rest in peace Dr. Gene Sutton

Gene died, actually, of a complication from an aggressive infection.

It was a shock.

2006_suttonHer passing caught many in the sports community by surprise, even though they knew their friend was in a tough battle.

“It’s just surreal,” said close friend Therese Quigley, the former McMaster University Athletics director.

“She’s just one of those people you expected to always be around.”

Sutton recently helped with the Canadian gymnastic championships at McMaster. She’d been involved in an Olympic symposium in Greece and was co-chair of Hamilton’s Olympic torch celebration. …

“She will be missed big-time. There aren’t many people with her passion and the drive to give at all levels of sport, from grassroots to the elite level.”

Quigley said “she did the work of 120 years in her 64 years.”

Sutton’s influence spanned local to international sports as a gymnastics judge, administrator and visionary.

She sat on the executive and board of the Canadian Olympic Committee, was an international authority on gymnastics, served on a multitude of committees and was Canada’s chef de mission at the 2003 Pan American Games.

read more – Sutton was city’s amateur sport icon

Friends and family are organizing a party to celebrate Gene’s life.

Thanks Amy.

best use for twitter: SEARCH

Even if you don’t use twitter, it can be useful as a real time search engine.

The results are much different … and far more up-to-date … than Google.

And you don’t need to have a twitter account to search.

How Twitter Search creates new opportunities for business feedback, tracking news in real time and discovering trends.

CommonCraft.com

CLICK play or watch the short explanation on YouTube.

Follow GymCoaching on twitter

Barry Sears on Nutrition

Coach Katrina Burton commented that much “garbage” nutrition information is circulated. Check her comment on this post, too.

She recommends these books:

Enter The Zone – by Barry Sears
Mastering the Zone – by Barry Sears
Toxic Fat – by Barry Sears
The Paleo Diet – by Loren Cordain
The Paleo Diet for Athletes – by Loren Cordain

Barry Sears is Ph.D. biochemist who has popularized the Zone diet:

The diet centers on a “40:30:30” ratio of calories obtained daily from carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, respectively.

Sears describes a Zone meal as follows: “Eat as much protein as the palm of your hand, as much nonstarchy raw vegetables as you can stand for the vitamins, enough carbohydrates to maintain mental clarity because the brain runs on glucose, and enough monounsaturated oils to keep feelings of hunger away.”

the_zone_book.gif

Amazon – The Zone

IG has gymnastics videos?

A new YouTube poster on bartgym’s Channel posted a “crash” video called Gymnastics Bloopers 2.

I stopped watching crash videos some years ago. But they are popular.

bartgym’s Channel?

Is that Bart Conner?

The video is overlayed with http://www.intlgymnast.com.

Does International Gymnast magazine have their own videos? I thought they linked only to Universal Sport.

Leave a comment if you can answer any of these questions.

Aussie Gymnastics Championships results

2009 Australian Championships – Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Results

GymnasticsAustralia

Thanks Australian Gymnastics Blog.

Pommel gymnast to beat at Worlds

Zhang Hongtao

Wow! Single leg work like the 1960s.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

From Andrew Thornton on his new American Gymnast blog column:

… this guy was in the last “individual-only” world championships in 2005, where he competed only pommel horse. He did make the finals, but ended up finishing 6th, (teammate Xiao Qin took the gold). Although Zhang’s amazing swing has been around for several years, he hasn’t been given another shot at a world medal since his 2005 debut. While Xiao Qin dominated the world on this event throughout the entire last quadrennium, there likely wasn’t room on the powerful Chinese team for two pommel horse specialists. Now that Olympic champion Xiao is retired, I have a feeling we will be seeing this guy in London in a couple of months, where he will now be the one to beat. …

Click through to see Olympic Floor Champion Zou Kai’s new routine. Second pass has never been competed before.

Andy’s Angle – Recent Chinese Nationals from Xiantao!

the Flip Machine: air filled mat

Posted by Jay Thornton:

A brand new gymnastics and cheerleading product offered by American Gymnast, the Flip Machine is an air-filled unit providing super-fast spring for gymnasts and cheerleaders learning leaps and flipping skills. This video gives a great overview of how the product can be used. It’s great for learning back tucks, front tucks, straddle jumps and a variety of other gymnastics and cheerleading skills.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.


details on American Gymnast

Promoted as a Cheer product, I’d be happy to have one in my Artistic gym.

Air-filled is the future of gymnastics matting.

Woodward West Gymnastics coaches

Some scheduled for Woodward West Gymnastics Camp 2009:

Igor Vihrovs
Pablo Capote
Kristy Powell
Alicia Sacramone
Brett McClure
Melissa Metcalf
Num Kutz
Guard Young
Doug Boger
Geoff Eaton
Jason Gatson
Jamie Dantzscher
The Platt Brothers
3 Danish National Team Members
Charlie Tamayo
Raj Bhavsar – coming week 11 (August 16-22)
Kerri Strug
Elise Ray
Mircea Badulescu
Jen Hansen
Kiara Nowlin
Aubrey Balkin

This came from a Stick It Media interview with Gymnastics Director Andy Timm.

SiM: What is the best part about your job?

Timm: Making a difference in a kid’s life when they come here. My favorite is the kids that come and are very nervous, and by the end of the week they seem to know everyone and are a changed person. I also love seeing the kids faces when they see their favorite Olympians. It reminds me of the way I felt when I got to go to Fenway and watched the Red Sox play at Fenway for the first time!

SiM: What are some of the highlights you have enjoyed at Woodward West?

Timm: The major highlight for me is that I get to hire some VIPs/Olympians that I grew up with and competed against throughout my career. I grew up with Jason Gatson and get to have him come out here and coach for us. I think out of everyone that comes and visits camp, I usually know the VIPs the best going into it. It is nice to be a part of the sport for so long competing and now I run the best camp in the country. …

Ever seen Charlie Tamayo crash?

I haven’t. Until now.

He’s as skilled as any acrobatic athlete who ever lived.

Click PLAY or watch Charlie Tamayo crash on YouTube.


That’s another of Don Eckert’s great salto cafe videos.

Don, of course, was Andy’s predecessor at Woodward West.

vote gymnast Courtney Kupets

Every year, the Women’s Sports Foundation recognizes an individual and team Sportswoman whose performances over a 12-month time span have been exceptional. …

Sportswoman of the Year Award

I’d love to see Courtney win. … But the NCAA is not the World Championships.

vote-Courtney

Nastia won last year.