Bills Sands test the Weller spring

Scott Weller of Weller Spring has been promoting his new revolutionary design for a Floor Exercise spring. Athletes who try it, like it. And a few clubs like WOGA have installed Weller springs into their gym.

But what he really needs is a respected 3rd party to scientifically measure and report the differences between the Weller spring and standard AAI springs, used in most gyms in the States.

Ideally, he’d get Dr. Bill Sands to do the research …

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (13min)

It will be some time before Dr. Sands reports. Follow progress by LIKING the Weller Spring Facebook page.

If you want to buy some Weller springs for yourself, email scott@kingbarssports.com.

Scott wants readers of this site to know you can get a 25% discount by using the code “purple” at checkout on wellerspring.com.

could France medal at Worlds?

Blythe Lawrence has lived part of the past 2yrs in France. She’s been doing some blogging for Universal of late:

If you think about the men’s teams most likely to medal at this year’s World Championships and next year’s Olympic Games, a few countries should spring instantly to mind: China. Japan. Russia, perhaps. Germany. The United States. Great Britain. France.

France?

It’s not inconceivable. The French team doesn’t seem to be on the forefront of World and Olympic success in the same manner as, say, the Japanese. But even without the help of Benoit Caranobe — the surprise all-around bronze medalist in Beijing — France managed a quiet fifth-place finish at last year’s World Championships, ahead of the Russians and the British. …

read more – French men have depth to spare going into 2012

Do you know European vault silver medalist Samir Ait Said, from France, for example?

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

gymnastics injury prevention

JBS on Chalk Bucket forum started an important thread:

Top Injury Prevention Practices in Gymnastics Training :

We vault onto soft surfaces (resi) 100% during training
We use the JF vault table in our club because it has a more forgiving top
We use the “sweet spot” (air floor) during all floor take offs
We use tumble track for 50% of our tumbling training
We use the an extra suede beam pad
All of our optionals are required to vault with Tiger Paws

Log in to Chalk Bucket to add to the discussion.

… That’s the first gym I’ve heard to make Tiger Paws mandatory on Vault. Hmm …

photo taken at HPTC, Idaho

Anne Abernathy – “Grandma Luge”

Anne Abernathy (born April 12, 1953) is a luge athlete from the United States Virgin Islands and is the oldest female athlete to compete in the Winter Olympics. The 2006 Winter Olympics were her sixth.

Despite her age, she is a consistent competitor with frequent World Cup podium finishes, and she is consistently ranked in the top 20 world rankings. She is known within luge circles as “Grandma Luge.” …

OK, I’m impressed. … Especially that a Luge Olympian can live in the Virgin Islands. 🙂

shergymrag mentioned this inspirational athlete because of her use of a new medical therapy.

… Abernathy suffered a serious accident during a World Cup race in Altenberg, Germany in January 2001 that resulted in a severe brain injury. To recover from the injury, she used an alternative medicine treatment involving controlling rockets in a video game through electrical impulses from brain waves, a therapy designed to help her retrain her brain to compensate for the damaged areas.

The therapy was successful and Abernathy was able to return to competition in time to qualify for the 2002 Winter Olympics. The story of Abernathy’s crash and recovery was featured on the Discovery Health Channel series Impact: Stories of Survival. …

Wow.

World Championships Tokyo logistics

by site editor Rick McCharles

I have a difficult to attain media credential for Worlds Uchimurafest 2011. Just now working on flights and accommodation. Leave a comment if you have advice. Likely I’ll extend that trip in Asia before and after the meet.

Click PLAY or watch a promo video on YouTube.

2011tokyo.com

Annie Mist – CrossFit champ

Update: Annie was a gymnast at Gerpla until age-16. Why am I not surprised. Thanks for the info, Gummi Brynjólfsson.

Annie Mist Thorisdottir from Iceland won the CrossFit world championships over the weekend in Los Angeles and has now been personally congratulated by President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson. …

Annie Mist won the CrossFit world title at the weekend, including ISK 30 million in prize money. She won three out of ten events and came third in four events; putting her on 842 points — 43 points ahead of Kristan Clever from the USA who came in second. …

Read more …

Next Annie heard from the taxman. She owes the Icelandic supertax. They want about $111,000, nearly half the prize money.

Annie is welcome to move to Canada. Any time.

… I’m still not convinced CrossFit is a healthy competitive sport, however. Watch Annie at an earlier competition this season (VIDEO) and you’ll see what I mean.

the week in gymnastics …

Couch Gymnast has a Tuesday Miscellany with many stories I had not linked to as yet including: Mattie Larson, Mariya Lvichkova, Mizuki Sato, Diana Chelaru, Marissa King, Waverley Gymnastics (Australia), Catalina Ponor and Sandra Izbasa, Australian WAG trials for Worlds, Janine Berger (Germany), Lisa Top and Tess Moonen (Netherlands), the next James Bond girl, Margarita Levieva, a former Russian Rhythmic gymnast … and more.

check it on on Couch Gymnast

Greg Marsden innovating again:

The Utah gymnastics team are joining the Social Media Brigade by hosting their first ever social media day this month. It will happen on August 18th and fans are able to submit question. They can address athletes, coaches and the athletic director. Stephanie McAllister will be one of the hosts of the event and it will be conducted via Twitter and Facebook. Check out the Utes Site if you want to know more.

Hambüchen 16.65 H Bar

… Originally, Fabian Hambüchen, who tore his Achilles tendon in January, planned to come back at the first German trials for the Worlds in Altendiez next weekend. But then he decided to test his routines (except floor and vault) before the trials at the fifth competition of the German Bundesliga.
… high bar: 16.65/7.5 including a Kolman, a layout Tkatchev and a layout Jaeger full (E). That’s the routine he plans to keep until the 2012 Olympics. …

read more on GymNiceTic

Watch part of that routine on this site.

Nice Rybalko to layout Jaeger full!