Gymnastics Coaching.com

Good luck to everyone competing in Birmingham. Here are a couple of the delegations.

Oh Canada.

Massilia, Marseille results

All-around champion Viktoria Komova added a second gold medal to her collection as Elite Massilia ended Sunday in Marseille.

Komova, who posted the highest score of the meet (15.7 on bars) during the all-around final, earned gold on her best event, and added a silver on floor exercise.

Canadian junior champion Victoria Moors, competing as a senior for the first time, bested Komova for the floor title.

Russia’s Tatiana Nabieva won vault with a double twisting Yurchenko and Podkopayeva, defending her title from 2010, while France’s Marine Brevet took the beam title before a home audience. …

Examiner – Four gymnasts win individual titles as Elite Massilia ends

Some Results are finally posted. It’s been a frustrating competition to track.

Trampoline Worlds wrap-up

China, Canada (photos) and Russia were the top nations. Congratulations.

Canada won both Double Mini (DMT) Team competitions under the new 3-up, 3-count format.

FIG website

FIG videos

Half the Olympic Trampoline spots have been decided. The other half will qualify at the Second Olympic Qualification – Test Event, 10 – 18 January 2012 in London. Tickets.

silver medal Tramp - Rosie MacLennan (CAN)

HE Wenna (China) won Women’s Trampoline. LI Dan (China) took the Bronze.

World Age Group Championships continue in Birmingham starting Nov. 24th. (schedule)

fight Vika fight

OK, enough is enough Mother Russia.

How many times do we have to hear how Viktoria Komova was robbed at Worlds?

She’s a wonder talent, perhaps the favourite to win Olympics 2012.

But I’m seriously questioning her psychology. She’s not shown the mental toughness of a Bross, Wieber or Mustafina.

Blythe Lawrence is becoming a doubter too – Viktoria Komova: shaky but still stirring

… When things go well for Komova, they go very well. But when she’s just a little bit off, as she was on her first element on beam at Massilia, she gives up quickly …

Click PLAY or watch her Beam on YouTube.

Gymnasts must be consistent, as well as brilliant.

Shiro Tanaka – stretching book

Power Stretching and Easy Exercises by Shiro Tanaka

In his late 50s, one of my first gymnastics mentors published his personal training program. He demonstrates all exercises himself in the home or office, using no special equipment.

I asked Shiro he’d ever done Yoga. “Never.”, he replied.

Like most of the old school gymnastics folks, he considers Yoga inferior to traditional gymnastics stretching. Shiro grew up with Tsukahara, one year younger.

Shiro’s book is not available for sale anywhere, unfortunately. It was published by his University for internal use.

But I’m inspired … just as Shiro inspired me as a gymnast and young coach. (In the late 1960s, he insisted we stretch every morning in the shower, to save time.)

my photos of Shiro

sole circle Tkachev easier

According to this research paper by Gareth Irwin, Michelle Manning and David G. Kerwin in Wales:

Biomechanics in Sport – KINEMATICS AND ANGULAR MOMENTUM CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE TOE-ON TKACHEV ON UNEVEN BARS IN FEMALE GYMNASTICS

CONCLUSION: The Toe-on Tkachev on Uneven bars … enables gymnasts to increase key release variables, particularly vertical velocity, (and hence flight time) and angular momentum. …