Leave a comment if you can’t see the video (below) of Greg Roe’s crazy new skill – twisting both directions.
D-D Breaux is a fighter
Here’s a superb article on one of the most successful and outspoken College coaches all time.
AS SHE HEADS INTO HER 39TH season with LSU’s gymnastics program, most of Breaux’s battles are over.
There is, however, one more thing worth fighting for.
“I want to drop a banner in the PMAC that says ‘national champion,’” Breaux says.
Breaux acknowledged she might think about winning a national championship a little too much. She even suggested her team’s fixation on capturing the program’s first national title was the culprit behind its implosion at the NCAA Semifinals this past season.
Even if Breaux decides to rein in the talk of winning championships, her gymnasts know how badly she wants to take one home. …
via College Gymnastics Fans
improve form with Sticky Toes
I recall the first time (decades ago) when we glued Velcro on to a pair of socks. For Pommel training.
You can now buy something much better.
I’m testing a pair now. They are great for drills on TumblTrak. Back handspring series, for example.
Click PLAY or watch a promo on YouTube.
related – Home-made “Sticky Toes”
Simone Biles – stride splits
Simone is surprisingly flexible for a power gymnast.
Gymneo teaser – Clear Hip
Free Hip has been added to the collection of tutorials on Gymneo English.
Watch a teaser promo video on Facebook.
Yearly membership to the Gymneo videos is 30% off right now.
Nova Scotia girl Queen of Toronto
LIKE this photo on Facebook.
With 5 medals Ellie has become the Face of Team Canada at Pan Ams in the Canadian media.
Canadian Pan Am Trampoline team
An incredibly experienced line-up. Karen Cockburn made a comeback specifically for this competition. She wants her daughter to see her compete. 🙂
related – Rosie MacLennan – Science of Sport
Kyla Ross: Four Years Later
female gymnasts – height / weight
Uncle Tim has been on a roll lately. All Artistic coaches (MAG and WAG) should be following his blog.
He crunched some numbers from European Games Baku with some surprising results – Do Height and Weight Matter in Women’s Gymnastics?
• height wasn’t a statistically significant predictor for E scores in Baku
• weight wasn’t a statistically significant predictor for E scores
• neither height nor weight was a statistically significant predictor for D scores
* If the data supplied by the delegations is correct, we have a wide range of heights and weights. We have someone as tall as Gabriela Janik (169 cm) and someone as short as Laura Jurca (140 cm). As for weight, we’re looking at weights from 35kg to 72kg.
He concludes with an overreaching statement: “Smaller isn’t better. Lighter isn’t better.”
That’s wrong, of course. Relative strength IS critical for success in women’s Gymnastics. Correlation is not causation, as every PhD knows. 🙂
There are many variables aside from height and weight.
You must be either strong or light. Ideally both. Being smaller and lighter make the acrobatic components easier. It’s a disadvantage for vault. A slight disadvantage on Bars.

Still, the easiest way to become Olympic Champion is to be short, light and fast twitch.
- 1980 Yelena Davydova* 4ft 10in (148cm)
- 1984 Mary Lou Retton* 4ft 9in (145 cm)
- 1988 Yelena Shushunova 1.47m (4ft 10in)
- 1996 Lilia Podkopayeva 1.49m (4ft 11in)
- 2000 Andreea Raducan* 1.49m (4ft 11in)
- 2004 Carly Patterson 152cm (5ft 0in)
- 2012 Gabby Douglas 4ft 11in (1.50m)
It’s possible to win the Olympics at Nastia Liukin’s height 5ft 3in (1.60m), but ask her if Gymnastics is as easy for her as it is for the shorter girls.
But our good Uncle’s main point is important. I am convinced that height and weight (within the small range of female gymnasts who compete at the highest level) is not as critical as it once was. I’m not sure why.

Jackson Payne – Achilles
Canada’s top male AA gymnast tore his right Achilles tendon training Floor at a Pan Am team Camp in June.
“It felt like I stepped into a hole,” said Payne, who represents the Capital City Gymnastics Club.
“I’ve never experienced something like this, where I was totally ready to go. And I wanted to medal there (at the Pan Am Games) and help the sport get more publicity in Canada.” …
Payne resumes training for 2016 Olympics only 10 days after surgery
Both Jackson and team mate Hugh Smith missed two years of training while on missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Both came back to qualify to Canada’s A-team.






