Ariella Käslin – new book

Ariella Käslin (anglicised Kaeslin, born 11 October 1987) is a former Swiss artistic gymnast. Käslin swept all five gold medals at the 2007 Swiss National Championships. She has also represented Switzerland at the World Championships in 2007, 2006 and 2005 and was a medalist on the World Cup circuit. Käslin represented Switzerland at the 2008 Olympics, where she placed 18th in the individual all-around final and 5th in the vault event final. …

In 2008, 2009 and 2010, Käslin was voted by the Swiss public as “Swiss Sportswoman of the Year” …

book coverI was in Switzerland on July 11, 2011 when Käslin announced her retirement from competition. It was a shocker for the local Press.

She’s published her story in German.

via GymFever2012

old guys conditioning at OTC

🙂

 

Steve Legendre will be competing Pan Ams replacing the injured John Orozco.

Central Michigan Gymnastics Camp

I dropped in for the first 2 days of the CMU Camp on invitation from Head Coach Jerry Reighard. He and CMU Associate Head Coach Christine MacDonald were very welcoming. They have 49 years experience combined running this team. 🙂

CMU has a superb campus facility with 7 beam stations, 6 bar stations, 3 vault stations and a floor exercise practice area with four pit areas. The facility also includes a pits and a competition setup for each apparatus and in-ground trampolines one with a Russian “tramp catcher” as well as a 60ft Tumbl Trak.

CMU Camp

Over 115 girls registered this year. It looks like Camp may expand to two weeks in 2016.

Though they had girls of all levels, the Level 9-10 gymnasts impressed me most. It’s an excellent idea for girls looking for a future scholarship to register for College Camps like this. Coaches know you are serious when you arrive in person to show what you can do.

gymnastics.cmusportscamps.com

Steingruber – Euro Games Floor

Giulia won Floor over Aliya Mustafina.

Gymnast #391 (A gymnastics fan. Not Ksenia Afanasyeva, just a fan.) preferred Steingruber’s routine, despite the out of bounds deduction.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Here’s Aliya’s routine (VIDEO) if you’d like to compare for yourself.

interview with Seda Tutkhalyan

Rewriting Russian Gymnastics posted a cute translation. 🙂

… my goal is to become an Olympic champion! And overtake my Dad’s achievements in sport. … There is still a lot to do, but if I succeed at the Olympics, then I will immediately overtake him. …

Seda Tutkhalyan : My goal is to become an Olympic Champion!

Click PLAY or watch her Euro Games Apparatus Finals vaults on YouTube.

Jordan Chiles – front layout triple twist

This is Kenzo serious twisting. Respect.

Click PLAY or watch it on instagram.

https://instagram.com/p/4QD4W4nfVo/
 

Jordan trains at Naydenov Gymnastics.

via Nico on GymFever2012

Tops, Developmental and Elite Gymnastics

Most girls in the USAG follow the Junior Olympic competitive program. The few who want to try to qualify for the Junior or Senior Team one day should follow the Elite path.

It’s difficult (but not impossible) to jump from J.O. to Elite.

But what is the Elite path?

Tammy Biggs and National Team Staff want to help coaches understand what it takes to be Elite in the USA. One series of Camps is called “Make It Right”.

Click PLAY or watch a promo on YouTube.

Coming up …

July 31 – Aug 2 Boston (sold out)
Oct 9-11 – Las Vegas
Dec 18-20 – Las Vegas

Click through to the home page for details – makeitrightgymnastics.com

Coaches who bring a gymnast come for free. Coaches who do not bring a gymnast are charged $350.

Foreign coaches are welcome, I believe.

LIKE Make It Right Gymnastics Education on Facebook

Follow Tammy Biggs’ YouTube channel.

If you have a hotshot age-13 or younger, you could send a video to TDBiggs (a) AOL.com for an assessment:

– 5 casts to handstand
– 10 x press to handstand
– Elite compulsory routines (with spot if necessary)
– 3 best optional skills on Bars
– best skills on Beam
– best skills on Floor
– 1 optional Vault (preferably Yurchenko)

Best are D-parts or higher even if assistance is needed. (spotting, pits, trampoline, etc.)

sponsor a Muslim gymnast

Breaking. Alan Owen is trying to launch a charity where people can sponsor gymnasts in developing nations for about $35 a month.

Nations include Peru, Nicaragua, Chile and Honduras.

I’m hoping it will include Islamic nations, as well.

Opportunities for girls to do gymnastics in Muslim nations are limited. Surprisingly, there are at least two sports centers in Kabul, Afghanistan offering the sport and activity for girls.

Click PLAY or watch it on Vimeo.

https://vimeo.com/37575570

That program is sponsored by the Alzahra Cultural and Sport Association. They could use help.

related – Malaysian gymnast Farah Ann Abdul Had was a star at the SEA Games. Predictably some Muslims criticized her for wearing a leotard.

Personally, I feel female gymnasts should be allowed to wear bike shorts over their leotards, if they prefer. Does FIG already allow leotards with built-in shorts?