Gymnastics Coaching.com

weird London 2012 Olympic mascots

MostepanovaFan sends us the link:

They’ve only got one set of eyes between them and bear a striking resemblance to a computer game figure crossed with a character from the film Monsters, Inc. …

Meet Wenlock and Mandeville: The new London 2012 Olympic mascots

Here’s Wenlock trying gymnastics, inspired by Beth Tweddle:

At least, there’s only one each for Olympics and Paralympics. Not an ensemble of mascots.

If you’ve got nothing else to do, watch the video.

Big Book of Gymnastics Games

Gymnasticsman (aka Matthew Miscisin) wrote the Big Book.

An older product, you might get it directly from Amazon.

Amazon

Or via Gymnasticsman.com. Prices vary, but you might get it for $25.

You can also download games one-at-a-time for a dollar each.

I’ve not seen The Big Book, myself. Leave a comment if you have an opinion.

male pole dancers

Of course Asian acrobats, male and female, have been doing Chinese Pole performances for hundreds, or thousands, of years.

But when the general public hears the term “pole dancing”, what jumps to mind is the female version seen in strip clubs. The new Cirque ELVIS show has a terrific pole dance act, based on the strip club version.

More recently, fitness pole dance classes have become popular. And competitions.

For example, Miss Pole Dance World 2009 was held in Jamaica. 2010 is in Zurich, Switzerland, Oct. 2nd.

Karry Summers, former Level 10 national gymnastics champion from New Zealand, tells me that me that men are actually much better than women on pole as it’s so upper body strength dependent.

(Karry, by the way, has launched a Pole Fitness program in Christchurch. Click through to see details on her public Facebook page – Altitude Pole.)

Click PLAY or watch a Dominic Lacasse pole dance highlights video from Japan on YouTube.

NCAA Gymnastics keep SUPER 6

It’s not official until the NCAA Rules Committee meets this summer, but it’s near certain that Team Final “Four on the Floor” concept approved almost unanimously last season, is dead.

Inside Gymnastics posted a detailed overview of what went down at the recent NCAA Women’s Gymnastics College Coaches meetings:

… … at the 2010 J.O.s, the coaches, again in a near unanimous vote, elected to overturn their previous decision and retain the Super Six. …

Recall that Utah’s Greg Marsden championed the idea of a LIVE Team Championships as key to bringing College gymnastics to the next level.

Since then, not only had no live TV contract materialized, but Women’s Gymnastics has lost the delayed CBS TV coverage they have now.

Last year Florida’s Rhonda Faehn was the sole voice in opposition to “Four on the Floor”.

History has vindicated her concerns.

… “Promoting and marketing our sport is challenging,” Faehn acknowledges, “but I don’t think it’s because we don’t have live TV. I think part of the problem is that our sport—the equipment, the facilities—is very expensive, especially in these hard economic times. I think it’s important that coaches have established relationships with their athletic directors, their community.

We, as coaches, have to work to promote our sport and show why this sport is necessary and valuable. I think part of our job as coaches is marketing. We are all striving to do what Greg Marsden did at Utah, taking his [attendance] from 300 to more than 15,000. That’s what will save programs, not one live television competition.” …

Inside Gymnastics – Reversal of Fortune

I’d like to see the meet, perhaps the most exciting and dramatic anywhere, better streamed online, with a running team total based on AVERAGE counting score / routine.

Thanks Ono No Komachi.

Bars – overshoot to handstand

by site editor Rick McCharles

Here’s a video of the worst fall I’ve ever seen on “overshoot to handstand”, high to low, on Bars.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

It looks like Yvette Moshage was OK. I hope so.

On this site I’ve consistently recommended coaches train Pak as an alternative with a much greater range of error. And much lower risk of deduction.

Many coaches disagree, however.

I should go visit Folger’s Gymnastics in Wichita, Kansas. Mark Folger posted a very persuasive case in support of the overshoot:

… My girls believe this is the easiest skill of its value in the code of points (because that’s what I tell them and because it is). Girls who compete this skill reinforce that point for the girls who are learning it. It takes very little physical effort to perform it properly. …

Click through to see Mark’s very interesting series of 1-arm release progressions – Underswing 1/2 to Handstand or Bail to Handstand (VIDEO).

(via It’s About Artistic Gymnastics and Shergymrag.)

Rigby, Onodi, Voronin, Korolev

International Gymnastics Hall of Fame

Inducted this year were Cathy Rigby (USA), Henrietta Onodi (Hungary), Yuri Korolev (Russia) and the late Mikhail Voronin (Russia). Photographer Eileen Langsley (Great Britian) received the AAI International Order of Merit. …

Dwight Normile – IG – Emotions Run High at 14th IGHOF Annual Induction

Yuri Korolev could not make it to the dinner due to visa complications. He sits at the highest table in the Hall of Fame, though.

Check a highlights montage of Yuri Korolev by igorgymn1 on YouTube.

Korolev was World All-Around Champion in 1981 and 1985.

top 9 controversies in Olympic gymnastics

Amy Van Deusen has updated her top 8 controversies to top 9, adding the Chinese age falsification scandal:

Any sport that’s judged is bound to have its results debated ad nauseam. And gymnastics certainly has had its share of dubious wins. But it’s not just the scores that have caused disagreement over the years: equipment errors, seemingly arbitrary rules, and even a doping scandal have all given gym fans plenty to talk about.

Check out my list of the top 8 controversies in Olympic gymnastics — and weigh in on your thoughts on each. Maybe we can settle these disputes once and for all.

About.com Gymnastics blog

You can review and vote on each controversy. Great fun!

There are others, of course. Amy could put together another list. Include Marian Dragalescu in the Vault final at the Athens Olympics.

9.35 / 9.9 on this vault. That’s an impossible score. Fall plus alignment deductions, in addition to execution deductions. (I seem to recall 4 of the vault judges were later reprimanded. But Marian, from Romania, kept the Bronze medal.)

To see the video of Dragalescu and the eventual Olympic Vault Champion Deferr, click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

In fact, Amy could do a top 8 controversies of the Men’s 2004 Olympics including the Paul Hamm fiasco. 2004 was by far the worst gymnastics finals in the history of our sport.

gymnastics – super slow motion

Frame rate: 12,000 frames/second.

… clips of various gymnastics skills recorded by the biomechanics team at Manchester Metropolitan University. With thanks to the staff and gymnasts at Sandbach Gymnastics Club.