National Gymnastics Day has two goals: to increase excitement and raise awareness for the sport of gymnastics and to raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network through the Tyson Fitness Challenge.Established in 1999, National Gymnastics Day is a platform to showcase the many benefits of gymnastics, as well as promotes the ideals of physical fitness and community service nationwide.
Clubs and their gymnasts have the opportunity to raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network through participation in the Tyson Fitness Challenge, a program designed to improve the fitness level of the nation’s youth and the platform for raising money for the Children’s Miracle Network. …
Who: National Gymnastics Day is celebrated by thousands of gymnasts and gymnastics clubs across the country. Legendary gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi is chairman of National Gymnastics Day.
When: Saturday, Aug. 4, 2007
Men’s Vault – most extreme event in gymnastics
Most impressive apparatus in 2007 is Vault for men. The difficulty and air time is astonishing.
The vault most likely to win right now is the dangerous Tsukahara Double Pike, I think. (Though Double Front 1/2-out may be easier to stick.)
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Two of the three vaults on this video are performed by Charlie Tamayo most recently training and coaching at Woodward West Gymnastics Camp.
Charlie, originally from Cuba, is trying to get US citizenship in time to try-out for the American Team for the 2008 Olympics. (I think the USA could use Charlie.)
“Wall of Death” – flyaway video
Another great post from HPTCamp.com, the official website of the Adlard’s High Performance Training Camp in Idaho:
Coach John Carney’s “Wall of Death” was a big hit at the 2007 camp.
This drill is ideal for learning and improving your flyaway off bars. It teaches how to “pitch out”, keeping your feet away from the bar.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Of course it’s equally useful for boys on horizontal bar.
quick video feedback in the gym
This scene is increasingly common in training gyms:
Coach Jim Johansen, Mountain Shadows Gymnastics Camp
There are moments when you want to show an athlete something, quickly and easily. More often than not a coach pulls out a camera or phone and takes a low resolution, short video clip.
It’s far more convenient than walking back to the gym office to pick up the camcorder.
Expert video coach Don Eckert at Woodward West Camp was the first I’ve seen using an iPhone in the gym. He loaded up the 8Gb of memory with some of his most useful video clips. The bright screen (and “coolness” factor) is very popular with gymnasts and coaches.
Check out Don’s SaltoCafe videos on YouTube.
RESPECT is the key word in sport
funding for women in sport – London, England
Less than 10% of British coaches at the 2004 Olympics were women (despite 40% of athletes at the Games being women) The target for the 2012 London Games is for a minimum of 15% of British coaches to be female.
Source: British Olympic Committee
The Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) has had a direct influence in bringing over £230K of funding into women’s sports coaching with its initial groundbreaking initiative, Women into Coaching-London.
… The funding will be used to give 210 women from across London the opportunity to gain coaching qualifications up to NVQ level 3 in eight sports, including badminton, basketball, cricket, football, gymnastics, rowing, rugby league and swimming.
Women’s Sports Foundation – funding details
vault in 1967
Show this to your gymnasts so they can see how far things have come in 40yrs.
disaster for Alexandra Orlando – RG Pan Ams
The overwhelming favourite to win Rhythmics in Rio is out.
Too bad.
… devastating day for Alexandra Orlando who will miss the All Around Final because of an unfortunate accident – broken apparatus (ribbon). At the beginning of her ribbon routine, the ribbon detached completely from the stick. Alexandra had to perform her routine with a broken apparatus, which per the rules is not allowed, despite finishing to a standing ovation from the Brazilian crowd.
The 2006 Commonwealth Champion received a 0 score for her ribbon routine, which removed her from the top 10 despite finishing first in the other 3 apparatus – hope, rope and clubs.
Alexandra will have an opportunity to regroup and perform for 3 Gold medals in the 3 Apparatus Finals on Saturday.
Check GymMedia.com for detailed coverage of the event: Pan American Games: Rhythmic Gymnastics Competitions
Wang Yan – recovery called “miraculous”
Two updates on the recovery of injured Chinese gymnast Wang Yan:
… She regained strength in her legs and hands after rehabilitation and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
“She can use chopsticks and the computer now,” said a relative of Wang.
Shanghai Daily | 上海日报
All the best to Wang Yan and her family. We are thinking of you.
Wang Yan, the 16-year-old Chinese gymnast who broke her neck after falling from the bars at last month’s national championships, is making a miraculous recovery.
She’s already said to be lifting her legs and raising her right arm and has been moved out of intensive care. “She has managed to conquer the most dangerous period,” one of her doctors said.
Boston Globe
who can challenge Vanessa FERRARI at Worlds?
In the confusing new FIG scoring system, 62+ points is very high.
In a tournament of six countries in the central Italian harbour town of Civitavecchia – ROMANIA won the meet in front of ITALY and FRANCE, followed by CZECH REPUBLIC, SWITZERLAND and EGYPT.
All-around world champion Vanessa FERRARI won with a super score of 62,100 points. On second came NISTOR (ROU), followed by PETIT (FRA).
A big surprise was the fourth placed Swiss Ariella KAESLIN, who achieved the best result of her career …
Comeback of Catalina Ponor
The Romanian three-times Olympic champion, Catalina PONOR made a successsful comeback; the nearly 20 year old gymnast started at three apparatuses only and got top results at vault (14.40) and beam (16.300) and made a very good athletic impression some weeks before the world championships in Stuttgart, Germany …
(via Gym Chat)
Gymnastics Coaching.com 