On Monday, August 27th at 4pm (EST), Tumbl Trak will be visited by the Olympic Gold Medalist, member of the Fierce Five, Jordyn Wieber, during a LIVE Twitter session. Jordyn will be chatting for 30min. Email questions in advance to social (a) tumbltrak.com.
Despite better results that I would have predicted, there’s been some backlash in the Russian media after London. The profile of Olympic sport is high in Putinland leading up to the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi.
Queen Elizabeth tries to sort information from disinformation:
… The key focus of this coverage, rather than on gymnasts’ performance, is on national coaching provision: will contracts be renewed, and were all members of the national teams provided with equal coaching support. …
Russian Head Coach and his often controversial wife, Valentina.
… The vocal and very public nature of dissent and conflict within the Russian teams is uncharacteristic of Andrei Rodionenko’s management style and of the successes he has created in past years. Why now should the somewhat strident voice of Valentina become dominant? At 70 years old, an age when most people are considering retirement, Andrei faces another four years in a highly demanding and stressful job …
… Is there anyone ready to replace Andrei Rodionenko at the top of the sport? …
This may be the most important quote from the article:
… generally in Russia, coaches are coaches and do not have the entrepreneurial skills to develop and maintain the multiple streams of income necessary to run a financially healthy gymnastics business. …
Can nations with small elitist programs (Russia, China, Romania) compete with the USA long term?
If you’re putting a wager on the women’s Artistic medals for Rio, bet USA. The American team is deepest. The American system the most stable.
… Sport doesn’t care where you’re from, if you’re a man or a woman, tall, thin, big or short. Sport doesn’t care how you got here, how much money you make, what you believe in or not. It doesn’t care if you have two legs, one leg or wheels. Sport only cares that you’re here to take part and give your all to win.
… An impoverished South Korean gymnast has not only struck Olympic gold, but also reaped 500 million won (US$444,000) in the latest donation in a veritable rags to riches tale. …
The latest donation of 500 million won (US$444,000) comes from the chairman of LG Group, Koo Bon Moo, who announced Thursday that the gift was intended to help Yang put aside financial worries and focus on his training. …
… The 23-year-old, who won the all-around title in London earlier this month, said the teenager had chased after him on her bicycle.
“I was scared so I ran into the house and hid,” Uchimura told Japanese media. …
“I have to forget London and concentrate on what’s next,” he said, adding that he had taken to wearing sunglasses to disguise himself while riding his bicycle to training.
“I’m still pretty drained. I’d like the fans to just stick to (seeing me at) the venue.” …
The only Olympic gymnast (2008) from Yemen, Nashwan al-Harazi, now coaching at Seattle Gymnastics Academy, is heading back to his homeland for a visit.
Conditions are not good:
Gaar Adams, a freelance writer based in Abu Dhabi:
… “There is no money,” says Ali al-Harazi, Nashwan’s brother who serves as a coach for the Yemen Gymnastics Federation. Crumpled pictures of ousted Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh still sit in the corners of the gym, a reminder of the past year’s turmoil. The Yemeni government, which used to supply funding through the Ministry of Youth and Sports, has not been able to provide the kind of financial support needed to run the gym. Amid the tumult of 2011’s Arab Spring, the sport of gymnastics was, understandably enough, not deemed a top priority. …
Gymnastics Coaching.com 