Gymnastics Coaching.com

Of all the commentaries I’ve heard, the best is a comedy video clip by gymnastics great, 1992 and 1996 Olympian, Johnnie R.

NBC’s John Roethlisberger does the math, breaks down the women’s team competition and explains why Alicia Sacramone is not to blame for the Americans’ second-place finish. “It’s not her fault,” he says.

You can see it if you’ve managed to find a way to stream NBC video.

If you can’t stream NBC, … curse the network and their masters G.E.

Instead, read yet another we still love you Alicia article:

… other reasons for USAG to be happy and hopeful.

1) There is a LOT more gymnastics coming up. First, the headliner, the women’s all around where, if they hit, Nastia and Shawn are highly likely to go 1-2.

2) After that Shawn is in two event finals: floor, where she’s the reigning world champion, and beam, to which she qualified a strong third.

3) Nastia is in three event finals: bars where she is a former world champion and has only just missed out on gold for the past two years, beam where she is two-time and reigning world champion, and floor where she was a world silver medalist.

4) Alicia gets her chance to shake off her demons and go for it in vault finals, where she’s been on the podium for the last three years at world championships.

So, wish the ladies luck. They, especially Nastia, are going to be busy. IT SHOULD BE GOOD TIMES.

Rawles

… and when did John become an NBC comedian? His spots are some of the best I’ve seen on Olympic TV.

Many have raved about the gymnastics of a young Japanese star named Uchimura Kohei.

He is great, winning the Olympic Silver medal … despite 2 falls on Pommel Horse.

(AP Photo/Rob Carr) – original – ESPN

Most expected his veteran teammate Hiroyuki Tomita to finish higher. But Tomita took one of the worst falls on Rings I’ve seen in years. Truly horrorshow. It was amazing he stayed in the meet.

Japan’s gymnast Uchimura Kohei performs his floor routine during the mens’ gymnastics individual all-around finals at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2008.

(AP Photo/Rob Carr) – original – ESPN

Unbelievably close!

China’s Yang Wei won his country’s third gymnastics gold medal of the Olympic Games, following up on the success of the gold medals won by the Chinese Men and Women in the Team Finals competition. Wei finished with a 94.575 total, more than 2.5 points ahead of second place Kohei Uchimura’s (Japan) 91.975. Benoit Caranobe (France) won the bronze medal with a 91.925.

China Goes 3 for 3 in Gold Medals – Gymnast.com

TCO posted Paul Hamm’s scores from the 4 meets prior to his injury:

92.80, 93.05, 94.40, 94.45

… Would have been a wonderful matchup with Yang Wei.

Competition has just ended.

It was a bloody close competition … behind Yang Wei. (Looks like a healthy Paul Hamm would have been Gold or Silver after all.)

full results

Jonathan Horton finished 9th in a good meet. Pommel Horse was his low score, as expected.

No “disaster” this time. Favourite Yang Wei wins in Beijing.

photo credit

full results

Did you hear about this?

Poor form, in my opinion.

… Karolyi said immediately after the US loss to China that officials at Beijing’s National Indoor Stadium disrupted Sacramone’s beam routine by delaying her performance for an extended period, breaking her concentration.

“First they called her name up, then they did not even put her name up even though the Chinese had finished … (it was) totally unusual holding,” she said.

“She was mentally prepared and then she had a mental break, then after not doing the job, the beam, on the floor exercise her concentration was bothered.”

Sacramone fell off the balance beam then slipped over during the floor exercise, opening the way for the Chinese to post a 2.375 point victory.

Karolyi insisted the world champion US team would have won gold if Sacramone had not become unsettled.

But a few hours later, USA Gymnastics president Steve Penny said the delay involving Sacramone’s beam routine happened because of scheduling issues related to the Games’ television feed.

“It’s a normal television thing that’s typical in international competition,” he told AFP.

“I don’t know if Martha knew exactly the details of what was happening when she said that.”

Asked if the outspoken Karolyi had lashed out due to the disappointment of seeing her team lose, Penny replied: “You could say that.” …

US clears Beijing officials of blame for gymnastics loss – AFP

Of course if Alicia had not fallen on either apparatus, the USA would still have finished with Silver. All other things remaining the same.

official results – Men’s Individual All-Around Final

His performance in the Team Competition was AWESOME.

Can he do it again in the Individual All-around meet tonight? And hit Pommels?

… Two-time defending world champion Yang Wei of China is the favorite. Yang, 28, was in no mood to concede anything either after his team easily won gold.

“I can be in a relaxed mood,” Yang said. “I’m going to try my best to get every medal.”

Horton said he understands that if Yang doesn’t make major mistakes, the gold medal will be out of his reach. “His start values are so high,” he said. “But after that anything can happen.”

Germany’s Fabian Hambuechen finished second to Yang at last year’s world championships and is feeling in the mood for some redemption.

During the team finals Tuesday, Hambuechen fell off the high bar, the apparatus where he is the defending world champion.

Germany finished fourth behind the U.S. in the team competition. …

read more – U.S. gymnast Jonathan Horton likes his chances going into individual competition

Jonathan Horton, left, celebrating the U.S. men’s gymnastic team’s winning of an Olympic bronze medal with teammate Raj Bhavsar, will be a strong competitor for individual medals.

The Texan acknowledges the competition, especially China’s Yang Wei, is tough, but he thinks he’s ‘kind of on a roll’ after effort at world championships.

Congratulations.

original – flickr

… The U.S. women finished second after Alicia Sacramone fell off the beam and then took another fall on floor.

“Nobody else really made a mistake so it’s kind of my fault. If I could change it I would.” Alicia Sacramone tearfully told NBC’s Andrea Joyce immediately following the competition. …

… At the world championships last year, it was up to Alicia Sacramone to rally her teammates after a rough beam rotation. This time around it was the other way around after Sacramone fell off beam and left the American team trailing China by a full point.

But Sacramone, the team captain, couldn’t recover from the devastating fall on beam and went on to fall on floor, an event that she’s a specialist on. Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson hit solid routines, but the damage had been done.

Shawn Johnson said about Sacramone, “She is the strongest person I know and we all love her.” …

China grabs gold; U.S. silver – NBC Olympics

Alicia Sacramone is one of the great personalities in gymnastics.

But an American win at the Olympics was not to be. This was China’s year.

I don’t blame Alicia.