American Cup promo vid

Madison Square Garden
New York, N.Y.
March 3, 2012

Here’s a fun edit featuring the invited Americans.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

That was edited by Chris or CSac (twitter.com/CSaccullo). iLITTER YouTube channel. Subscribe.

I’m going to make an effort not to refer to this meet as the SCamerican Cup this year. It’s the American Cup.

(via Examiner on Facebook)

Mustafina back in competition

I’ve still got mixed feelings about our 2010 World Champion’s return to competition.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

It worked. It got her back in ‘the game’ before the Christmas break.

But Aliya’s so competitive I fear she’ll try to beat Komova next meet. That would be a mistake. The two should make it goal #1 to win the Olympics as a Team. That should be the ‘talking point’ in media interviews.

Won’t happen, I predict. Russia has no media plan that I can see.

hotel room London – Â£20.12

If you are going to the Olympic Test event in London, Jan. 2012, check out this amazing promotion from Holiday Inn. Ends Jan. 31st.

Montreal Circus School

Cirque’s Stacy Clark on Facebook linked to some new videos about the famed school.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

There are more clips like that on the CircusMontreal YouTube channel.

That’s a really good looking channel, by the way. They’ve used one of the new templates.

I have a friend who’s just applied.

42yr-old Level 9, Tina Wise

What’s your excuse? 🙂

… Tina, a former elite, was injured and had to stop gymnastics at age 14. She returned to the sport in her late 20s. Today at 42 – two young kids, an ACL surgery, and many years later – Tina continues to compete in Maryland as part of First Class‘ Level 9 team …

Click PLAY or watch the LONG interview on Gymnastike.

http://www.gymnastike.org/embed/ODQ2NTA4OTM4?related=1

Watch more video of Adult Gymnastics Meet – Capital Gymnastics, Burke, VA, October 1, 2011 on gymnastike.org

Is Tina cool, or what?

Bars: Shushunova vs Monckton

At the start of this montage is a slow motion clip of Yelena Shushunova doing the Shushunova on Bars — currently over-valued as a G skill in the Code (3.703).

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

At the time called a full-twisting Tkachev, it’s clearly got nothing in common with the full-twisting Tkachev introduced by Valeri Liukin. It’s much more a giant with a half turn to a Markelov.

If you’re searching the WAG Code for that, they spell her name both Shushunova and Schuschunova. (Does anyone ever proof read that document?)

Alicia notes that she can’t recall seeing any current gymnasts doing this skill on 1-arm like Shushanova. Instead they finish the Blind Change on both hands (mixed grip) before doing the Markelov. Much easier.

And, in fact, the skill done from Blind with legs together — the Monckton — was valued as only a D-part (PDF) following World Championships Tokyo.

Click PLAY or watch Mary Anne Monckton’s skill on YouTube.

I’m OK with Monckton as a D-part. Shushunova’s still way over-valued.