Gymnastics Coaching.com

Fact is, these were the best Olympics so far.

History may rank these the best Olympics ever.

The Chinese people should be very proud.

From USA Today:

… Worldwide sport has never seen a finer fortnight, from the Phelpsian exploits in the Water Cube to the jolt from the Lightning Bolt in the Bird’s Nest, to the domination of U.S. men’s and women’s teams on almost every court, pool and field.

Then there was the Big Red Machine. China’s athletic coming-out party was complete when it won its first two gold medals in boxing Sunday to win the gold-medal count, 51-36, over the United States, but the Americans showed they are not ready to give up the ship quite yet, winning the overall count with more medals, 110, than it ever has won in a non-boycotted Olympics. …

Games a watershed for China beyond sports

I had actually hoped for more controversy. More focus on lack of human rights in the totalitarian state.

But the biggest political statement from athletes was the U.S. Flag Bearer, Sudanese refugee Lopez Lomong. What a wonderful choice! And a respectful, intelligent, symbolic gesture.

Click PLAY or watch an interview with him on YouTube.

China is criticized for not doing more to reduce violence in Darfur.

I had predicted that the Olympics would be the beginning of the end for one party rule in China. That exposure to the “free world” would inspire the Chinese people to push for more personal freedoms.

Seems I was wrong. A strong economy may be enough for them. For now.

The Beijing Olympic committe posted this final table, weighting the Gold medal more than the Silver or Bronze:

complete list

NBC in the States puts up a table based on total # of medals:

USA – 110 medals
China – 100 medals
Russia – 72 medals
complete list

A much fairer comparison is GDP / Total Medals:

North Korea
Jamaica
Mongolia
complete list

Or, how about sorted by Population / Total Medals:

Bahamas
Jamaica
Iceland
complete list

It’s a bit silly to rank directly the Bahamas (pop. 331,000) against China (pop. 1.3 billion). Comparisons by GDP and population are much fairer.

I’d say Jamaica had the most to celebrate in Beijing. The host Chinese may well be even happier. Not only did their Team have fantastic results. But the Games were the best ever.

1 Russia 35.550 points
2 China 35.225
3 Belarus 34.900

4 Italy 34.425
5 Bulgaria 33.550
6 Israel 32.100
7 Azerbaijan 31.575
8 Ukraine 31.100

Russia wrapped up their third straight Olympic rhythmic gymnastics group all-around title Sunday, with China finishing second for their first medal ever in the crowd-pleasing discipline.

Russia rules rhythmic gymnastics – AP

Over the past few years I’ve tried to gain more appreciation for this complicated sport. Certainly the Team is more appealing than the higher profile individual competition.

The general public is generally dismissive. Like this journalist:

… At first look, the sport of rhythmic gymnastics tends to induce a fit of the giggles. The costumes, the dramatic make-up, the ribbons; what’s the deal? And that flexibility? Well, that’s just freaky. How is this a sport?

Since we mock that which we do not understand, rhythmic gymnastics took a mean battering in the mock department in my life. I didn’t get it. So I mocked it.

And then I watched it.

I have now drunk the rhythmic Kool-Aid and am planning to move to Russia to learn to do the splits. Words I never thought I would utter came spilling out after the first night of qualifying; “Rhythmic gymnastics is really, really cool!”

Confessions of a former rhythmic mocker – Stacey Nash – NBC Olympics

My biggest complaint is the costumes. They distract from the extreme feats of coordination and flexibility, I think.

China’s silver medalists perform with hoops and clubs during the rhythmic gymnastics group competition at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2008.

(AP Photo/Odd Andersen) – ESPN

Looks like China will be future challengers to the domination of Eastern Europe in this sport.

… Several hundreds fans were on hand Thursday afternoon at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport to rally around the 18-year-old from Parker.

The flag-waving crowd … included gymnasts she trains with, pint-sized fans and fellow gold medalist and friend Carly Patterson, who trained at the same gym. …

Golden Girl: Nastia’s Homecoming – NBC

Oddly, Carly Patterson was not invited to travel to Beijing by … anyone. It’s nice Carly was there at the airport to greet her successor as Olympic Champion.

The Olympians from my city, Calgary, Canada, fly in (I think) Monday, Aug. 25th at 4:40PM. Congratulations to Kyle Shewfelt, Adam Wong, Nathan Gafuik and Grant Golding!

gleeclub was celebrating the Olympic competition in style …

original – flickr

And, of course, Port finishes off every “meal” perfectly.

original – flickr

The party is over. Is there life after Olympics?

About.com reports:

Beijing (CHN) BTG FIG Office, August 23, 2008: The Executive Committee members of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) held an extraordinary meeting today August 23, to discuss the age of Chinese female gymnasts.

Further to the communication released yesterday regarding the age of gymnasts who competed here in Beijing, the FIG continues to gather information.

The Federation has received a number of documents from the Chinese Gymnastics Federation, including passports, identity cards and family booklets. All information is in Chinese and the IF is making as thorough analysis as possible of the papers.

This process may take some time, but in due course, the FIG will make a full report of our findings to the International Olympic Committee. …

Investigation Still Ongoing for Chinese Women

If, like the general population in China, you are unaware of the controversy, here’s a catch-up video:

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Hundreds or thousands of people in China know the year He Kexin was born. It should be easy to prove it with newspaper articles from past competitions that list her age.

Hopefully someone from FIG will get her nose out of the passports and collect some substantial evidence.

The only trampoline athlete to have won a medal at every Olympic Games since the sport was added in 2000, Karen Cockburn will carry Canada’s flag at the closing ceremonies.

Congratulations.

COCKBURN NAMED FLAGBEARER FOR CLOSING CEREMONY – TSN

No surprises. She won all 4 apparatus in Finals.

Russia’s Evgeniya Kanaeva has won gold in the rhythmic gymnastics individual all-around competition …

Kanaeva got identical scores of 18.850 on her rope and hoop routines before wowing the judges with a club routine that earned her a finals-high 18.950.

She finished the competition with a ribbon routine that gave her a total of 75.500 and the convincing win.

Inna Zhukova of Belarus scored 71.925 points for the silver and Anna Bessonova of Ukraine had 71.875 for her second straight bronze.

AP

In the last diving event, Aussie Matthew Mitcham (photos) shocked the home crowd by coming from behind to defeat his main Chinese competitor.

Of the 24 diving medals awarded in Beijing, China claimed 11 of a possible 12: seven gold, one silver and three bronze. The sport has produced the country’s most Olympic medals.

Obviously diving coaches around the World need to raise the bar if they hope to compete in future with China. It has been a very poor Olympics for the USA, for example, though they have a young, talented team.

Young Thomas Daley will contend many more Olympics too, I’m sure.

I know many Chinese coaches who prefer the “buck” horse for young gymnasts. Yet there are mushrooms in China.

I like both, myself. Mushroom for beginners. Buck horse once they show good extension.

One more idea from coach Richard Herb.

He suspends “targets”. The boys swing in cross support and try to touch them with their (extended) feet.