Gymnastics Coaching.com

Inside Gymnastics, an American gymnastics magazine (whose online coverage has been extremely intermittent and generally disappointing lately) will launch a radio program this Thursday, November 20th at 5 p.m. EST.

The C Score

Every time I get excited about Inside Gymnastics, they find a way to let me down.

Remember Inside Gymnastics Television?

That link is still on the site … but the last new episode was posted YEARS ago.

Now I’m excited about the recently announced Inside Gymnastics Radio:

…is coming to the internet airways this week! Look for our debut broadcast airing November 21st with athlete interviews, insight from the world’s top current and former gymnasts, expert commentary as well as Q&A segments with listeners.

Hosted by three-time Olympian John Roethlisberger, monthly broadcasts will be streamed live on InsideGymnastics.com.

With Roethlisberger on the mic, this is a guaranteed winner!

But where is it IG?

A full day after the promised Nov. 21st debut broadcast nothing is linked from your website: IG Radio

Lame. Lame. Lame.

The list looks familiar. It’s the coaches poll.

Which team will move up the most in 2009?

1. Georgia – 814 points (26 first-place votes)
2. Utah – 770 (2)
3. Florida – 742
4. UCLA – 699 (4)
5. Stanford – 676
6. Alabama – 640
7. LSU – 634
8. Michigan – 579 (1)
9. Oregon State – 526
10. Oklahoma – 525
11. Nebraska – 487
12. Arkansas – 467
13. Penn State – 382
14. Denver – 370
15. Auburn – 323
16. Illinois – 230
17. Michigan State – 228
18. Arizona – 218
19t. Boise State – 216

UCLA Gymnastics

Coach Dan Kendig hosts Championships in Lincoln, Nebraska on Apr. 16-18, 2009.

The University of Minnesota will host the 67th National Collegiate Men’s Gymnastics Championships April 16-18, 2009. …

Minnesota head coach Mike Burns, who is heading into his fifth season at the helm of the Minnesota men’s gymnastics program, said he was thrilled that Gophers will have the honor of hosting the championship in the team’s home gym.

Gopher Sports

Click PLAY or watch a video promo on YouTube.

(via Saving Sports)

How did Bela react to the allegations that he “beat” gymnasts in the distant past?

… Karolyi told a reporter that he doesn’t regret anything he did and that he ignores the recent abuse allegations.

“I’m not even commenting,” he said. “I don’t appreciate at that level even to have a word on this. These people are really trash, and I’m not messing with that.”

Former Olympic gymnast Trudi Kollar (Emelia Eberle), who raised the accusations, said she’s not surprised.

“The fact that he says he does not deny it — that should say a lot. And calling people ‘trash,’ you know, it’s a very ugly way of making comments about people. …

Karolyi: ‘These People Are Really Trash’
Former Olympic Gymnastics Coach Responds To Abuse Allegations

WESH.com

For someone with his media savvy, Bela could not be handling this worse.

I think he’s finished as a TV “expert”.

Next …

How will Marta answer these allegations?

More TV coverage of Beijing is showing up online, the copyright holders no longer demanding takedown.

If you’ve not seen the BBC British coverage, check this video.

It opens with that “perfect” vault of Nastia Liukin.

Click PLAY or watch Part 1 on Gymnastike.

Since YouTube clips are (normally) limited to 10min, the coverage continues with Part 2 linked from the same page.

Like most, I’ve admired Cheng Fei for years.

But never been a big fan. Until now.

Why is she still competing at age-20 when dozens of younger girls are waiting for her spot on National Team?

Her passion for the sport is a really compelling story.

Here’s the best coverage yet, on the hottest new gymnastics blog:

As we all know, Cheng Fei had a rocky Olympics. She was on cloud nine after the team competition, only to swallow a bitter pill during the individual event finals, an experience she likened to “a trip from Heaven to Hell.”

According to this Sina article, Cheng cried all night after her disappointing performances on vault and floor. “I cried until my soul had completely left my body,” Cheng was quoted as saying.

Cheng Fei after her ordeal at the Olympics (photo: Amy Sancetta/AP Photo)

She felt empty and wasn’t sure whether she wanted to go on competing. But her coaches felt she should, to exorcise the demons that were haunting her. Said coach Lu Shanzhen, “We’re letting Cheng Fei go on taking part in competitions both at home and abroad to let her find that competitive spirit, to dispel the shadow of the mistakes she made at the Beijing Olympics. Unexpectedly [according to coach Liu Qunlin, Cheng’s training has been far from systematic lately because of her many post-Olympic activities], she is performing better at each competition. Her beam and floor are already close to her peak level.” …

Triple Full – “I Cried Until My Soul Had Completely Left My Body”

I highly recommend you read that blog every day.

Possible Christmas gift for a very young gymnast?

Gymnastics in Action

(rated 3 out of 5 by Dog Ear Diary)

More video tutorials just posted. (Short ads proceed each.)

Click PLAY or watch Learning Handspring Front Layouts – The Technique on Gymnast.
http://gymnast.com/flashplayer/FlashPlayer.swf?v=http://www.gymnast.com/media/gymnast//upload/Videos/TTs/Front%20Tumble/hdsprg-layout1.flv&eb=1&ap=1&av=sportnet.gy.videos&pv=video&szv=320×240&apv=doubleclick

Click PLAY or watch Learning Handspring Front Layouts – Connecting on Gymnast.
http://gymnast.com/flashplayer/FlashPlayer.swf?v=http://www.gymnast.com/media/gymnast//upload/Videos/TTs/Front%20Tumble/hdsprg-layout2.flv&eb=1&ap=1&av=sportnet.gy.videos&pv=video&szv=320×240&apv=doubleclick

Subscribe to more gymnastics training videos at GymnasticsOnDemand.com

Reported by, who else, Triple Full:

The protagonist of today’s scandal is Verona van de Leur, who placed 2nd AA at the 2002 Europeans and 2nd on floor at the 2002 Worlds, after which she was voted Holland’s Athlete of the Year, an honor which had never been bestowed on a Dutch gymnast before.

Verona quit gymnastics last summer after an emotionally fraught period …

read the details – And the Scandals Just Keep On Coming…

Here’s her Floor routine at 2002 Worlds.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

For years we’ve heard accusations.

For example, from March 2007: Karolyi – cruel, brutal and abusive?

But the specific charges of violence leveled by his former Olympic gymnast Emelia Eberle look to be the first to “stick” to the teflon coach, so charming and endearing to the general public.

The story is being widely reported by NANCY ARMOUR in the The Associated Press: USA Gymnastics hears no complaints about Karolyis

What should Bela do?

Even as he faces renewed allegations that he was physically abusive to gymnasts during the 1970s, Bela Karolyi said Wednesday that he is a candidate for legislative office in his native Romania.

Karolyi, 66, said he will be on the ballot in Romania’s Nov. 30 election to become a member of national Senate as a representative of Romanian citizens living in the Americas, Australia and Africa.

Bela Karolyi has no comment on abuse claim – Houston Chronicle

Perhaps he’ll be spending a lot more time in Romania.

Already some bloggers are trying to put the Eberle scandal into perspective:

Anne Phillips – Gymnastike – Gymnastics Today versus 30 Years Ago

Blythe Lawrence – Gymblog – USAG: No complaints about Karolyis

Teachers at my elementary school “disciplined” young children with “the strap” in that era. They do not need to be thrown in jail in 2008. Nor should Bela.

Best case scenario would be for Bela to come clean. Admit what they did was wrong. And to apologize.