Gymnastics Coaching.com

I love these viral videos. Supposedly informal camcorder footage … where Beckham happens to be holding a Pepsi.

Click PLAY or watch David Beckham on YouTube.

Why can’t we have more featuring gymnasts?

The best special effects gymnastics commercial so far has been the Adidas Impossible is Nothing ad featuring Nastia and Nadia.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Tumblr is a microblogging platform that allows users to post text, images, videos, links, quotes and audio to their tumblelog, a short-form blog. Users can follow other users, or choose to make their tumblelog private. The service emphasizes ease of use …

Tumblr makes a painfully limited alternative to WordPress, but a fantastic alternative to Twitter.

People love it.

As of January 7, 2011 Tumblr included more than 2.6 billion total posts and nearly 12 million total blogs. …

Gymnastics Tumblrs (there are many) pass on interesting videos and photos. This one of the Russian women’s team, for example:

I tracked back that image to see where it had come from via WHAT MY REVERIES ARE MADE OF and aliyamustafina and It’s About Artistic Gymnastics. And others on Tumblr.

Turns out it was originally taken from AliyaMustafina.ru. (not online as I post)

Tumblr looks like fun. But very quickly the original source of material will be lost.

It’s free if you want to try it – Tumblr.com

Many felt that use of IRCOS (Instant Replay and Control System) video review was being overused at World Championships 2010, Rotterdam. That the Superior Jury, at least on the WAG side, was abusing use of the technology.

From a March 30, 2011 FIG post:

The Executive Board has decided that during competition, the IRCOS by FIG system will be used by judges and technical delegates in cases of inquiry only. This rule applies to all disciplines.

In that same report the FIG Marketing Commission presented a comprehensive report on Vision, objectives and missions.

The NCAA Team Finals for Men go tonight at 7:00 p.m. PT.

I think Stanford will win. … But don’t bet the mortgage on it.
(I’ve been wrong before.)

They looked calm, confident and prepared last night during the qualifying round. I have no reason to believe they won’t do exactly the same thing tonight. Their season best 366.100 was comfortably ahead of Oklahoma.

Apparently they did have one fall, but I didn’t see it.

Six teams advanced from the National Collegiate Men’s Gymnastics National Qualifier into the finals of the 2011 NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championships at St. John Arena on the campus of Ohio State University in Columbus.

Session 1
1. University of Oklahoma, 363.500
2. Pennsylvania State University, 356.000
3. University of Illinois, 356.000

Session II
4. Stanford University, 366.100
5. University of California-Berkeley, 361.800
6. University of Michigan, 360.650

Individual Qualifiers

All-Around
Kris Done, Ohio State University
Andrew Folk, U.S. Naval Academy
Andreas Hofer, University of Nebraska
DJ Repp, University of Minnesota
Brandon Wynn, Ohio State University
Kyle Voissem, University of Illinois-Chicago

Floor Exercise
Misha Koudinov, Ohio State University
Adam LaFleur, University of Minnesota
Dylan Parrott, U.S. Naval Academy
Sean Regan, Ohio State University
Kip Webber, U.S. Military Academy
James Zaiser, U.S. Air Force Academy

Pommel Horse
Ty Echard, Ohio State University
Joseph Hodges, University of Illinois-Chicago
Michael Jiang, University of Iowa
Ben Ketelsen, University of Iowa
James Okamoto, U.S. Air Force Academy
John Scallon, University of Minnesota

Still Rings
Mike Behles, Ohio State University
Landon Funiciello, College of William & Mary
Anton Gryshayev, University of Iowa
Anthony Ingrelli, University of Nebraska
Devin Menefee, U.S. Air Force Academy
Neal Thompson, University of Illinois-Chicago

Vault
Tory Brown, U.S. Air Force Academy
Matt Frey, University of Minnesota
Adam Kern, University of Minnesota
Matt McGrath, University of Iowa
Jeff Treleaven, Ohio State University
Kip Webber, U.S. Military Academy

Parallel Bars
Javier Balboa, University of Iowa
Ross Cameratta, University of Minnesota
Patrick McLaughlin, Temple University
Dylan Parrott, U.S. Naval Academy
Neal Thompson, University of Illinois-Chicago
Alex Tighe, Temple University

Horizontal Bar
Ali Aleiou, University of Minnesota
Bear Danley, University of Nebraska
Patrick McLaughlin, Temple University
Dylan Parrott, U.S. Naval Academy
Sam Wright, University of Iowa
Colton Wulf, U.S. Air Force Academy

read more on USAG

related:

• Gymnastics Examiner – Stanford leads Oklahoma after day one of NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championships

• Stick It Media – Top Six Advance to 2011 NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Finals

Here are the 6 teams that qualified to finals:
unofficial

Stanford 366.100
University of Oklahoma, 363.500
Cal 361.800
Michigan 360.650
Penn State University, 356.000
University of Illinois, 356.000

Official results will be posted here.

Stanford killed it tonight, so far as I could see while simultaneously watching 5 other apparatus. If the Cardinal wins in the Team Final it would be the 100th NCAA sports championship for that University. (Only UCLA has more.)

#1 ranked Oklahoma went 363.500 earlier in the day.

WOW.

I don’t know what to say first.

It’s a thrill and an honour to be in the same building with so many good gymnasts. Routines in 2011 are incredibly difficult. And there were surprisingly few falls, not even on Pommels.

The GOAL, of course, is to get a high start score, not necessarily to do good gymnastics. Nor clean gymnastics.

Bruno Grandi did not intend the 2006 rules changes to result in difficulty superseding execution in importance. But it’s the reality in 2011.

I’m driving late night cross State to the Women’s NCAA Championships in Cleveland.

Click PLAY or watch a preview on YouTube.

@jdixon08

One tumbler who impresses me every time I see him is Stanford’s Josh Dixon. Great height.

Click PLAY or watch him on YouTube. (Winter Cup)

Stanford has an amazing Floor team anchored by Eddie Penev.

… It’s IMPOSSIBLE to follow the action at Men’s NCAA Championships. Six teams competing simultaneously. Very fast judging. Long, complicated routines with start values one can only wildly guess at …

Some good news – Nebraska’s Jim Hartung is on the floor coaching, back from illness earlier in the season. His temporary replacement, retired Francis Allen, is in the stands enjoying the meet. And planning a fishing trip to northern Saskatchewan.

Greetings from the Men’s NCAA Championships in Columbus, Ohio.

Follow LIVE @StickItMedia.

Inside Gymnastics is LIVE blogging on Facebook.

Men’s Qualification, Session 1 of 2

In the first of two prelim rounds where the top three teams in each round advance, the University of Oklahoma, Pennsylvania State University and University of Illinois qualified to Finals.

1.University of Oklahoma, 363.500
2T.Penn State University, 356.000
2T.University of Illinois, 356.000
4.University of Minnesota, 346.850
5.U.S. Air Force Academy, 340.700
6.University of Illinois-Chicago, 340.000

read more …

New this year is a 2min warm-up for each team, each apparatus. So far it hasn’t seemed to slow down the competition. Coaches wanted to experiment with the concept as routines are now getting so long and difficult. Famously NCAA MAG gymnasts had no one touch in the past, except for Pommel Horse.

This meet is awesome. But one dark cloud looms – Men’s gymnastics: College programs dwindling to a precious few

The second of two preliminary sessions is just about to start …

The 2011 qualifying teams:

Team Competition

School Qualifying Score
Oklahoma 359.683
Stanford 359.042
California 354.904
Illinois 354.600
Penn State 351.283
Michigan 350.708
Ohio State 345.800
Minnesota 345.367
Air Force 344.200
Nebraska 342.442
Iowa 341.025
Illinois-Chicago 340.800

NCAA via USAG – Men’s NCAA Gymnastics Championship selections announced

For the first time in years, I don’t have strong predictions on the Women’s Championships.

So I’ll post CalicoIzzy’s best guess:

Afternoon session:
1. UCLA, 197.125
2. Michigan, 196.850
3. Oklahoma, 196.750
4. Georgia, 196.625
5. Illinois, 196.375
6. Arkansas, 196.050

Evening session:
1. (tie) Florida and Alabama, 197.100
3. Oregon State, 196.900
4. Utah, 196.675
5. Nebraska, 196.425
6. Kent State, 195.275

All-around
1. Kylee Botterman, Michigan, 39.575
2. Kayla Hoffman, Alabama, 39.550
3. (t) Brittani McCullough, Sharaya Musser, Geralan Stack-Eaton and Rebecca Simbudhas, 39.475

read reactions to that on College Gymnastics Board

… gymnastics is one of the few (NCAA) sports where the finals aren’t televised live.

Instead CBS will televise the meet on tape delay on May 14. …

Marsden, others, unhappy with new nationals format

NCAA does promise to LIVE stream Women’s Championships online. Quick link atop the home page.

NCAA competition home page

It’s been many years since there’s been no clear favourite to win the NCAA Team Championships.

Aunt Joyce and others are leaning towards #1 ranked Alabama. But in recent years The Tide has lacked finesse.

… My hunch is that a team that has never won before will end up winning in 2011.

Oklahoma is ready. Healthy. And obviously well coached.

Gymnastike:

The University of Oklahoma is back at the National Championships after finishing 2nd nationally last season and sweeping the NCAA Coach of the Year awards. We chatted with head coach KJ Kindler and junior Megan Ferguson via skype before the Sooners head to Cleveland for the 2011 NCAA National Championships.

http://www.gymnastike.org/embed/ODQ4NDg0MTE2

Watch more video of 2011 NCAA Women’s Gymnastics National Championships on gymnastike.org

The 2011 Oklahoma Sooners are:

Hope Bruce, Candace Cindell, Megan Ferguson, Natasha Kelley, Madison Mooring, Kayla Nowak, Brie Olson, Nitya Ramaswami, Natalie Ratcliff, Melanie Root, Taylor Spears, Sara Stone, and Hayden Ward

Oklahoma will compete in the first of two preliminary sessions, facing UCLA, Michigan, Georgia, Arkansas, and Illinois.