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Right now I’d say the top 3 contenders for the U.S. Olympic team are Gabi Douglas (Bars) and Jordyn Wieber. … Oh, and the next best Bar routine, regardless of AA. (Nastia?)
But Andy Thornton warns that our best guesses this far out often go awry, especially due to injury – Expect the Unexpected: A Look at Past U.S. Olympic Women’s Surprises
related – Examiner – The case for Gabby Douglas (Oct. 2011)
Dominique Moceanu on Facebook posted covers of her soon-to-be-released gymnastics books for kids.
See more covers.
First two books release on April 17, 2012. Books #3 and #4 release on June 19th!
More BIG scores tonight.
NCAA Team rankings will be changing come Monday.
Oklahoma (13-2, 2-0 Big 12) posted its third straight score of 197-plus, and fourth overall, all of which have come away from Norman. OU is the only school in the NCAA to break the 197-mark four times this year, and one of just two schools to break the mark on the road. …
OU head coach K.J. Kindler said they had a slow start tonight!
Auburn had their second-highest score in program history (196.875) in a loss to Florida (197.500):
… There were some changes in the lineup Friday as the Gator coaching staff wanted to give some gymnasts a break and also wanted to see how other routines would score. Florida Head Coach Rhonda Faehn liked what she saw …
UCLA 196.775 TIED at Oregon State 196.775
With all those hit routines, I’m posting a COMEDY tribute from last season for Avery Gee from Cal*.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
* University of California, Berkeley, is popularly known as “Cal.” Thanks Jody.
Got the news on Facebook from Grace Chiu.
Kristina Vaculik dominates senior women’s AA at Elite Canada.
1. Kristina Vaculik 56.350
2. Brittany Rogers 55.150
3. Victoria Moors 55.050
… full results (PDF)
Savona did not compete but ‘verified’ on 3 apparatus. Peng Peng Lee opted not to compete, training instead for London.
Robert Watson surprise senior men’s AA winner at Elite Canada
1. Robert Watson 84.100
2. Anderson Loran 83.850
3. Hugh Smith 83.150
… full results (PDF)
Teams from London Test Meet were not required to attend. But Nathan Gafuik did 2 apparatus, first on P Bars 14.700. Jackson Payne did 3 events, first on Pommels 14.950. The best kept secret in Canadian gymnastics, Scott Morgan, was first on Rings 15.250 and second on FX 14.700 in prelims.
… Is this the ‘start’ of a rebuilding phase for Canadian Men’s Gymnastics?
Should Canada send a proven veteran to London? Or a young guy with potential to improve for 2016?
Stu Cram is mirroring official results on Gym Score Depot.
It’s very difficult to believe coach Doug Boger’s claims of innocence after watching both him and his accusers on TV.
Only On CBS2: Women Coming Forward To Accuse Gym Coach Of Sex Abuse, Torture
It’s one thing to talk. Another to start a Facebook page. But when this many women agree to appear on screen, I’m compelled to believe them.
It may be too late to prosecute Doug Boger. …
But I still don’t understand how coaches and athletes from non-affiliated clubs can participate in sanctioned USAG meets?
Boger is on the “permanently ineligible list”. But could still coach at a U.S. Trials?
How is that possible?
It wouldn’t be allowed in Canada.
It’s got something to do with the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act. … Or does it?
Buckeye Classic coming this weekend! Over 2,300 gymnasts from across the country travel to frozen central Ohio for one of the top meets in the country. Friday through Sunday in the Celeste Center on the Ohio State Fairgrounds. …
Rewriting Russian Gymnastics summarizes:
The national team had an outing yesterday to Moscow’s famous Dynamo Club. This was more of a training competition than anything, but it is nice to see the girls and be able to chew over how they are doing.
Lauren has done a good report on the competition at the Couch Gymnast and there are links to videos on Triplefull’s Youtube Channel.
read more – Moscow regional championships – WAG national team compete
That post also has (seemingly unimportant) scores and some pics from the Russian Gymnastics Federation photographs from the meet.
Full Twist linked available videos so it’s easy to find your favourite gymnasts.
Russia wants to arrive in London with the highest Difficulty scores of any team. They very well might do that.
But when will they start focusing on consistency?
See low resolution previews of some of the official photos at Elite Canada by following Grace Chiu GraceClick on Facebook.
Gymnastics Canada preview – Elite Canada gymnastics meet highlights 2012 Olympic contenders:
… Peng Peng Lee of Toronto, the other member of the team in London, elected to skip this year’s event to focus her preparations on upcoming Olympic selection meets. …
The men’s Elite Canada senior all around has a different flavour this year with many of the veterans taking a break while a group of younger gymnasts working towards the 2016 Olympics take centre stage. …
Although Canada failed to earn a full team berth in men’s gymnastics for the 2012 Games, there is one spot up for grabs in the individual competition, also to be determined after a selection process. …
Two-time Olympian Nathan Gafuik of Calgary and current Canadian all around champion Jackson Payne of Edmonton are the only two members of the 2011 world championship team competing this year …
After London I felt Grishina might not make the Russian Olympic team. That Bars / Beam might not be enough.
BARS were great in London. But she looks even better here, adding double double dismount.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Lauren reports from Moscow Championships:
Anastasia Grishina really, really wants to make this Olympic team, and the coaches want her on the team, too. She did not have the best meet today. She sat her DTY after putting one (albeit somewhat under-rotated) to her feet in warmups. She only scored 14.0 on bars, mostly due to one of her new skills, a toe-on Shaposhnikova-half. She caught it, but it was pretty messy and, of course, there was the incidental touch by the coach. But who thought a month ago that she’d be throwing DTYs, Shaposhnikova-halves and double double dismounts come February? …
read more on Couch Gymnast … Moscow Championships Report
The “new” Triple Twist blog posted an interview with Irina Paun.
In late 2011 Irina was forced to retire from the sport due to a non-gymnastics related injury. We caught up with Irina to talk about training in Romania, her retirement, and how she thinks Romania will do without their star Ana Porgras.
Triple Twist: How many hour’s did you train a day?
Irina: During my first 2 years of training I only went 2 days a week for 4 hours. After another 2 years, I trained everyday for 4 hours. Up until my retirement I trained for 6 hours a day 6 hours a week.
Triple Twist: What was a typical day like for you?
Irina: I would wake up at 6:30 and have breakfast at 7:00.
From 8:00 -11:00 we train and then have lunch at 12:00. We get to rest from 12:30-1:30 and then we have our second training from 2:00-5:00.
At 5:00-7:00 I do my school work and have some dinner at 7:30! After all that is done I go back to the room to shower, relax, and watch TV! My favorite show is Make It Or Break It and the Voice! …
read more – Romanian Gymnast Irina Paun- A Career Short Lived
Information on the competitive structure was posted by Alina on Gimnastica:
1. Age 4-8 years – Beginners.
2. Category IV – Little gymnast
a. Level 1: 8-10 years old
b. Level 2: 10 years old3. Category III (Junioare III)
a. Level 3: 11 years old
b. Level 4: 12 years old4. Category II
Age: 13-14 years old5. Category I
Age: 15 years old
Leave a comment if you have more specifics on the Romanian system in 2012.
photo by mackie on GymNet
Gymnastics Coaching.com 