Gymnastics Coaching.com

… China have been stripped of their women’s gymnastics team bronze medal from the Sydney 2000 Olympics after one of the athletes falsified her age, the International Olympic Committee said on Wednesday. …

China stripped of Sydney gymnastics bronze medal

A 14yr-old from a totalitarian country cannot forge her own passport. In Sydney it’s unlikely she even knew about any age rule.

If we throw anyone under the bus, it should be the coaches and officials from that team. And the officials of the Chinese General Administration of Sport.

Update: Amy Chow, Jamie Dantzscher, Dominique Dawes, Kristin Maloney, Elise Ray and Tasha Schwikert will be getting a Bronze Team Olympic medal from 2000. They move up from 4th place.

details – IOC Strips 2000 Games Bronze Medal From China

_____ original post:

I saw this news report linked from Gymnastics Examiner – The gymnastics week in review

… During its two-day meeting, the IOC board is expected to strip China of an Olympic bronze medal in gymnastics from the 2000 Sydney Games because one of its athletes was only 14 at the time.

In February, the International Gymnastics Federation nullified all of Dong Fangxiao‘s results from Sydney and recommended that the IOC take the medal from the Chinese. The United States finished fourth and would move up to the bronze.

Age falsification has been a problem in gymnastics since the 1980s, after the minimum age was raised from 14 to 15 in an effort to protect young athletes, whose bodies are still developing, from serious injuries. The minimum age was raised to its current 16 in 1997.

AP

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I can hear the indignant shouts from Beijing already.

Dong Fangxiao is the only underage gymnast to have been penalized since the very first, Kim Gwang Suk.

I liken Dong Fangxiao to Ben Johnson, the Olympic sprinter disqualified for doping in 1988. There were many other sprinters doping at that race, but only Ben was sanctioned.

Olympic Champion He Kexin is still not underage, despite a fair bit of evidence.

The heat will be on in China with all this loss of face.

I wonder what underage teammate Yang Yun, found innocent, has to say about her friend being sanctioned.

And … has Dong Fangxiao returned to New Zealand? Or is she still in China?

Once again I’m looking forward to the most FUN camp anywhere, in gorgeous Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho (map).

It’s an ideal event for gymnasts (and coaches) who want to be energized and motivated.

I’m very proud to be associated with this annual event as the quality of coaching is very high.

Gymnastics High Performance Training Camp home page – HPTCamp.com

Despite our pleas, Camp Director Dave Adlard did not add a 3rd session. That means camp will be over-subscribed. Sign up soon if you want to get in.

GymNiceTic updates us on one of the biggest issues facing the International Gymnastics Federation.

Wolfgang Willam from FIG is there pitching the all new World Cup format for next season. Only eight all-arounder and twelve event specialists will be invited to a series of A meets, qualifying at World Championships in October.

To me the timeline sounds rushed. (Candidate cities need to be in Lausanne May 25th.)

It smacks of desperation. (World Cup has been a mess this season. Something had to be done.)

And I’m not sure getting the big prize money (700 000 Euros or $930,000) is going to happen.

… That said. I hope this does work. Prize money events have been a success in Germany. Indeed, part of the reason the old World Cup Final failed was because Hambuchen skipped it, competing instead at a cash meet at home.

That kind of money would be great for Artistic Gymnastics, especially on the Men’s side.

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For details and to comment on the scheme, click over to GymNiceTic.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Click through to American Gymnast for commentary and more podium highlights – Videos of Komova and Grishina From Europeans Podium Training!

He confirmed on Twitter that he’s moving to train at Cypress in Houston.

Charlie still wants to compete for the U.S.A.

Good luck.

Former Cuban World Championships medalist Charlie Tamayo competed as a “guest” at the Winter Cup meet. Defecting to the U.S. during 2003 Worlds in Anaheim, Charlie is seeking U.S. citizenship.

related – Gymnastics Examiner from Feb. 24th, 2010 – Charlie Tamayo: ‘I had to trade my family for the chance at a better future’

2010 Pacific Rim Gymnastics Championships on Facebook:

Bridget Sloan injured her ankle on a vault landing on Saturday – the day before leaving for Australia. At this stage she will only compete on bars.

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Elegant, yet functional. Unique. Clean. Finally an RSS feed.

I love it.

My region now has a better website than your region. So there.

Gymnastics Alberta

Last chance to audition.

Starting this Wednesday, April 28 at 12:00pm PT through Thursday, April 29 at 11:59am PT, you will be able to submit an audition

MySpace

…MySpace still exists?

In College gym, judges pretty much only deduct conspicuous errors, handstands (for vertical, not for body position) and landing. You’ll see why Stanford’s Carly Janiga won.

Though the judging on Bars was terrible in preliminaries, there was no doubt that this was the best routine in Finals.

Click PLAY or watch Carly on YouTube.

She very nearly won Beam, as well.