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… If everyone brings these upgrades to Beijing, I’ll be expecting Ferrari as new AA-Champ. And you know what, I’m very happy with that. …

1) 26.5 – Vanessa Ferrari
2) 26.1 – Shawn Johnson
2) 26.1 – Jade Barbosa
4) 25.9 – Steliana Nistor
5) 25.6 – Daria Joura
6) 25.5 – Shayla Worley
6) 25.5 – Nastia Liukin
8) 25.4 – Jiang Yuyuan
9) 25.0 – Beth Tweddle
10) 24.6 – Ekaterina Kramerenko
11) 24.5 – Yulia Lozhecko

So projects the Gymnicestics? Seriously? blog based on (rumoured) maximum A-score.

Start score is the most important of many variables. It’s a gamble to bring high start scores on every apparatus. Some of the wonderful young ladies on this list will “miss”.

Who will “hit”?

larger original – vanessa ferrari – flickr – sinachan

Gymnicestics? Seriously?

Just now I’m psyching up to go out late to the competition organizer’s get together after the “Big Show” at the Great West Gym Fest.

One of the girls I coach at summer camp was injured in Vault warm-ups during Finals. I’m bummed.

She was completely healthy and had a great competition 2wks ago. Now this set-back.

Crap.

Intellectually I know that the risk of injury is worth it in Artistic Gymnastics in exchange for the many, many benefits of the sport. This gymnast will be far healthier when she’s my age than her non-gymnast friends.

But emotionally, all I can say is that injuries really, really, really suck.

… I wonder if we should compete vault on to softer mats? Or simply into a foam or resi-pit?

An excellent interview with gymnast Becky Downie from the U.K.

Regarding her coaching:

BD: Claire works every event with me and has done so for years. She does all the planning of routines, training schedules and program, conditioning, choreography, etc. She also used to do most of the spotting when I needed it when I was younger.

Ian Kime has also been involved in coaching me for several years, but he is only in the gym part-time. As I’ve gotten older, he does more spotting for me because I’m the same size as Claire now, but I prefer to do most of my skills alone. I work with Ian if Claire’s away, but she leaves me a strict program and I still phone her to check if I need to alter anything on that program, even if she’s in another country.

Obviously I work with the national coaches more now, as well. We go to national training once a month, and more when we are close to a major event. My last floor routine was made up by the national choreographer. We have a few other coaches in the gym at Notts (Downie’s club) who all work as a team, so lots of coaches have a small input. I know Claire discusses a lot of things with Adi (British team technical director Adrian Stan) and the national coaches, and sometimes they disagree on things, but in the end it’s all about what’s best for me.

International Gymnast

Becky Downie – official website

more wallpaper photos

Funtastics Gymnastics Head Coach Dave Adlard personally leads every opening ceremony for close to 1500 competitors at the annual Great West Gym Fest competition in Idaho.

No gym meet anywhere does so many things right. The highlight for many of the kids is March-in which includes a professional sound and light show. It literally smokes.

Special guest USA National Gymnastics Champion 2007 David Durante is featured.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Many study the GWGF for ideas for hosting their own competitions. In fact, Dave Adlard presented on this topic — Things we have learned building and hosting a Mega-Meet — at USA Congress 2007.

(The game included was Adlard stalling for time, waiting on Durante to arrive from where he was handing out awards.)

In the Museum District, Houston, Texas.

original – flickr

I’m suppose to be getting ready to knock down the men’s equipment at the end of a long day of competition. (Don’t tell coach Donny that I snuck out to post a few photos to the blog.)

Highlight of the competition was having American National Champion David Durante in the gym, chatting with the guys, coaches and judges. And handing out awards.

If you are looking for a great gymnast with people skills, Durante is your man.

Great West Gym Fest

An impressive performance, especially if the girls are indeed deaf. All the cues must be visual.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I wonder what inspired this dance. A goddess with many arms is most representative of the Hindu tradition.

Haley Cameron is 6′ 2″ tall (1.88m) and competes all-around. She was fourth in her age group at the California Level 7 State Championships last year.

video – Gymnastics to Volleyball: Haley Cameron – Student Sport

I’ve coached girls 5′ 10″ tall (1.77m). Tall girls are so impressive on beam, in particular.

And I’ve heard of male gymnasts taller.

Is Haley the tallest female gymnast in the world? Have you heard of taller?

If so, leave a comment.

Sure, some are saying that China will win more medals than the USA at the Beijing Olympics.

But America still dominates the Major League Eating competitions.

Kevin Carr – Ramen Noodle Ninja Showdown! – Epicurious

Major League Eating (MLE) is the sports franchise that oversees all professional competitive eating events and competitive eating television specials. The mission of Major League Eating is to maintain a safe environment for all events, while also seeking to create a dynamic and enjoyable fan experience.

The fast-growing brand combines the appeal of traditional sports with the most extreme of all extreme sports. Renowed eaters Takeru Kobayashi, Joey Chestnut, Sonya Thomas and Patrick Bertoletti are all Major League Eaters. Their records are legend: 53 3/4 Nathan’s Famous hot dogs and buns in 12 minutes; 97 Krystal hamburgers in eight minutes; 65 hard boiled eggs in six minutes and 47 seconds; eight-plus pounds of rib meat in 12 minutes.

The Major League Eating franchise leverages interest in the sport on behalf of sponsors to secure media interest. Each year Major League Eating’s live and televised events are watched by millions of fans and generate more than 800 million media impressions for sponsors. Major League Eating coordinates events in the United States, Japan, England, Germany, Canada, Ireland, Thailand and the Ukraine, helping to promote the sport in local, national and international media.

Major League Eating – official website

I’m back at the best gymnastics competition anywhere, the Great West Gym Fest hosted by Funtastics Gymnastics in beautiful Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho. (And I’m not just saying that because of the gorgeous lake view from the Penthouse hot tub at the Resort venue.)

From the looks of my photos from yesterday, seems coach Rachael Tart did most of the competition gym set-up.

Each year Meet Director Dave Adlard has new treats for participants. He has wonderful new carved Eagle team trophies to go along with their traditional Moose and Bears. (How am I going to get that “tree” on the plane, Dave?)

We talked to one of the first competitors to arrive last night. She has competed in all 7 annual meets organized by Adlard, her Mom saying it was their favourite competition of the year.