Gymnastics Coaching.com

Gym Camp is the best time of the year to meet famous gymnasts.

Svetlana Boginskaya, of Belarus, and Oksana Chusovitina, of Germany, visited the Northern Virginia Gymnastics Academy June 26 …

Former Olympians visit Sterling gymnastics camp

I wish I had attended that one!

… While Cheng, three time world vault champion in a row, had a below-par performance due to a right knee injury sustained before coming to Belgrade, Jiang shone by topping the qualifications of all-around and beam and qualifying for all apparatus except for vault.

The Chinese Olympic duo was both happy to attend their first Universiade.

“Compared to the Olympics, it’s much more relaxing. I like the atmosphere and enjoy the interaction with other athletes in the village,” said Cheng.

“I feel no pressure and very happy,” said Jiang, asked what is the biggest difference from an Olympic Games.

Chinese gymnasts show different class at Universiade

Congratulation Japan.

read FINAL SCORES for team and individual all-around qualification on World Gymnastics

Impressive AA for Japan. Two Japanese tied for first in prelims.

1. HOSHI, Yoskuke – Japan – 89.000
2. WATANABE, Kyoichi – Japan – 89.000

How about that!

Actually, it costs US$12 to have a company send you a gift card like this in the mail with Shannon’s autograph on it.

Shannon, Chelsea Memmel and Kerri Strug are “Great Friends”, 3 of the female sport stars and celebrities available to write you a personal note … from a short list of personal notes available.

Seems like a strange service to me. But I wouldn’t be surprised if you told me they sold many thousands of these.

I assume this company keeps the profits. It’s not a charity organization.

FAQs.

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.

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