Gymnastics Coaching.com

The Men’s competition has begun. So far the best live blogging site has been International Gymnast magazine with Amanda Turner and Christian Ivanov.

Follow the action here.

A Cirque du Soleil balancing act performed for the audience. USAG has been negotiating some partnership projects with the company over the past year.

Artemev fell on Horizontal bar in the first rotation. And fell again on Pommel Horse. It might be over for him. He’s only stayed on Pommels once in the last 4 competitions.

Morgan Hamm has just not looked good all weekend. I don’t think he’ll make the team. Sean Golden — Yurchenko 2 1/2 – 9.8 execution score (16.40) — may have a stronger case.

Bhavsar and Horton hitting everything. In fact, IG calling Horton the winner with one apparatus remaining.

Hmm. IG points out that both Horton and Spring are weak on Pommels. To take both to Beijing leaves the USA weak on that apparatus, especially as the #1 guy Artemev can’t hit. Durante hit Pommels. That one apparatus might keep him in the mix.

Hagerty finally missed, falling on Pommels. He had 22 successful routines in a row over the past 4 meets.

It would be much easier to pick the team if only EVERYONE would hit every routine.

2008 Olympic Team Trials – combined results along with VISA Championships – USAG

The much more important point totals will be calculated by the Selection Committee tonight using custom software comparing contributing scores for each possible combination of gymnasts. Especially for 3-up, 3-count Team Finals in Beijing.

Kyle reflects on his personal feelings on returning to competition after months of injury rehabilitation from two broken patellas.

From his blog:

I have to admit, I was pretty nervous in the day leading up to last nights competition. I tried to be calm and cool and just conserve my energy so that I would be able to explode when it was time to compete.

During warm up I tried to stay relaxed by taking lots of deep breaths and moving at a slow pace in between turns. I didn’t want to go off and then have nothing left for the competition. I just wanted to get warm and hit one of each skill.

I am a planner. I’ve discussed it here before, but planning keeps me feeling calm and in control. I made a plan in the afternoon yesterday and I followed it to a T during warm up. Run, stretch, basic tumbling, vault, highbar, rings and then floor.

After the warm up was over, it was time to compete. …

read more – KyleShewfelt.com

Day 2 of the Canadian Olympic Team test meet goes Saturday night.

If you want to see a specific routine from the Olympic Trials …

for example, Artemev on Pommel Horse …

try the Universal Sports YouTube channel.

These are the same routines as streamed by NBC posted to YouTube, legally.

I had the best success searching for “2008 gymnastics Olympic Trials” and then clicking the “only show partners” checkbox.

Here’s the link.

I underestimated this guy.

Here are two routines badly needed by the American team in Beijing.

Click PLAY or watch Day 1 Horizontal Bar on YouTube.

Click PLAY or watch Day 1 PBars on YouTube.

Thanks Penguin888.

If he hits again Day 2 they must will probably put him on the team.

… blogging live from Women’s Prelims at the 2008 Olympic Trials!

Inside Gymnastics Live Coverage: Women’s Prelims

International Gymnast magazine has live coverage, as well. And it’s updated more quickly.

Nastia hit 4 for 4, the only major error being her low and messy Bars dismount. Shawn also hit 4 for 4 with only minor errors.

Final scores:

1. Shawn Johnson 64.000
2. Nastia Liukin 63.500
3. Chellsie Memmel 62.250
4. Samantha Peszek 61.850
5. Ivana Hong 60.850
6. .Jana Bieger 60.100
7. Mattie Larson 59.550

Alicia Sacramone did not compete all-around.

full results – USAG

So, Shawn wins Day 1.

(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File) – ESPN

Initially I thought she had tied with Nastia. Wishful thinking on my part, I guess.

One of the mandates of the International Olympic Committee is to help grow Olympic sport around the world. To this end they budget money to support the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) in building sport programs.

One stream is called Olympic Solidarity funding. Cambodia requested assistance in developing their Men’s Artistic Gymnastics team. I was designated by F.I.G. as an “expert” and asked to travel to the capital Phnom Penh to work with coaches and athletes.

CAM Technical coaching course for coaches (MAG)

Details of the course are not final. But I will be there July 7-17th as a volunteer.

I traveled in Cambodia about 10yrs ago and truly enjoyed the people and nation.

My only concern is climate. Typical is a high of 32C (90F) and humid.

Old timers wonder why the sport they love is evolving into the era of the specialist.

It’s completely driven by the rules as decided — haphazardly — by a few men on the F.I.G. Technical Committee who are virtually incommunicado.

Here’s how, for example, the American Men are looking at their own AA performance at Olympic Trials:

Raj – more photos from Olympic Trials – Gymnast.com

“I’m not even concerned with the all-around,” said Raj Bhavsar, who is in third place after last night’s first day of competition. “I don’t think it means as much as hitting your strong events.

“Hitting my strong events is what I did today. I didn’t have any big mistakes. Hopefully, if I have a mistake on Saturday [the final night of competition for the men], it will not be on one of the events that they need me for and I rock on the events that I can contribute to the team. I think that’s what matters the most.”

Bhavsar speaks from experience. In 2004, he finished fourth in the overall competition but was not named to the team that traveled to Athens for the Olympics.

Sitting next to him in the mixed zone was Sean Townsend, who finished third in the trials in 2004 and didn’t get a trip to Athens.

Even the athletes, except for the top 1 or 2, do not care much about their overall score. The score that is invariably reported in headlines by the often befuddled media.

With a specialist such as Penn State’s Kevin Tan having a routine on the rings that is more than half a point better any other American, Tan could be a strategic placement in the quest for a team medal at the Olympics.

“When you’ve got a guy like Kevin Tan who puts up ridiculous ring scores, you can’t count that out,” Spring said. “The word being thrown around is that he is one of the shoo-ins, but he doesn’t do floor.

“We’re not going to go into the preliminaries two short on the floor, so if Kevin is on the team, we can’t have anyone else on the team who doesn’t do floor.”

As a result, Justin Spring competed Floor at Olympic Trials, even though he is rehabilitating from knee surgery.

Because of Kevin Tan.

The sport is much more confusing now than in the past.

details – U.S. men’s gymnastics team likely to be ruled by specialists – Philadelphia Daily News

UPDATE: Steve McCain of Gymnast.com points out that Raj after day 1 IS one of the best AA gymnasts. He can LOCK a spot on the team on day 2 by finishing top 2 AA combined and top 3 on 3 apparatus. That’s his best shot, actually.

Gymnast.com has Men’s photos from day 1.

Kevin Tan

A strong and lively crowd was on hand in Philadelphia to cheer on the 13 gymnasts competing in night one of the men’s Olympic Trials. With a roller coaster of ups and downs, some dreams dashed and others won, there was certainly no shortage of drama in the Wachovia Center tonight. …

commentary – Artemev Leads Dramatic Night One – Gymnast.com

Many doubted the 2004 Olympic Champion on Floor would be able to defend in Beijing.

Kyle Shewfelt hated the idea of embarrassing himself in his first judged gymnastics competition since breaking both of his legs months ago.

Turns out, the charismatic Calgarian need not have worried in the lead-up to an Olympic test event Thursday at Edmonton’s Capital City Gymnastics Club.

Competing in the shadow of West Edmonton Mall, the 26-year-old attacked the vault with no fear and bounced right back into the mix of the Canadian men’s gymnastics team. …

Shewfelt placed first in the vault and second in the floor exercise at the Olympic test event held in conjunction with the national team training camp.

Edmonton native Brandon O’Neill stole the show at his home club, with first-place finishes on the floor and parallel bars and second-place finishes on the vault and the high bar.

The results from this competition — along with numerous other meets held over the last four years — will help coach Edouard Iarov pick the six-man Canadian squad (plus an alternate) for the Summer Olympics.

“I think our team looks awesome,” Shewfelt said. “I’m so happy to be a part of it.” …

daylife – Getty Images

Calgary Herald

At a recent coaching clinic, FIG growth and development expert Keith Russell questioned the high number of hours of training for young children in Artistic Gymnastics.

His concerns are valid, of course. It’s refreshing to see more coaches opting to train fewer, higher quality hours. Shawn Johnson trains far fewer hours than most of her competitors, for example.

But some coaches are more worried about what their gymnasts are doing when they are NOT in the gym. Staircase “luge”, for example.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.