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UPDATE – Aleksas contacted Gymblog with a bit of an explanation as to what happened. Details:

Gymblog recommends a mysterious gymnastics video editor variously known as Lex Trotter or Aleksas. His former video sites (now defunct) were Lexness and NubianPopTart.

Recently he posted videos on aleksas.com. That site’s down too, as I write.

Here’s a sample of his work. An excellent montage of wonderful Shantessa Pama.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I’d like to point to more of his work. But his YouTube page – Islandboyrabian – seems to be suspended too.

Fortunately, his videos are also posted on the WWGym YouTube page under the name Aleksas.

I’ve subscribed to WWGym and will post more Aleksas videos in future.

A former gymnastics coach, escape artist Houdenny (not Houdini) from Maryland, apparently once did a handstand on a skateboard towed by a car at 47 miles-per-hour.

I don’t want to see the video of that idiotic feat.

But these are cool:

Watch HOUDENNYS HANDSTAND ON A SKATEBOARD AT age-47 on YouTube.

Watch YouTube – HOUDENNYS ELBOW STAND ON A SKATEBOARD age-47 on YouTube.

Houdenny – MySpace home page

Not to be outdone, “Dave” (age-44) claims “The World Record” for the longest handstand on a skateboard. On HWY 35 (backside of Mt. Hood) in Oregon, going approx. 2 plus miles (in 2006).

Click PLAY or watch video of Dave shot in March 2007 on YouTube.

Leave a comment if you know of other handstand / skateboard feats. (We’ll need video evidence to post them.)

Leland Tilden from Toronto posted yet another big trick montage of Men and Women’s Artistic gymnastics. It’s called Pineapple.

Why I link to Leland’s rather than many others is that it also includes a funny audio montage. (Editing audio I find much more difficult than editing video.)

Click PLAY. http://www.metacafe.com/fplayer/259439/pineapple.swf
Pineapple – Funny videos are here

We’ve linked to Leland’s videos before.

Check all Metacafe videos produced by Leland Tilden by clicking on the PRODUCED tab of his Metacafe channel.

At the FIG Coach Academy Level 3 in Cologne, Germany — Valeri Liukin and his former coach Edouard Iarov taught a coach education course.

What a reunion! It’s been 20 years since Valeri did triple back on Floor.

… the highest level of coach education …

21 coaches took part at this course, representing from nine nations, from Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Great Britain, Germany, Iceland, Norway, Portugal and Sweden.

It was the first time ever that Valeri Liukin – one of the currently most successful coaches in the world – and Eduard Yarov , who was the coach of Valery to former Soviet times and helped him to do some of the most exciting skills in Gymnastics like the triple back somersault on floor, taught together.

(The world premiere of the triple back on floor was 20 years ago, at the XVII. European Championships in Moscow, 1987, May 23rd..)

Even if they hadn’t spoken about techniques during the last 15 years, as Valeri said, it was pretty clear for the participants that both of them have almost the same concepts of modern gymnastics techniques. …

read the entire report on GYMmedia.com

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Photo by Pedro Roque (POR)

“Testing Programs” for athletes are useful for coaches. But often controversial. Especially in the evaluation system.

In my region there is plenty of debate whether to opt into our local testing scheme.

One program that has survived and thrived is TOPs in the USA. (That’s surprisingly since it is so difficult to get American coaches to agree on anything.)

The official TOPs web page is cluttered but has some valuable content. I especially like the videos.

If you want to check it out, start with this page: TOP Manual (2004) videos

No wonder the Panda was chosen as the symbol of the WWF . (World Wildlife Fund, not World Wrestling Federation.)

I first saw them in China at one of the Panda sanctuaries. You can watch these inept acrobats for hours. They are captivating.

Here’s one video sample. But there must be better out there.

Tai Shan showing off his gymnastic skills on the parallel bars and the pomme horse at the Y at Washington, DC National Zoo 4 July 06.

Click PLAY or watch Tai Shan on YouTube.

There will be no shortage of Pandas on TV during the Olympic coverage next year.

My home club — Altadore Gymnastics in Calgary, Canada — is again looking for coaches.

There is a real shortage of coaches in Alberta.

The Altadore facility is excellent.

Be close to Rocky Mountain skiing and hiking in Calgary, Alberta. Calgary is an oil economy boomtown with a fast growing population.

This part time position is ideal for someone with a positive, kids come first attitude. We have had Olympians — but our mission is to instill a lifelong love for the sport of gymnastics and trampoline and tumbling in every athlete.

Pay commensurate with experience and certification.

Email your resumé. Please contact us by phone or email if you have any questions.

Contact: TC Edwards
Email: AGCexecutivedirector@shaw.ca
Phone: (403) 720-2711
Fax: (403) 720-3110

The Gymblog has yet another fantastic, original post on one of the most inventive gymnasts of all time — Liu Xuan from China.

… Xuan, who was considered too old by her coaches to be competitive at the 2000 Olympics, stunned everybody by striking gold on balance beam with the routine of a lifetime during event finals. Not to mention the bronze she got in the all-around when Andreea Raducan was stripped of her title. …

… I discovered that Liu was perhaps the first to perform a Jaeger with a half turn on uneven bars, which countrywoman Li Ya amazed everybody with at Cottbus in 2006 by performing it in combination with a second Jaeger. …

Liu also pioneered a one-arm giant, which she performed in combination with a second one-arm giant into a Geinger in 1995 and 1996.

see the original article – Another innovation from Liu Xuan « Gymblog

As usual, Gymblog posts videos of those big skills. (Li Ya doing Jaeger half to Jaeger is brilliant!) And note the new use of TAGS on the that site. It’s easier to find posts TAGGED with your favourite gymnast’s name.

Who else was a great innovator in the sport of Artistic Women’s Gymnastics? Leave a comment if you have an opinion.

Two on my list are Natalia Shaposhnikov and Natalia Yurchenko, both coached by legendary tyrant Vladislav Rastorotsky.

Michelle Berube is in the Gymnastics USA Hall of Fame. She competed both 1984 and 1988 Olympics.

Where is she now?

…Following her gymnastics career, Michelle moved to Los Angeles and began work in the entertainment field. Some of her accomplishments include the American Music Awards, Michael Jackson’s Dangerous World Tour, The 1995 Oscars and an appearance in Quinten Tarantino’s film From Dusk ‘till Dawn.

Currently Michelle resides with her husband Joseph Schneider in West Hills, California . Michelle and Joseph have 2 children …

USA Gymnastics

She has even choreographed a commercial with Shaquille O’Neal.

I was reminded of the charismatic athlete when I saw her photo on the GYMNASTS HAVE MORE FUN group on Facebook which has many more great pics.

I was impressed at US Championships. Darlene Hill would be a starter on the National Team for any country in the World — except the USA. She’ll have to stay healthy and be very consistent in training camps to be chosen for the Olympics.

Good luck!

When she explodes off the horse and flips into the air, heads turn.

Darlene Hill, an 18-year-old diminutive powerhouse, commands attention without really trying at the Will-Moor School of Gymnastics.

The soft-spoken gymnast plans to change her name to Darling to reflect her birth certificate. She typifies that name. “I don’t like a lot of attention,” she said.

Quiet, poised and incredibly fit, she was one of a dozen gymnasts who qualified for the U.S. Women’s National team in August. She’ll compete in June for a spot on the seven-member U.S. Olympic team. Tryouts will be held at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. The 2008 Olympics open in Beijing on Aug. 8.

The 5-foot-tall, 110-pound Hill is also a former Junior Olympic national champion. Her expertise on the parallel bars and floor exercises could help her land a spot on the Olympic team, said longtime coach Kim Bonus. …

Is she nervous about trying out for the Olympics?

“I don’t get nervous anymore,” Hill said. “I feel prepared, so there’s nothing to be nervous about.”

JOHN ZIOMEK/Courier-Post

read the entire article – Mt. Laurel gymnast eyes Olympic team

UPDATE: Darlene Hill: Olympic sleeper? – more on the Gymblog