Gymnastics Coaching.com

Still in shock after this twelfth hour withdrawal of Paul Hamm, the defending Olympic Champion — my next question is “Why Raj?”

I love the guy, as most fans do. He’s got the passion. Crowd appeal. And by almost any standards of “justice”, this proven veteran has “earned” the right to compete in the Olympics.

But who’s going to do Pommels for the USA in Beijing?

They could have one of the weaker teams on that apparatus of the 12 competing!

Andrew Thornton explains why in this post: Thoughts on Paul Hamm’s Replacement

Without Raj they will be even weaker on rings.

Terrible, terrible news.

Getting back to the internet after a long driving road trip, this is the first thing I read.

After making a dramatic comeback from a broken bone in his right hand, gymnast Paul Hamm announced Monday that he would not defend his Olympic all-around title in Beijing.

Hamm, who had proved nine days ago that he was healthy enough to compete at the Summer Games, resigned from the team. The men’s gymnastics competition begins on Aug. 9, one day after the opening ceremony, and one of the team’s three alternates will take Hamm’s spot on the six-member squad.

“I’ve put my heart and soul into this comeback,” Hamm said on an afternoon conference call with reporters. “I needed to make continuous progress and have no setbacks.” But after returning from a pre-Olympic training camp, Hamm said it became clear to him that he would not be able to compete, saying he strained his rotator cuff and has been unable to perform all of his skills.

”Unfortunately, the week after camp has been a disaster,” he said. “I have not been able to do a single full routine since I competed back in May at the U.S. Championships in Houston.”

“Right now there are only five days of training before the podium training in Beijing,” Hamm said. “I can see now that it will be impossible for me to be ready.”

The men’s gymnastics selection committee selected Raj Bhavsar of Houston, one of three alternates, to replace Hamm on the team pending approval by the U.S. Olympic Committee.

“Two weeks ago, he was great, he was awesome and did everything he needed to do to be at the Olympics,” said Hamm’s coach, Miles Avery, in a telephone call. “But I was saying all along that he needed to rest. But he pushed it.” …

Gymnast Hamm Withdraws From U.S. Olympic Team – NY Times

larger original – Gymnast.com

I feel rotten for Paul. No matter how arrogant he may have seemed in the past, he did not deserve this.

Congratulations to Raj. His persistence and consistency put him on the team.

Good luck USA in Beijing.

Related:

Thoughts on Paul Hamm’s Withdrawl from the Olympic Team – Andrew Thornton, Gymnast.com

A Sad End to the Hamm Saga – Dwight Normile, I.G.

angelintampa, a Cirque performer, posted this impressive acrobatic feat.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

(via Gymnast.com – full in BALK out)

Back in the days before foam pits, we used water as a (much inferior) substitute. Many of our first attempts at new skills were done off the low diving board.

… The New York Times raised questions about the athletes’ ages in a story Saturday. And Chinese officials provided the newspaper with copies of passports indicating both gymnasts are 16.

But in a speech on Nov. 3, 2007, in the central city of Wuhan, Liu Peng, director of general administration of sport for China, said: “The 13-year-old uneven-bar gymnast He Kexin, who defeated national team athlete Yang Yilin – she just won the bronze medal in the world championships – has demonstrated her ability.”

To be eligible for the Cities Games where Liu made his remarks, Chinese documents show athletes must be over 13, but under 15. …

Are Chinese gymnasts too young for Olympics? – USA Today

It doesn’t seem possible that ALL these references are simply “mistakes” made at the time.

Gymnicestics posted videos of 10 routines, all good choices.

I include, from that list, Canadian Yvonne Tousek here. Simply unforgettable. I love watching her gymnastics.

Click PLAY or watch Yvonne on YouTube.

Yvonne is currently performing with Cirque du Soleil after a terrific College career with UCLA.

See the other 9 original routines on Gymnicestics.

(… I recommended Oksana Omelianchik 1985 Worlds Floor routine (video) to the list. While she was not a strong tumbler, this routine was stunningly original for the time.)

Did you see the human trebuchet on Gymnast.com?

Japanese reality TV is great!

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I’d do this. But into water. Not a net.

If you follow the blogs, you are well aware of the issue. Quite possibly one of the biggest “scandals” of the 2008 Games.

There are many, many indications that the favourite to win Bars in Beijing He Kexin is actually underage.

Finally the story has hit the mainstream media. No doubt NBC and others will cover it relentlessly, even if no conclusive evidence ever is produced.

And for the first time to my knowledge, the age of Jiang Yuyuan is being challenged.

… In Chinese newspaper profiles this year, He was listed as 14, too young for the Beijing Games.

The Times found two online records of official registration lists of Chinese gymnasts that list He’s birthday as Jan. 1, 1994, which would make her 14. A 2007 national registry of Chinese gymnasts — now blocked in China but viewable through Google cache — shows He’s age as “1994.1.1.”

Another registration list that is unblocked, dated Jan. 27, 2006, and regarding an “intercity” competition in Chengdu, China, also lists He’s birthday as Jan. 1, 1994. That date differs by two years from the birth date of Jan. 1, 1992, listed on He’s passport, which was issued Feb. 14, 2008.

There has been considerable talk about the ages of Chinese gymnasts on Web sites devoted to the sport. …

The other gymnast, Jiang, is listed on her passport — issued March 2, 2006 — as having been born on Nov. 1, 1991, which would make her 16 and thus eligible to compete at the Beijing Games.

A different birth date, indicating Jiang is not yet 15, appears on a list of junior competitors from the Zhejiang Province sports administration. The list of athletes includes national identification card numbers into which birth dates are embedded. Jiang’s national card number as it appears on this list shows her birth date as Oct. 1, 1993, which indicates that she will turn 15 in the fall, and would thus be ineligible to compete in the Beijing Games. …

Records Say Chinese Gymnasts May Be Under Age – NY Times

Jiang Yuyuan – Show China

Thanks Em for sending in this link.

Location: Fuvahmulah, Maldives.

larger version – flickr – nattu

The Chinese Gymnastics Association announced on Wednesday its final roster for the men’s Olympic team, which includes three gymnasts competing in their third Olympics.

The six men named to the roster are 2000 and 2004 Olympians Yang Wei, Li Xiaopeng and Huang Xu, plus world championship gold medalists Chen Yibing, Xiao Qin and Zou Kai.

Chinese Name Men’s Olympic Team; President Hu Stops By – IG

That’s one impressive line-up. Almost the same team that won World’s 2007.

L-R Yang Wei, Xiao Qin, Huang Xu, Liang Fuliang, Chen Ybing and Xu Kai celebrate their gold medal in the team all-around competition at the 40th World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Stuttgart September 6, 2007. – larger original – Reuters Pictures

NPR has posted the first of a 5-part series.

Once again the gym featured is Li Xiaoshuang Gymnastics School in Xiantao, Hubei.

Around 100 youngsters, between four and nine years old, train at Li Xiaoshuang. Most of them board at the school to take advantage of its nine gymnastic coaches.

Gymnastics — in any country — is a tough and painful sport. And Beijing’s sports machine has generally had a bad press. Yet some argue that Chinese athletes are in some ways more fortunate than their Western counterparts, particularly as they are paid a government salary. …

How much money has your gym been given by the government over the past 10 years?

Even though it is remote, the Li Xiaoshuang gymnastics school is a beneficiary of state largesse. It has received $14 million in funding over the past decade. …

Click through to read this excellent article:

Boarding Schools Generate China’s Sport Stars by Louisa Lim. Be sure to watch the photo gallery audio slide show.