Read the intro to “Concepts in Women’s Gymnastics” by Dr. Jerry George, illustrated by Jim Stephenson. It will be a must read for all coaches and gymnasts.
Dr. Gerald S. George, author of the excellent “Biomechanics of Women’s Gymnastics” (1979), is finally publishing another. Gymnastics coaching books are rare, as you know.
Here’s confirmation:
… have just completed a new textbook entitled “Concepts of Women’s Gymnastics” which will be available to the public in January 2010. …
A big story in Aussie Gymnastics. I saw the official notice reprinted:
Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS), in conjunction with Gymnastics Queensland (GQ), have announced the appointments of Vladimir Joura (Head Coach) and Irina Joura (Senior Coach) to their Women’s Elite Program. …
Vladimir Joura coached for 12 years at the highly successful West Australia Institute of Sport (WAIS) Women’s program and takes with him to Brisbane his youngest daughter Natalia Joura who is a current member of the National Junior Squad.
Vladimir’s departure will create a coaching opportunity at WAIS. …
… the Code of Points does not help Romania develop and retain many gymnasts.
“Now the scoring is open(-ended), so everyone tries to do many difficult combinations that take a lot out of the body,” he said. “It’s not easy to make many routines. There are two notes, Difficulty and Execution. To have good execution you have to do it many times, and when the difficulty is higher, it is not easy to do many times.” …
Some 2009 World Championships clips including the fall by Rebecca Bross on FX.
It’s interesting to look at a large number of falls closely to see why they happen – often very bad technique and form – and to speculate on why the coach left the skill in the routine.
Seems to me there’s too much incentive to do “difficulty” in our rules.
And that many of these athletes have not done enough landings on competition mats prior to the meet.
… This moment made me laugh because Kayla was sooo overwhelmed after vaulting so well, that even though she’d already hugged him and then stood there a while, she turned back and clung to him for dear life for a minute because, it seemed she just didn’t know what else to do! Seriously sweet. To me, Kayla won the US’s most well-earned medal for the women. She was consistently brilliant on vault. …
Kristina Vaculik has verbally committed to Stanford University. This is a big gain for Stanford. Vaculik is currently back in the gym working basic skills. Peng Peng Lee has just returned to the gym and is starting conditioning again. …
A new video from GymSmarts. Must see for every beam coach.
Fresh from training the 2008 Olympic Beam team, Tammy Biggs saw a need to develop an effective set of Balance Beam warm-up drills to improve the weaknesses she saw during the last Olympic Cycle. Tammy’s Beginning Tumbling Beam Complexes is the set of warm-up drills to correct these fundamental weaknesses she designed and is in current use by elite athletes throughout the United States. The DVD includes excellent demonstrations by athletes at Cincinnati Gymnastic Academy and is a must have for any program that needs to improve their Balance Beam performances.
Longines has a prestigious award for “Elegance” given to a male and female gymnast at the World Gymnastics Championships. (The guys are less pleased to be elegant than the girls.)
Elsa Garcia Rodriguez Blanca (MEX) and Daniel Keatings (GBR) won at the last World Championships.
Blythe on Gymnastics Examiner, tongue in cheek, riffs on OTHER Longine Prizes she would have awarded in London:
The Longines Prize for Difficulty
The Longines Prize for Embarrassing Fall
The Longines Prize for Graceful Acceptance of Things That Cannot Be Changed.
The Longines Prize for Graceful Acceptance of Things That Cannot Be Changed
The Longines Prize for Longevity
The Longines Prize for Promise
The Longines Prize for Improvement
The Longines Prize for Eye-Catching Fashion Statement
The Longines Prize for Themed Sports Attire
The Longines Prize for Specialization
The Longines Prize for Eye-Catching Tumbling Run
The Longines Prize for Breakout Performance
The Longines Prize for Perseverance
The Longines Prize for Calmness
The Longines Prize for National Satisfaction
Let me add my best wishes to everyone participating.
World Championships in Trampoline, Tumbling and Double Mini-Trampoline will get underway in St Petersburg (RUS) at the Sports and Concert Complex.
A total of 274 gymnasts (162 men and 112 women) from 32 different federations and every continent will participate in these championships, which feature Individual and Team competitions in Individual Trampoline, Tumbling and Double Mini-Trampoline as well as Synchronised Trampoline events. Great Britain and Russia will be sending the largest delegations (23 gymnasts per country), followed by Canada (22 entries) and the USA (19 participants). Kylie Walker (NZL), and Claudia Prat (ESP), both Women’s Individual Trampoline, will be the only representatives from their countries.
Let’s have a closer look at what and whom to expect: