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Luisa Portocarrero was the alternate for the beam final at the 1992 Olympic Games representing Guatemala.

One of the many wonderful gymnasts coached by Carol-Angela Orchard at now defunct Seneca Gymnastics, Toronto. Recall that Carol-Angela married and moved to England after the Beijing Olympics.

Click PLAY or watch Luisa’s 1993 American Cup routine on YouTube.

Like so many other Seneca girls, Luisa went on to compete for UCLA.

I was reminded of Luisa after seeing this routine linked from a Gymbits post – Sport Seneca Style.

Click through to see more Seneca highlight routines from the past.

(barely)controlledchaos mentioned Luisa this week, too. She’s a legend.

Canada’s National newspaper the The Globe and Mail posted a summary of the many problems (so far) at the Vancouver Winter Olympics: VANOC, the truth hurts

There have been many problems. No use denying them.

But it’s not “the truth”.

The truth is that the Olympics are marvelous for almost all of those intimately involved.

If offered a chance to go to the Olympics, would you say “NO”?

Does this athlete feel luge is too dangerous? Will she quit the sport?

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

The rest of the world mostly ignores the Winter Games.

That’s the truth that hurts.

Not a figure skating fan, I forced myself to watch the entire Short Program tonight. From what’s been called the strongest field in Olympic history, here’s the top 3, so far, if you missed it.

1. Evgeni Plushenko 90.85
2. Evan Lysacek 90.30
3. Daisuke Takahashi 90.25

Long Program goes Thursday, Feb. 18th at 8:00pm (ET).

Lysacek was good. I really liked Nobunari Oda, currently 4th.

And the NBC fluff piece on Plushenko was brilliant. The bad boy that everyone hates and fears.

From The All Around Gymnastics News on Facebook:

Montreal World Cup (Gymnix) nominative roster; the women’s competition appears to be canceled

I’m not surprised. Details to come.

UPDATE:

… Acrobatic Gymnastics has been withdrawn from the competition program of the 2010 Pacific Rim Championships due to only two countries entering teams into the event …

Gymnastics Australia

What a shame.

=== original post from Feb. 10th:

These days my favourite form of competitive gymnastics is Acro. What amazing things can the human body do without any apparatus?

I keep hearing that discipline is dying. But here’s some good news:

Never before seen as part of the program, Acrobatic Gymnastics will be a demonstration sport at this year’s Pacific Rim Championships. The world’s best acrobats will be on show from April 29 – May 2

Click PLAY or watch a promo on YouTube.

I’ve been a big fan of Penn State’s Brandi Personett since I first saw her compete full twisting double layout on Floor in College.

RESPECT.

Brandi’s scored 10 twice on vault already this season.

Click PLAY or watch the most recent on Gymnastike.

Gymnastics Videos on Gymnastike

… Penn State coach Steve … Shephard said he thought this perfect 10 was about the same as the one earlier this season, and still said he has seen the senior do it even better.

After watching it on video, Personett said she thought the perfect score from this past Saturday was better. She added, however, that a couple of her friends in the stands said the Feb. 23 vault routine was better.

Beam Me Up

Leave a comment if you know of a better quality video of either 10.0 vault.

Watch her Gymnastike interview.

Hey, Penn State went 196.450 last meet. They are perhaps the most underrated team in the NCAA.

UPDATE: Penn State posted a better angle. Click through to their YouTube channel to watch Brandi’s second 10 vault of the season.

Kellie Mizoguchi teach hand positioning for backward handspring.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Thanks GymSmarts for the many, many Gymnastic Minutes. (Tom must edit these just about every day!)

I’ve not been a fan of controversial British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver.

I find him strident. And not all that amusing.

But I’m thrilled he won the prestigious TED prize for 2010.

At the heart of Oliver’s work is an assault on the obesity epidemic: The CDC states that one in four Americans are considered obese. It is estimated that 43 percent of Americans, or 103 million people, will be obese by 2018. The cost of this epidemic is anticipated to reach $344 billion per year. It currently accounts for almost 10 percent of the yearly US health care costs, and that rate will rise to 21 percent by 2018. WHO’s latest projections indicate that, globally in 2005, approximately 1.6 billion adults were overweight and projects that by 2015, that figure will rise to 2.3 billion.” …

2010 TED Prize goes to Jamie Oliver

God knows he’s passionate. If interested, click over to TED to watch his scary 18min presentation.

Season 21, Episode 13 Boy Meets Curl.

… The episode saw Homer and Marge Simpson compete in mixed curling. It aired during the Olympics, which began February 12, 2010. Sportscaster Bob Costas guest starred in the episode as himself. …

Wikipedia

Click through to watch that episode on CH131.

It skewers Canadians very effectively.

Superb Nike TV commercial: Human Chain.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

… Watching X Country skiing at the Olympics. Brutal tough.