Gymnastics Coaching.com

Getting ready for her record 5th Olympics, American swimmer Dara Torres has the 2nd fastest time in the 100m this year.

How many Moms are in this kind of shape?

You could get that ripped too. Here’s her secret:

… check your bank account, as she revealed she will spend approximately $100,000 this year (2007) on her support staff.

That staff includes: Swim Coach, Sprint Coach, Strength and Conditioning Coach, TWO Full-Time Personal Stretchers, Physical Therapist, Masseuse and last (but certainly not least) a Nanny. This clearly doesn’t come cheap, and Torres lists Bloomberg L.P., Toyota and Speedo as Sponsors that help her defray this ludicrous training cost. They must be good if she can comfortably spend that kind of money on training and not worry about supporting her family, all the more power to her for being able to.

As for her actual workout regime, Torres says she is swimming 5 times a week (no doubles), four 90 minute strength sessions (Swiss Balls, Medicine Balls, Bands and Resistance Work, no weights) and then 60 minute stretching sessions at the completions of each workout. She calls her personal stretchers her “secret weapon” and credits them for a lot of her success.

On the subject of doping allegations Torres pointed out that she is having her blood analyzed despite the fact this is not required, “My attitude is, bring it on. Do what you have to do to prove I’m clean.”

Timed Finals

She’s been named one of the co-captains for Beijing.

Thanks Dave Adlard for showing me the hottie magazine photos of Dara. (I won’t tell your wife.)

An International Olympic Committee spokeswoman said Saturday that there will be no investigation into the ages of Chinese Olympic team members.

Varying ages have been given for Chinese team member He Kexin in news media and Internet biographies, according to a recent New York Times investigation. …

International Gymnast

I don’t like the current age requirement. But if FIG puts in place a rule, it needs to be enforced. For all nations.

Since neither IOC nor FIG is able to confirm documents submitted by member nations are acurate, it cannot be enforced.

All along I’ve felt that some investigative Chinese journalist would need to confirm the true age of He Kexin and Jiang Yuyuan. By travelling to their birth city. Interviewing neighbours and family. Interviewing the parents of competitors from age group competitions in the past. Elementary school teachers. Etc.

Certainly it is possible to confirm their actual birthdates in the Chinese calendar.

But I suspect it would have happened by now, if it was going to happen at all.

We will still get to see that amazing Bar routine in Beijing.

Beth Tweddle will only compete bars and floor in Beijing due to a rib injury. This shouldn’t damage her medal chances since an AA medal was virtually impossible, however another untimely injury could rattle Beth’s confidence going into the games. However, saving herself for her two best events could be wise, since many other competitors (especially UB) will have their endurance tested after AA and team competitions.

The Gymnut

She’s been nursing a sore ankle, as well.

Beth Tweddle – official website

Chinh’s news has been the best blog monitoring the Great Firewall of China, IMHO.

China is doing what they can to stifle information. But the Wall is very leaky. (This site is not banned, last time I checked.)

Most disappointing is the International Olympic Committee. Is there a more hypocritical organization anywhere?

IOC admitted Wednesday that it HAD agreed to allow some Internet censorship during the games, though previously claimed it had negotiated press freedom for the Olympics.

Who is standing up for free speech? Reporters without Borders.

They are hosting an online protest August 8th, in conjunction with Opening Ceremonies. This blogger will be attending. Hope to see you there.

Reporters without Borders

(via Chinh’s news)

Hu Jintao, the president of China, says he is “totally against the politicizing of the Beijing Olympics“. Perhaps he’s even more hypocritical than the IOC.

If you want to know more about this topic – Internet censorship in the People’s Republic of China – Wikipedia.

UPDATE:

… China, which pledged to give journalists unfettered access as part of its bid to secure the Games in 2001, yesterday lifted some restrictions after earlier blocking journalists from viewing Web sites including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Reporters Without Borders. Sites for organizations such as Free Tibet and Falungong remained inaccessible. …

IOC’s Gosper Says Beijing Will `Fall Into Line’ Over Web Access

Another original video from Gymnast.com, by far my favourite video site in recent months.

US Olympians interviewed:

http://www.gymnast.com/flashplayer/FlashPlayer.swf?v=http://www.gymnast.com/media/gymnast//upload/Videos/Ranch/leotard.flv&eb=1&ap=1&av=sportnet.gy.videos&pv=video&szv=320×240&apv=doubleclick

From what I’ve seen, the Chinese leotards are going to be terrible.

Shawn looks like a future Olympic Champion, to me.

see more photos on Live.Breath.Love Gymnastics

The About.com Gymnastics blog has a poll asking that question.

Here are the results as of the last time I checked:

Click through to vote. And check the updated results.

About.com Gymnastics poll

(I voted for no age restriction.)

Longtime Oregon State assistant gymnastics coach Dick Foxal has announced his retirement from coaching, effective, Sept. 1.

Foxal, a fixture at Oregon State for the past 21 seasons, has helped lead the Beavers to the NCAA Championships on 13 occasions including the past three seasons. In all, Oregon State has finished among the top 10 teams in the country 10 times during his tenure including as high as fourth in 1996.

“I’m a lucky man to have been involved in gymnastics for so many years. This has been a very rich experience,” Foxal said. “I’m very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with such amazing young women during the course of my career at Oregon State. A lot has changed at OSU over the last two decades in the sport of gymnastics and at this university. I am very proud to have been part of such an enormous transformation with the gymnastics program as well as for the athletic department.”

Foxal, who has been involved in coaching gymnastics for 38 years, will continue to be associated with Oregon State gymnastics in a new position of Gymnastics Project Coordinator which includes administering camps, clinics and event set-up.

OSU Beavers

Big shoes to fill.

But I’m confident that his rumoured replacement, a prominent Pacific N.W. veteran, can do the job. I’ve not seen that official announcement, as yet.

by Rick McCharles

Congrats to the FARTs. (Funtastic Adventure Racing Team)

The team completed their biggest race to date — Ocean Blue, California — in 8hrs, 40min. The kayak section was HARSH. The mountain biking, at times, was pushing bikes up a CLIFF.

Morgen, Dave, Andy, Jeni – larger version

Here is Dr. Jeni McNeal, still able to do a handstand after 3 days hard racing and race training.

larger version

See all the photos on flickr.

See video and a photo highlights slideshow.

FART – official team website

There is no shortage of Canuck Olympic coverage on the WWW.

source – Adam Wong Fan Club – Facebook

From Kyle Shewfelt’s blog:

… the entire Canadian team gets an awesome Samsung phone/blackberry that we get to keep after the Games. Bell is the wonderful supplier of course and I can tell you that everyone is loving texting and calling back home. Bell rules!

KyleShewfelt.com/blog

Brandon O’Neill:

Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs:

More profiles like this: Canada’s 2008 Olympic gymnastics team – Blip.tv

Leave a comment below if you have more good sources of Olympic news on Canadians.