Petro PAKHNIUK is a fantastic gymnast

With Oleg and Petro healthy, Ukraine could again be an Olympic medal contender in 2020.

GymCastic: Why don’t we talk about him more as an AA medal challenger?

Click PLAY or watch his Euros 2019 P Bars on YouTube.

Unfortunately he missed in the 2019 Worlds P Bar final.

Joe Fraser’s P Bar Giant

Winning Worlds, I thought Joe’s best skill was Giant to single Bar handstand. Healy.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

improving World Championships

Most people agree on these points:

  • Worlds should be shorter
  • Worlds should be less expensive
  • Worlds should not showcase dangerous skills from gymnasts not at the expected level of competition
  • Smaller, poorer nations should have a chance to compete against China
In 2019 we had medalists from Croatia, Ireland and Philippines, for example. We don’t want to reduce the chances of a future Carlos ‘Caloy’ Yulo having a chance to rise to medal contender.

 

I’m OK with lower level gymnasts competing Worlds so long as their routines are not dangerous. Recall Sri Lanka’s appearance at Worlds 2003? The audience loved them. Their routines were very basic.

 

In 2019 Milka Gehani just might qualify for the Tokyo Olympics through the tripartite rule. Worlds 2003 was a step on the long road to Tokyo.

 

Click PLAY or watch her Beam on YouTube.

To shorten Worlds I’d first cut the Team competition. It would be decided through the qualification round.

IOC and FIG have broad missions. Handing medals to the best of the best is one objective amongst many. Developing sport in Sri Lanka is another.

PROPOSAL – Elite Worlds 

In Canada we have always had two major competitions each year:

  1. Nationals (regional representation, regional development, etc.)
  2. Elite Canada

At Elite Canada only the best of the best qualify. We might have 12 gymnasts from Ontario and only 1 from Nova Scotia, for example.

I’d love to see an FIG sponsored Elite Worlds. Cash prizes. 15 American gymnasts competing Floor, for example.

 

Trampolinist Tamara O’Brien has died

After two years battling cancer, Tamara O’Brien passed away. So young, so fit. It’s just not fair.

Rest in peace.

Click PLAY or watch a TV feature posted Oct 13, 2019 on YouTube.

Trampoline back ‘KABOOM’ tutorial

More difficult than it looks. Timing critical.

Click PLAY or watch a teaser on Facebook.

Simone’s 25 World medals

“She’s incredible,” Landi said.

“You don’t want to look at (the medals), just. …  The goal is to hit four out of four, every day, day after day. This is what she has shown everybody and to herself, her consistency not only in training but when it counts. …

Simone Biles sets the standard in gymnastics and maybe any sport you can name

Mic drop.

NYC Gymnerds meet-up

Ilena Robbins organizes socials where Gymnastics fans get together.

For Worlds they met at a bar in the Village at 9:45 am.

Click PLAY or get a glimpse on Twitter.

Dvora Meyers – On Watching Gymnastics at a Bar

12-year-old Carlos Yulo

World Floor Exercise Champion 2019.

Rapler – WATCH: A bubbly 12-year-old Carlos Yulo shares his medal hopes

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

related – FAST FACTS: Who is gymnast Carlos Yulo?

athlete feedback from Stuttgart

FIG Athletes Representatives Aljaz Pegan (SLO) and Oksana Chusovitina (UZB) were both pleased after conducting “productive” meetings with gymnasts …

The main changes Chusovitina praised were raising the temperature in the warm-up gym and free fruit and beverages for the athletes. …

Chusovitina said the athletes were ecstatic over the extended sessions in podium training. Each rotation was about 27 minutes, much longer than the expected competition run time.

“Everybody was super, extremely happy about this!” she said. “However, we still have lots of issues to resolve for athletes safety. I have 12 different points that I want to present to the FIG in the future to make it even safer for every athlete.” …

… the main complaint was the transportation, which was bogged down because of the annual beer festival …

The main topic at his meeting was the competition format and rules for the next Olympic cycle …

Athlete Representatives Pegan, Chusovitina praise productive meetings in Stuttgart

2024 Olympics Paris