Gymnastics Coaching.com

From Gymnastics Canada:

It’s been over six months since Nathan Gafuik competed at the Beijing Olympics where he helped the men’s team to 9th and finished 17th in the all around.

Nathan soars during floor routine in World Cup qualifying

And you can can tell just watching him in action at his first international competition since Beijing this weekend in Montreal that Nate, as he’s known to friends and teammates, is happy to be back in the swing of things at a high caliber meet.

“When I got home from the Olympics, I was super motivated and I got in the gym right away and began training,” said Nathan after qualifying for event finals on both floor and vault in the men’s qualification round on Friday at the Gymnix International World Cup.

“For the first two months, it was great. I had no problems and I was learning tons of new things and everything was fun. Then when the time came to start putting routines back together, the turns got a little longer, and moves got a little harder and I started getting sore again. I went through a bit of a rough patch there trying to get motivated again but things are going well now.” …

read more … Gymnastics Canada – Gafuik glad to get back into competition at Montreal World Cup

Nathan’s Olympic teammates all took long breaks after Beijing. Nate’s the first one back in action.

related post – results – Montreal Gymnastics World Cup Men

From Québec.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

(via Flip Catch)

Many schools are celebrating Senior Night at their last home competition of the season.

Bitter sweet.

I’m sad to think next season we’ll no longer be able to watch Courtney Kupets, Kristina Baskett, Corey Hartung. And so many more.

Another favourite of mine is Trica Woo from Nebraska. Though there are dozens of stunning beam routines in College gymnastics, the originality, unique style and unusual connections of Tricia’s, I think, makes it my favourite.

This is Tricia Woo’s beam routine at the Nebraska vs Penn State Meet in January 2009

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Woo Woo Woo.

“I would not change the experiences I’ve had at Nebraska for anything,” she said. “Even though it may be the end of my career soon, I still feel like I’m going somewhere. I’m satisfied with what I’ve accomplished, and when it comes time for my last meet, I’ll be satisfied with my career.”

Huskers.com – Woo Continues to Seek Her Own Path

A highlight reel.

Some clips you’ve seen. Some are new.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

(via Wend)

Want more? Check out the unusual camera angles in the Freefall trailer.

Results are starting to be posted …

2009 World Cup
Montreal, Que., Canada
March 6, 2009

The women did not have a qualification round at the World Cup, and all competitors will participate in the final round.

Men’s qualification round

Floor exercise
1. Koji Yamamuro, JPN, 15.400
2. Nathan Gafuik, CAN, 15.150
3. Razvan Selariu, ROU, 14.750
4. Rok Klavora, SLO, 14.000
5. Barend Verbeke, BEL, 13.750
6. Rafael Morales, PUR, 13.700
7. Marius Berbecar, ROU, 13.150
8. Alexander Rodriguez, PUR, 13.100

Pommel horse
1. Cyril Tommasone, FRA, 15.400
T2. Donna – Donny Truyens, BEL, 15.350
T2. Sajo Bertoncelj, SLO, 15.350
T4. Hamilton Sabot, FRA, 14.850
T4. Krisztian Berki, HUN, 14.850
6. Ryosuke Baba, JPN, 14.600
7. Ziga Britovjek, SLO, 14.350
8. Tim McNeill, USA, 14.250
9. Jackson Payne, CAN, 14.050

Still rings
1. Danny Pinheiro Rodrigues, FRA, 15.300
2. Samir Ait Said, FRA, 15.250
3. Robert Stanescu, ROU, 14.950
T4. Tommy Ramos, PUR, 13.850
T4. Kenya Kobayashi, JPN, 13.850
6. Razvan Selariu, ROU, 13.750
7. Rafael Morales, PUR, 13.400
8. Koji Yamamuro, JPN, 13.100

Vault
1. Koji Yamamuro, JPN, 15.850
2. Marius Berbecar, ROU, 15.725
3. Daniel Popescu, ROU, 15.475
4. Samir Ait Said, FRA, 15.450
5. Marek Lyszczarz, POL, 15.275
6. Nathan Gafuik, CAN, 15.100
7. Rok Klavora, SLO, 14.800
8. Alen Dimic, SLO, 12.925

Parallel bars
1. Yosuke Hoshi, JPN, 15.600
2. Kenya Kobayashi, JPN, 15.200
3. Tim McNeill, USA, 15.150
4. Adam Kierzkowski, POL, 15.050
5. Cyril Tommasone, FRA, 15.000
6. Hamilton Sabot, FRA, 14.800
7. Marius Berbecar, ROU, 14.550
8. Robert Stanescu, ROU, 14.200

Horizontal bar
1. Yosuke Hoshi, JPN, 15.200
2. Aljaz Pegan, SLO, 14.950
3. Danell Leyva, USA, 14.850
4. Ryosuke Baba, JPN, 14.800
5. Hamilton Sabot, FRA, 14.700
6. Jackson Payne, CAN, 14.350
7. Marijo Moznik, CRO, 14.200
8. Roman Kulesza, POL, 13.900

CRSport

Top 8 on each apparatus advance to finals.

Some results are posted. (PDF)

Elizabeth Price (USA) was the clear winner with 53.450.

Her Parkette teammate Madeline Hanley was second. Bronze went to Canada’s Anna Gamelo.

This is not the FIG World Cup event.

It’s a shame Division 3 gymnastics gets so little coverage. This is the first year Gymnastics Coaching is covering the meet, for example. These gymnasts are very dedicated as there are no athletic scholarships.

Ali Clausen, co-captain of host Hamline University in St. Paul, MN is looking forward to the competition starting Friday the 20th of March.

Ali writes:

We have 2 brand new sets of AAI equipment going up. Thursday is team practice day and a banquet. Friday evening is the team competition and Saturday late afternoon is event finals. …

The teams and gymnasts who qualify should be determined this weekend. Good luck to all.

member schools

official website – 2009 NCGA National Gymnastics Championships

If you are attending the meet. Or have a shout out for Div 3 gymnastics, please leave a comment.

Saw a note on Facebook.

Seems Calgary gymnast Sydney Sawa has been added to the line-up at the World Cup this weekend.

You go girl!

Crystal Gilhooly posted this brilliant video to Facebook.

Click PLAY or watch The T-Mobile Dance on YouTube.

… Liverpool Street Station danced to create this special T-Mobile Advert. Life’s for sharing.

Triple Olympic gold medalist Li Ning achieved a major publicity coup in Beijing yesterday by signing pole vault queen Yelena Isinbayeva to his eponymous sportswear brand for a reported five-year deal worth $7.5 million. …

Beijing – Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia breaks the world record during the women’s pole vault final – Guardian

She’s the #1 female track and female athlete in the world. Winner of the Female Athlete of the Year by the IAAF in 2004, 2005 and 2008, and World Sportswoman of the Year by Laureus.

… Li Ning Company Limited now ranking as China’s largest sportswear retailer. Isinbayeva, with her Slavic blonde hair, model good looks and reputation as the world’s greatest female pole vaulter, is expected to add both prestige and chic to the brand’s armory. …

Stars currently under contract include Olympic champion diver Guo Jingjing, men’s gymnastics world and Olympic champion Yang Wei, and women’s table tennis world No 1 Zhang Yining.

To further expand its global reach, it has also signed foreign athletes including NBA stars Shaquille O’Neal of the Phoenix Suns and Baron Davis of the Los Angeles Clippers, and Croatian tennis player Ivan Ljubicic. …

Isinbayeva, a former artistic gymnast, said she felt instantly comfortable with the Li Ning brand.

“Li (also) used to be a gymnast. I think we have the same philosophy on life,” said the Russian, who was formerly under contract to Adidas, the world’s second-largest sports goods maker. …

China Daily – Isinbayeva to scale new financial heights