“Bond Girl” skater Kim Yu-Na

by site editor Rick McCharles

Just arrived in Vancouver. I’m parked in front of the high definition TV, catching up on The Games.

For every gymnastics person who loves figure skating (like my Mom) there’s one who dislikes the sport (like me).

I dislike the judging. Find the routines too long. Dislike the scandal mongering, this time involving the Artistic Olympic Gymnastics Champion.

But even I can appreciate Kim Yu-Na. She’s an awesome athlete.

Kim Yu-Na is 19 years old and is the favorite to become South Korea’s first Olympic figure skating champion. …

International Sports Examiner

Click PLAY or watch her Short Program on YouTube.

Update: Unorthodox Gymnastics takes issue with a clearly under researched article by Aileen Gallagher controversially titled Why Figure Skating Is So Much Better Than Gymnastics.

I assume Aileen is an expert in both Figure Skating and Gymnastics. Otherwise, why would NY Mag assign her to write about the topic?

gymnastics workout at UCLA

This workout was filmed by Kyle Khou on January 7th just before the start of the season.

Click PLAY or watch it on Gymnastike.

http://www.gymnastike.org/assets/portal/add_ons/mediaplayer-4.2/player.swf

Gymnastics Videos on Gymnastike

gymnastics – a sport for deaf kids

Diego Neumaire was born without ears 11 years ago to a poor family in Mexico. Despite the odds he has excelled, winning the National Championship of the Mexican Gymnastics Federation this past April.

His story has so compelled Dr. John Reinisch that the Hancock Park resident is donating his skills as a world-class surgeon in ear reconstructive surgery. He is also on a fundraising campaign to help pay $40,000 for hospital and travel fees. …

Click through for details on this good news story:

SURGEON SEEKS TO RESTORE GYMNAST’S HEARING

Impaired hearing is not much of a barrier for children in gymnastics and other individual acrobatic sports.

how important are handsprings?

Taucer started a good thread on the Chalk Bucket forum:

… handsprings (both forward and backward) … are becoming less and less important to the construction of high-level routines. The front handspring seems all but extinct at the top levels of the sport (especially on the men’s side) and even back handsprings are becoming less common.

Front saltos are, more and more, being done from a punch (or connected from a backwards skill with a forward landing).

Backward saltos are, more and more, being done directly out of a roundoff.

There are a number of clear advantages to this. …

Click through to read responses and/or comment: The role of handsprings (both front and back) in development of high-level gymnasts

Patti's All-American
Some very good points. Still, I doubt you’ll find many coaches who have stopped training handsprings with developmental gymnasts. Girls need them for beam, certainly.

Olympic Floor Champion Kyle Shewfelt insists that Forward Handspring step-out > Handspring two foot > Flyspring is an essential tumbling pass for those wanting (later) to compete forward salto series. There are many mid-level gymnasts, on the other hand, for whom I’ve given up on forward handspring. And a few … very few … with whom I’ve given up on backward handspring.

What do you think?

best triple back on Floor

Don Eckert nominates Eddie Crane.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube (2008).

Eddie was a Team Gattaca gymnast. Leave a comment if you know what he’s doing now.

340jumperz.com – inline skaterz

The most under appreciated acrobatic discipline is inline skating.

There’s an amazing acrobatic team from France online at 340jumperz.com.

Jc Leroi

You can also see their stuff at 340jumperz on Facebook.

Thanks to Cirque’s Magalie Coleno for this.

Charlie Tamayo goofing

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Thanks Don.

Hey, he’s launched a website called Flip For Charlie:

… my most important challenge- making the 2012 Olympic team. Despite the obstacles I may face, I know with your support my Olympic dream can be kept alive. I would like nothing more than to give back to a country that has already given me so much.

Sincerely,
Charlie Tamayo
2012 Olympic Hopeful

FlipForCharlie.com

more posts tagged Charlie Tamayo

teaching dance head position

Creating long beautiful line leaves a favorable impression with the judges. Here Donna Culp shows a how to create long beautiful lines through your shoulders and head.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Buckeye Gymnastics videos

On the Beechurst10’s Channel find routines from this past weekend’s Buckeye Classic.

One sample. Click PLAY or watch Kara Lovan’s Beam on YouTube.

Great potential.