The U.S. dominated the team and all-around competition at the Junior Pan American Championships, held Friday in Guatemala City, Guatemala.
The U.S. won both team titles and swept the all-around medals for both men and women.
Los Angeles’ Mattie Larsen won the women’s title over Michigan’s Jordyn Wieber, third all-around at the 2007 U.S. Junior National Championships. Chelsea Davis of Austin, Texas, won the bronze. …
Women’s Team
1. USA 177.501
2. Canada 168.634
3. Brazil 161.434
Another cool interactive feature on their website:
The January/February 2008 issue features a “Kicking Off the Olympic Year” theme. To celebrate the countdown to Beijing 2008, we’re including a poster of national and world champion Nastia Liukin that will be poly-bagged with the January/February issue for subscribers only. And your vote will determine which picture of the gymnastics superstar will become the poster.
Oklahoma’s Steven Legendre (from WOGA) took the gold medal in the all-around competition Friday at the Junior Pan-American Gymnastics Championships in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Team USA swept the top four spots in the all-around to capture the team gold as well. …
Team Results:
1. USA – 262.933
2. Brazil – 252.566
3. Argentina – 240.832
4. Colombia – 236.734
5. Mexico – 231.634
6. Peru – 217.703
All-Around Results:
1. USA – Steven Legendre – 87.032
2. USA – Glen Ishino – 86.967
3. USA – Alexy Bilozertchev – 86.534
But you can flip and twist after releasing near the top of your swing.
… At the top was a trapeze-like rope-swing with a platform perched 30 feet above the water. “Wicked!” I called out to Jarv before excitedly setting ashore.
When I reached the swing, a sign said, “Price of admission one Beer Lao.” …
I’ve read dozens of NCAA athlete signings over the past week.
There’s something special about this one:
… For nine years, the 17-year-old senior from Clive has trained day in and day out in the gymnasium she shares with world champion Shawn Johnson. But as Johnson moves forward to the Olympics, Hansen will take another route: one that is taking her to Iowa City and the University of Iowa.
This month, Hansen signed to compete with the women’s gymnastics team on a full scholarship. She is women’s coach Larissa Libby’s first in-state recruit and Chow’s first student to move on to the college level.
“We feel like she has the opportunity to resurrect Iowans’ love for gymnastics,” Libby said. “She’s that total package. Academically she’s stellar. … But she also brings a poise and artistry in gymnastics. We couldn’t be more excited about bringing Jessa here.”
…
It wasn’t until high school that Hansen realized gymnastics could be her door into college. As she approached her senior year as an honor student at Waukee High School, scouts began to make offers. …
While Johnson is a role model for many of the girls at the gym who dream of going to the Olympics, Hansen is a role model for those who want to go to college, Coach Liang Chow said.
Valentin, editor of The Gym Press, notified us of a documentary on the Li Xiaoshuang gymnastics school. It’s pretty intense.
The first 10min video features a father bringing his 5-year-old son to “try out”. If accepted, the father will take the train 9hrs home. And leave the boy in the care of the school.
Valentin asks what people think of this documentary. Leave a comment below.
I am trying to be sympathetic of a nation in transition from third world to superpower. Yet these truths are self-evident:
boarding school at age 4-5 is far too young
parents / family need to be in daily contact with chilidren
the toughest coach (Zheng) is borderline sadistic. He should be fired instantly.
corporal punishment does not work, long-term.
Summing up, the focus of the Chinese system (parents, children, coaches) on “winning” is illogical. Only one can “win” the Olympics. If that’s the goal for all, everyone loses — except that one.
Living this lie cannot persist. As China gains confidence as a nation, as affluence and education increase, parents will not tolerate boarding schools like this. Their children will have better options.
Free enterprise will bring change for the better.
Most surprising of all to me is how poor is the coaching of the young boys. The technical training is very old fashioned. Inefficient. Most of the top coaches in the “West” are better, in my opinion, than the coaches at the Li Xiaoshuang Gymnastics School.
We should be educating them, not the other way round.
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Team Results:
Gymnastics Coaching.com 