Gymnastics Coaching.com

Former LSU gymnast Ashleigh Clare-Kearney addressed NATA (National Athletic Trainers’ Association) members at their annual convention Monday in New Orleans.

Clare-Kearney, one of the most decorated gymnasts in LSU women’s gymnastics history, was the physical and emotional exception in the gymnastics world during her career. At 5-foot-5 and 150 pounds, the two-time NCAA champion outsized most of her fellow gymnasts who she says are traditionally around five feet, 100 pounds. …

A good read – USA Today – Athletic trainers stress safe weight loss methods

Ashleigh Clare-Kearney went on to become an assistant coach at LSU.

(via IG)

On the FIG shop you can now buy a card game where you must match famous gymnasts including Kohei UCHIMURA, Evgenia KANAEVA, Aliya MUSTAFINA, Marcela MATOS LOPEZ, and more.

details – New at the FIG Shop!

I’m a big fan of 17yr-old Courtney’s blog – Keeping Balance.

A gymnast’s journey through the intricate world of gymnastics, and the lessons she’s learned along the way.

She’s very eloquent on the love / hate relationship many girls have with the sport.

This post is a perfect example – Leotard Memories

Click PLAY or watch the accompanying video on YouTube.

Inspiring 🙂

“The Warm-Up,” staring coach Tom Farden.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

(via Utah Gymnastics and Greg Marsden on Facebook)

Scared of heights? England’s Gary Hunt dives 27 metres into Lake Vouliagmeni in the third event of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series

see more photos on The Daily Mail

There’s a new Discussion on Gymnastics Examiner.

Most of the arguments pro and con are included. Here’s my opinion:

Since there is no way to medically confirm chronological age, I’m against any minimum age rule for the Olympics.

If there were a way to confirm age, I’d still be against any minimum age requirement (though not quite so strongly). I’m not convinced the current rule has done much to protect younger children from over training. Younger athletes are often actually safer doing high difficulty routines than they are when old.

Read more on Examiner.com The Discussion: The great age debate

Wikipedia has a good history and summary of the issue.

… Those of us baby boomer divers will fondly remember ABC’s Wide World of Sports annual presentation of high diving competitions, especially the shows from the cliffs of Acapulco where daredevil divers had to launch themselves out far off slippery slopes in order to clear the jagged mountainside. The event favorite Mexican team divers always selected the classic ‘arched’ swan dive to the raucous applause of the home crowd.

Now fast forward 35 years later to an event that is in its’ third season and makes the cliffs of Acapulco look like a novice event. It’s the Red Bull Cliff Diving Series now taking place in exotic locales all over the world. …

Diving Examiner – Red Bull Cliff Diving Series Thrills Athens Greece Crowd

Here’s a good profile on up-and-coming Cliff Diver, Gary Hunt from the U.K.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Gary’s pushing the world’s greatest Cliff Diver, Orlando Duque from Colombia, by trying new dives like quintuple front barani out. And multiple twisting quad back somersaults.

Needless to say, it hurts when you miss from 27m – or 88.5ft.

I would love to have been a fly on the wall:

Upon the initiative of FIG President Professor Bruno Grandi (ITA), a symposium on Artistic and Trampoline Gymnastics was held in Zurich on June 17 – 19, 2011. Eighty technicians, judges and coaches from five continents participated, focusing their attention on the codes of points that will govern the two disciplines throughout the 2013 – 2016 Olympic cycle.

At the centre of the symposium, a President’s solemn warning; Professor Grandi invited his troops to fulfill their responsibilities in terms of innovation and creativity. “Artistic Gymnastics needs to be reinvented and simplified. Our athletes must learn to better wield the potential and personality of each apparatus!”

With regard to judging, President Grandi emphasized transparency, without which the credibility of gymnastics is at serious risk, particularly in the eyes of the IOC. He informed judges that an educational training programme will soon be made available. Finally and directly addressing Trampoline, the President invited the discipline’s leaders to promote universality and the number of countries practicing the sport. …

FIG – FIG PRESIDENT DELIVERS COGENT ADDRESS
Gymnastics under the microscope

Will we see more variety in routines?
Safer gymnastics?
Reward for quality of performance?

1. Celine van Gerner 55.70
2. Joy Goedkoop 55.40
3. Wyomi Masela 51.950

On a personal side note, I was hoping that Canadian Jessica Dowling would have a good showing, despite weeks of travel away from home and home gym. In the midst of final school exams.

She did quite well, finishing 4th AA and 3rd on Bars.

In addition, she did many media interviews including this TV spot.

Click PLAY or watch it on Nos.nl.

http://s.nos.nl/swf/nos_video_embed.swf

This week 10 gymnasts will be named to the next stage of qualifications to World Championships. (Some girls were not competing due to injury, including Yvette Moshage, Marlies Rijken and Sanne Wevers. So it remains to be seen if Jessica will move on.)

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… Reigning national champion Jeffrey Wammes opted to skip the competition, telling De Telegraaf he was focusing on the World Championships in October. …

In the absence of Wammes and up-and-comer Bart Deurloo, van Assche, 22, captured the men’s all-around title (82.95) over newcomers Melvin Ornek (80.15) and Glenn Smink (79.4). …

Gymnastics Examiner

I’m not sure why, but adult gymnastics is BIG right now. And Chelsea Piers, NYC is the Mecca of adult gymnastics worldwide.

NBC TODAY Show

More and more adults are signing up for gymnastic classes to get fit. TODAY’s Amy Robach, a former gymnast, returns to her root to find out why people as old as 70 are jumping up on the balance beam.

Click PLAY or watch it on MSNBC.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Thanks to George Thomas for the link.