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Audi launched its new RS 6 Avant car with a TV ad that features Hungarian gymnasts.

No doubt they are hoping for a viral video. And they’ve got one.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The £4m campaign for the RS 6, which Audi says is the most powerful road car in its history, links the physical perfection of the gymnasts with the premium car and uses the slogan: “Performance from every part”. …

Guardian

The ad, created by the British advertising agency BBH, will also screen in cinemas and was filmed in Budapest by Los Angeles-based director Paul Hunter.

Will they recoup their costs? I expect so — the RS 6 costs £78,000 ($123,400)

(via Gymblog)

FUNNY post from Scott Bird on Straight to the Bar.

Team YogaSlackers at work.

Slackline Yoga. Very, very strange.
– Wall Street Journal

Related posts:

Yoga is better than nothing

extreme fitness – Yoga

The Chinese State Circus is a touring circus which aims to present the Chinese circus arts to European audiences. … All the performers come from China and are trained in the Chinese Tradition of horse theatre or Ma Xi.

It combines Kung-Fu martial arts from the Shaolin Temple, artists from the Peking Opera and other Chinese speciality acts brought together to produce a single show. …

The circus has toured … since 1992.

This video (seen by 1.9 million people) includes 2 acts:

traditional Chinese circus meets Cirque du Soleil (look at the costumes)

classical ballet meets acrobatic gymnastics

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The BBC produced a critical report revealing that the members of the circus are poorly paid and have been mistreated when injured.

Wikipedia

At this moment the president of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge, is wishing the Games were going to Toronto.

… The president … called on the authorities in Beijing to respect their “moral engagement” to improve human rights in the months leading up to the Games and to provide the news media with greater access to the country. He also described the protests that have dogged the international Olympics torch relay as a “crisis” for the organization. …

Olympic Official Calls Protests a ‘Crisis’ – NYT

I still don’t believe any athletes will boycott the Games. I certainly hope not.

Long predicting that the world attention of the Olympics will precipitate major changes in China, I see this media pressure on their aged overlords as a positive thing. It will be good for the people of China, long term.

So long as protests are non-violent, and involve no athlete boycott, I am for them.

The Journey of Harmony has been the biggest disaster for IOC so far.

original from London – flickr – Kaustav Bhattacharya

Don’t expect China to instantly become a shining Democracy. (Some hope for another South Korea, positively influenced by hosting the Seoul Olympics.) But everyone in Beijing now knows that change is coming. They’ll deny, deny, deny — all the while frantically making plans to manage that change.

Leave a comment if you have an opinion.

This confirms we have a favourite for the Olympics. That score is HUGE. 7.70 A-score.

For more early news on Cottbus World Cup, Germany:

HOLY MOTHER He Kexin got a 16.800 in uneven bars qualifications …

Difficulty Plus Execution

What is Nastia’s highest A-score so far? (7.5, I believe.) Also 7.7 at Pacific Rim. (Thanks Fay.)

Related post: Nastia v He Kexin – bars

UPDATE:

With record setting performances, the Chinese were firmly in charge in the qualification round at the Cottbus Cup Friday in Germany.

Four Chinese gymnasts topped the standings Zou Kai (men’s floor exercise), Li Xiaopeng (parallel bars), He Kexin (uneven bars) and Li Shanshan (balance beam) all led their best events.

The Chinese earned two new record high scores Friday: a 16.500 on parallel bars from Li (7.200 A Panel) and a 16.800 on uneven bars from He (7.700).

He’s score eclipsed American Nastia Liukin, whose 16.650 on uneven bars at the recent Pacific Rim Championships was the previous high score. …

read more – International Gymnast – Amanda Turner

… Calgary will welcome over 600 gymnasts and 300 coaches and officials to the Olympic Oval where Canada’s young athletes in artistic gymnastics, tumbling, and trampoline will compete for National titles. This will be a gymnastics competition of unprecedented size in Calgary requiring the support of over 500 volunteers. Over 5,000 spectators are expected during the week of events. …

official home page

Thanks Stu.

I’ll be there for every session working as a consultant for Cirque du Soleil. It’s going to be a GREAT meet. Canada has some serious medal Olympic medal contenders, especially in Trampoline.

by Rick McCharles

I will be coordinating a week long advanced coaching course (June 8-15th, 2008) at Calgary Gymnastics Centre after Canadian Nationals 2008, also hosted in Calgary.

This is Canada’s Level 3 Artistic Gymnastics Technical (Men and Women). Over 40hrs of course content directed to those who want to prepare gymnasts for National competition.

Experts pencilled in to lead sessions include David Kenwright, Bin Fan, and Tammy Andreotti. Others are still to be confirmed.

Concurrently, that cranky Curmudgeon coach Keith Russell will be coordinating a Level 4 Technical over at the University.

Entry to both courses is by application only. Both are filled already, I understand, as there are too few advanced coaching courses available in Canada.

Photos, videos and presentations, from both courses, will be posted on this site in June.

NCCP Coaching Certification – Gymnastics Alberta

Still no official home page for Gymnastics Nationals in Calgary (Olympic Oval June 2-7, 2008)

More good things to say about the Russian team. (I’m still reviewing videos from European Championships.)

Anna Pavlova has come back with a vengance. … Her floor routine is just amazing to watch, if she could just add a little bit more difficulty it would be one of the best ever in my opinion. …

Live.Breath.Love.Gymnastics (new blog)

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

It is a great routine. Good tumbling. Yet still very artistic.

I believe I am a new Anna Pavlova fan.

Now … Can Anna Pavlova challenge for the all-around in Beijing?

She needs an Amanar on vault, if so. Since Anna tried it repeatedly at Europeans — and landed none — I expect she wants to to contend. The Olympic Champion 2008 must compete Amanar. The higher start score in the all-around from just that vault, is too difficult to overcome on the other apparatus.

I still feel that the Olympic title is Shawn Johnson’s to lose. There is no other strong AA contender now competing Amanar consistently.

Gymblog agrees. As do most of us self-declared pundits online. Something would have to happen for Shawn to lose.

Flexible, stylish Olivia signs with one of the top teams. And one of my favourite coaching teams.

The Oregon State gymnastics program added another talented gymnast to an already impressive recruiting class, head coach Tanya Chaplin announced Wednesday.

Vivian, a member of the Australian National Team, is currently training for the Australian Olympic Trials. A veteran of national and international competition, Vivian represented her country at the 2005 and 2006 world championships. …

“I’m very excited to join the gymnastics program at Oregon State,” Vivian said. “I appreciate the extra effort made by Tanya to come and meet me and my parents here in Australia. I really enjoyed my visit to OSU, everyone seemed so nice and the team is full of awesome people.”

OSU Beavers

YouTube Olivia Vivian montage.

Most top Canadian female gymnasts dream of going to the NCAA one day. But that’s not so true in other countries around the world. Even Australia.

I’d like to see more International representation in future.

UPDATE: One other Aussie headed to America:

Monique Blount, formerly AIS … is heading to George Washington University.

Australian Gymnastics Blog

Gymnastics
by Lia Bradley (Level 9)

Run, flip, vault
Flip, vault, land
Vault, land, bars
Land, bars, swing
Bars, swing, beam
Swing, beam, jump
Beam, jump, balance
Jump, balance, floor
Balance, floor, tumble
Floor, tumble, dance
Tumble, dance, fun

Lia is from Chelsea Piers Gymnastics in NYC.

Level 9 gymnasts:

original