Gymnastics Coaching.com

The high rez version on the official site would not play on my computer.

Click PLAY or watch the low rez on YouTube.

The video is MUCH better than the photos, IMHO.

Inspired by movement and modern dance, the Spring Max Azria collection explores individual expression through effortless elegance. Pared-down silhouettes are given life with graceful draping, while a luminous palette of shaded neutrals reflects the impassioned spirit of the modern woman.

Conveying the freedom and inspiration of this collection required someone iconic-someone timeless. While competing at the Beijing Olympics, gold medalist Nastia Liukin demonstrated the polish artistry, grace and casual elegance that define Max Azria aesthetic. Nastia’s refined sensibility, captured in the stunning images that fill these pages, embodies the visionary spirit of Max Azria.

official site – MaxAzria.com

I predict other high profile gymnasts will be offered similar modeling gigs in the near future.

Alicia Sacramone is down in Phoenix this weekend as a reporter for Gatorade. She has access to parties and interviewing some of the players on her quest for g activities. This is just the first video of a series of her interviewing and mingling with people.

Visit missionG.com for more videos. For every person that visits the site this weekend, Gatorade will donate $1 to charity, up to $25K.

She must be the smallest woman there!

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

It was close, 354.250-354.000, but my pick to win the NCAA Men’s Team Gymnastics title in 2009 — Stanford — lost again to Cal Berkeley. The third time in a row this season.

Stanford is now ranked 7th. Cal ranked 2nd.

Truly Stanford should be ranked #1. (They are a fantastic team. But so far this season they’ve disappointed in the same way that Florida has disappointed on the Women’s side.)

I expect Head Coach Thom Glielmi would explain that the team is “prepping” for Championships. That they don’t want to peak too early.

I dunno.

Stanford will next compete in the Pacific Coast Classic in Oakland at the Oakland Convention Center on Feb. 21 at 7:30 p.m. The Cardinal will be joined by NCAA squads Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and Air Force, along with Cal, which will be the fourth meeting between the teams this season, and an all-star team composed of the top university gymnasts from Japan. …

Go Stanford

home page – Pacific Coast Classic

That should be a fantastic meet. And it’s for a good cause.

Triple Full has a good overview:

The first American women’s elite competition of the year, the WOGA Classic in Frisco, Texas, is over and done with, and 17-year-old Christa Tanella of the home club successfully defended her title, scoring 54.400 to beat Southeastern’s Sarah Persinger (53.500) and Ukraine’s Yana Demyanchuk (53.050). …

Tanella and Svilpaite Win WOGA Classic

What did Valeri have to say?

Click PLAY or watch the interview on Gymnastike.

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

Anne is still adding content to the Gymnastike 2009 WOGA Classic page including highlight routine videos.

Here is the highest scoring routine in the elite meet, Lithuania’s Laura Svilpaite on Bars (14.750).

Click PLAY or watch it on Gymnastike.

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

Gymnastics Videos on Gymnastike

Full results of the elite divisions on International Gymnast.

Shout out to Sydney Sawa who won Senior beam.

Some gymnasts from Japan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine move on to the Nadia Comaneci International Invitational Feb. 21 in Oklahoma City.

The LSU Tigers upset the fifth-ranked Crimson Tide, 196.625-195.750; and senior Ashleigh Clare-Kearney earned her 100th career individual title Friday night in Coleman Coliseum.

It’s been a “weird season” so far for the normally rock steady Clare-Kearney. Nice to see her hit in such a BIG meet.

“We beat Alabama at Alabama. Nobody does that,” Breaux said. “We beat them from the first performer to the last performer. We were tight and our gymnastics was solid. We continued to come back and do a great job through the whole meet.”

Gymnastics team gets win over Tide

Terrific photos from this meet.

Kayla Hoffman

Ashley Priess – coach Bryan Raschilla

see more – Alabama Photo Gallery

UPDATE:

Triple Full – Jade Barbosa’s Doctor: “We’re Going to Think Positive, But Only Time Will Tell.”

UPDATE:

I asked Dr. Keith Russell of the University of Saskatchewan his opinion on the original study that started the media furor:

… the study was relatively small sample (its not clear from the abstract, but it looks like 12/125 children were gymnasts who had images taken because they presented with wrist problems) from a single hospital in the USA. This in not a “scientific” research study. One cannot imply any trends from this kind of study, one cannot imply any increase in numbers or increase in kinds of injuries. It is a type of study often done in medicine – a case-series study.

I am not saying it is not an important study. …

read the rest of Keith’s response in the COMMENTS on this post

==== original post

From a post of mine last November:

… In the report to be presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, researchers noted that the gymnasts studied showed a “broad constellation of recent injuries” to their wrists and knuckles and evidence of early necrosis, or “death”, of bones.

Using magnetic resonance imaging and other scans, the researchers studied the wrists and hands of 125 child gymnasts …

Young gymnasts risking a life of pain in quest for perfection – Times Online

Necrosis?

I don’t believe that for a second.

Gymnastics Coaching – another alarmist gymnastics injury post

Perhaps I was wrong.

Globoesporte is reporting that doctors from the US and Brazil have finished meeting and they all agree that Jade Barbosa’s necrotic injury to her capitate bone cannot be treated. …

All Gymnastics, All the time – It’s Official: Jade’s Injury cannot be Treated

She’s still training. But this may end Jade’s career.

Kayla notes that Steliana Nistor can “can barely lift a cup of water to my mouth”. She’s been diagnosed with necrosis, as well.

Rawles of perfection is possible alerts us that the Nastia Liukin Max Azria photo shoot is posted.

The website is frustrating. The video won’t play on my computer.

And most of the pics obscure Nastia’s face.

UPDATE:

Nastia was a celebrity model at the Red Dress Collection Fashion Show in New York. Too.

John Cheng

USAG

Coach Tanis Tzavaras created a Facebook page for her fitness program, TanisFit Training Systems.

official website

She also runs the Adult Gymnastic Class on Wednesday Nights out of Stampede City Gym Club in Calgary.

Region IV Gymnastics points to this deadine:

National Travel Systems and USA Gymnastics have finalized room blocks for hotels for JO Nationals. The room blocks will be opening on Feb 12th for participants to start booking. …

NTS Gymnastics

That link takes you to other sanctioned USAG events travel information, as well.

Nebraska lost to #1 Utah this weekend.

But the one routine I want to see is Kassandra Nathe on Vault: Handspring-on-to-the-beatboard Handspring Front Pike. (The Nebraska website won’t stream video on my Mac.)

Rarely done, because it’s so difficult, this vault should get COOL bonus.

… “If you had told us early in the recruiting process that Kassandra was going to be one of our all-arounders this season, I don’t think any one of us would have guessed it,” Nebraska gymnastics coach Dan Kendig said. “That’s why you don’t prejudge. I think she’s earned an all-around position by working hard. She works smart in a lot of ways. She has a great attitude.

…

Nathe, joined by senior Kyle Stone, are the only two Huskers to make appearances in the all-around competition so far this season. …

Nebraska Student-Athlete Spotlight: Kassandra Nathe

UPDATE:

To see another gymnast, Michelle Browning – Iowa State, compete it click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.