Gymnastics Coaching.com

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.

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.

Watch them on the BiomechanicsMMU channel – Gymnastics – on YouTube.

Best viewed in high quality

Linked by Brett MacAuley on Facebook.

Fred is a 1996 Olympic gymnast from France. And was listed in the 2001 Guiness World Record Book for Rope Climb. He’s beast strong.

He’s currently performing in the newest Cirque show in Vegas, Viva ELVIS.

I edit Fred’s website. We recently did some minor updates. No major changes as we all like the look and feel.

Check it out – FrederickNicolas.com

You could join this Facebook group:

Gymnastics coaches, parents, judges & gymnasts against LONG national meets

Founder Cassie Rice notes that USAG Men’s Nationals in Knoxville included sessions nearly 6hrs long!

They should hire Dave Adlard as a consultant. His meet, the Great West Gym Fest, schedules 6 sessions each day.

Today I learned my aunt has been diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). It’s fatal, but symptoms can be treated with Riluzole (Rilutek).

Former Russian 1996 Olympic Gold medalist Dmitry Vassilenko, now coaching in France, is also suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. He needs funds for medical treatment in Germany.

DmitryVassilenko.org – in French or English translation

From that site you can make cash donation. Or simply send a note of support.

Good luck Dmitry. If anyone knows how to fight, it’s a gymnast.

I never link to videos 7min long.

But in Joel Pocklington‘s case, I’ll make an exception. This is insane.

Have you ever seen pole vault acrobatics? Cool.

An edit from 185 different videos filmed across 47 different locations worldwide. Inspired in part by the great Damien Walters.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Joel represented Australia in Pole Vault at the World University Games in Belgrade, Serbia, 2009.

I wonder what his Athletics coach thinks of the video?

(via Caleb Tivendale on Facebook)

This has nothing to do with gymnastics. Nor coaching.

It’s only of interest if you are on Facebook. And disgruntled.

I’ve posted a rant on my personal blog – Rick McCharles – Facebook is EVIL … alternatives?

Update from the comments:

Nona Belomesoff, 18, believed she was going to work with an animal welfare organisation when she left her home last Wednesday to meet two men she befriended on Facebook. …

She was murdered.

Meet Lyo and Merly…the first ever mascots of the Summer Youth Olympics. …

official mascots page

YOG are hosted by Singapore, 14-26 of August 2010.

Lyo is short for “Lion of the Youth Olympics”. …

Merly got her name from “mer” (meaning the sea) and “ly” stands for liveliness and youthfulness. A passionate advocate of environmental protection, …

Olympic.org

Women’s Vault Final
1. Hong Un Jong 14.625
2. Oksana Chusovitina GER 14.462
3. Tatiana Nabiyeva RUS 14.312

Uneven Bars Final
1. Tatiana Nabiyeva RUS 15.300
2. Cha Yong Hwa PRK 14.475
3. Jessica Lopez VEN 13.800

Balance Beam Final
1. Luisa Galiulina UZB 13.750
2. Un Hyang Kim PRK 13.575
3. Ksenia Afanasyeva RUS 13.500
3. Oksana Chusovitina GER 13.500

Women’s Floor Exercise Final
1. Yekaterina Kurbatova RUS 14.075
2. Ramilya Musina RUS 13.825
3. Mayra Kroonen NED 13.600

Men’s Floor Exercise Final
1. Diego Hpolito BRA 15.550
2. Anton Golotsutskov RUS 15.475
3. Jeffrey Wammes NED 15.225

Pommel Horse Final
1. Saso Bertoncelj SLO 15.275
2. Alex Naddour USA 15.075
3. Andrei Perevoznikov RUS 14.925

Still Rings Final
1. Alexander Balandin RUS 15.700
2. Konstantin Pluzhnikov RUS 15.300
3. Ali Al-Asi JOR 15.275

Men’s Vault Final
1. Anton Golotsutskov RUS 16.337
2. Diego Hypolito BRA 16.025
3. Ri Se Gwang PRK 15.950

Parallel Bars Final
1. Jin Hyok Kim PRK 15.500
2. Anton Fokin UZB 15.250
3. Tim McNeill USA 15.150

High Bar Final
1. Aljaz Pegan SLO 15.500
2. Nikolai Kuksenkov UKR 15.375
3. Paul Ruggeri USA 15.075

details – IG – Russians Win Four Titles a Moscow World Cup

Home boy Anton Golotsutskov ended up winning vault.

http://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/PicAppPIS/JavaScript/PisV4.js

The talk of the gymnastics-o- sphere …

The only gymnast ever, I believe, to compete two different 7.2 difficulty vaults. (VIDEO)

Gymnastics Examiner:

The story of the Moscow World Stars meet qualification round: North Korean Ri Se Gwang, a supervaulter who landed a full-twisting Tsukahara double back easier than many land the same vault without the full twist.

Ri’s easy landing on his signature vault, combined with a very nice piked Dragulescu (double front with a half twist) launched him into first place that event, …

Ri first showed the full-twisting Tsuk double last summer at the World University Games, where he landed it on his hands during open training. At the time, some questioned the wisdom of throwing such a complicated vault.

He opted not to perform the vault during event finals at the World Championships after faceplanting the piked Dragulescu on his first attempt.

Ri is also leading the meet on rings, …

read more – Russians, North Koreans in charge at Moscow World Stars

Unfortunately he fell on the full-twisting Tsukahara double tuck in Finals, finishing 3rd.