Son Yeon-jae – Korean darling

Son Yeon-jae, the first Korean rhythmic gymnast to advance to the Olympic finals at the London Summer Games, is being courted by universities …

Son took fifth place in the individual all-round final at the London Olympics and aims for a medal in the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Universities Smitten with Olympic Gymnast

Unsurprisingly, she trains in Russia.

Son Yeon-jae was named one of 11 beautiful athletes in London.

Zou Kai to wed

Yet another great Olympic gymnast — the most medaled in Chinese history, in fact — is slated to wed.

Confirmed

Unable to fend off the ever nosy and relentless press during a recent interview, Zou Kai finally admits his plan to propose to his girl friend Zhou Jie, a former rhythmic gymnast, before the end of the year.

via Blossom

Zou Kai is one of the celebrities reported to have been a victim of a massive real estate scam. That was back in June. I’ve not seen any update of the trial. Leave a comment if you’ve heard anything.

Laura-Ann Chong at Cirque

Her blog:

… I’ve already completed 2 of the 7 weeks I have to train here in Montreal for the uneven bars act in Amaluna!

Time is flying by and I have a feeling it’s only going to go by faster. Last week came and went.

On Tuesday, my training partner and I got to go to the gymnastics club, Club Gymnix, to train with some softer mats and a pit and to work with Pierre Prive, who is one of the head coaches at Gymnix …

source

Marcia Newby-Goodman on Gabrielle

Somehow Marcia’s become a bit of a spokesperson for those defending Excalibur Gymnastics following Gabby’s controversial Oprah’s Next Chapter interview. Not easy considering Gabby’s a superstar hero to millions of fans.

read Marcia’s entire statement on the Excalibur Facebook page.

Courageous.

related – Newby-Goodman Named Recipient Of NCAA Top VIII Award:

… a member of three NCAA Championship teams as a Gym Dog and compiled a four-year record of 107-13-2. A three-time Academic All-American, Newby-Goodman was a 2010 recipient of the Brad Davis SEC Community Service Postgraduate Scholarship. …

My opinion:

• disappointed with Gabrielle Douglas
• Excalibur Gymnastics responds

Maroney beats Uchimura

The original version.

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via @GrilledCheesus7

Pak Gyong-Sil, Kim Gwang Suk

Korbut Flip linked to this routine, Pak Gyong Sil on Bars at the 1991 Worlds.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The Pak on Bars is named for her.

Pak’s 4’4″ tall teammate was Kim Gwang Suk, who claimed to be age-17 at the Barcelona Olympics. Bela was not impressed.

Kim Gwang Suk … is known for both her exemplary uneven bars work and for her involvement in one of the most prominent age falsification scandals in gymnastics …

Kim … performed her own original release move, a Tkatchev-front flip … The skill came to be known in the Code of Points as the Counter-Kim

Kim Gwang Suk was World Bars Champion 1991 …

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

As a result of the falsification, the North Korean women’s gymnastics team was banned from the 1993 World Championships. …

Kim, however, was permitted to keep the medals she had won in international events, including her 1991 World Championships gold. …

North Korea’s most recent age falsification suspension — this time for Hong Su Jong — is expiring. I wonder if those totalitarian bureaucrats will be more careful, in future?

Beth Tweedle – wingwalker

Olympic bronze medallist Beth Tweddle has swapped her high-flying bars routine for aerobatics wingwalking as she starts to enjoy the new-found freedom at the end of her gymnastics career.

The 27-year-old won her first Olympic medal at her third and final Games earlier this month in what could be her last major competition before her retirement. …

Read more: How do you beat an Olympic high? Go even higher! Gymnast Tweddle tries wingwalking

That article uses the conventional spelling – “Tweddle”.

But the new FIG Code of Points DRAFT has this spelling on this skill named for her:

Tweedle Elizabeth – Sole circle bwd with counter straddle hecht with 180 LA turn to hang in mixed L-grip

I’ll defer to the experts of the FIG WTC on best up-to-date spelling. 🙂

BELMONT school – cartwheel friendly

One sensible Australian principal.

BELMONT Primary School has declared itself a cartwheeling and handstanding school.

Banning either of these typically joyful childhood activities because of a concern about safety is just “overkill”, according to principal Mark Arkinstall.

If fact, Mr Arkinstall is adamant it is his school’s role to develop students’ physical capabilities as much as it is to work on their academic skills which is why climbing is also allowed.

Mr Arkinstall spoke out yesterday in response to news of a NSW primary school banning its students from doing handstands and cartwheels unless under the supervision of a trained gymnastics teacher.

“It seems to be a bit silly, you’d never get out of bed in the morning if you took that attitude,” Mr Arkinstall said. …

click for larger photo by REG RYAN

Schools encourage handstands, cartwheels

via @GymnasticsView

Kanaeva to marry Musatov

Two-time Olympic champion in rhythmic gymnastics, Evgenia Kanaeva, has announced she is going to marry hockey player, Igor Musatov.

According to Allhockey.ru, Musatov proposed to his girlfriend after her triumphant return from the London Games. …

The date for the wedding hasn’t been set, but the ceremony is to take place this September. …

RT.com – Wedding bells for gymnastics diva Kanaeva (PHOTOS)

Unlike that Ponor engagement I foolishly linked to, this looks like the real deal. 🙂