Gymnastics Coaching.com

The big story from Day 1 of the USA Men’s National Team selection meet is Junior Danell Leyva.

Gymnastike reports:

Dannel Leyva … trains at Universal Gymnastics in Miami where he is coached by his dad, Yin Alvarez.

… finished 3rd AA out of the 77 competitors. If he does this again Saturday he’ll be on the senior team for sure.

See a video interview with Danell after the meet.

Danell Leyva – official website

The “theatrical emotional reactions of his coach and father” are not appreciated by many, however. Myself included.

I feel it displays a lack of respect for the other competitors.

THE COUCH GYMNAST posted a collection of entertaining gymnastics photos including this one:

Dominique Dawes

see the rest – A Few Basic Safety Rules… OR….. WHAT NOT TO DO WITH THE APPARATUS

related post – motivated by Dominique Dawes

UPDATE:

MoonKid notes that GYMJAM has been distributed in Ontario for some time, circulation now expanded across the country.

Or … almost all the country.

Jim Rand points out that the new Canadian magazine somehow omitted all the gyms east of Quebec in the club listings. The Maritime Provinces deserve an apology in the second issue.

Ana-Lia notes … Manitoba and the Territories as well.

==== original post:

GYMJAM magazine will be distributed 4 times a year to over 100,000 readers.

The official magazine of Gymnastics in Canada

Here’s edition #1 of the Canadian version.

TurnIt.net – read it for free online

It looks good. Gymnastics magazines in Canada have started up and quickly died over the years. I hope this one can attract enough advertising dollars to be self-sustaining.

This edition has a full list of gymnastics clubs in every Province, a listing missing (so far) on the new Gymnastics Canada website.

I doubt there will be any confusion between the Canadian magazine and Chris Waller’s GymJam Academy in California.

Some MAG stats from Jeff Thomson, Gymnastics Canada:

The highest Execution (B) Score by any athlete at the Beijing Olympics was Kyle Shewfelt on Vault with a 9.7 9.75.

Those were Kyle’s 3rd Olympics.

If the Olympic Games were judged only on Execution …

Average B scores were:

1) China 9.12
2) Japan 9.03
3) Germany 9.03
4) Canada 9.01

UPDATE: Those statistics from the preliminary Team competition.

One commenter points out that Marian Dragalescu got a B score of 9.8 on his first vault in event finals. But — just like in 2004 — he missed his second vault. So his combined final B-score was lower than 9.75.

Most interviews of female gymnast are DULL. Predictable.

But three good articles landed in my RSS Reader the same day.

Leslie Mak (Oregon) is happy with her decision to go to College gym rather than pursue the Olympics.

Jessica Lopez (Denver / Venezuela) is thrilled to return to the American Cup.

Anna Li (UCLA) dreams of being a stunt woman.

Anna’s UCLA team cancelled their competition this weekend due to a strange virus.

Tickets go on sale today.

WHEN: Aug. 12-15

WHERE: American Airlines Center and Dallas Convention Center

TICKETS: On sale Friday at ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000; all-session tickets cost from $95 to $350

NOTABLE

-For the first time, the event will feature national championships for all five of USA Gymnastics’ disciplines – men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling and acrobatic gymnastics. The junior and senior national teams will be determined.

-The USA Gymnastics National Congress and Trade Show will run concurrently at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel.

Dallas News

Anne Phillips is at the USA Gymnastics Men’s Winter Cup in Las Vegas.

She’s already uploading photos and videos to the event home page on Gymnastike.

What’s the Winter Cup?

Jonathan Horton explains it to you in this video.
http://www.gymnastike.org/assets/portal/add_ons/mediaplayer-4.2/player.swf

Gymnastics Videos on Gymnastike

Anna Bessonova is one of the greatest Rhythmic gymnasts of all time.

Uploaded by N̩mida Рflickr Рlarger original

Sad news.

A San Diego acrobatic performer and instructor died Tuesday night after he fell headfirst from a metal chain during a show for about 700 people at a PGA golf-tournament dinner in Scottsdale, Ariz., …

San Diego acrobat dies in fall

Jose Angel Vera was also a gymnastics coach.

A fund has been set up to help the family with funeral costs.

Thanks Tracey.

New Head Coach Nicusor Pascu was interviewed by Prosport a month after taking over the job.

He calls his training program “radical”.

In the post-Drăgulescu era, here’s the current Men’s Team:

Daniel Popescu (CS Dinamo Bucuresti)
Razvan Selariu (CS Dinamo Bucuresti)
Flavius Koczi (CS Dinamo Bucuresti)
Marius Berbecar (CSM Bistrita)
Robert Stanescu (CS Dinamo Bucuresti)
Alin Jivan (CSS3 Steaua Bucuresti)
Adrian Bucur (CSM Sf. Gheorghe)
Cosmin Popescu (CS Dinamo Bucuresti)
Cosmin Malita (CSS Resita)
Cosmin Iancu (CSS3 Steaua Bucuresti)
Cristian Bataga (CSM Bistrita)
Andrei Munteanu (LPS/CSM Bistrita)
Andrei Ursache (CS Dinamo Bucuresti)
Ovidiu Buidoso (CSS Resita)
Vlad Cotuna (CSS1 Timisoara)

read the interview on Fangymnastics – “I want to form a real team”

In a related story, former Romanian champion Steliana Nistor suffers from medical problems, including — perhaps — necrosis of the hand.