gymnast Nathan Gafuik competes in the NCAA

Nathan.pngAt least for one competition.

Gafuik, from the University of Calgary gymnastics club in Canada, won the All-Around at a dual meet with NCAA powerhouse Minnesota over the weekend.

It was a “friendly”. The Canadian club team was bolstered by former Gopher All-American Jake Lee. In the end, Jake was the difference.

Minnesota outscored Calgary on four of six events, but dominant performances by the Dinosaurs on pommel horse and still rings proved to be the difference as the Golden Gophers dropped their 2008 home opener, 342.800-341.800, Saturday afternoon at the Sports Pavilion. …

One Gopher that appeared to be focused like a laser beam was Cole Storer. The sophomore posted top-3 finishes on floor exercise and vault and won the high bar competition and helped Minnesota (3-5) recorded season-high team scores on all three events. …

Current Canadian all-around champion Nathan Gafuik won the all-around competition with 89.100 points and captured event wins on floor, pommel horse and vault. Lee, meanwhile, won the parallel bars and placed second on rings. …

full results – Gopher Sports

University of Calgary coach Tony Smith likes competing in the USA and brings his team south about once a year.

I’m hoping that bringing in international teams from Canada and elsewhere will help the NCAA Men’s program survive for decades to come.

Allan Bower, talented Arizona gymnast

pic4.jpgI first saw Allan at the Peter Vidmar competition in 2004. First chance I went to congratulate him on his awesome gymnastics and to meet his coach.

At age-8, Allan was already amazing.

He’s now 12-years-old and still amazing, competing double back & 2 1/2 twist on FX, Magyar & Silvado on PH, Tsukahara 1 1/2 twist, Heally and double back on PB, and much more.

Great technique and artistry. Careful coaching.

Allan debuted his new routines for this season at a competition in Phoenix this weekend in preparation for Blackjack / Winter Cup coming up in Las Vegas.

His coach, Chris Sommer, is concerned about FIG rules, as are most thoughtful coaches. Chris feels there is too much reward for tumbling, vault and ring strength, not enough credit for technique of swing on PH, PB and HB.

Coach Sommer is well respected as a strength expert. He sells Xtreme rings on his Gymnastics Bodies website.

interview with Allan Bower – Gymnastics Bodies

Related posts:

  • gymnastics coach – Christopher Sommer
  • rings – training Cross
  • strength training – hanging V-sit and variations

    • Sofia Coppola a gymnast – who knew?

    Academy Award-nominated director Sofia Coppola once played a gymnast in the 1997 video for “Elektrobank” by the Chemical Brothers, which was directed by her future husband, Academy Award-nominated Spike Jonze.

    One of the weirder Floor routines on YouTube:

    Interview with Jones:

    What did you have to bribe your girlfriend with to get her to put on a unitard and do gymnastics?

    (laughs) I don’t know. She was such a good sport. Not only was she a good sport to let us put her in those clothes and let us tease her hair up, but she also was a good sport, because after half of the first day, she was so sore and tired. We made her rehearse and learn gymnastics with a gymnast, learn dance and a style of ribbonwork. ..

    Big Screen Little Screen

    (via bobble bee)

    one-armed surfer inspires

    Her story seemed tragic. At age 13, talented Bethany Hamilton was set to be the next pro surfer out of Hawaii. Until she lost her entire left arm to a tiger shark while surfing the North Shore of Kauai.

    … This week Bethany tied for third in the Roxy Pro Womens WQS Surf Festival on Philip Island in Australia. She made it all the way through to the semi finals and placed equal with her opponent, World No. 8 Jessi Miley-Donte.

    …

    “[People] can do whatever they want if they just set their heart to it, and just never give up, and just go out there and do it,” she said.

    bethany_hamilton.jpg

    Shark-Attack Surfer Takes Third in Competition – Sierra Blogging Post

    Reminds me of “Lefty”, Carol Johnston the gymnast.

    The Gymnast – a short fictional film

    Former international gymnast Jennifer Sey works as the Marketing Director for Levi’s Jeans. She also writes and produces short films like this one: The Gymnast

    It stars fellow former Parkette, Jennifer Greenhut, a good friend of the director.

    Many like this film which explores the potential downside of being an ex-elite gymnast. Personally I found it dull. It did not have anything new to say to me. Perhaps for a non-gymnastics audience there is more appeal.

    Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube (8min).

    I hope her upcoming book is more enlightening.