Gymnastics Coaching.com

Nice. Some interesting skills.

Click PLAY or watch his 2009 Winter Cup Prelims on Gymnastike.

Gymnastics Videos on Gymnastike

I know Guillermo had the goal of competing in Beijing. It’s GREAT to see such a classy gymnast stay in the sport after not making the team for 2008.

I went looking for a (possibly hilarious) video montage of the showboating Cuban-American gymnastics coach Yin Eloy Alvarez.

But I could not find one highlighting his …

… curious rituals. He would give his gymnasts a kiss on the back of the head before their routines, make a unique sign with his hands (perhaps a religious “sign of the cross?”), and follow his gymnasts’ routines with a thunderous roar, fist pump into the air, and often a huge leap and run towards his gymnast. I remember first seeing him as I coached and judged at numerous boys’ gymnastics competitions, and I would notice how his behavior would often take center stage among all who were present at the competition, regardless of what else was going on at the time. …

Andrew Thornton – Universal Gymnastics

Instead, I was surprised to find a subdued coach Alvarez in a series of 27 instructional videos explaining basics to the general public. Here’s a sample:

Nice work. Thank-you coach.

One of the demonstrators is his now famous son, Danell Leyva.

As of February 9th, 2009.

Stanford moves up to 4th. They rocked their Season-Best Gymnastics Performance this weekend.

Nebraska edged Oklahoma. A minor upset.

GymInfo – Women’s National Ranking for Team Total – Troester

More NCAA commentary on Gymblog.

I was pretty proud of these kids this weekend.

Confirmed on her blog.

World and Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson (U.S.) is among the 13 contestants for the upcoming season of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.”

… The 17-year-old gymnast will be the youngest contestant yet on the hit reality show that pairs celebrities with professional dancers.

… If Johnson were to win, she would not be the first Olympic champion crowned on the show. Speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno won season four and figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi won season six.

“Dancing With The Stars 8” premieres March 9 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on ABC, and will run through May. …

International Gymnast

Does Shawn have the personality and maturity for this challenge? (She’s gots to be better than Steve Wozniak.)

(via BodyRhythm)

Shawn is not much in the gym. Only conditioning and running right now.

Many are commenting online that gymnastics competition in 2009 seems almost out of the question. And that “Alicia might have been a better choice for this TV show”.

Likely Shawn knows that Lilia Podkopayeva won the Ukranian version of Dancing with the Stars in 2006.

Feb. 7, Las Vegas

Two-Day All-Around

1. Joseph Hagerty (USOTC) (88.150/89.750) 177.900
2. Danell Leyva (Universal) (87.300/89.050) 176.350
3. Sho Nakamori (Stanford) (87.400/88.700) 176.100
4. Guillermo Alvarez (Minnesota) (85.650/88.850) 174.500
5. Chris Brooks (Oklahoma) (86.400/87.100) 173.500
6. Kyle Bunthuwong (Berkeley) (85.150/86.950) 172.100
7. Steven Legendre (Oklahoma) (84.400/87.650) 172.050
8. Kyson Bunthuwong (Berkeley) (84.750/86.650) 171.400
9. Chris Cameron (Michigan) (84.850/86.250) 171.100
10. Alexy Bilozertchev (Unattached) (84.200/86.250) 170.450

full results and commentary – International Gymnast

Results from the first gymnastics competition of the season in Alberta are not yet available online at midnight, as I write.

Not even on the official website.

larger version

The first meet of the year is always the most difficult. There were many errors. And even some dangerous routines.

I expect to see a BIG improvement by next competition.

Shout out to the hard working judges. They had two tough days (so far). New rules. New interpretations. Missed routines.

Happily the coaches made a point of not protesting. (Not much, in any case.) Everyone understands we need get through the first meet to set a baseline of expectation for the coming season.

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Held concurrently with the Exelta meet — in an adjacent venue — was the Alberta Second Trials to Nationals for trampoline and tumbling.

larger version

Brett MacAulay, Head Coach of Calgary Gymnastics Centre, is posting photos and videos. Search for those on Facebook.

Can this be true?

… A 4 year-old boy accidentally hanged himself yesterday in what Springs police say is a freak trampoline accident. ‘Angel’ was playing on a trampoline at his home on Wooten Dr. in Colorado Springs when his neck got caught in a cord. …

KOAA News

Terrible. Terrible.

I don’t like backyard tramps. But this sounds to be an unbelievable fluke accident.

You must have seen the trailer by now. They’re spending a lot of money on TV commercials to hype the thing.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Looks lame. Most of the good laughs are in the promo reel, I suspect.

The only review I’ve seen concurs:

… it’s about a pair of high school football players (played by 31-year-old Eric Christian Olsen and 28-year-old Nicholas D’Agosto) who opt out on their team training in order to tag along with the all-female cheerleading squad to their cheer camp/competition.

… I’m pretty certain that we’re looking at a PG-13 here (yes, they can say ‘s–t’ all they want with that rating). Heck, if it were actually R, then this film’s audience would have to ask a parent or legal guardian to come with, and that’s just cruel to consider.

Either way, Fired Up drops down on March 20, 2009. To quote one of the sassy cheerleader foes: B. F. D.

‘Fired Up’ Trailer Leaves Us Anything But

Hamilton, Ontario May 31 – June 7th.

The official website is up. Though there’s no content on it yet.

official website

Historically the Championships hosted in Ontario I’ve found disappointing. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Hamilton can do as good a job as Calgary did in 2008.