retro USA Olympic gear

Too little, too late are complaints about the American Olympic uniforms. The Team is already in London.

Marketing guru Michael Jacki is appalled.

Yet these outfits are so wacky, that I can’t help but like them. 🙂

CHN Olympic coaches clinic

Full Twist:

… approximately 60 coaches from Great Britain and Ireland attended a Chinese Coaching Masterclass in City of Lisburn Salto National Gymnastics Centre. The class, taught by coach to Sui Lu and Yao Jinnan, Xu Jinglei and coach to reigning Olympic Bars Champion He Kexin, Liu Guicheng, spent two hours educating the enthusiastic coaches. Coaches were encouraged to take photographs, videos and notes, questions were also welcomed. …

details – Coaching Masterclass with Chinese Olympic Coaches

Click PLAY or watch Sui Lu training Floor on YouTube.

hmm …

USA will win Olympics

#london2012

Albert and team at THE ALL AROUND have crunched the numbers. They project:

1) USA

Russia
Romania
China

USA is the clear favourite to take team gold in London. They are in the top position in the three scenarios studied. They have a very balanced team with high scorers in all apparatus and great consistency. Their disadvantage is that they haven’t competed that much outside US territory (Jesolo this year), so home judging might play a big factor here. However, even if their scores are a bit lower in London, they have a big enough cushion ahead the other teams to afford not hit routines and even falls.

Among the top teams is not a surprise that Russia is the less stable. They have a range of 18 points between a hit competition and a melt down. Russia is able to challenge USA for gold, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if they end up outside the podium. The injuries, inconsistency and lack of depth makes Russia a big question mark. Are they going to hit?

Ready to take the podium are Romania and China. Both teams underperformed during the early competitions of the quadrennium; but seem to be peaking at the right moment. Romania would end up in the podium in all our scenarios (2 in silver and 1 in bronze) while China only manages a bronze medal at the minimum score scenario. …

details on TAA

Brazil and France are the last two teams.

Andy Thornton projects (possible) Team Difficulty scores:

1) USA 76.7
1) CHINA 76.7
3) RUSSIA 76.1
4) ROM 74.4

Injuries may yet affect the final ranking.

If Teams risk untested Amanars in a 3-up, 3-count Team final, I’ll be surprised.

introducing Stalder

Great new tutorial by Lee Woolls:

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (7min)

For me the “late drop” (descending swing) drills shown starting at 5min are good technique. The same technique as for sole circle and free hip. And Peach on P Bars.

Many WAG coaches emphasize too much the hollow position on the drop. That technique is much more difficult. An advanced technique. Beginners should start LATE … and only MUCH later start hollowing the descending swing.

TumblingDrills.com videos

Peter Wraae Marino in Denmark has been steadily adding drills to his site. Mostly BASIC tumbling drills illustrated with software.

NOW Peter’s adding video, as well. Much richer, I feel.

Click PLAY or watch Backward Extension Roll to Wall (bent arms) on YouTube.

Subscribe to the Tumbling Drills YouTube channel.

Russia will win with beauty

Great article translated by RussianGymnasts.net:

17.07.2012

All the work at the gyms at Round Lake is focussed on the Olympics these days. No-one who is not directly involved in working with the national team that is going to London is here. Everyone but the main team and the alternates has gone home. The team is training under the laws of the Games, (men) starting workouts at 9 in the evening and finishing them at 11.

… The alternates are training alongside the main team. It’s hard to envy them. After 21 July, when the team flies to London, they will stay at Round Lake. And only on the day the team takes the podium at the Olympics will they go home — at that point no more replacements are allowed. …

… “A harsh requirement was made for anyone looking to make the team”, women’s head coach Aleksandr Aleksandrov said, “to do a high-difficulty vault. Maria Paseka did it and without any second thoughts she was put in the team. …

Captain Kseniya Afanasyeva:

“I’m worried about everything. I’m worried about our girls’ health and hoping everything is fine and no-one is going around crying or stressing to much, so that there is no depression. Because the Games are tough. When I came back from Beijing it was hard, I remember that. Because of coming home with nothing, after training for four years. I went through that and I don’t want the other girls to be left with thoughts like that. But we have a strong team. We’ll win with beauty!” …

We’ll win with beauty! – The Russian team training at Round Lake

explaining Olympic Gymnastics

sigh …

Here we go again. Every 4yrs we have to explain Women’s Artistic Gymnastic to a … football fan.

…
Q: Why do they have to dance?

A: Because gymnastics is the perfect combination of sport and art, where athletic skill is melded with artistic interpretation to create cohesive performance that is at the same time exciting, dramatic, competitive, difficult, and beautiful. It’s better than any stupid sport with helmets that you think you like.

Q: Then why is the dance so bad?

A: Preach!

Q: Are the Chinese all eleven?

A: No, they all appear to be the proper age and have been training for years and years. That’s why they’re not as great this time. They’re as haggard on the outside as you feel on this inside.

Q: Why does that one look like she’s going to kill me?

A: Her name is Catalina Ponor, and she has killed men twice your size. Don’t mess.

…

read more on Balance Beam Situation – Olympic Gymnastics for Beginners