but has had an inconsistent record in competition. I was afraid he might not qualify for 2008.

For example, here’s his 10 triple somersault routine on Super Tramp.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

That was Jason age-18 in 2004. A wonderkind.

Check Related Videos on YouTube for more astonishing Jason Burnett clips.

The Canadian woman, not surprisingly, will be Karen Cockburn who took Bronze in both 2004 and 2008. Both are coached by Dave Ross.

(via Gymnastics Canada)

Recommendations from recent FIG meetings in Cape Town, South Africa:

only 8 teams from World Championships 2011 will qualify for the 2012 Olympics

… in the past, this has been 12 teams. The final 4 teams would qualify through a different system.

team size to be reduced from 6 gymnasts to 5
… opening up additional spaces for more individuals

The source of this information is GYMmedia (in German).

These changes will be controversial. But are inevitable, I think. Given the current code of points.

TRENDS:

decline of the importance of the Team competition

decline in the importance of the all-around gymnast

increased number of excellent specialists (Van Gelder, Pegan, etc.)

more opportunity for the “weaker” gymnastics nations to be competitive

It’s good and bad, I think. Perhaps more good than bad.

Of course these are only rumoured recommendations. Leave a comment if you know more. Or have an opinion on what FIG should do instead.

(via Lightbulb Hands)

Dreadful logo, wot?

At the 2004 General Assembly of FIG in Turkey, the Italian Bruno Grandi was elected as President of the International Gymnastics Federation with votes from 86 of 96 nations. Grandi hasn’t been all bad.

He’s running for election again in 2008 — unopposed, it seems — with that vote taking place in Finland in October. There is the possibility of a nomination from the Floor, I assume. Personally, I wish Vice President Slava Corn would run for the top job.

Pretty boring stuff …

But if YOU happen to be interested, FIG has posted a list of candidates (PDF) for those elections.

The disastrous Adrian Stoica is running for reelection as Men’s Technical President. NEW candidates up for MTC include Steve Butcher (USA) and Edouard Iarov (Canada).

Nellie Kim is running again for WT President.

My opinion is that IOC and FIG are structured so that it is very difficult for a new person to unseat an incumbent. That corruption and vote influence is commonplace. That there is very little incentive for FIG to improve or change. And that the organization is most undemocratic.

AND that the IOC is even worse.

Related posts:

how to contact the FIG Technical Committees
Olympic Games for sale

(via Lightbulb Hands)

July 1 is the deadline for USA Gymnastics to submit the names of the six members of the Olympic team and any replacement athletes to the U.S. Olympic Committee.

If an athlete’s petition to the Olympic team is accepted, he must prove competitive readiness at the Olympic Team preparation camp July 13-22 in Colorado Springs, Colo. If he fails to do so, he will be removed from the team at that time.

read more … Gymnast.com

Everyone I’ve talked to is very optimistic the defending Olympic Champion will be close to 100% in time for the Olympics.

… Dr. Lawrence Lubbers, an orthopedic hand specialist who has previously worked on Hamm’s former teammate, Blaine Wilson, will perform the surgery. Dr. Lubbers is part of the elite Hand and Microsurgery Associates, Inc., a division of Columbus Hand Therapy, LLC.

“We know he’s very competent,” Hamm’s coach, Miles Avery, said of Dr. Lubbers.

Dr. Lubbers evaluated Hamm this morning and found nothing previously unknown about the break, allowing them to proceed immediately with surgery. Dr. Lubbers will fixate the break in Hamm’s fourth, right metacarpal and that hardware—be it a pin, plate, screw or combination thereof—will stay in Hamm’s hand, at least through Beijing. …

“Four weeks from now we’ll be back up on the apparatus,” Avery told Inside Gymnastics. “Four weeks at the outside—hopefully, [sooner]. …

Inside Gymnastics

This is unofficial. But, posted by Glen’s Dad, it’s official enough for me.

From the USA VISA Championships competition in Houston this past weekend.

The top 7 juniors (age groups combined) in rank order are:

1. Glen Ishino (87.15),
2. Alexy Bilozertchev (86.05),
3. John Orosco (86.00),
4. Danell Leyva (85.90),
5. Sam Mikulak (84.45),
6. Donathan Bailey (84.25) and
7. CJ Maestas (84.00).

This ranking identified the gymnasts who are going on the Japan Training Camp with Yoichi Tomita for ten days beginning June 23rd.

With these super talents coming up, I don’t think American Men’s gymnastics has ever been this deep.

Father Dmitri Bilozertchev coaching son Alexy.

Dmitri was, by age-16 in 1983, World Champion. The best young male gymnast of all-time. I see some similarities in style with his son, but even more differences.

Note: the last name can be spelled many different ways.

… Allan Bower, a gymnast at Xtreme Gymnastics … took second overall in Level 9 all-around … at the USA Gymnastics Junior Olympics, held May 8-9 at Battle Creek, Mich. He finished in the top 10 in the other three events in a field of 280.

… As a member of the national team, Bower will attend two special camps — in July and October — at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

… Bower has Olympic aspirations, but in the meantime is looking ahead to the international Junior Olympics event set for the summer of 2010 in Singapore.

Gymnastic Bodies

Thanks Coach Sommer.

A weird and wonderful video produced by the Indianapolis Star.

Olympic hopeful Bridget Sloan trains at Sharp’s Gymnastics Academy in Indianapolis.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

BridgetSloan.com

(via Live.Breath.Love.Gymnastics)

Bridget had a minor meniscus tear but says she is back to 98% healthy. She’s also planning on performing two new skills on bars at the U.S. Championships.

Related: Samantha Peszek Indianapolis Star Clip – YouTube

7.4 A-score. 16.65 final score.

She’s a contender for a bar medal in Beijing, for sure. And without being able to do “stoop Stalder” or “el-grip” giants to pump the difficulty score, Beth must do REAL skills in combination.

I’m impressed.

This routine from the British Team Championships this past weekend.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

(via Difficulty Plus Execution)

I suspect we’ll see an 8.0 A-score on bars in the not to distant future.

UPDATE: I called “el-grip” swing EASY. It is easy, if you are born with flexible wrists and shoulders. For other gymnasts, it may be impossible. Jaeger from el-grip swing is easier than from undergrip, for example.

Same with Stoop Stalder. If you are born with the right body proportions, those skills are “easy”. If not, impossible. I coached a gymnast named Davide Bardana who could do as many stoop Stalders in series as he wanted. It was easy for him. But no one else in the gym could even attempt it.

I’m not saying they should devalue those families of skills. I like them. But people should credit how difficult Beth’s routine truly is.

A sneak preview of the latest, greatest product from Tumbl TRAK.

Sections are connected with Velcro.

Doug Davis MIGHT be showing this at USA Congress 2008 held in conjunction with Olympic Trials in Philadelphia June 19-22.

I really like the markings painted right on to the equipment. This should be standard.

Related posts:

TumblTrak tumbling “Air Floor”
competition AIR FLOOR for tumbling is here