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A report on IG includes some information on the secretive Men’s Olympic preparation. As well as the Chinese Women’s Team.

Newcomer He Kexin scored 17.000 on uneven bars this past week at a two-day internal test for the Chinese team in Beijing, site of the 2008 Olympic Games.

With a 7.700 A-Panel (difficulty) score, He earned 17.000 for her routine, which includes a Jaeger to mixed grip to straddled front flip and a layout Jaeger. It is likely the first time a female gymnast has hit that mark, though Chinese men’s team members Chen Yibing and Yang Wei have both scored 17.000 on still rings. …

read more – International Gymnast

We can’t compare in-gym scores with those of an international judging panel. Still, few doubt that He Kexin is capable of 17.0.

Some do doubt she is actually old enough to compete at the Olympics.

They are Olympics crazy in China. Anything goes, I’m afraid.

Boomtown Beijing

First rotation has begun.

The girls look surprisingly “loose”. By that I mean, “relaxed”. Not loose.

Georgia entered like rock stars. Defending Champion Courtney Kupets, not competing, is rotating with the team, despite her Achilles injury. Loud music. Louder audience. Smoke and light show. Even indoor fireworks!

The competition is on podium, adding another level of importance. (The podium has caused some grief for the girls on beam. It shakes more than normal.)

Full house, needless to say. The Georgia chants are near deafening. I love it!

Live scoring is quite good.

Longtime University of Illinois men’s gymnastics head coach Yoshi Hayasaki announced today that he is retiring following the 2008-09 season. Next year will be his 33rd and final season leading the Illini men’s gymnastics program. …

During his career, Hayasaki has produced 86 All-Americans, 44 Big Ten Champions and 10 National Champions, including Paul Ruggeri, who won the 2008 High Bar national title. His crowning moment came in 1989 when he led the Illini to the NCAA Team Championship. …

“I’m content with my decision to finish off my coaching career at the end of the 2009 season,” Hayasaki said. “The Illinois program is in great shape now and its success will continue. It is always difficult to say good bye, and it may get harder as I continue coaching next year. We have had a lot of success at Illinois and I have enjoyed each and every season with different encounters, challenges and successes. I enjoyed the journey that I took, but it is time for me to do something different while still young and healthy. I’m going to enjoy one more season with this terrific group of guys I now have, plus the outstanding freshmen who we are adding to the program. Obviously, my goal is to win the Big Ten and national title next season, just as it has been for the last 35 years.”

Fighting Illini

Yoshi was as energetic and enthusiastic as a 21-year-old coach at NCAA Championships last weekend. And anyone there can tell you, his team did a fantastic job.

We’re seeing the retirement of many of the original Japanese gymnasts and coaches who came to North America.

In my city, Calgary, I can tell you we knew NOTHING about gymnastics until the arrival of Shiro Tanaka, former Japanese High School Champion, in the 1970s. The Japanese ruled Men’s Gymnastics at that time. The legacy of those coaches is still with us today. It a little sad to see them retiring.

Good luck to Yoshi Hayasaki in all his future projects. After he wins NCAA Championships 2009, that is.

AT&T Autograph Session – Saturday, April 26

Get autographs from your favorite gymnasts. From 4 – 5:30 p.m. several gymnasts from each of the competing teams will be available to sign autographs. This event will be held on the Coliseum plaza area located near ticket booth #5.

Randy Bernard of GymMeet.com and I will be there.

If you are too, look for me wearing a black Cirque du Soleil shirt. Come say HELLO.

Results, so far, on an About.com Gymnastics poll:

About.com Gymnastics

Tasha Schwikert, UCLA 39.6
Ashley Postell, Utah 39.55
Melanie Sinclair, Florida 39.525
Katie Heenan, UGA 39.525
Tiffany Tolnay, UGA 39.525
Kristina Baskett, Utah 39.525
Susan Jackson, LSU 39.5
Ashley Reed, FL 39.425
Amanda Castillo, FL 39.425

Tabitha Yim, Stanford 39.5
Nicole Ourada, Stanford 39.425
Kiara Sturms, OK 39.4
Corey Hartung, FL 39.4
Morgan Dennis, Alabama 39.4
Daria Bijak, Utah 39.375
Emily Parsons Nebraska, 39.35

Almost ignored in the excitement of the preliminary Team competition is the All-Around.

The NCAA has included “specialists” for decades. Indeed, the FIG is only starting to move towards the NCAA in this regard.

In future it will be increasingly unusual to compete the AA, I think. At high level meets like World’s, Olympic’s and NCAA Championships, the All-Arounder may one day be as rare as the decathlete in Athletics.

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The Men’s NCAA system for the All-Around is better, I think. Under Men’s rules, top AA gymnasts would be invited to compete again on day 2 to determine the champion.

Recall that Sho Nakamori led the AA on day one in 2008. But that Casey Sandy edged him for the Championships on day 2. Having 2-days to decide the AA Champion made that contest more exciting.

Click PLAY or watch Daria Bijak’s handspring front layout vault (earlier this season) on YouTube:

Only six remain in the chase for a national title. Georgia, Utah, Stanford, Florida, Alabama, and LSU survived tough competition Thursday, and will face off Friday night in Stegeman Coliseum.

From an Alabama fan:

(Georgia) were the best team Thursday, are the best team this year, and likely will win and deserve their 4th consecutive championship.

But this is what makes it so ridiculous that they ALSO getting a boost from favorable judging. …

College Gymnastics Board

Will Georgia be overscored tonight? Because they are 3 time defending Champions? Because they are home with a raucous crowd?

Perhaps. Slightly.

Due to the strange judging system used in the NCAA — everyone at Championships gets 9.85 if they “stick” and have no other blatant error — Georgia could easily lose. If they count one fall on one apparatus, it’s over.

This is a judging system that gives Alabama an excellent chance to win. It’s the reason NCAA competitions are so thrilling.

Team Finals Draw

Terrible news.

Aleksas J. ‘Lex’ Trotter, 21, formerly of Racine, passed away unexpectedly Saturday, April 19, 2008, at his residence in Madison.

obituary – The Journal Times

Aleksas had impeccable taste. I was a big fan of his work.

Blythe posted a thoughtful tribute:

Lex made montages and webpages and photographed some of the best American gymnasts of his generation. The gymnasts he loved most were the ones who brought something extra to the competition floor in terms of personality, spirit and choreography — Yvonne Tousek, Tabitha Yim, Terin Humphrey, Allyse Ishino, Shantessa Pama and Chellsie Memmel.

He also had a supreme sensitivity to the not-so-wonderful stories that gymnastics produced. …

Aleksas Trotter, 1986-2008 – Gymblog

No word on the cause of death.

The Lightbulb Hands blog is reporting on an in-gym competition in China.

Thanks to Wenshuli for the information.

A couple of highlights:

Jiang Yuyuan – Amanar vault

Cheng Fei won Floor and Vault

He Kexin broke 17 on UB

Read the details and follow the links for photos – China Internal Test Event

Georgia: 197.625
Utah: 196.950
Stanford: 196.900

UCLA: 196.725
Michigan: 196.075
Denver: 194.200

Host Georgia, Utah and Stanford qualify to the Super 6 Friday night. Congratulations.

Right from the start you had the feeling that Utah and Georgia were not to be denied. That it might end up being a fight between rivals Stanford and UCLA for the third and final spot into the Super 6.

Stanford looked relaxed. Had the best team spirit in the gym. And the Cardinal went with smart, clean routines that judges find difficult to deduct.

UCLA in the first rotation rocked bars for a season high score. But in the second rotation on beam Jordan Schwikert had a fall after a delayed judging discussion resulted in a low score for Niki Tom.

Photo Galleries:

Vault | Bars | Beam | Floor

At the press conference following the competition Georgia coach Suzanne Yoculan reminded all that her team had had a “peak performance” in qualifying. There is not much more that her lineup can do to improve. They had only 3 small mistakes in prelims.

No one should assume that Georgia has this competition won. Remember what happened to Stanford at the Men’s NCAA Championships last weekend.

I think it will come down to who sticks the most landings between Florida, Utah and Georgia, assuming they each have a “peak performance” meet.

And would be quite happy to have Alabama or one of the other teams prove me wrong.