Gymnastics Coaching.com

I commented to choreographer / artistic preparation expert Julia Spivak that Floor has never been less “artistic” than in 2012.

… She didn’t disagree. 😦

Young gymnasts today assume that she with the highest start value, should win.

But dinosaurs like me recall the golden age of women’s gymnastics, the 1980s. In that era Floor choreography was as important as tumbling. The Soviet girls were trained in classical ballet — and could entrance with dance.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (poor video quality)

… Svetlana Baitova, Irina Baraksanova, Olga Bicherova, Svetlana Boguinskaya, Olga Chudina, Elena Davydova, Olesya Dudnik, Natalia Frolova, Tatiana Godenko, Tatiana Groshkova, Natalia Ilienko, Vera Kolesnikova, Natalia Laschenova, Olga Mostepanova, Elena Naimushina, Oksana Omelianchik, Alevtina Pryakhina, Elena Sazonenkova, Elena Shevchenko, Albina Shishova, Elena Shushunova, Olga Strazheva, Tatiana Tuzhukova, Natalia Yurchenko, and Stella Zakharova.

If Shushunova can dance, anyone COULD dance.

… But they’d have to train for it.

In advance of publication on his Gym Coach Journal, Valentin Uzunov posted an article explaining of his system of teaching this essential skill.

scribed – Developing the Straddle Press to Handstand

This accompanying video is a quick summary, illustrating his program with drills collected from the internet.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Canadian gymnast Sydney McEachern has verbally committed to Eastern Michigan University for 2013-2014. Congratulations.

Click PLAY or watch her Double Layout on Rod Floor.

She’s represented by Sara Gill, consultant for GymDynasty.com.

More videos on YouTube.

Another of Sara’s clients, a teammate of Sydney’s at Springers, Manitoba, is available for 2012-13. That’s Natalie Gervais, 5th all-around (52.625) at Nationals in Open.

She could start for most NCAA teams instantly.

Some crazy straps Bar stunts I’ve never seen before. They look self-taught.

Turnikmen – street athletes who perform strength exercises of varying complexity in an outdoor setting. …

Click PLAY or watch it on Vimeo.

Check out the foot swing on straps at 5min 30sec on another of their videos.

And there’s one more video in the series here.

Thanks Claudine.

(via kuriositas)

StickItMedia is pleased to present a two-part preview of the men’s Olympic Trials. Guest blogger Matthew Rusk, a gifted young writer from Houston, TX, analyzes this year’s field in great detail. Rusk just finished up his freshman year at Indiana University, and has plans to head for London next month to attend the Games. The field for next week’s Trials is arguably the deepest America has ever produced …

2012 Men’s Gymnastics Olympic Trials Preview – Part 1

2012 Men’s Gymnastics Olympic Trials Preview – Part 2

Worth watching.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

(via Gymnast #391)

London-based branding agency Bear has created a new identity for British Gymnastics that incorporates stunning swirling graphics, both still and motion, created by photographer Giles Revell in collaboration with 3D artist Ben Koppel…

The new identity will officially launch this weekend at the Echo Arena in Liverpool where the nation’s artistic gymnastics Olympic hopefuls will hope to impress selectors ahead of the Olympic team selection and announcement on July 4.

Creative Review

Buckeye Gymnastics on Facebook:

(at Camp) … the most exciting contest is the Front-Flip for Height. We start with a low stack of mats and the girls run and punch off a spring board and they do a front flip.

If they land and stay on their feet they advance to the next round. Each round the mat stack gets higher. This year Jenna won the contest for the seniors on a mat stack 8′ tall. Here she is sitting on the mat stack at her winning height.

original photo

… Rebecca Tunney stamped an impressive national title to her name … at Liverpool’s Echo Arena. Tunney took the title with 56.750 as a total score ahead of her Liverpool teammates Jennifer Pinches (56.350) and reigning champion Hannah Whelan (55.800).

Tunney, who was part of the European team that finished fourth in Brussels, went four for four …

Couch Gymnast

Commentary and videos from the top Olympic team contenders via that link.

Click PLAY or watch her Bars on YouTube.

related – Examiner – A few thoughts on the British women’s Olympic selection

UPDATE – Craig Tilley for Couch Gymnast – British Championships Event Finals

Louis Smith scored a 16.375 (7.1 D score / 9.28 E score) … at the British Championships Event finals. …

Smith beats Australia’s Prasanth Sellethurai’s highest score of competition so far this season which was 16.200 according to The All Around’s MAG Best Scores. …

Full Twist

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I’d say Louis will be named to the Team, their strongest MAG medal contender.

But we should feel badly for the next AA not selected.