Gymnastics Coaching.com

The terrific Adidas commercial.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Thanks Fred.

Every Artistic coach needs to read the wrap-up commentary posts from Andrew Thornton:

Andy’s Angle on the 2009 Worlds Part 1…

Andy’s Angle on the 2009 Worlds Part 2…

A sample:

…
The women’s scoring in particular was the most unpredictable and undecipherable I’ve ever seen. I was confused, lost, and actually ostracized as a knowledgeable fan. I can’t imagine how lost the fans were who haven’t followed the sport for 20 years like I have.

Execution scores on the women’s side are ridiculous beyond explanation. They give every gymnast a mid-8 regardless of the performance. High 8’s and rarely a 9 are only possible on vault. What a bunch of nonsense! …

In fact, Andrew was driven to draft his own Code of Points.

Alexander Shatilov made history.

The 22-year-old is the first Israeli gymnast to get on the medal podium at World’s. He took bronze on Floor. Congratulations.

He’s listed at 183cm or 6′ 1″. … Impressive!

He immigrated from Uzbekistan to Israel in 2002.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Sweet forward layout 2 1/2 twist. The best I’ve ever seen.

Job in Auckland, New Zealand

Are you an experienced senior coach and programme manager? Are you interested in relocating to New Zealand on either a permanent or for a fixed term?

We have a full time position available for men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics at target=”_blank” Counties Manukau Gymnastics. Fantastic $5m purpose built gymnastics facility. One of New Zealand’s top achieving Clubs. Check out our website www.gymsport.co.nz

Please send expressions of interest and a copy of your resume to Marie Stechman at maries @ gymsport.co.nz

INTERNATIONAL GYMNAST Editor Dwight Normile part way through the 2009 World Gymnastics Championships:

… While scanning the hundreds of scores from the women’s qualifications here in London, I realized something odd. The results sheets included zero scores above 9.0 for the E-score (execution). And how many scores of 9.0 appeared? Two: one each for American Kayla Williams and North Korean Hong Un Jong on vault.

What shocks me most is that I saw some very good routines that would have scored 9.5 and above under the old 10.0 system. …

The men’s scores were more realistic, with numerous gymnasts cracking the 9.0 barrier, and well into the mid-9.0s.

It’s a pity that men’s and women’s gymnastics is judged so differently right now. This new Code was supposed to restore artistry by emphasizing execution over difficulty. The best way to do that is to lower the value of the D-score as severely as the E-score is being evaluated. …

Is 9.0 the new 10.0 for women?

I agree with Dwight. The Men’s judges are more confident to adjudicate. The range in execution scores is greater between best and worst.

Why are the Women not doing the same?

Are they afraid of being “out of range”?

Or, … are there so many vague deductions listed in the women’s code that they feel obliged to deduct something on every skill?

Leave a comment if you have an opinion. Especially if you are a judge.

I saw a few commenters say that Lauren Mitchell should have won Floor finals over Beth Tweddle. Let’s compare for ourselves …

Click PLAY or watch Beth on YouTube.

Click PLAY or watch Lauren on YouTube. (routine starts at 60sec)

TWEDDLE – 6.100 8.60 8.40 8.70 8.50 8.40 8.70 8.550 14.650
MITCHELL – 5.800 8.80 8.70 8.80 8.30 8.70 9.00 8.750 14.550

I like both. And I’m satisfied with Beth winning. She did more difficulty. Lauren is definitely more artistic.

Both routines are worthy of a World Championships medal. Congratulations!

Leave a comment if you disagree.

Can Shayla replace Courtney Kupets as the star in the Georgia line-up?

Shayla Worley is a great gymnast. But Courtney was the greatest College gymnast of all time.

There’s a terrific interview with Shayla on the Georgia Dogs website. Click through to watch it.

Or, if you are already nostalgic for the OLD GymDogs, click PLAY or watch a cool edit from last season on YouTube.

This year will be the 100th annual gymnastics show, making it, perhaps, the oldest gymnastics exhibition in the world.

The show’s theme this year is “The Wonderful World of Gymnastics”.

Springfield College Men’s Gymnastics and Women’s Gymnastics home pages.

Check this out.

A new online journal dedicated to research in gymnastics. The editorial board includes several high profile gymnastics sport scientists (e.g. Hardy Fink, Bill Sands, Istvan Karascony, etc.).

The first issue (PDF) has just been published. Clicking on that link should open it as a document on your computer.

Ivan Cuk is Editor-in-Chief

English is the main language but they are accepting articles in other languages.

I’m super excited about this great new initiative. How many times has Dr. Jeni McNeal told me that gymnastics research is “dying”? (Jeni might be dying herself this weekend, competing in the U.S. Adventure Race National Championship in Pilot Point, TX)

Pass this link along to anyone you know who might be interested.

Our sincere condolences to his family and friends.

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian gymnast Yury Ryazanov was killed in a car crash on Tuesday, just five days after winning a bronze medal at the world championships, police said.

Ryazanov was driving on a highway heading to his home city of Vladimir, around 200 kilometres east of Moscow, when his car collided head on with another vehicle …

Reuters