Kyla Ross’ father is 6’5″

We shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss potential gymnasts with tall parents.

… Jason Ross is 6’5″, and a former athlete. He played college football and baseball in Hawaii, where he met his wife Kiana; that’s where they had Kyla.

“When she was born, we were like, ‘Oh my God, she has triceps, she has quads hanging off her. What the heck’s going on?,’ Ross said. “And she was just super strong. I mean, at an early age, she was able to walk across the monkey bars, just hanging herself.”

Baby Kyla’s musculature wasn’t the only striking thing about her. Her look reflects the multi-racialism of Hawaii. Her father is black and Japanese. Her mother is Filipina, white and Puerto Rican. …

SoCal gymnast Kyla Ross brings poise, nerves of steel to London Olympics

Hideo Mizoguchi speculates that many of the super athletes of the future will be multi-ethnic, unique combinations of genetic potential.

via @OtotheBeirne

By the way, for the first time women outnumber men on the U.S. Olympic Team.

Schlock Olympic Coverage

definition schlock:

Noun: Cheap or inferior goods or material; trash.

A guy named Josh Schlock on Bleacher Report drew ire from gymnastics fans. Brigid on Facebook called his article “disaster-mongering”:

Injuries have killed the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team in recent Games, especially the women in Athens and Beijing. Now the team has a few injuries that could stand in the way of a gold medal during the London Games as well.

Both the men’s and women’s gymnastics teams have injury concerns that could potentially derail them from their path to gold in London.

If the Americans are going to win a team gold in the Olympics this year, they cannot be stopped by these injuries. …

Bleacher Report – US Olympic Gymnastics Team: Top Injury Concerns Going into London 2012

Bleacher Report is one of the NEW kind of online news sites. The kind with many unpaid “reporters”. 🙂

Actually, Josh — no longer a High School intern — has a point though it’s poorly communicated.

There is a good chance that American Team member(s) will be replaced due to “injury” before competition begins in London. Price or Naddour, for example, might be put into the line-up, if they look good in training.

Couch Gymnast contributor Lauren, a couple of weeks ago, posted this hilarious Bleacher spoof post:

Michaela Maloney – No Shot at Vault Gold [My Bleacher Report Article]

Here’s another article — linked by Yahoo Sports — getting mocked right now:

Which Olympic sport is the hardest? Fourth-Place Medal ranks all 32

Chris Chase wins the 4th place medal for Schlock in Olympic journalism.

Every 4yrs we have to put up with instant experts in Artistic Gymnastics.

another Olympics GIF article

Here’s a follow-up to Get to Know Your U.S. Gymnastics Team Through GIFs.

A GIF Guide to the U.S. Gymnastics Team’s Biggest Rivals by ELSPETH REEVE on The Atlantic Wire.

It features Russia, China, Romania, Oksana Chusovitina and Beth Tweddle.

Thanks @a_picazo.

MADE IN CHINA – U.S. Olympic uniforms

Republicans and Democrats railed Thursday about the U.S. Olympic Committee’s decision to dress the U.S. team in Chinese manufactured berets, blazers and pants while the American textile industry struggles economically with many U.S. workers desperate for jobs. …

ESPN

Ralph Lauren manufactures in China. Like most everybody.

Gaofei Pommel Wheel

Recently I criticized these devices. Saying they quickly “break” … only useful as firewood.

But Jie Wang at Exalta Gymnastics Red Deer told me his from Gaofei works perfectly. Very durable.

One small problem — the tallest boys have trouble using it. On the other hand, the tallest boys no longer need this device.

Leave a comment if you’ve an opinion.

Peter Vidmar – Ironman

Did you know that the 1984 Olympic silver medalist completed an Ironman?

Blythe Lawrence:

… he serves as chairman of USA Gymnastics’ board of directors. He was appointed Chef de Mission for the 2012 U.S. Olympic team, but resigned when it became known he had participated in anti-gay marriage demonstrations. Vidmar, who is Mormon, said he never tried to hide his beliefs, and noted in the press that “no one has ever accused me of insensitivity.”

Vidmar recently completed his first Ironman Triathlon, accompanying his oldest son, Tim, who is named after his 1984 teammate, NBC commentator Tim Daggett. (Daggett reciprocated by naming his oldest son Peter.) “That was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Vidmar said of the Ironman. “It was brutal. But I finished and that was very satisfying, and I think I want to do another one.” …

ESPN – Where Are They Now: Peter Vidmar

more photos

His daughter Emily will compete for BYU starting this fall.

a Peng Peng fix

Injured out of the Olympics is the most exciting gymnast in the world, to me, Christine Peng Peng Lee.

Her most thrilling sequence is the full run into front half on Beam. On to the VERY END of the Beam. There’s a good one at 3min 15sec.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. Love the James Blunt.

In training she sometimes connects Back Tuck from the front half. Gainer Back Tuck!

… I’ve got a feeling that UCLA is going to be my favourite team for the next 4yrs. 🙂

related –

Tom Burgdorf on Facebook – A Standing Ovation For The Non Olympians

Bruno Grandi – “… spare a thought for those who will not be present at London 2012 … ”

Sacramone to the rescue?

Andy Thornton:

I feel like of all thirty male and female gymnasts who competed in these Trials, Alicia Sacramone was dealt the worst hand. She did absolutely everything she could have possibly done, showing Olympic-medal caliber vaulting and team finals-worthy beam work under the most pressure imaginable. She placed in the top two on the best team in the world on half of the women’s events and wasn’t even given one of three available alternate spots on this Olympic team. There’s just something that doesn’t feel right about that.

A Week Later…Did The U.S. Selection Committees Get It Right?

Perhaps she’ll be called in last minute. What a story that would be.

UPDATE: One commenter says that her name had to be on the “official list” given to IOC on Monday. It’s too late now for Alicia to replace one of the official alternates.

Alicia’s busy in any case, having just joined Jordyn as a “Brand Ambassador” for AAI. They’re both P&G Beauty Ambassadors already.

One of the most marketable American gymnasts, for sure.


Here’s the Beam routine (VIDEO) Marta doesn’t need in London.

related:

• Alicia Sacramone: US Olympic Gymnastics Team Needed Her Experience in London