Gymnastics Coaching.com

The 1978 World Champion died Dec. 22nd, 2006, 46-years-old.

I had forgotten what a “big trick” gymnast she was. “A flyer, not a flower”, as Bela would say.

This bittersweet montage may bring a tear to your eye.

A montage for Yelena Mukhina, who recently passed away twenty-six years after being paralyzed in a floor accident. You will be missed, Yelena.

thesparkinside

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Related posts:

Elena Mukhina dead at 46

should roll-out skills be banned on Floor?

Blythe, editor of the terrific new Gymblog, pointed us to this video, a well-edited montage of astonishing release moves and dismounts on Horizontal Bar. Includes triple front and triple back pike.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

This is one of over 80 videos posted by theused1786 on YouTube.

Rick McCharles

Just got the schedule of presentations for Spokane. I expect you won’t want to miss my 4 sessions — though there are a few other choices.

Now scheduled is a screening of the best gymnastics movie of all time, White Palms, staring Kyle Shewfelt and “Uldi” Zoltan Miklos Hajdu, the Academy Award nominee from Hungary.

The 2007 Region 2
Coaches and Judges Congress
Spokane, Washington
“Region 2 Rising!”
October 19—21, 2007

For more Information, contact Dave Adlard funnflip @ msn.com
208-664-0135
www.funtastics.org

Related post – partial list of presenters at Congress 2007

I wish I was there, on the glass ceiling atop the CN Tower in Toronto.

Artists from Cirque du Soleil were promoting their new touring show Kooza.

But a National Post reporter was somewhat underwhelmed:

… 1:37 It’s contortion time. Three young girls dressed in full Cirque du Soleil regalia proceed to go through a four-minute routine of bending over backwards, standing on top of one another, and other eye-popping, freaks-me-out-to-watch wonders.

1:40 As far as astounding world records go, it’s all a bit anticlimactic. If one of the circus performers was to do a handstand on the top of the Tower’s needle, that would be breathtakingly awesome. This though? We’re standing on a totally secure floor inside a building. As one unnamed person would later say to me, “If I juggled in an airplane, would that set the record for highest circus act ever performed?”

1:48 I ask the publicist from Guinness what the previous record for world’s highest circus act is. It turns out there is no previous record. This is a new, first of its kind record. Guinness World Record officials will confirm it on October 3. …

National Post

(via Cirque Tribune forum – KOOZA to attempt new Guiness World Record)

Kooza – Cirque du Soleil

Just back from visiting Funtastics in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. At the beginning of the season the competitive TEAM girls memorize their program mission statement:

We exist to provide every athlete in our developmental and competitive team programs with a rewarding and fulfilling experience through the building of character, and ‘heart’ above all. We are working towards this by focusing on respect for themselves and others, time management skills, self discipline, development of competitive abilities, dedication to a team, strong work habits, goal setting ability, a love of exercise and an overall sense of accomplishment in their endeavors. In short, an attitude of “never less than the best we can do”.

We work on and encourage a positive attitude, courage, development of superb physical and mental strengths and abilities and the willingness and ability to put in your best effort at every opportunity … to stick to a task and persevere, overcoming challenges and goals that were ‘impossible’ only a short while before.

In essence, we are striving to develop life skills that will last you long after your competitive days are over.

Learning and discussing the Mission is part of their Sport Psychology program which Head Coach Dave Adlard feels is the most productive training session of the week.

Also, they’ve changed the word “goal” … to “promise”. A much stronger word and one more meaningful to the kids.

Another great video on Don Eckert’s saltocafe channel on YouTube.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Street acrobatics is getting BIG.

I can tell by the number of hits I get while checking the internet for “acrobatic” posts.

Free running has major buzz right now.

Another cool pic.

In training, the first I’ve ever seen.

From Gymblog’s excellent post on the evolution of Bernd Jaeger’s skill:

And now have a look at the double twisting Jaeger, performed by Jeff Crockett, a member of the University of Washington’s men’s team in 2006.

Awesome, no?

Jeff Crockett’s double twisting Jaeger « WordPress Gymblog

Click PLAY or watch Jeff swing out on YouTube.

History-wise, I recall with greatest admiration Artemev’s Winkler (layout Jaeger-full) and Valeri Liukin’s Layout Tkachev full and Winkler in the same routine. Both did it from el-grip.

Many girls have competed Def? (Geinger 3/2 twist)

Has any female competed layout Jaeger full as yet? (Leave a comment.)

Canadians love the warm weather. Many, over the years, have gone to UCLA. (Yvonne Tousek, Kate Richardson)

Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs and Marci Bernholtz, Canadian National Team members, were planning to defer enrollment with UCLA until 2008-09.

Canada did not qualify a full team to the Beijing Olympics. Will both still train for Olympic qualification? Or start preparing for the NCAA?

… Hopfner-Hibbs, who will defer enrollment at UCLA until the 2008-09 school year, won the bronze medal on balance beam at the 2006 World Championships, becoming the first Canadian woman ever to win a medal at the World Championships. …

Bernholtz, who will be competing in her second consecutive World Championships, is the 2007 Canadian national champion on the uneven bars and the bronze medalist in the all-around and on balance beam. She was also a double bronze-medalist at the 2005 National Championships, placing third in the all-around and on floor exercise, and an alternate at the 2004 Olympic Games.

Two Bruin Signees To Compete For Canada At World Gymnastics Championships – Canada needs Top 12 placement to send full team to 2008 Olympics.

ATHENS, Ga. — The University of Georgia gymnastics team is coming off back-to-back-to-back NCAA Championships and ready to go for its fourth in a row. The Gym Dogs also have the opportunity to defend their three straight titles in their home gym as the 2008 NCAA Gymnastics Championships will be held in Athens at Georgia’s Stegeman Coliseum.

Photo Credit: Dan Evans
Head Coach Suzanne Yoculan

Gym Dogs ‘Back Four More’ In 2008 – GeorgiaDogs.com—Official Athletic Site of the University of Georgia