Gymnastics Coaching.com

Everyone agrees the best live coverage was posted on International Gymnast. Kudos to reporters Albert Minguillón Colomer and Laura Merrin!

When I say the World Cup Final ends, it ENDS.

This was the final World Cup Final, as the FIG has elected not to hold the event in the future.

Too bad.

But when so many of the athletes selected by the International Gymnastics Federation opt to not attend the “big Final”, how important can it be?

BEAM
1. Lauren Mitchell 15.250 – Australia
2. Yulia Lozhechko 15.200
3. Li Shanshan 15.150

FLOOR
1. Cheng 15.375
2. Jiang 15.225
3. Izbasa 15.000

VAULT
1. Thomas Bouhail 16.225
2. Jeffrey Wammes 16.150
3. Isaac Botella, Anton Golotsutskov 16.075

P BARS
1. Yann Cucherat, Feng Zhe 15.775
3. Valeri Goncharov

H BAR
1. Epke Zonderland 16.175
2. Philippe Rizzo 15.825
3. Hiroyuki Tomita 15.325

Want to know more?

The most detailed commentary is on C Score.

International Gymnast – World Cup Final, Day Two

Triple Full – World Cup Final: Day 2

Gymblog – On the World Cup, day two

Ana Gulica’s Weblog – World Cup Report, Day 2

Associated Press – Cheng tops on floor exercise, giving China five golds in 10 World Cup events

Lauren Mitchell – photo Stefan Wurzer Gymnasticsunited

Media coverage of the competition this year has been lousy.

The official website, useless so far.

Last year Blythe Lawrence from Gymblog was there, reporting for International Gymnast magazine. IG has no stringer there this year, however. That’s a shame.

Gymn.ca has only skimpy coverage. And their Message Board seems to be defunct.

Gymnastics Canada posted only the Canadian Press blurb below, without attribution, I note.

Coralie Leblond-Chartrand of Montreal was the surprise winner in the women’s junior all-around competition at the Elite Canada gymnastics meet.

After finishing fifth at the 2008 Canadian championships in June, the 14-year-old climbed to the top of the heap on Saturday with a score of 53.30 points.

Madeline Gardiner of Cambridge, Ont., finished second with 51.90 points while Rochelle Hurt of Mississauga, Ont., was third at 51.40.

Canadian Press

I’d like to report on the rest of the Jr. competitors, but no one from the organizers bothered to upload them to the internet.

Results linked from Gym Score Depot.

Finals go tomorrow, Sunday.

Joel Parkinson wipes out on a powerful 20-foot wave during the O’Neill World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach, Hawaii.

Picture: GETTY – original – Telegraph

UPDATE – This text is from respected Coach Sommer of Gymnastics Bodies.

I’ve removed the links to those who linked to it without proper attribution.

Mako is a two-time Olympian (64’ & 72’) and two time World Championships (66’ & 70’) team member. He was the bronze medalist in the 1965 World University Games.

… Mako coached at Brigham Young and UCLA. He was the assistant coach to 1984 US gold medal Olympic team in Los Angeles.

He was Peter Vidmar’s and Tim Daggett’s personal coach at UCLA and helped coach Mitch Gaylord. …

At age sixty, Mako is in great physical condition. On his 53rd birthday, Mako performed 163 handstand dips for thirty minutes without coming down from a handstand. …

Wow.

Already posted, with musical score, by tomitaforever. Thanks.

KOHEI UCHIMURA – Floor Final – WORLD CUP DICIEMBRE 2008. MADRID

Silver medal.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

(via Ana Gulica’s Weblog)

The Final from Madrid, Spain.

The best summary online is on International Gymnast.

International Gymnast is posting from Madrid, Spain.

Diego Hypolito won Floor with 16.125, A Score 6.8.

Cheng Fei, as expected, easily won Vault with 15.050.

My man Prashanth Sellathurai from Australia is leading Pommels as I post, but the new Chinese superstar Zhang Hongtao is yet to compete.

Click through for more – International Gymnast

UPDATE: Hongtao did win Pommels with an impressive 16.375. Krisztian Berki, HUN was second 16.100. Sellathurai third.

The FIG commentary on the official competition website is also being posted live.

I’m not getting any live video on the host site. I’m seeing some time delayed coverage now. Actually, it’s only Hypolito‘s Floor, the best routine I’ve seen him do. But do we really want routines that long?

He Kexin: 16.250 on Bars, first competitor. She’ll likely win as JIANG Yuyan fell … or did she, IG does not mention it.

UPDATE – Final Results for Bars:

3. Koko Tsurumi JPN 15.250
2. Jiang Yuyan CHN 15.700
1. He Kexin CHN 16.250

From IG on He Kexin:

A big range in B-scores – Australian judge gave her 7.5, while Chilean a 9.0

Australian judges must be VERY careful not to overscore He Kexin after the Olympics, I guess. No doubt the discrepancy is all about the stupid pirouetting in handstand angles.

Final event today: RINGS

3. VAN GELDER Yuri, NED 16.075
2. JOVTCHEV Jordan, BUL 16.150
1 VOROBYOV Olexander, UKR 16.275

Beam, Floor for Women. Vault, P Bars, H Bar for Men go tomorrow.

Posted on the site.

Elite Canada – home page

Surprisingly, I never found an independent blogger posting them live.

Though the official competition website still has no information, some results are available.

ALYMER, Que. — In the first major competition for Canadian gymnasts since the Beijing Olympics, 15-year-old Brittany Rogers of Coquitlam, B.C., showed why she’s already considered a strong contender for the 2012 Summer Games.

Rogers placed first on vault, bars and beam and was third on floor to claim her first Elite Canada title in the senior women’s all around competition on Friday with a score of 56.35 points.

Calgary’s Sydney Sawa was second with 55.40 points and Charlotte Mackie, who trains with Rogers at the Omega Gymnastics Club in Coquitlam, was third at 54.90.

“I was bang on with everything,” said Rogers. “All the hard work I’ve been doing in training really paid off. To win like this at the first meet of the season really gives me a confidence boost.”…

In the novice competition, Sabrina Gill of Oakville, Ont., took the lead after the first day of competition with a score of 54.85. Kasondra Lepik of Oshawa is ranked second with 54.45 points and Stephanie Merkle of Waterloo, Ont., is third at 54.10.

Canadian Press

The Juniors compete Saturday.

More information on The C Score and Gymblog.

I’m looking at building one of these excellent bar training stations at my gym.

Woodward West

But what’s the easiest, cheapest way to build those spotting decks?

I’d love to use Gordon’s Action mats.

Leave a comment if you have any other suggestions.