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For all of you out there who spent your childhoods in a sweaty, chalky gym doing endless conditioning and loved every minute of it!!

Facebook Group

I just joined. The name of the group gave me a laugh.

Thanks Caitlin Downie, Dalhousie.

USA Gymnastics has now taken over management of all official Regional Congress events. Formerly many were run independently of USAG.

At Region 2 Congress last year, still independent at that time, many of the most experienced session presenters told me they expected quality to decline. And sessions to offer less variety.

We shall see.

The purpose of regional congress is to provide education to the teachers, coaches, judges and gymnastics business owners of the region. Education and training enable everyone to effectively and professionally serve in the development of the young gymnasts across the country. The regional Congresses also serve the gymnastics community by providing an opportunity for networking, socializing and building professional relationships. Each Congress is tailored to the specific needs of the Region and under the direction of the Regions Chairman. Your attendance supports your region!

Region 1 – August 22-24 – Santa Clara, California

Region 2 – October 10-12 – Portland, Oregon

Region 3 (Men Regs. 3 & 9) – July 18-20 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Region 4 – July 11-13 – Coralville, Iowa

Region 5 – Sept. 26-28 – Indianapolis, Indiana

Region 6 – August 15-17 – Burlington, Massachusetts

Region 7 – Hosting 2008 National Congress and 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Region 8 – July 18-20 – Jacksonville, Florida

USA Gymnastics

Related post: big mistake – USAG taking over Region 2 Congress

If you are going to Philly, order them online soon. The Women’s competition and Finals could certainly sell out.

June 19 to 22 at the Wachovia Center …

Two-day ticket prices are $60 or $120 for the men, $75 or $130 for the women, and $90 or $145 for the finals, plus fees and taxes.

Tickets may be purchased online at Comcasttix.com, by calling Comcasttix at 1-800-298-4200, at the Wachovia Center Box Office, or through participating gymnastics clubs in the area. Visa will be the only card accepted.

Philadelphia Inquirer

(via Shergymrag)

This just in …

Final VAULT
1. Yakubovskyi, Oleksandr (UKR) – 16,300
2. Isayev, Andriy (UKR) – 15,937
2. Hambüchen, Fabian (GER) – 15,937
3. Rivera, Luis (PUR) – 15,875
4. Gafuik, Nathan (CAN) – 15,850
5. Gonzales, Tomas (CHI) – 15,650
6. Nguyen, Marcel (GER) – 15,450
7. Yerimbetov, Yernar (KAZ) – 15,175
… Lesnek Blanik (POL), first after the preliminary round, withdrew due to injury.

Final PARALLEL BARS
1. Li, Xiaopeng (CHN) – 16,250
2. Hambüchen, Fabian (GER) – 15,825
3. Piasecky, Samuel (SVK) – 15,550
4. Tsarevich, Aliaksandr (BLK) – 15,525
5. Petkovsek, Mitja (SLO) – 15,175
6. Tsolakidis, Vasileios (GRE) – 15,000
7. Kierzkowsi, Adam (POL) – 14,650
8. Tan, Kevin (USA) – 13,700

Li Xiaopeng was 2000 Olympic Champion. Looks to me he will be back on the Olympic Team once again, competing at home. One of the greatest champions of all time.

Final HIGH BARS
1. Zou, Kai (CHN) – 16,050
2. Maras, Vlasios (GRE) – 16,000
3. Li, Xiaopeng (CHN) – 15,975
4. Hambüchen, Fabian (GER) – 15,550
5. Kyksenkov, Mykola (UKR) – 15,450
6. Kuzmin, Timur (RUS) – 15,025
7. Konecny, Martin (CZE) – 14,650
8. Bogonosiuk, Nikolay (UKR) – 13,675

commentary on the meet – GYMmedia

Finals Day 2 – World Cup, Cottbus, Germany

RESULTS – Final BALANCE BEAM

1. Xiao, Sha (CHN) – 16,125
2. Li, Shanshan (CHN) – 15,325
3. Chusovitina, Oksana (GER) – 15,300
3. Izbasa, Sandra (ROU) – 15,300
5. Sajn, Adela (SLO) – 15,075
6. Abel, Katja (GER) – 14,825
7. Nistor, Steliana (ROU) – 14,625
8. Weyers, Sanne (NED) – 14,300

Li, Shanshan fell. The Chinese girls were the class of the field.

Xiao Sha – (AP Photo/Matthias Rietschel) – ESPN

RESULTS – Final FLOOR

1. Izbasa, Sandra (ROU) – 15,300
2. Barbosa, Jade (BRA) – 14,625
3. Xiao, Sha (CHN) – 14,500
4. Dos Santos, Daiane (BRA) – 14,350
5. Zimmermann, Yasmin (SUI) – 14,150
6. Koval, Anastasiya (UKR) – 14,125
7. Abel, Katja (GER) – 13,950
8. Myzdrikova, Anna (RUS) – 13,725

Details and commentary on GYMmedia.

Izbasa – (AP Photo/Matthias Rietschel) – ESPN

Sandra Izbasa 2008 Europeans Event Finals – Floor Exercise Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube:

Last night the Regional Championships sealed the deal on the list of teams headed to Athens, Georgia:

1. Georgia
2. Louisiana State
3. Stanford
4. Florida
5. Alabama
6. Oregon State
7. Utah
8. UCLA
9. Michigan
10. Arkansas
11. Oklahoma
12. Denver

I’m booked for the big show the weekend of April 24. Can hardly wait!

My biggest disappointment is not having Nebraska (6th in 2007) there. Injuries and some bad luck plagued the team this season.

LSU

(via Gymblog)

Marcus pointed to a video from podium training shot by Gymdish:

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Not quite a full routine — but the “cleanest” I’ve ever seen her swing.

the most interesting routine composition ever in history

superb variety of skills (vs He Kexin doing 3 Jaegers)

amazing flexibility

HUGE Geinger (the best of all time?)

better Pak than He Kexin

OK, the dismount is still very deductible. Perhaps she should go back to double layout.

ESPN

With Valeri as coach, she could add even more difficulty before Beijing. I expect he’s already got a plan on how to beat the Chinese in their own house. A great champion himself, Valeri thrives on this kind of challenge.

Related posts:

He Kexin – Olympic Champion on Bars

Nastia v He Kexin – bars

The other day I got a little bit of grief for calling Semanova’s bars “stock”.

By that I mean “GOOD”, but … where’s the WOW?

The WOW is what we used to give BONUS for in the good old days: VIRTUOSITY. He Kexin gets VIRTUOSITY. Nastia gets VIRTUOSITY.

NewNewNastiaFan101 likes the WOW.

Click PLAY or watch his Speed of Sound edit on YouTube.

Now that would be FUN.

The pororoca is a tidal bore, with waves up to 4 meters high that travel as much as 13 kilometers inland upstream on the Amazon River. Its name comes from the indigenous Tupi language, where it translates into “great destructive noise”. It occurs at the mouth of the river where river water meets the Atlantic Ocean. The phenomenon is best seen in February and March.

The wave has become popular with surfers. Since 1999, an annual championship has been held in São Domingos do Capim. However, surfing the Pororoca is especially dangerous, as the water contains a significant amount of debris from the shores of the river (often entire trees). In 2003 the Brazilian Picuruta Salazar won the event with a record ride of 12.5 kilometers during 37 minutes.

Wikipedia

To see a sample, click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Recently watched again the epic surfing documentary Riding Giants (2004). Highly recommended!

The favourite on Floor, Zou Kai from China, fell on his dismount. Local boy made good Fabian took the Gold in his place.

Men’s Floor Exercise
1. Fabian Hambüchen GER 15.300
2. Yevgeny Bogonosyuk UKR 15.200
3. Nathan Gaifuk CAN 15.075
4. Sascha Palgen LUX 15.000
5. Zou Kai CHN 14.750
6. Sasha Yakubovsky UKR 14.374
7. Tomas Gonzales CHI 14.300
8. Filip Ude CRO 14.250

And just to irk, once again, gymnastics fans everywhere, the winners of both Pommels and Rings are two stars who will NOT be competing in Beijing.

Pommel Horse
1. Krisztian Berki HUN 16.225
2. Louis Smith GBR 15.875
3. Robert Seligman CRO15.650
4. Alexander Tsarevich BLR 15.200
5. Donna-Donny Truyens BEL 15.175
6. Daniel Keatings GBR 15.150
7. Nikolai Kuksenkov UKR 14.950
8. Ruslan Nigmadzyanov RUS 14.175

Still Rings
1. Yuri van Gelder NED 16.625
2. Kevin Tan USA 16.075
3. Alexander Vorobyov UKR 15.925
4. Mateo Angioletti ITA 15.525
5. Ruslan Nigmadzyanov RUS 15.325
5. Timur Kurbanayev KAZ 15.325
7. Irodotos Giorgallas CYP 15.275
8. Isaac Botella ESP 15.025

International Gymnast