You know you are a gymnast if…

Gymnastics is life and the rest is just spare time.
You have never heard of the words whining and wimps.
You sit in a straddle when you are watching TV.
You have more blisters on your hands from bar than holes in Swiss cheese!

Karla Singh posted this photo on Facebook
Karla Singh posted this photo on Facebook

People mistake you for a rubber band.
Your bed is a trampoline.
You use chalk more often than soap.
You’re short enough to model for trophies.
Your friends are at the mall looking at the newest fashions, when you’re looking at leotards.
Your hands have more blisters than knuckles.
You come home with more chalk on you than on a chalkboard.
You point you toes during pull ups for gym class.
You dance down the hallway instead of walk.
Your floor routine music is your favourite song.
You know most vaults aren’t in the bank.
Practice makes perfect isn’t just a saying, but a way of life.
All your friends are eating dinner while you are at practice.
You do pirouettes while waiting in line.
You do handstands everywhere.
You compete calmly before crowds yet suffers anxiety during school tests.
You have the ability to balance your body on a narrow beam yet cannot bend over to pick up the clothes off of the floor of you room.
You have bigger muscles than all the boys in school.
You promise to never stop gymnastics…. like an energizer bunny that just keeps going.
You go to school and take the chalk home from the chalkboard.
Beam is super fat, and definitely easy!

Esprit Academy – UK

(via Gymnicetic)

blogger Andy Thornton – is BACK

If you, like me, miss the good old days of 2008 when Andrew Thornton was blogging for the still defunct Gymnast.com, good news.

Andy is back as a regular writer for the American-Gymnast.com blog.

He is posting about 3 times a week in a series called Andy’s Angle.

Andy is an original thinker, always insightful.

For example, here’s a sample post he calls China’s Newest Star

If you haven’t met the world’s newest all-around threat on the women’s side, allow me to introduce you! Huang Quishuang won the silver at the recent Chinese Nationals in May behind He Ning (Jiang Yuyuan had a disastrous UB routine and BB dismount). Although He Ning outscored Huang by .35, I think Huang is actually the better gymnast, and one to keep our eyes on in the upcoming World Championships, not to mention the next four years.

First, let’s take a look at the events we would expect her to be strong on, given she’s Chinese:

Huang UB 2009 Chinese Nationals

read more …

… hmm.

She needs more in the way of release skills. Unless the Chinese plan under the new code to max out swing difficulty, instead.

1-arm kip to 1-arm handstand

I don’t often link to Logan Christopher’s Lost Art of Hand Balancing Blog.

But this video he linked to is impressive.

This is from circus acrobat Yury Tikhonovich.

More correctly, I’d call it 1-arm kip … and 1-arm cast to 1-arm handstand.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

shout out for coach Phil Savage

Congratulations.

… For almost three decades now, boys and girls from Knoxville and the surrounding counties have been flipping and tumbling under Savage’s guidance.

Thursday, the first name in Knoxville gymnastics will be inducted into the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame. …

Savage has been premier stop for gymnastics

Phil-Savage

Kyndal Robarts – Pak salto collage photo

Posted by Utah coach Greg Marsden (UtahGymnastics) on Twitter.

Pak salto silhouette made up of photos
Pak salto silhouette made up of photos

How was this cool image made?

10 most photogenic gymnasts

As decided by Meredith of He Kexin = 14.

Shayla Worley
Shayla Worley

Click through to see the rest.

He Kexin = 14 – 10 most photogenic-Meredith style

Gymnastics Canada clothing

Check out some of the cool clothing specially made for the Canadian Gymnastics Teams.

long-sleeve-shirt

hoodie

See much more on the Inspire Sports website.

Inspire Sport was founded by coaches Liang Cheng and David Sykes. They also import gymnastics equipment from China to North America.

Salto fwd stretched with 2 1/2 twist

In the most recent edition of the Code of Points, on page 181:

Stroescu Silvia (ROU) Salto fwd stretched with 2 1/2 twist (900°)

Stroescu Silvia    (ROU)            Salto fwd stretched with 2 1/2 twist (900°)
Stroescu Silvia (ROU) Salto fwd stretched with 2 1/2 twist (900°)

Yet I saw a post by the always informative mandusky on Chalk Bucket stating that Stroescu never competed that skill. That it was Sabina Cojoca from Romania, instead.

Starting at about 3min:40 it’s shown in “4 different competitions including the Worlds”.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Or was it someone else who first competed this skill?

Sierra Sapunar in 1997? … In smaller meets.

And who was the first man to compete the skill?

Leave a comment if you know.