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An older and wiser, healthy Paul Hamm is the closest rival to World Champion Kohei Uchimura, in my opinion. They share a freakish ability to train full routines on all 6 apparatus and make it look effortless.

Now that Paul has relocated to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, what’s the plan?

… “I’m trying to find a way to beat them,” he said of the Chinese and Japanese gymnasts now atop the world’s gymnastics rankings. “That’s what I’m trying to do right now — develop routines that are consistent and world-class that will allow me to be at the top.” …

That’s from a great interview posted by USAG – Paul Hamm returns to the gym

Paul would be almost 30yrs-old in London. But I actually think that could help his all-around. He could be stronger on Rings, his weak apparatus.

The bigger question is … “Why does any Olympic Champion not retire at the top?” … It seems crazy to risk losing your title. It’s easy to be knocked off the top of the podium.

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.js

I admire Paul for this serious comeback.

related – Why Kyle Shewfelt came back after 2004

UPDATE. The English version of the clinic now linked. Thanks Wordsmith.

The world’s second most successful coach of all time, Dieter Hoffmann, did a clinic in conjunction with World Championships in Rotterdam. (Now that Belu is back, he can try to catch up with Hoffmann in terms of medal count at Worlds and Olympics.)

Part of a promotion of Janssen & Fritsen equipment.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Hofmann spoke on possible improvements to apparatus including this one.

… one end of the balance beam could be broadened, to allow gymnasts to jump off more naturally …

He also wants to change the rails on P Bars and Assymetric Bars so that so much time isn’t required to get them ready. Great idea, if possible.

I saw this skill at Worlds … Kip to V-Cross … but did not catch the name of the gymnast.

It was Fede Molinari from Argentina. Sounds like they’ve submitted it to FIG for consideration. Update: One commenter reports that Sejima Ryuzo competed this last year at Japan Juniors. You need to do it at Worlds or Olympics for FIG “naming” consideration, though.

Check an interview in Spanish on gimnasialatina.com

high resolution version available via Gymnastics Training Tips

I visited impressive “Parque das Nações” (Park of the Nations), a city of the future built atop the Expo ’98 site.

See more of my photos of the park. And Google photos.

This was the venue for the 2003 World Gymnastrada. Click PLAY or watch an old promo vid on YouTube.

Thanks to gymnastics educator, Paulo Barata, who brought me here while I was visiting surprising Lisbon. (He’s busy translating books and documentation into Portuguese, the fifth most spoken language in the world.)

Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour is a pop rock concert created by Cirque du Soleil. It premieres to the general public in Montreal Oct. 2nd, 2011.

From there it tours Canada and Detroit before moving to the western States. (tour schedule)

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Talk about a hot ticket. This thing will sell out fast.

Details are emerging:

… 90-minute concert will involve approximately 65 artists (including dancers, acrobats and other performers), with auditions beginning this month in Los Angeles, Paris and New York …

Depending on the response, the show — reportedly the Cirque’s most expensive touring show ever — could also travel abroad in 2012 …

Cirque is also working with the estate on a separate Jackson-themed show for the MGM Mirage … in Las Vegas in 2012. …

CBC

So, THE IMMORTAL is the first of two MJ Cirque shows.

Here’s another of those computer voiced gymnastics cartoons, not nearly as hilarious as WHEN WILL MY SUSIE START KIPPING?

created by ramon3075:

… I did this as a way of making someone else laugh. No disrespect to either gymnasts. ? They are both great. It was something fun to do and hope someone is able to get a good laugh from it. …

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

(via Anna Plourde on Facebook)

Since they host the Commonwealth Games 2014 in this awesome venue:

… why not follow up with Worlds the year after.

Glasgow reveals bid for 2015 World Gymnastics Championships

I expect FIG will vote unanimously for Scotland when the decision is made May 2011.

The hosts of 2013 and 2014 have not yet been decided.

More good communication from the International Gymnastics Federation. We never got this kind of information, this fast, in the past.

It’s in rooms like this that lives of coaches and gymnasts are decided:

The Authorities accepted nationality changes for … gymnasts Siyana Vasileva, from Bulgaria to Azerbaijan;; Elizarova Darya, from Russia to Uzbekistan; and Charlotte McKenna, from Great Britain to Ireland. …

The FIG revealed that all thirty doping controls carried out at the Rhythmic Worlds in Moscow came back negative; results from Rotterdam have not yet been announced. …

… average age of female gymnasts, which has gone from 17.68 years in Stuttgart 2007 to 18.14 today. …

… fourteen recorded accidents in Rotterdam …

read more – FIG Executive meets

Rotterdam was such a success that, in my opinion, the injury rate is now the #1 remaining issue. How many wheelchairs and stretchers left the Ahoy arena?

There’s much jockeying for position by Michel Léglise (FRA) and Adrian Stoica (ROM) both whom plan to run to replace Bruno Grandi (ITA) when he eventually steps down. Grandi was unopposed last election, recall.