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The Men’s Technical Committee, after the World Championships in Rotterdam, during its meeting in December, Tel Aviv, ISR made some decisions on new skills submitted & evaluated at the 2010 World Championships Rotterdam.

Click to open it on your computer – FIG_MAG_Newsletter_25

Note: That PDF links to YouTube video examples. But you can only watch the video after clicking through via the PDF.

… I’ve no idea why that privacy feature is necessary. Seems to me the more widely and transparently code changes are circulated, the better.

The most important change is a good one:

After careful review, the MTC has determined that the original Hypolito element cannot be developed with further turns.

Men’s Floor was including far too many double Arabian type skills.

Blythe Lawrence:

A few days ago Thierry Large, director of the Complexe Sportif Gymnique in Arques, France sent out some beautifully shot images of the city’s new gym, which was finished in 2010 and christened with a celebration just it hosted the 2010 Pas-de-Calais International. (Videos of that event here.)

The Arques complex is being marketed as the ideal training spot for countries who want to train near (but not in) London during the summer of 2012. Among the first teams to think this is a good idea are the British, who have reportedly made arrangements to travel to Arques in order to avoid the madness of London during the Olympic run-up. …

read more – Gymnastics Examiner – Photo gallery: Where 2012’s Olympians will prepare

more photos

GymNOVA is providing equipment for the London Olympics.

Most of the top Artistic gymnastics nations designate national team training centres. (Karolyi Ranch, Australian Institute of Sport, Lilleshall, etc.)

If you don’t have such a centre (I’m looking at you Canada) you’re not likely to be competitive with the top nations.

In the glory days of the former Soviet Union (and the new Russia) the centre is Round Lake.

Some athletes live there year round, some come to “camps” on a regular basis.

Brigid discovered a book called The Russian Heart: Days of Crisis and Hope (1992).

It includes some interesting content concerning Round Lake, back in the day:

… While the training is completely professional and disciplined, the facility is rudimentary and the dormitory conditions sparse. Though the food is much better that that available to the general public, it is, by Western standards, very basic. …

details on Couch Gymnast – Soviet Gymnastics: Days of Crisis and Hope

I love this drill for double back. It’s safe. Easy. Fun. And encourages good technique.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I assume that’s Al Fong’s ‘new’ gym.

Recall that he fled his old landlord, shutting down G.A.G.E. without warning the parents in advance.

Men’s Head Coach Wesley Chirima gave me a tour of their brand new gym in Saskatchewan, Canada.

Privately owned, they had Gymnova, the official supplier of Gymnastics Canada, outfit with all new apparatus. Their Parallel Bar boxes are as good as any I’ve seen anywhere.

But their sprung vault horse “device” is not as good as the one (sadly) no longer sold by TumblTrak.

The pit foam had not yet arrived. But looks to be good.

The club offers, so far, competitive MAG, WAG and Trampoline sports.

See more photos.

CONGRATS to Sky High Gymnastics. A great new facility for gymnastics in Canada.

United States National Team coordinator Martha Karolyi looks on during a training session at the Karolyi Ranch on Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011, in Huntsville, Texas. The Karolyi Ranch, which is approximately 60 miles north of Houston and has been the training home of the women’s gymnastics team since 2001, was officially designated by the U.S. Olympic Committee today as a U.S. Olympic training site for women’s gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling and acrobatics.

ESPN

Colorado Springs remains the Men’s venue, I assume.

This means teams will be training at the Ranch long after Marta retires in 2012.

… The Karolyi Ranch includes housing for 300 athletes, coaches and administrators; three training gyms, two artistic and one multi-discipline (rhythmic, trampoline/tumbling, acro); a dance studio; dining and recreational areas; medical and rehab facilities; and office space. The training gym for rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling, and acrobatic gymnastics was added in 2010. …

USAG

Gymnastike has plenty of photos and videos from the announcement day.

(via Going for Gold)

USA Gymnastics national team members, from left, Mattie Larson of Los Angeles, Calif., Bridget Sloan, of Pittsboro, Ind., Alexandra Raisman of Needham, Mass. and Alicia Sacramone of Winchester, Mass., wear hotels robes along with towels on their heads in a light hearted salute to new corporate sponsor Hilton Worldwide during a press event at the Karolyi Ranch on Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011, in Huntsville, Texas.

ESPN

Part of the Hilton deal sponsors specific athletes.

The 10 members of Team Hilton HHonors heading into Winter Cup are:

Alexy Bilozertchev of Hilliard, Ohio/U.S. Olympic Training Center
Chris Brooks of Houston/University of Oklahoma
Andrew Elkind of Cherry Hill, N.J./U.S. Olympic Training Center
Wes Haagensen of Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Olympic Training Center
Joey Hagerty of Albuquerque, N.M./U.S. Olympic Training Center
2004 Olympic all-around champion Paul Hamm of Waukesha, Wis./Swiss Turners
RJ Heflin of Harrisburg, Pa./Houston Gymnastics Academy
Jonathan Horton of Houston/Cypress Academy
Danell Leyva of Miami, Fla./Universal Gymnastics
Tim McNeill of Falls Church, Va./University of California, Berkeley

official USAG announcement

… The basics of the deal include a range of $1,000 to about $2,500 per month as a stipend along with bonuses for international medals. …

… According to several sources, Sasha (Artemev) has opted to sign with Team Gattaca for his 2012 Olympic Run. Details of the sponsorship will be announced soon but you can expect to see Sasha sporting Gattaca as (soon) as the upcoming Winter Cup. …

IG forum

As always, a great catch-up on Gymnastics Examiner

Anna Li, Chellsie Memmel, Anja Brinker & Fabian Hambuechen (Achilles), Dominique Dawes, Cerasela Patrascu, Daniel Keatings, Nicolae Forminte.

Gymnastics Examiner

Dominique Dawes’s latest video is interesting. She’s doing personal fitness with her pet – Work out … with your dog!

These days I don’t say much about the regular Skating and Gymnastics Spectaculars.

I have no interest. But there seems to be a market. And I don’t begrudge any gymnast or ex-gymnast who wants to make a few bucks.

But in the last one, Nastia Liukin and friends, Spanny caught a deception:

… in real life, Hollie (Vise) fell on her front aerial. But we couldn’t have that on TV now could we? So Hollie had to reshoot at least that portion of the routine, I’m assuming after the audience left. Which is why she is shot from below, because you can’t see that there is no audience. Very very tricky. …

read more – Big Fake Smile – they look like deep fried deep poop.

You simply can’t believe what you see on a TV Craptacular.

Shocking and cruel? … YES.

There’s something … unnatural about combining gymnastics and ice skating.

Tumblequeensmom on Chalk Bucket linked to a blog new to me: Keeping Balance

It’s written by Courtney, a 17 year old high school senior who reached level 10 at age 13, invited age-10 into Tatiana Perskia’s elite training group at Capital Gymnastics NTC.

… Then quit angry at the sport at age-16.

A Gymnast’s Tale: Part Five:

… When I reflect on the year I spent in Elite group, I automatically think of two days. The first is a hot summer afternoon, and I’m in a shiny red leotard for good luck on my very first day. I’m honored to be training in the same group as World Champions and World Class Elites. The other day I see took place in the following summer, and I’m walking towards Tatiana to inform her that I will not be returning to the sport of gymnastics.

Between those two summers, one would think that I was the happiest girl on Earth – I had amazing competitive seasons, placed in the top three at nearly every meet I went to, and was the only Capital level 9 to qualify for all four event finals at the Hill’s Classic. I was in the best shape of my life! Eight practices a week and conditioning tests every morning practice made sure of that.

But inside, a hatred for the sport consumed me.

I developed an intense aversion to ANYTHING that reminded me of gymnastics. I would not touch a leotard at home.While doing laundry, I’d hold it at arms length by my fingernails, like it was poisonous. I would not say the word “gymnastics” and I would not talk about practice. If I found myself visualizing routines in my head I would shake the thoughts out and think about something else. I hated going down Clifton Rd. because it made me feel like I was going to gym. …

read more

She’s an eloquent writer, happy now to be coaching rather than training.

Check it out for yourself – Keeping Balance

I’m still not sure why this psychological dynamic is so common in women’s Artistic gymnastics, but not in men’s nor other female acrobatic disciplines.