Cliff Diving World Series

Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series … Boston this weekend

… a massive crowd saw UK diver Gary Hunt toughing it out with rankings leader Orlando Duque for top spot, while Blake Aldridge stunned everyone with a brand new dive.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, established in 2009 … an annual international series of cliff diving events …

Divers jump from a platform at a height ranging from 26–28 m. …

Five judges score each dive based on a scale of 0 to 10 in half-point increments. …

… highest and the lowest judges’ scores will be discarded …

post-Olympics food celebrations

After her competition I saw Trampolinist Karen Cockburn tweet:


Thank you to everyone for all the wonderful messages. I’ve been having a great time in London with my family and I got to eat Pizza for the first time in over a year!

Gabby enjoyed an Egg McMuffin.

John Orozco got this reward from a friend at the Cake Boss TV show.

That pic was linked by Arabian Punch Front who collected more food stories – The Olympics Are Over. Now What?

Actually, I’ve seen elite male gymnast who eat well. And some that eat mostly crap. Performance and weight seemingly not much affected.

Female adult acrobatic athletes eat “treats” rarely. And in small quantities.

Bellu – National Council of Sports

Looks like the Head Coach is departing. Romania hoping that his successful leadership with the Gymnastics Team will transfer to their other Sports.

Google translate:

Octavian Belu … was appointed president of the National Council for Sport …

Belu has already taken the first steps. … in October all Romanian coaches … meeting …

“It will be a discussion of principles, how to performance manage out what benefits have what conditions do they have and how they can solve problems in our country …

gsp.ro

(via Fangymnastics on Facebook)

Update: Some good news, it seems:

… Carmen Tocala, the President of ANST, said that this new position would not affect Bellu’s activity at the Olympic Gymnastics Center. …

Fangymnastics

Jtree Gym Balm

Legacy Elite and Cincinnati girls endorse Jtree Gym Balm.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

… an organic skin balm helps to heal gymnastics rips while conditioning the skin to prevent future ripping. …

jtreegymbalm.com

You can find cheaper emollients. Jtree is $16 for 50ml plus $5 shipping. Less if you buy enough for your team, of course.

In Saskatchewan we often used Udder Balm, in quantities available for cattle herds. 🙂

Leave a comment if you have a favourite moisturizer for gymnast’s hands and feet.

Gabrielle Douglas 99% wonderful

Time to put things in perspective.

Gabby Douglas was a super talent who rose to Elite status at Excalibur Gymnastics in Virginia Beach, one of the top clubs in the States with many National Team members.

Gabby left the club. A move to Chows in Iowa was difficult for her at times. And disappointing for her former coaches, friends & teammates left behind.

Sad. But these things happen. Many gymnasts end up moving clubs over the course of their careers for all kinds of reasons.

The most detailed & well written version of Gabby’s story I just read in the October issue of Vanity Fair:

America’s Golden Girl by Buzz Bissinger – Photographs by Jonas Fredwall Karlsson

The move worked. Chow’s patient coaching over fewer than 24 months took her to the very top.

The story reads that Gabby was inspired to train with Chow when she worked with him at a camp at Excalibur. Fact is the family checked a number of gyms in the USA, including WOGA, before deciding on Chows.

Still … hers is a wonderful success story. One of the best rivalries of the Olympics was Gabby v Viktoria Komova.

Happy ending for USA. 🙂

…

Unfortunately, in that Vanity Fair interview in London, her Mom, Natalie, “does not hold back” when asked about the reasons for leaving Virginia Beach. It’s one of the main themes.

Natalie recounts problems at the old gym. And episodes later told her by Gabby. All examples of reasons why her daughter wanted to move. Or quit.

Of many other interviews, Oprah was the biggest. Oprah didn’t become the highest paid entertainer in the world by airing boring interviews.

If you somehow missed the controversy, here’s a recap on Slate.

http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1

Mail Online UK – ‘They called me slave’: Gabby Douglas tells Oprah of bullying teammates’ cruel taunts that almost made her quit gymnastics

How did she get there from here?

That kind of press is not good for Gabrielle Douglas. And it’s devastating for Excalibur.

Somebody should have been advising the family not to be drawn into controversial statements.

Most online jumped to defend Gabby & her Mom. Many also blaming Excalibur. Lauren Hopkins on Couch Gymnast, for example.

A few, including Triple Twist, and myself, questioned some of the charges made against Excalibur.

The focus on racial discrimination inside a gymnastics club makes little sense to me. That gym has many African American gymnasts that, several of whom spoke in defense of the program.

There is less racism inside a gymnastics club than anywhere else in town.

Indeed, her Mom — after Oprah blew up — tried to clarify on the Wil Laveist radio show. It was more bullying than racism. An excellent interviewer.

Natalie Hawkins:

Now is not the time to tear down. Now is the time to build up.

That makes far more sense. Some kids certainly did envy her gymnastics, and might have said mean things.

What happens next?

… I hope it’s over. The worst of the damage done — folks in the general public thinking that racism is a major problem in Gymnastics. 😦 We’ve got problems, but endemic racism isn’t one of the worst.

We hope Gabby goes on to have a terrific Kellogg’s Tour. And a terrific career as an Olympic Champion. Gabby’s a wonderful athlete. And a great personality.

I hope she and her family can one day come to some sort of resolution with Excalibur.

That’s the 1% downside.