Gymnastics Coaching.com

It a big statement when a girl puts a (temporary) tattoo on her face.

They’ve become common in NCAA competition. Last night I saw a 6-year-old girl wear a Nebraska tattoo into the gym. Makes me wonder if they, one day, might become fashionable in age group competition.

original – flickr – UNC Gymnastics team member Christine Nguyen

North Carolina sophomore Christine Nguyen was named the EAGL Gymnast of the Week for her performance against EAGL rival NC State. Nguyen won the all-around competition (39.375) and placed first on all four events against the Wolfpack. She scored a 9.850 on vault, beam and floor and a 9.825 on bars. This is the second week in a row that Nguyen picks up the honor.

Carolina Gymnastics

Leave a comment if you have an opinion pro or con on tattoos.

UCLA used this mat set-up for super powerful gymnast Brittani McCullough on full twisting double back. She punches from the sting mat, lands on the landing mat.

Chicago Style 2008

Not allowed in all competitive levels, of course.

Related post: extra landing mats on Floor Exercise

That’s it, That’s all.

An incredible trailer for an upcoming snowboard video two years in the making. Travis Rice, Brain Farm Productions, Red Bull and Quicksilver are responsible.

Digg

http://www2.shredordie.com/public/flash/fodplayer.swf?1202361338That’s it That’s all Trailer on ShredOrDie.com

Launched February 2, 2008 this site is huge already.

I’d call it a portal. Not a great deal of original content, but with thousands of links to athlete bios, news stories, TV listings, clubs, College teams, etc.

The videos page links to hundreds of organized clips.

Their recommended gymnastics websites list is quite good.

Thanks to Moe Schober who edits the site. I’ll be checking in often. (Though not nearly as often as if it had an RSS feed.)

We’ve added a link to 4gymnasts in our right hand navigation under Gymnastics.

A comeback at age-33 sounded improbable. But Blaine has done it.

I could see him being selected for Beijing too if he keeps improving.

Five-time national champion Blaine Wilson earned a spot on the U.S. men’s gymnastics team Tuesday, and will receive funding for three months as he trains in an attempt to make his fourth Olympics.

Yewki Tomita, David Sender and Justin Spring also were awarded three of the final 15 spots on the team, which were filled out over the weekend at the Winter Cup Challenge.

details – Associated Press

The best that comes to mind is Rebecca Bross from WOGA. At the 2008 WOGA Classic she was top score all-around (Junior or Senior) with falls on 3 apparatus.

larger original – flickr

Canada’s Peng Peng Lee can challenge Rebecca on Beam, for sure.

Both girls, and many more around the world, are too young to try out for Beijing.

Can both continue at this high level through to the 2012 Olympics?

I have my doubts. The physical demands on the body of the current code of points is staggering.

One of the top coaches at Elite Canada in December — immediately after one of his age group gymnasts won Floor — said to me: “Every coach here is a criminal.”

He feel’s it’s insane to require such high level difficulty at such a young age in order to be successful under age group rules. Any coach who participates, including himself, was being unethical.

The Canadian Men’s Jr National Coach, Markos Baikas, is worried too. He’s telling athletes and coaches not to expect to compete full FIG requirements until perhaps age-19. “Train smart. Train safe. No rush.”

At Nikon Expo in Bristol.

Lucky me.

Today I am invited to watch women’s training at Mabel Lee Hall, home gym of NCAA powerhouse Nebraska.

This team has been very popular with Canadians, men and women, over the years, including 2003 NCAA champion Richelle Simpson.

Nebraska Women’s Gymnastics

2007 World Champion Shawn Johnson and world runner-up Fabian Hambuchen are International Gymnast Magazine’s Gymnasts of the Year, IG publisher and International Gymnastics Hall of Fame CEO Paul Ziert announced on the magazine’s website today.

Gymblog

Good choices both.

Details on IG.

Kevin Mazeika of Houston was selected Friday as head coach of the USA Gymnastics men’s team that will compete at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Mazeika, who coaches at his family-owned Houston Gymnastics Academy, coached the 2004 silver medal team at the Athens Games and also coached U.S. teams that won silver medals at the 2001 and 2003 world championships.

“It’s a tremendous honor,” Mazeika said. “I look forward to going to Beijing with a strong team and contending for medal position.”

Mazeika was selected by the federation’s program committee meeting in Las Vegas, site of the annual Winter Cup Challenge meet.

HGA gymnast Raj Bhavsar was in second place in the all-around behind 2004 Olympic gold medalist Paul Hamm after the first day of competition in the event, which concludes today.

“We have tremendous depth in the U.S., and it’s going to be a battle to make the Olympic team,” Mazeika said. “This will push everybody to their highest potential.”

In addition to Bhavsar, a member of the two silver medal world championship teams, Mazeika also coaches former world parallel bars champion Sean Townsend and two-time world team member Sean Golden.

Chron.com