Larry Goodhue is an Arizona coach who edits the The Ultimate Guide to Girls Gymnastics Leotards site:
They buy and sell both new and used leos.
CYG Apparatus Finals
The Commonwealth Youth Games 2011 Artistic Gymnastics competition has ended.
All results are posted.
Full Twist has been following this meet most closely:
• WAG Apparatus Finals Results
• MAG Apparatus Finals Results
England won 7 of the 18 available Men’s medals. And 5 of the 12 Women’s medals.
Personal shout out to Curtis Graves from Taiso, Saskatoon, Canada who walked away with silver on H Bar and bronze medals on P Bars and Rings. Also a team Silver medal with Zachary Clay and Kal Nemier (bronze H Bar).
… “I came here hoping for one individual medal, but coming away with three wasn’t something I was expecting at all,” said Graves, who just missed the gold medal in the high bar event after getting bumped to second in a tie break with Dominick Cunningham of England. …
read more – Gymnastics Canada
related – Couch Gymnast – Commonwealth Youth Games Event Finals
Paul Hamm support video
A career retrospective. The editor, his brother Morgan, asks that you link to the video if you support Paul Hamm.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Comments are disabled on YouTube. Instead comment on a Chalk Bucket forum thread. Or a Chalk Bucket blog post.
… Some feel Paul made a mistake. And that he should be given a chance to move on.
I’d feel that way too if he apologized, and accepted his punishment. He hasn’t done so yet. And it won’t happen until he fights the court case.
… “We will fight the criminal charges vigorously,” said Michael J. Smith, Hamm’s attorney. …
Regardless of what happens in court, his reputation will be further tarnished. Instead of being remembered as one of the greatest gymnasts of all time, it’s the scandals we’ll recall.
What a shame.
_____ Update:
… In light of all the controversy that surrounds the Ohio State football team’s NCAA compliance issues, the decision to fire Hamm was understandable. …
Many of his fans are expecting a contrite public apology soon, and they are also hoping that Hamm will use this unfortunate experience to launch into a vengeant training mode, wherever that might be. …
Sandra Izbasa competes Bars
I’d heard the rumour. Our Olympic Floor Champion is training Bars again. (She had dropped that apparatus after 2008.)
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Izbasa unveiled the routine at the SUI vs ROM vs GER friendly.
Carolowa on the IG forum via Gymwatcher:
… Sandra finally competed on bars (13.20) and wasn’t too bad (all though her coach might have touched her on her dismount) but she didn’t compete floor and only did a FTY, but I think Belu is just saving her for worlds. …
Even Izbasa feels she needs to be able to do all apparatus before the rules change to teams of only 5 in 2012.
Ponor is still not competing Bars.
(via Couch Gymnast)
competing gymnasts at too LOW a level
Coach Howard has the best write-up I’ve ever seen on a problem that plagues all “ability level” competitive structures.
Coaches competing kids in a lower level than their actual ability group in order to WIN.
In this article, he talks about the Jr Olympic WAG program:
… While the USA Gymnastics minimum for moving up is a 31.0 All-Around, USAG will never mandate moving up gymnasts with any score for liability reasons. …
The Gyms and Coaches, Actually Doing This, are the Culprits
The responsibility for this is squarely on the shoulders of the gym(s) and coaches that are engaging in this practice. I have never heard any justification for sandbagging that rings true. It is obvious that they are simply trying to stack the deck, so their gymnasts can win, by holding them back …
read more on Gymnastics Zone – The Unethical Practice of Competitive Sandbagging
He singles out the Judges Cup meet each year as being the most conspicuous example.
We can all name coaches who we consider most guilty of sandbagging. But most gyms have some kids competing a level lower than they might for one reason or another.
Parents and kids understand the problem.
Gymnastics Floor Montage
Black Swan
I finally saw the film Black Swan.
Click PLAY or watch the trailer on YouTube.
Very well done. But terrifying. High performance dance leads to mental illness.
It’s called a psychological thriller. But if you don’t like horror movies, skip it.
Dominick Cunningham wins CYG
Commonwealth Youth Games podium for the all-around:
1. Dominick Cunningham (England)
2. Jay Thompson (England)
3. Harry Owen (Wales)
Angel Romaeo wins CYG
Gold medal for Wales.
1. Angel Romaeo (Wales)
2. Brittany Robertson (New Zealand)
3. Abi Caig (England)
full WAG AA results
(via Couch Gymnast)
Since I’ve linked to Angel already this weekend, instead enjoy this photo of the lovely Brittany Robertson.
That photo we first saw in a Couch Gymnast interview with her Mom.
Britanny’s goal is to represent NZ at the Commonwealth Games, Worlds and the Olympics. So far, so good.
the future of Gymnastics Evolution?
I can’t get enough of these Lighthouse Film Company gymnastics videos.
This is the first of many teasers to promote the film of the amazing gymnastics event, Evolution.
Click PLAY or watch it on Vimeo.
What’s the next step in the evolution of Evolution?
Is there a way to make ‘professional gymnastics’ profitable for promoters?
I’m assuming they’d need a title sponsor or a TV deal.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 