Gymnastics Coaching.com

2009 Australian Championships – Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Results

Thanks Australian Gymnastics Blog.

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!

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.

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.

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.

Nastia won last year.

… TESTING a new theme for the site. Leave a comment if you have any problems.

From nade00.

see more on flickr.

(via Australian Gymnastics Blog)

Where are the results posted?

New Japanese star Kohei Uchimura could be unbeatable at October’s world championships, reigning world and Olympic champion Yang Wei said this week.

Yang, who announced his retirement earlier this year, picked the 20-year-old Uchimura as the favorite to inherit his crown at the 2009 World Championships. …

read the rest of this article – International Gymnast

Yang notes that Fabian Hambüchen will be the crowd favorite in London.

“He is at home in Europe and America,” he said.

Bad news.

One of the builders of Canadian Gymnastics, Dr. Gene Sutton, of Hamilton, Ontario, has died.

An unforgettable character.

Details to come.

blantonnick posted an excellent coaching tutorial on the (free membership) wwgym.com forum. Thread is called Undersomersault to Handstand on Parallel Bars.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The kids are from Notts School of Gymnastics in Nottingham, England. Except for the Chinese athlete, doing the very last Felge / Peach handstand series.

Note that the Chinese gymnast does what I call the “Stalder style Peach”, while all the progressions are for the easier, but less powerful, “Free hip style Peach”.

The difference is the amount of hip flexion / extension used.

Personally I like beginners to start quite straight body. (As in these excellent progressions.) … And later begin drills for the Stalder style. Eventually they’ll find the technique that works best for them.

Thanks Stu Cram for sending us the link.