Gymnastics Coaching.com

It’s great that Ilham Aliyev, current President of Azerbaijan, is also head of their National Olympic Committee. Seems he loves sport.

Aliyev is a tyrant, however.

The Economist scored Azerbaijan as an authoritarian regime, at 140th place (out of 167) in its 2011 Democracy Index. …

In the 2013-14 Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders, Azerbaijan ranked 160th out of an overall total of 180 nations …

They’ll be plenty of foreign journalist at the 2015 European Games in Baku. No doubt they’ll be doing some research, as well, as to what happened to the Azerbaijani journalists and activists jailed.

Rasul Jafarov, for example.

Rasul Jafarov, one of Azerbaijan’s best-known human rights activists and government critics, was sentenced on 16 April to six years and six months in prison on charges including tax evasion and abuse of power. He has also been barred from holding any office for three years following his release, reports contact.az.

The charges have been widely dismissed as trumped up and linked to Jafarov’s campaigning work in a country that has been continually criticised for its poor human rights record. …

Index on Censorship

Sport, as it’s done so many times in the past, should help move Azerbaijan forward in terms of human rights.

Japanese Championships

1. Kohei Uchimura 15.75 + 15.1 + 14.95 + 15.0 + 15.45 + 15.9 = 92.150AA
2. Yusuke Tanaka 15.3 + 13.75 + 14.8 + 14.8 + 15.8 + 15.650 = 90.100AA
3. Ryohei Kato 15.45 + 14.6 + 14.6 + 14.8 + 15.600 + 15.00 = 90.050 AA

Kohei can compete almost any Vault. This time he used a Li Xiaopeng. And it wasn’t great.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

(via gymnasts391)

See the photo on Tumblr.

http://assets.tumblr.com/post.js

😦

Balance Beam Situation sums it up better than anyone else I’ve read:

This is a big deal. Two of the most prominent coaches in NCAA gymnastics (and the #1 and #2 finishers at last weekend’s championship) called it quits this week.

Let’s start with Greg Marsden, because that was the not-so-surprising one. Marsden has been the head coach at Utah for 1150 years, won 10 national championships, singlehandedly invented women’s college gymnastics, and has been the sport’s most vocal and influential advocate for growth and improvement. (One of the silliest things about that “Sarah and Suzanne” doc last year was the implication that Sarah and Suzanne created women’s college gymnastics as a spectator sport. Everyone was like, “Um…Marsden?”) …

But as one last tribute to Greg Marsden, the rest of college gymnastics really needs to pull itself together and finally adopt some of the good ideas he has been talking about for the last several centuries and that have never come to anything, like overhauling the postseason format and giving us a four-on-the-floor championship. Regardless of any live TV considerations, having four teams is just a better, more logical, and more fan-friendly format. The Marsden Cup. Get it done. …

Regardless of who takes over or what happens to some of these future commits, Florida still has an incredibly talented and accomplished roster for 2016. They should be able to continue their prosperity under someone else (Bridget Sloan is still Bridget Sloan), but how much of the luster is gone now? Will there be some degree of hitting restart, reputation-wise?

Championships Ended, Then Everything Broke

She’s moving to Indianapolis.

Rhonda Faehn, who last week led Florida to its third straight NCAA gymnastics national championship, is stepping down after 13 years as the Gators’ coach to become senior vice president of USA Gymnastics.

“It was incredibly hard,” said Faehn, who told the team of her decision on Friday. “I absolutely love Florida and what the University of Florida stands for. At the same time, I really feel there is another plan for me. I’m still going to be doing what I love and hopefully making an impact on the lives of a lot of athletes who will be representing our country.” …

Al.com

… In August 2012, Brandon’s goals changed dramatically. He had a bad dismount at gymnastics training and fell on his head and back. He compressed his 6th and 7th vertebra which has left him paralyzed from the chest down.

He is working hard daily to regain some/all of his physical ability.

Walking with Brandon

Click PLAY or watch his story on YouTube. (17min)

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Alabama junior Lauren Beers was named the 2015 NCAA Elite 89 Award winner for the sport of gymnastics at the NCAA Championship Banquet which was held at The Stockyard in Ft. Worth, Texas Wednesday night. It is Beers’ second consecutive Elite 89 Award and the Tide’s sixth in a row. …

Roll Tide

Cassey Ho, creator of Blogilates, has posted a Youtube video that will force you to think about yourself, your thoughts, comments and actions. The video has over 2 million views since it was posted one week ago. The “Perfect” Body makes quite a statement in two minutes. Casey is fit and toned but finds herself second guessing her body after reading negative social media comments. …

Hard Body

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I’d been counting Keatings Pommels the best in the world. When he hits.

But 2013 World Champion Kohei Kameyama, age-26, is even better.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

(via gymnastikfabriken)

So energetic. So atypical for an elite gymnast. This would kill in College gymnastics. 🙂

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. 14.633 (D:6.3)

Silver medal at Europeans.

(via gymnasts391)