Gymnastics Coaching.com

Click PLAY or watch Alexis Brion on YouTube.

Alexis actually learned this skill by accident while training full-in. She was at the time coached by Jim Walker at Gymstrada (later Excalibur Gymnastics). She later went on to great things at Alabama.

(via World Gymnastics)

You may have seen this clip before on GymBlog – Alexis Brion’s double in back out pike. It shows the same skill by Tatiana Groshkova.

Check the comments for more history from Blantonnick who was at the gym when it was “invented”.

My gym sent many girls to CSF over the years, including Debbie (Broderick) Rodriguez, today coach of L10 Sr. D Champion 2009 Makayla Stambaugh of Byers Sacramento. And Carol “Lefty” Johnson of Disney movie fame.

It would be a shame to see that historic program disappear.

USA Gymnastics is working with the gymnastics coaches at Cal State Fullerton on a fundraising campaign to support the school’s continued involvement in NCAA women’s gymnastics. Their goal is to raise $50,000 to $100,000 by Friday, May 22, 2009.

To this end, USA Gymnastics is soliciting pledges from interested fans and members to help support the Titan’s 33-year-old program. All donations will be fully tax-deductible and used solely for the Cal State-Fullerton program. At this point, we are asking for pledges. Once we know more, we will follow up to activate your pledged donation. Please sign up now and help this storied program that has made 25 Regional and 13 national NCAA appearances and won the national title in 1979. …

Please click through to USAG to make a pledge.

About Cal State Fullerton Women’s Gymnastics:

Nickname: Titans …

Accomplishments:

1979 NCAA national champions, AIAW Champions under the leadership of Lynn Rogers
13 trips to the NCAA nationals
25 regional appearances; 18 gymnasts for 66 All-American awards
Academics:
Ranked sixth in the country in 2008 with a GPA of 3.5867

Watch a Gymnastike interview with Head Coach Jill Hicks.

CHINESE NAT’L CHAMPS

MEN
1-Feng Jing 90.3
2-Guo Weiyang 89.7
3-Feng Zhe 89.35

WOMEN … judging is severe, keep in mind …
1-He Ning 58.1
2-Huang Qiushuang 57.75
3-Xiao Sha 57.05

I saw this posted by Inside Gymnastics on Facebook. They link to CCTV.

At the Level 10 National Gymnastics Championships, 4 of 8 winners were named May 15:

Junior A – Lizzy Le Duc of WGA Texans in Spring, Texas, won the all-around title with 37.750 points …

Junior B – Keeley Kmieciak of Phenom Gymnastics in Aurora, Ill., swept the top honors in this division. She won the all-around (38.450) …

Senior A – Kaylan Earls of Arena Gymnastics in Joliet, Ill., finished first in the all-around with a 38.400

Senior B – Abbey Habicht of Orlando (Fla.) Metro won the all-around title with 38.050 points. …

Click through to USAG for more commentary and complete results.

Region 5 is kicking butt in the Team Competition, as usual.

==== Update:

Junior C – Jaclyn McCarlin of CO Gliders in Covina, Calif., won the all-around title with a total score of 38.400. …

Senior C – Noel Couch of North Stars Gymnastics Academy in Boonton, N.J., won both the all-around (38.250) and the floor exercise (9.700) titles. …

Region 1 kicking butt.

USAG

=== Final Update

Junior D – Kayla Williams of Bozhi’s Gymnastics in Huntington, W.Va., won the all-around title with a 38.525 …

Senior D – Makayla Stambaugh of Byers Sacramento (Calif.) won the all-around title with a 38.500 …

USAG

All day I’ve been at the annual Mountain Shadows Gymnastics Invitational. An excellent competition, though very slow.

A “post-season meet” (after the target peak meet), the atmosphere was quite relaxed. Our girls enjoyed it.

The highlight for me personally was the local celebrity on hand to present awards to the eldest girls, Mantracker.

Mantracker (Terry Grant) has a cult following for his Canadian reality TV show, a hit that already has filmed 4 seasons. Grant is a real cowboy and veteran of the Alberta Foothills Search and Rescue Team.

Wikipedia – Mantracker

Qualifiers list:

Bars
1. Beth Tweddle (Great Britain) 14.850 (6.70/8.150) … fall
2. Lucia Tacchelli (Switzerland) 14.200 (5.80/8.400)
3. Ekatarina Kurbatova (Russia) 14.075 (5.80/8.275)
4. Jana Sikulova (Czech Republic) 13.950 (5.50/8.450)
5. Gabriela Dragoi (Romania) 13.125 (5.80/7.325)
6. Khiuani Dias (Brasil) 13.000 (5.40/7.600)
6. Becky Downie (Great Britain) 13.000 (5.70/7.300)
8. Diana Chelaru (Romania) 12.525 (5.20/7.325)

Balance Beam
1. Gabriela Dragoi (Romania) 14.425 (5.70/8.725)
2. Sanne Wevers (Netherlands) 14.025 (5.60/8.425)
3. Ana Maria Izurieta (Spain) 13.975 (5.70/8.275)
4. Suzanne Harmes (Netherlands) 13.925 (5.20/8.725)
5. Khiuani Dias (Brasil) 13.875 (5.10/8.775)
6. Becky Downie (Great Britain) 13.775 (5.20/8.575)
7. Adela Sajn (Slovenia) 13.575 (5.40/8.175)
8. Ekatarina Kurbatova (Russia) 13.525 (5.80/7.725)

Floor Exercise
1. Beth Tweddle (Great Britain) 15.025 (6.00/9.025)
2. Anna Myzdrikova (Russia) 14.650 (6.00/8.650)
3. Ana Maria Izurieta (Spain) 14.175 (5.50/8.675)
4. Yasmin Zimmerman (Switzerland) 13.825 (5.30/8.525)
5. Diana Chelaru (Romania) 13.775 (5.50/8.025)
6. Yulia Berger (Russia) 13.575 (5.40/8.175)
7. Naomi Ruiz (Spain) 13.500 (5.50/8.000)
8. Jessica Gil (Colombia) 13.200 (5.40/7.800)

Vault ??

Once again, an official FIG World Cup could not muster enough gymnasts able to compete 2 vaults. All 7 girls who entered automatically qualified through to Finals.

(via World Gymnastics)

Bumf.

If there’s anything that’s sure to solve a problem in a huge bureaucratic monopoly, it’s more paper.

… In the future indeed, gymnasts intending to participate in any official FIG competition will need to present a FIG licence. Such was the decision taken by the FIG Executive Board in May of 2008, which will come into force at the Artistic World Championships in London (GBR) in September of this year. With time, gymnasts from every discipline will need to follow suit.

The gymnastic passport serves to identify athletes and verify accreditation. The licence is required for the Olympic Games, World and Continental Championships, the World and Continental Games, World Cup Series, International Age Group Competitions and for all FIG-backed competitions and tournaments among federations.

By signing, an athlete attests to his or her identity and age, and consents to a formal athlete profile in the Anti-Doping Administration & Management System (ADAMS), as provided in the WADA Code (World Anti-Doping Agency). …

FIG

Obviously there is no person alive who believes that a “gymnastics passport” will do any more to deter age cheats (gymnasts lying about their age) than simply using real passports.

Is there some advantage in tying the anti-doping to this new document? Or is it a total waste of time and money?

We have good padding on our rail for learning skills like Tkachev straddled and Jaeger straddled.

image source

But what’s the best padding to wear on the heels and calves?

Leave a comment if you’ve found pads that work for you.

==== UPDATE: Coach Kyle recommends ice hockey elbow pads. “They fit perfectly have a plastic shell with foam backing. These are the best! They are also slim and flexible and will allow you to point your toes.”

Jeremy Mosier uses the same thing on the heels. And adds a shin pad (facing backwards) to protect the calf.

What’s a Freedom Jumper?

Anyone who can launch themselves — under their own power — above the horizon line for a photo.

There are Rules:

1. Don’t Talk About Jumping

2. Don’t Talk About Landing

3. It is Not About the Picture

4. Cross the Horizon or Stay Grounded

5. No Illegal Aids

6. Don’t Get Jumped!!!

To become a Freedom Jumper, sign on now at the official website – FreedomJumping.com

(via Get Oudoors)

From the official press release:

Gymnastics Canada is very pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Vladimir Lashin as the new Women’s Artistic Gymnastics (WAG) National Coach / High Performance Director. Mr. Lashin is a university graduate from the State central Institute of physical education in Moscow, Russia, an NCCP Level 4 certified coach as well as FIG Academy expert since 2008. He has many years of working experience with the WAG National Team athletes and coaches in Canada, Australia and Russia. …

Mr. Lashin will start his new full time duties on June 1st 2009 (on a part basis as of May 19).

Lashin has been coaching at Omega in Vancouver, Canada along with his wife Svetlana.

He was coach of Gael Mackie, now at Utah. And a number of other prominent FIG gymnasts

I don’t know the man. But his reputation is a demanding, old school east European style. I’m not convinced that’s what Canada needs right now.

His tenure will be controversial, I predict.