Gymnastics Coaching.com

With the highest scores in the all-around and on balance beam, 2008 Olympic gold medalist Jiang Yuyuan led China to the team title Thursday as the 25th University Games began in Belgrade, Serbia.

A team of Chinese all-stars crushed Russia by a seven-point margin of victory, 169.150-162.150. The Chinese squad in Belgrade included Jiang and Cheng Fei, members of the gold medal-winning Olympic team from Beijing, and half of the 2006 world champion team in Cheng, He Ning and Zhou Zhuoru. …

Russia, led by Olympian Svetlana Klyukina, held off North Korea by .6 to secure the silver medal. Two-time Olympian Yelena Zamolodchikova, 26, competed on vault and floor exercise, the events she won at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. …

International Gymnast – Chinese Women Win University Games Title

Congratulations North Korea.

They finished ahead of Japan, Ukraine, Great Britain and others.

Prelim scores qualifying for Finals.

For once Beth Tweddle is competing against women closer to her own age.

VAULT
1. HONG, Un Jong – DPR Korea – 14.150
2. CHENG, Fei – China – 14.100
3. TANAKA, Rie – Japan – 13.900

UNEVEN BARS
1. TWEDDLE, Elizabeth – Great Britain – 15.700
2. CHA, Yong Hwa – DPR Korea – 15.350
3. JIANG, Yuyuan – China – 15.200

BALANCE BEAM
1. JIANG, Yuyuan – China – 14.400
2. ZGOBA, Dariya – Ukraine – 14.300
3. PIHAN-KULESZA, Marta – Poland – 14.050

FLOOR EXERCISE
1. TWEDDLE, Elizabeth – Great Britain – 14.800
2. JIANG, Yuyuan – China – 14.450
3. CHENG, Fei – China – 14.100

all prelim scores on World Gymnastics

Cam Anton, editor of World Gymnastics, has just posted Event Finals Day 1 results.

Women’s Vault
1. DUFOURNET, Youna – France – 13.975
2. UCTAS, Goksu – Turkey – 13.650
3. ZAFEIRAKI, Evgenie – Greece – 13.612

Women’s Uneven Bars
1. DUFOURNET, Youna – France – 14.675
2. MOREL, Pauline – France – 14.250
3. GALANTE, Paola – Italy – 14.000

Men’s Floor Exercise
1. KOSMIDIS, Eleftherios – Greece – 15.650
2. UDE, Filip – Croatia – 15.200
3. GONZALES, Fabian – Spain – 15.000

Men’s Pommel Horse
1. BUSNARI, Alberto – Italy – 15.175
2. SABOT, Hamilton – France – 14.875
3. MUNOZ, Sergio – Spain – 14.550

Men’s Still Rings
1. PINHEIRO, Danny – France – 16.075
2. MORANDI, Matteo – Italy – 15.825
3. BENY, Pierre-Yves – France – 15.225

Amanda Turner has some commentary:

… Rising French star Youna Dufournet won vault and uneven bars Thursday, bringing her medal haul to four golds so far in Pescara. The 15-year-old Dufournet led France to victory over Italy in the team competition Monday, and won the all-around title Wednesday. …

IG – French Sail to More Gold at Mediterranean Games

The Tsuk double back with 1/1 twist video has been going viral in the (admittedly small) gymnastics blogosphere.

Most are impressed. But very worried about what happens when he “misses”.

Men’s vault is by far the most dangerous apparatus right now. We might need to cap difficulty at some point. Or improve the landing surface to something like what is used in Power Tumbling.

We should ask Ronny Ziesmer, the German gymnast paralyzed training Tsuk double back in preparation for the 2004 Olympics, what he thinks of this vault.

Click PLAY or watch Ri Se Gwang training the new vault in slow motion.

Seems Shawn has been getting some grief online for being a “drop-out”.

Her Mom, Teri, blogged about it:

… I feel like there are so many misconceptions out there about Shawn and her intentions, I would really like you all to have the facts.

Most recently Shawn gave an interview and she stated that she was going to finish high school through an online school option. With all of her sponsor commitments and other opportunities that have come following the Olympics, Shawn had gotten so far behind in school that it was necessary to do this. Shawn desperately wanted to complete high school with her graduating class, circumstances just won’t allow that. …

Shawn Johnson’s blog

While her High School friends no doubt wish she could graduate with them … personally, I think she’d be crazy not to take advantage of all the opportunities she can. Get while the getting’s good.

The more gymnasts that get “rich”, the better for us all in the long term.

photo source – TMZ

Cincinnati Gymnastics offers sleepovers for anyone:

Sleepovers are open to all students ages 6 and up and their friends (even non-members).The evening begins at 7:00 PM and ends at 9:00 AM the next morning. Each Sleepover is always full of fun, gymnastics, pizza, games and movies! Parent’s Night Out (PNO’s) are for children ages 3 and up on the same evening from
7:00 PM-10:00 PM.

Sleepovers – Cost $40.00 …

Sleepovers & Parents Night Out

Kids love them. Chaperones need to ensure that everyone partipates. That no child feels excluded by cliques.

We had several sleepovers at my gym this past season. But they were geared for “team building”. No cost. Very popular.

Gymnastics New South Wales in Australia tried a sleepover as a State Team Team Builder:

… NSW gymnasts in Level 6 U/12 and Level 7 U/13 all stayed in camp overnight at the Sydney Academy of Sport with the NSW team of chaperones as many of them have not been away from home without their parents, so this was an important part of their preparation. …

Australian Gymnastics Blog

Leave a comment if you have an opinion on sleepovers.

In 2009 judges, in general, are far more up-to-date on the new international gymnastics rules interpretations than are coaches and gymnasts.

Judges have a lot of explaining to do.

Gymnastike posted 2 painfully informative video interviews with American judges.

Judge Sharon Weber – Bars And Floor

Judge Carole Bunge – Vault And Beam

Though many gymnasts have participated in Reality TV in the past, Shawn Johnson winning Dancing With The Stars will inspire many, many more.

Now British Olympic gymnast Louis Smith has auditioned for Simon Cowell in the UK.

… Smith, 20, said that his voice was “OK” but he thought that his sporting skills were better. …

This is taking me out of my comfort zone.” Asked which he would rather win – X Factor or a gold at London’s 2012 games – he said: “Both!”

Daily Star

… The X Factor is a television music talent show franchise originating in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for the massively successful Pop Idol. …

The SUN says the Olympic star lacks X Factor.

Women’s Team Qualification results, day 1 are posted.

see all on the official results page

The All Around Gymnastics News on Facebook:

North Korean gymnast at University Games podium training shows Kasamatsu with extra salto.

This is the biggest vault ever seen on competition mats.

North Korean gymnast trains a kasamatsu with an extra salto – unbelievable!

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.