Oklahoma 197.900

Still the team to beat in 2024.

Oklahoma 197.900
LSU 197.150
UCLA 197.100
Utah 196.975

Adam Siao – Figure Skating backflip

Good man. Adam Siao is pushing the sport to innovate.

He defended his European title despite deliberately taking a deduction for an illegal back flip.

Others have done it in the past — most famously Surya Bonaly from France who landed a backflip on one blade at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.

Sage Kellerman – Vault

I’m OK with 10.0 for this one.

George Eyser – amputee Olympic gymnast

George Eyser was a German-American gymnast who competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics, earning six medals in one day, including three gold and two silver medals.

Eyser competed with a wooden prosthesis for a left leg, having lost his real leg after being run over by a train. Despite his disability, he won gold in the vault, an event which then included a jump over a long horse without aid of a springboard. …

The Paralympic Games began 1948. Most physically challenged athletes now compete there.

Prior to 2008, Eyser was the only person with an artificial leg to have competed at the Olympic Games. In 2008, Natalie du Toit, a South African swimmer who lost her left leg in a traffic accident, participated in the 10 km marathon at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing and finished 16th …

Read more ➙ George Eyser: Medals, mystery and the Games’ first amputee

Thanks Jim Holt for remembering Eyser, one of the most amazing Olympic stories of all time.

Clemson – 196.350 – Georgia

Wow.

I’m really impressed with Clemson scoring 196.350 in their first meet of the season.

You know — same score as that other plucky upstart ➙ Georgia.

USA National Team Camp

January 2024.

No Gabby Douglas. But Trinity is there.

Olivia Karas talks Vault

This is one of the better fan ‘explainers‘ I can recall.

Good selection of VIDEO examples.

Magyar & Sivado on Pommels

As a judge, one of my least favourite combinations is Magyar, Sivado in combination with legs together.

It’s RARE to see a gymnast who does not “skew” — be misaligned with the horse. Some judges are very lenient on this deduction. 

Ideally, hand placement should be parallel every step. Gymnast check where there hands were placed after an approach by checking chalk marks.

Better strategy for the gymnast is to use these skills in Flair. It’s easier to keep square.

Sadly, almost every FIG routine includes Magyar and Sivado. 

I’m hoping a change to only 8 counting skills from 10 would motivate many to take out the Magyar and Sivado. 

Neutral Deductions has a deep dive on these skills. SUBSCRIBE to support Men’s Gymnastics.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.