Gymnastics Coaching.com

After the first day of Olympic Trials:

Johnson
Liukin

Memmel

Sacramone

Peszek

Sloan

Alternates: Bieger, Ranzy, Larson

Missing out: Worley, Hong

The last 5 are all close and any combination might be selected based on routine readiness in training, injury, etc.

Read his detailed analysis – Gymnast.com

Polish101- Gymnastics predicts the same team with alternates:

1. Jana Bieger
2. Mattie Larson

3. Shayla Worley (non-traveling)

Of these contenders, the one I know least is Brittany Ranzy. She trains Yurchenko 5/2 twist. But only competed double twist day 1 of trials:

Click PLAY or watch her on YouTube.

I would think it could be worth the risk of busting out the Amanar on day 2 if you had a 50/50 chance or better of landing it. When on “the bubble”, it might be worth taking a chance on a fall.

With a string of perfect 10s, Laura Wilkinson and Troy Dumais appear to be Beijing bound.

Wilkinson, who won gold on the 10-meter platform at the 2000 Olympics, showed she’s still the boss of the tower at the U.S. Olympic trials, holding off a challenger half her age in the semifinals Friday night.

The 30-year-old Texan received at least one 10 on three of her five dives and finished with 813.20 points. She had a comfortable advantage over 15-year-old Haley Ishimatsu, who finished with four 10s and the highest-scoring dive of the night but was still only second at 757.55.

Wilkinson can lock up her third trip to the Olympics in the finals Sunday.

Wilkinson, Dumais put together perfect 10s at Olympic trials – AP

This is a surprise. Many were expecting the next superstar, Haley, to beat the veteran at Trials.

Click through to the sportsnetwork YouTube channel to see Laura’s best dive on video.

Not nearly so much a surprise was to see the ever elegant Troy Dumais star at Trials:

Semifinals, Springboard, on his last dive, Troy Dumais scored the highest dive of the night, a 99.75 …

See his best dive on YouTube.

Troy has already clinched an Olympic berth. This will be his 3rd Games.

UPDATE: On Saturday, Wilkinson and Christina Loukas locked up Olympic berths as well. The rest of the U.S. diving team will be selected at training camp.

Gymblog predicts this Team:

1. Paul Hamm
2. Jonathan Horton
3. Kevin Tan
4. Justin Spring
5. Morgan Hamm
6. Sean Golden

Alt. 1: Raj Bhavsar
Alt. 2: David Durante

But admits it’s a bit of a shot in the dark.

Perfect 10:

1. Paul Hamm
2. Jonathan Horton
Justin Spring
Sean Golden
Joseph Hagerty
Raj Bhavsar
Kevin Tan

Now that Jonathan and Paul are booked to Beijing, the 5-man selection committee must “build” the rest of the team around them.

Let’s assume that Kevin Tan will be approved next.

Who has the best apparatus to compliment those three?

Andrew Thornton thinks all these guys are still under consideration:

Morgan Hamm
Raj Bhavsar
Sasha Artemev
Joseph Hagerty
Justin Spring
Sean Golden
David Durante

Yewki Tomita

Gymnast.com

Andrew feels the next obvious candidate is Raj Bhavsar, who had a brilliant trials and a brilliant year. (Raj just missed out in 2004 so many, including myself, are rooting for him.)

In that case, the final spots will be chosen based on what Raj brings to the team. OR … is there a better selection of event specialists without using a strong all-arounder like Raj?

No one wants to consider the possibility. But what is the back-up Team if Paul cannot compete all apparatus. Specifically, what if Paul is not ready to do Pommel Horse in Beijing?

Does that skew the selection at all?

Should they keep Yewki though the next stage just in case he will be needed on Pommel Horse?

More speculation: Sports Illustrated

… I hope the computer analysis helps the selectors tonight.

Both combined Day 1, Day 2.

And combined VISA Championships with Olympic Trials.

USAG results

Congratulations!

Here he is competing Horizontal Bar Day 1. Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Jon and Paul Hamm were immediately named as the two “locks” for the U.S. Olympic Team.

Paul Hamm is going to his third Olympics. And he didn’t even have to do a routine. The reigning Olympic gold medalist, who missed this week’s trials with a broken hand, was selected for the U.S. team for the Beijing Games on Saturday, along with Jonathan Horton.

The remaining four members of the team, along with alternates, will be announced Sunday afternoon.

Hamm still will have to show a selection committee that he is physically able to compete at a training camp July 22 in Colorado Springs, Colo.

A.P. – Mercury News

Jon Horton – (AP Photo/Tom Mihalek) – ESPN

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.