Gymnastics Coaching.com

2009 Moscow World Cup – 2nd 15.875

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I’ve always liked this guy on Pommels. Certainly one of the best sets in the world.

(via Australian Gymnastics Blog)

I missed the live TV coverage. But it sounds like a good Final this year.

Two-time Olympian Ken Ikeda of Abbotsford, B.C. struck gold twice and senior team rookie Kevin Lytwyn soared to victory in the high bar on an exciting day of event finals Saturday at the Canadian gymnastics championships in Hamilton. …

Other veterans picking up gold medals were Calgary’s Nathan Gafuik, who topped the field on floor and Edmonton’s Brandon O’Neill who won gold on vault. …

Other newcomers to the senior team making a strong showing were Matt Beiler of Calgary who won gold on rings and Peter Anderson of Vancouver who took bronze on rings. …

… In the women’s senior event finals 15-year-old Miranda Meyer of Edmonton won gold on beam and silver on floor and vault.

This year’s all around champion, Sydney Sawa of Calgary, tied for first with Cynthia Lemieux-Guillemette of Montreal on uneven bars, Kristin Klarenbach of Edmonton won gold on floor and Marie-Chantale Lépine of Montreal topped the field on vault.

In the women’s junior competition gold medal winners were Anysia Unick of Calgary on bars and vault, Riley Cholod of Oshawa, Ont., on beam, and Mikaela Gerber of Cambridge, Ont., on floor. …

read more on Gymnastics Canada – Ken Ikeda of Abbotsford, B.C. wins three medals at Canadian gymnastics championships

Results via Gym Score Depot.

Miranda Meyer, Champions Gymnastics, Edmonton

Good luck to all attending the open audition after the Canadian National Gymnastics Championships.

Wish I was there.

… Cirque du Soleil, the Montreal based entertainment phenomenon that plays to packed houses around the world, is increasingly becoming career options for gymnasts.

“We have about 1,300 artists working in our company now and more than 50 per cent of them come from a gymnastics background,” says Barnard Petiot who is vice-president of casting and performers for Cirque du Soleil. …

Gym to Cirque just a flip away – Canadian gymnasts find new careers

… the stunning Nastia Liukin has graced the cover of the last two editions of the 50 Most Photogenic issue. That’s the sole reason why, as we set out to select this year’s honorees, we began with the intention of selecting someone different to appear on this year’s cover.

As we made our way through the photographs, however, it became apparent that there was one clear cut favorite for the cover, and that it had to be the Olympic Champ. With breath-taking elegance and a style all her own, image after image after image of Liukin had members of our editorial team saying, ‘Wow!’

We also asked for your feedback via our Twitter and Facebook pages and through our contact line, and our readers seem to agree that Liukin truly remains the most photogenic gymnast. All of that, along with a banner year for Liukin, couldn’t be ignored. And so we’re pleased to announce that this year’s honoree, gracing her third 50 Most Photogenic cover is none other than Nastia Liukin. …

Inside Gymnastics

There are a couple of funny gymnastics scenes in the 2003 movie Old School starring Luke Wilson, Vince Vaughn and Will Ferrell.

Watch Vince Vaughn do an Iron Cross on Rings.

Gymnastics Canada posted two:

Casey Sandy

Sydney Sawa

Personally, I can’t see Francis Allen retire. I just don’t see him puttering around in the garden. Or retiring from Lincoln, Nebraska to Florida.

Francis Allen, 66, who has served as men’s gymnastics head coach for the University of Nebraska for 40 seasons and won eight NCAA team championship titles, announced he is retiring effective July 1, 2009. Allen, who had nine former gymnasts compete in the Olympic Games, was the head coach for the men’s 1980 and 1992 U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Teams. Under his leadership, his gymnasts won nearly 30 U.S. titles.

“It is almost impossible to measure the impact Francis has had, not only on the sport of gymnastics but also on the lives of many young men,” said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. …

read more on USAG – Nebraska head coach Allen retires

Francis Allen is a larger than life individual, unforgettable if you’ve ever met him.

When I was a young coach, his reputation was as a stand up comedian. Constantly cracking wise.

Even when I visited his gym last year, Francis was as energetic as ever. A great student of the game. Always enthusiastic to share his latest training video.

I expect he’ll still be very involved in gymnastics. But no longer officially Head Coach.

Read tributes in ESPN, USA Today, Sports Illustrated, and the official notice on Nebraska Huskers.com.

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What’s next?

Long time assistant coaches Chuck Chmelka and / or Jim Hartung are the likely candidates to take over for Francis.

Inside Gymnastics on Facebook pointed me to the BAD News:

Athletic Director Tom Osborne does not guarantee Nebraska Men’s Gymnastics will continue past the 2010 season. It’s under ongoing review.

The girls at my gym are all big fans of the Twilight series of vampire books.

Often I joked that they needed to become vampires in order to gain super human strength.

Well … here’s the first vampire gymnast, that we know of so far. She does triple back Kovacs with ease. And double front layout on Floor.

Click PLAY or watch her on YouTube.

This kid’s going to be hard to beat by mortal humans.

No doubt FIG will respond by again increasing international difficulty requirements to challenge the vampire gymnasts. Or they may try to ban vampires altogether.

In that case, we will likely need another FIG passport to verify that our gymnast is living. Not living dead.

(via Horror Movies and Gymblog)

UPDATE: Ruby Cole from Calgary Gymnastics Centre won National Novice. That makes 3 Calgary Canadian Champions.

Thanks Brett!

=== original post:

How about this?

Two Calgary girls win Canadian Championships. That’s a first.

Sr. Champion – Sydney Sawa – Calgary Gymnastics Centre

Jr. Champion – Anysia Unick – Stampede City Gymnastics

CONGRATULATIONS!

Official results aren’t posted as I write. But I’m seeing this unoffically on Facebook.

And congratulations to Men’s National Champion Casey Sandy. He’s been sadly under appreciated in his own country. Kudos.

Commentary from The All Around:

Casey Sandy and Sydney Sawa became first-time national champions at the men’s and women’s Canadian Championships Wednesday night.

Sandy, the 2008 NCAA Champion, scored 87.400, more than 3.000 ahead of runner-up Ken Ikeda. …

Sawa scored 54.450 to win the women’s title, a great improvement over the 49.600 she scored in Tuesday’s prelims. Prelim leader Cynthia Lemieux-Guillemette finished second with 53.950, and Dominique Pegg was third with 53.650.

The women’s field was as notable for the absences. Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs and Alyssa Brown are now competing in NCAA, while Nansy Damianova (shoulder), Kristina Vaculik (elbow), and Peng Peng Lee (back) were out with injuries. Brittany Rogers, originally in the line-up, suffered a rib injury during warm-ups on Tuesday night and did not compete.

The All Around

Brandon O’Neill finished 2nd on 3 apparatus. Nathan Gafuik 1st on 2 apparatus. Adam Wong won Floor. None of these 3 Olympians competed all around.

Men’s official results (PDF)

Anton considered competing the most difficult vault of all time – a Rudi-in, back-out (1 1/2-twisting handspring double front) in Finals at the recent Moscow World Cup.

Turned out he did not need it.

He won with only barani-in, back-out. And Tsuk double pike.

Click PLAY or watch it on Gymnastike.