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Blogger Anne Phillips was one of those who made a special trip to the Texas State Capital to fight for a modified Bill that would exempt gymnastics and other skill-based programs (such as marital arts, soccer, etc.) from being classified as “Daycare Centers”.

THANKS Anne. And thanks to all those fighting for this cause.

From her report:

… about 50 members of the Texas gymnastics community showed up at the Capitol today in support of the cause. … When they FINALLY got to our bill, the Head Representative asked for everyone present regarding that bill to raise their hands, and all 50 of our hands shot up. Everyone else in the room, including the State Representatives, was astounded by the amount of people there in support of this bill. That was a proud moment for Texas Gymnastics.

Of those 50, we had almost 20 individuals who got up to testify and explain why it is important to support the Committee Substitute version of House Bill 1393. I was truly impressed with what everyone had to say. It was evident that everyone spoke from the heart and I believe they got through to the Representatives.?

The variety of speakers included 2004 and 2008 Olympic Head Coach Kevin Mazeika, Texas State Chairman Dianne Callison, GAT Educational Director Cheryl Jarrett and ITP Director Beth Gardner to name a few. …

Gymnastike – We are NOT a Daycare Center. We are a Training Facility.

Some European Championships videos are showing up on YouTube.

Here’s the AA leader on Floor. Good. But not awesome in any way.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

(via Gymnastics and stuff)

IG Publisher Paul Ziert’s second blog post is much better than his first.

Detailed. Insightful.

And only one paragraph devoted to what he had for dinner.

If you are interested in Men’s Gymnastics, click through for a preview of each apparatus. And some great photos.

… no team in Europe can touch the technical perfection of the Belarusians. Their program should be studied carefully because someone there really knows what and how to do it. If they could only gain a higher level of confidence and consistency, they would get the recognition they deserve. …

… I must say that I was pleasantly impressed with the number of gymnasts (156 entries) and quality of performance today. I actually enjoyed what I saw! …

Ziert Alert: Blog Two: Men’s Podium Training

Jordan Jovtchev (Bulgaria)

Results from preliminaries.

2009 European Championships
April 2, Milan

All-Around Qualification
1. Ksenia Semyonova RUS 57.625 Q
2. Anamaria Tamarjan ROM 57.275 Q
3. Aagje Van Walleghem BEL 56.150 Q
4. Yana Demyanchuk UKR 55.800 Q
5. Becky Downie GBR 55.675 Q
6. Valentyna Holenkova UKR 55.475 Q
7. Anja Brinker GER 55.400 Q
8. Wyomi Masela NED 55.375 Q
9. Hannah Whelan GBR 55.375 Q
10. Vanessa Ferrari ITA 55.250 Q

full list via flipflopwhip on Gym Chat

Beth Tweddle had the top score on Bars and Floor.

Don’t compare scores against the Beijing Olympics. With the rule changes, all-around scores will be lower this quadrennial.

Still … the main theme of this meet continues to be that the best athletes in the world are not able to meet the challenge of the Code of Points. Consistency, difficulty and quality are all lower than we would hope.

Kim Bui of Germany performs during the European artistic gymnastic individual Championships in Milan, Italy, Thursday, April 2, 2009. (AP Photo/ Luca Bruno) – ESPN

The first report I’ve seen, part way through the first day of competition, is from British Gymnastics.

Superb start for the British Women

The quote that caught my eye:

… there is a concern that the depth of Women’s gymnastics across the world is thinning. …

Certainly seems that way.

Men have adapted to the new “additive” code. But it may be killing elite Women’s Artistic Gymnastics.

German gymnastic superstar Fabian Hambüchen plus seven other gymnasts fight for altogether 200.000 Euros ($266,000) prizemoney in four competitions held in Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Berlin and Mannheim.

Fabian Hambüchen

The invitational tournament starts May 31st in Frankfurt within the International German Gymnastics Festival (30.05-05.06).

details and link to the press release – GymNiceTic – 200.000 Euros prizemoney

It’s Hambüchen’s celebrity that’s generating this prize money. A privately run cash competition circuit may one day be more popular than the troubled FIG World Cup events.

Fabian’s doing our sport a big service. A male gymnastics superstar with more charisma than Paul Hamm or Yang Wei, to name two.

Nastia Liukin is handling celebrity very well, too. I find myself increasingly fascinated by how a favourite to win Bars and Beam at Worlds can survive the media circus.

After GymNiceTic recommended this Nastia montage by postlemonkey, I finally watched it myself. It’s excellent.

Click PLAY or watch Nastia Liukin: Circus on YouTube.

That’s a comment by Geoffrey Taucer of Chalk Bucket:

Or rather, I hate having to teach them.

It’s so counterproductive to teach a cast in a hollow shape to beginners! If you want an easy cast handstand (video), stick your head out and drive your heels, and it will go right up. Granted, this should be a tight arch, not a loose one, but an arch nonetheless. It would make much more sense to me not to require any hollow position on any cast below a handstand.

The way I would prefer to teach it (and the way I DO teach it to my boys) is a tight arch. I don’t even bother trying to get them to hollow until they are either casting away to a tap swing or hitting handstand.

Watching elite gymnast, I have found very very few on either the men’s or women’s side who do their casts in a hollow position. They all drive their heels up in a tight arch and then hollow at the top.

So why do USAG women’s compulsories insist on a hollow position in a cast at level 4?

URGH!

Sorry, this just really annoys me.

I agree. There’s far too much emphasis, too, on “straight arms” for beginners. It happens because of judging deductions.

The FIRST step in teaching cast is a tight arch with bent arms. Hollow position and straight arms come much, much later. In fact, I’m oft to say: “The very last error that should be corrected is straightening the elbows.”

Men’s coaches, I should add, rarely waste time teaching hollow cast at the early stages.

Coach Miahi Stoica using a rail to measure height of cast with beginners

One of my favourite activities.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

These boys at Altadore Gymnastics age 4-5 are called “Mitey Mites”. They train 4hrs/wk, 10 months of the year.

The goal is general phyical (strength, flexibility) and motor (agility, balance, coordination, rhythm) fitness for all sports.

From this group kids are invited into 6hr/wk precompetitive, normally the September when they start Grade-1.

In a recent post I diplomatically mentioned that many had noted that Shawn was out of competition shape.

That raised a flurry of comments.

Fact is, Shawn has gained weight.

original – flickr

chinaSMACK (link c/o apolytongp)

That’s normal.

No doubt the adult maturation delayed by intense training as a gymnast kicked in.

She’s a healthy young woman.

Can she come back to International gymnastics after Dancing with the Stars?

Of course. If Shawn wants to.

But it won’t be easy. I’ll be surprised if she does.

Shawn’s celebrity guarantees she’ll have a dozen other terrific career opportunities.

From the Workout Wednesday series of videos.

MUST see.

Click PLAY or watch it on Gymnastike.

http://www.gymnastike.org/assets/portal/add_ons/mediaplayer-4.2/player.swf