Swimming and gymnastics are the biggest winners and modern pentathlon the biggest loser in the new revenue distribution framework finalised by members of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) here this week.
The International Swimming Federation (FINA) and the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) are each set to receive a 28 per cent increase over the next Olympic quadrennium in comparison with the post-London 2012 period. …
I know IOC is very happy with how FIG is working to develop the sport around the world. They partially funded our recent FIG Age Group Campin El Salvador, for example.
After all these years, Boris Verkhovsky is still energized. He’s Director of Acrobatic Performance and Coaching at Cirque. And Boris is very much a biomechanist coach. He loves to push the limits of the laws of physics. 🙂
Tokyo will hosts the 2020 Olympic Games. Watanabe is investigating the current status of gymnastics on the African continent, with the aim of offering support and assistance to upskill the high performance programme on the continent. …
Japanese gymnastics is particularly strong in Men’s Artistic and Trampoline disciplines. The partnership between SAGF and JGA will entail two Men’s Artistic Gymnasts, two Trampoline Gymnasts and two coaches being invited to train in Japan twice a year until 2020 at JGA’s expense.
JGA will also send Japanese Men’s Artistic and Trampoline coaches to South Africa two or three times a year until 2020 to help create a development plan to improve the standard of South African high performance gymnasts. …
Yesterday in São Paulo, the World Challenge Cup Brazil qualifying round was seen by many as Team Brazil’s first rehearsal for the Olympics, to be held next year in Rio de Janeiro.
For the Brazilians, it was a great opportunity to test its gymnast’s ability to concentrate with a loud crowd cheering them on and pressuring them for medals. For the others, it was a chance to interact with the Brazilian hyper-cheering public that filled the Ibirapuera Stadium. …
Two months from now, Greg Marsden will stop going to the office. That’s when the man who has coached the University of Utah gymnastics team since its inception says it will finally sink in that he is retired. “I made the decision a year ago,” says Marsden, who announced he was stepping down as head coach on April 20. “But reality hasn’t hit me yet.”
For the past 40 years, Marsden, 64, has held the same job, as coach of one of the most successful collegiate women’s sports programs in history. …
“When I look at the big picture, I’m really concerned about the future of college athletics as we know it,” Marsden says, citing a recent vote by the power five conferences, including the Pac-12 and SEC, to allow schools to offer full cost-of-attendance scholarships that cover food, transportation and miscellaneous expenses.
“That will add another million or more to most athletic budgets,” Marsden says.
“The next thing coming down the line will be long-term healthcare and the final blow will be when we start paying football and basketball players in some form.
It’s inevitable, and when it happens, there won’t be enough money to go around. Tough decisions will have to be made and I’m concerned about Olympic sports. It’s important for gymnastics to position itself right now. If our meets and championships aren’t live on TV with good ratings, we might not survive.” …
Gymnastics Coaching.com 