Full In Full Out

Will Wieber make a go at the 2014 Winter Olympics?

2012-01-06T15:51:00.003-05:00

That's the impression that I got from this headline:

That's almost as much fun as the Skating and Gymnastics Craptacular press release that reported about Nastia's silver AA medal in Beijing. I'm sure she was THRILLED to see that.

2012--Year of the Sports Comeback?

2011-12-29T12:41:00.000-05:00

Okay, I typically avoid anything FOX-related, aside from a few select television programs, but there is a Fox Sports article featured on the MSN homepage today about sports comebacks in 2012, and I had a feeling some of our girlies would get a shout-out, which they did. It's only a small shout-out, but with the Olys right around the corner, I think all of the "athletes to watch" across all sports are interesting to read about, so I figured I'd link it.

Of course, as for the gymnasts, it's only Nastia and Shawn who got any mention, but there's an excellent chance that we're going to see at least half of the 2008 team fighting for a 2012 spot. Bridget Sloan is presumably still gunning for London, and I've heard that Samantha Peszek is, as well. My instinct tells me that Chellsie Memmel is done now, but you know what? Do not ever count that woman out. Seriously. And of course, there's Sac, who has every intention of fighting for her place, too.

Year of the comeback, indeed.

Useless Speculation

2011-12-18T17:05:00.000-05:00

Hi. I'm bored, so I've been picking the Olympic team. You know--the one that won't actually be selected for seven months, and for which we have no idea who will be healthy/upgraded/ready. That one. I'm assuming Nastia to be ready only on beam and bars, but if she has a floor ready, too, then I guess that could change things a bit. I'm also assuming that Sac is NOT upgraded because of her injury. Anyway--it's my useless speculation, so take it and like it.

Here's my team:

Vault: Raisman; Wieber; Maroney

Back-up: Bross (I don't love this)

Bars: Wieber; Bross; Nastia

Back-up: Maroney

Beam: Nastia; Bross; Wieber

Back-up: Raisman

Floor: Bross; Wieber; Raisman

Back-up: Maroney

Alternates: Ross; Sac; Douglas

Tell me what you think. Am I headed in the right direction, considering that for all we know there could be injuries or failed comebacks in the next few months (please, no)? Or am I batshit crazy? Tell me what you think. I'm sure this list will evolve.

Fifo's Christmas wishlist

2011-12-16T16:28:00.000-05:00

Dear Santa,

It's been awhile, old friend. I haven't written you since I was eleven--um, er, uh, eight or nine years old. Yes; eight or nine. Perfectly reasonable Santa-believin' ages. Ahem.

Anywho...

I have to tell you, I've been AWESOME this year. I got good grades, made the Dean's List, and graduated from school. I made and personally delivered an entire person. And I kept my room--and the rest of the house--tidy all summer, until Baby Fifo was born and all hell--um, heck--broke loose.

So I've been thinking, and I feel like I'm well within the bounds of reason to make a few teensy-weensy Christmas requests. Hear me out! I make these requests on behalf of gym fans and fellow bloggers everywhere! I'm being, like, selfless or something.

So here goes:

1.) I'd like, above all else, an injury-free 2012 for gymnasts everywhere. It's an Olympic year, you know, and while I am always in favor of zero-injuries, next year will mean a lot not only to the fans, but to the athletes. Let the landings be soft and steady and the twists be fully rotated.

2.) Let Bruno Grandi get voted out of his post as head of the FIG. It's time for some new blood, someone who actually listens and "gets" it. I nominate Spanny Tampson.

3.) Let all EF and AA medalists succeed without falls. I think this is reasonable. We had some very exciting EFs at Worlds, and I'd love to see that same kind of tension--and then some--at the Olympics.

4.) Let the AA field in London be both worthy and unbroken. Well, okay, let everyone who makes the teams be worthy and unbroken. But what I mean is, let's see those AA medals be hard fought for by gymnasts who are at their very best. It would be awesome to see an AA final where the gold medal could reasonably go to any one of several athletes instead of just an obvious two. And let the results be close.

5.) May coverage of major meets continue to increase in both volume and accessibility. It's definitely better than it was a decade ago, and I'd like to see more and more meets receive real coverage over the next few years. And I'm talking live coverage here. Rewatching it later on NBC is a nice treat, but we want to see the action while it's happening. Ya' got that, fatass?

So rather than get greedy, I'm going to cut it off here. Thanks in advance, and feel free to throw in a few stocking stuffers (I have my eye on a nice return to the three-per-country EF rule) if you're so inclined.

With Warmest Regards,

Jen

Okay, so I'm aware that several bloggers have done lists like these. I had this half finished before I realized it, and I did not feel like coming up with something else, so...yeah. But I intentionally didn't read the other posts when I saw their titles because I make it a point not to copy other people's shit, so any similarities are unintentional. I know Blythe did one for Universal Sports, and I think I saw at least one other. I'll link it if I come across it again. Now I'm off to read Blythe's. :)

Know a Coach--Vanessa Atler

2011-12-12T15:04:00.000-05:00

I know that all of my Know a Coach segments in the past have been about current elite coaches. However, Vanessa was kind enough to take time out of her day to talk to me about her careers both as an athlete and as the team coach at Gymnastics Unlimited, and her thoughts and ideas are so refreshing that I think she's perfect for this. So the format is a little different, but I'd like to hit a few little tid bits of our conversation.

1.) Vanessa believes strongly in putting the mental and physical well-being of her athletes ahead of progression, although she values hard work and focus, too.

2.) She choreographs all of her girls' floor routines herself. Although they are free to bring in their own choreographers, they've all trusted her.

3.) The staff page on Gymnastics Unlimited lists her favorite events as "the Balance Beam and Uneven Bars". With a laugh, she said that that is totally untrue and was just a simple mistake, and her favorites are actually floor and vault. Floor is her favorite to coach.

4.) She got her start coaching just a few years after the 2000 Olympics, leading recreational and Mommy & Me classes.

5.) She gets more nervous at competitions than her girls do. She coaches levels 4-9, and says that, "It's just nerve-wracking for me the entire time. That's all I am is nervous. And it's one of the things I struggle with as a coach, because you know the kids, they really want to see you calm and that's what I wanted to see in my coaches. I get so nervous for them! I don't know what it is. I mean, it can be a level four competition and I'm just like, 'Please do what you do at practice!' That's all I'm thinking. And I just want them to be happy and do well."

6.) She loves coaching athletes with positive attitudes, and believes that coaching plays a huge role in developing an athlete's mental strength and outlook.

7.) If she could claim credit for coaching one current elite, she says she'd choose, "Shawn Johnson, just because she's so, I think, grounded and probably mentally--at least the things she says to kids and media-- very grown-up and very mature, and [she's] just a great role model. And I think besides her gymnastics, which is probably my favorite just by how she tumbles, and just the way that she does her stuff, I love that she looks happy out there."

8.) She likes watching videos and montages of her competitions on Youtube, and has watched even the tougher ones many times.

9.) She has definite opinions on how things are run and who should take over when/if Martha retires.

10.) She has many fond memories of her competitive days, and now has an adult perspective on the hard times at the end of her career. She blames no one, and wants to be remembered as a good person and a gifted athlete who was a National Champion and a Goodwill Games winner; not as the girl who didn't make the Olympics. She no longer sees herself that way, and wants to help make positive changes to the sport.

So that's a very small taste of what we talked about. I'm working on a full-length article, but I thought you might enjoy a sampling of where Vanessa is and what she's up to. She could not have been more gracious or open and honest, and I really enjoyed listening to her tell her story. Once I have the full article written, I'll let you know where you can read it. :)

Merry Christmas, all!

Nastia training update

2011-12-12T08:41:00.002-05:00

There was a piece on NBC in Dallas this morning on Nastia's training for 2012. There's quite a bit of training footage, though not really anything new. Same bars dismount and the like. It looks like she's keeping the music and at least some of the floor routine she showed us at that Skating & Gymnastics craptacular thing last year.

I was impressed that the reporter actually seemed to know what he was talking about. Instead of proclaiming that Nastia will be on the Olympic team, he apparently actually understood that she's not a lock, and he even talked about how the team is smaller/harder to make now. They showed Becca on bars for a few seconds, too.

It's really nothing new, but it's worth a watch.

Triple Twist Meets Elites

2011-12-08T22:58:00.000-05:00

The Triple Twist blog, which I rather like, has posted a nice interview with Junior Elite Elizabeth Price. Price is a '96 girl who trains at Parkette's. Perhaps we'll see her at Trials? Only time will tell.

I know I'm doing a lot of linking to other people's stuff lately, but hey--there's some good stuff out there to which I can link! I do have a new Know a Coach segment in the works, so I'll try to get that up soon.

Peace, kids!

Great nostalgic post from The E Panel

2011-12-02T12:37:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to link to this post today by The E Panel. The skills listed are some of my very favorites, and I miss them, too.

Check it out HERE.

The Year in Montages

2011-11-30T20:45:00.004-05:00

I am a big fan of a well-edited gymnastics montage. Unfortunately, unlike my friend Spanny Tampson, I lack any semblance of talent in putting them together.

For your enjoyment, I give you the First Annual Year in Montages! Mostly featuring U.S. WAG, but not entirely. Enjoy!

New Seniors

Comebacks

American Cup

European Championships

The quality of this video is gorgeous.

Covergirl Classic

Visa National Championships

World Championships

Team

Easily one of my favorite montages of the year.

AA

Vault

Another favorite of the year.

Bars

I had a hard time finding something for bars. I nearly gave up and just posted a video of the coverage, but I did find this. Enjoy.

*I don't know what happened to the video I thought I had put here, and now I can't remember what it was. I'll poke around later and try to fill in this spot. Sorry 'bout that.

Beam

Floor

If I were casting The Hunger Games with gymnasts (which I actually might do...), AFan would be my Katniss.

Danell Leyva

Okay, I'm totally cheating here because this is not a montage, but it needed to be mentioned.

Kohei Uchimura

This man was THE star of the Championships. He's won three World AA titles in a row. This montage is a year old, but it was the best I could find for this.

Romania Shut Out of the Medals

This montage is not about that, but it's a team preview, and I think the story is significant enough to examine. I wonder if Romania is just having a rough quad, or if we're seeing them begin to go the way of the Ukrainians.

New Elements

Looking Ahead

I've skipped Pan Ams because there isn't SHIT out there that tells the story. There are a few Shawn montages, but I'd prefer to feature the whole team.

I'd also love a montage of Huang Quishang's World Cup performances.

Please link me to any montages that you feel tell the story of 2011. WAG or MAG, any country or combination of countries. As long as it highlights a significant piece of the 2011 puzzle, I want it!

A huge thanks to all the awesome montage makers, especially Spanny Tampson, iLitter, and MostepanovaFan!

Alicia talks about her recovery

2011-11-30T10:10:00.000-05:00

There's a nice article about Alicia Sacramone in the Boston Globe online, providing some quotes from her, Mihai, and Martha. Some highlights include:

"There was no doubt that Sacramone, who turns 24 next month, would continue her quest. 'There wasn’t a question of whether I wanted to come back,' she said by phone from Denver last week. 'It was, ‘Can I be ready in time?'"

I'm really glad that she's still fighting for her spot, still doing everything she can to stay relevant to a young team brimming over with talent. Seeing McKayla Maroney step in and easily take the vault title this year had to be a little bittersweet for her. I'm not saying she's sending evil thoughts to the girl or anything, but Sac's no dummy. She knows who her direct competition is.

"A torn Achilles’ is not as damaging as a blown-out knee."

The second I read that, I was SURE they were going to launch into a "Shawn Johnson's knee fell off and she still managed to fight back because she is so super duper amazeballs" suckfest, but to the Globe's credit, they did not. Shawn is not even mentioned except briefly on page two, where all of the Beijing girls are listed by name. *wipes brow, sighs in relief*

"One benefit of having been in world-class form when she was injured is that Sacramone won’t have to (although she’d like to) spend time upgrading her routines.

'She would not need to learn new skills,' said Karolyi. 'The old stuff, she can get it back.'

Even if Sacramone skips the floor exercise, which Karolyi says she may want to consider, she’s still the squad’s top vaulter and one of its best performers on balance beam. And as the team’s grande dame, her leadership value was established years ago."

Alicia's experience and leadership role, coupled with her skills, were going to be her ticket to London. I worry now that a team full of newbies has proven their ability to dominate without her, those things are not going to factor in as much as they would have. Don't get me wrong--I want the U.S. to send the very best five athletes for the job, and if Alicia isn't one of them at that time, then that's that. But I really do want her to be. She's a sentimental favorite for me, and I desperately want to see her win a team gold medal and an individual vault medal. Martha hasn't written her off, and neither have I. I'm just being realistic about what a tough situation this is.

Much love, Alicia! I can't wait to see you next year!

Tid Bits

2011-11-22T16:24:00.001-05:00

Per USA Gymnastics' Facebook page, Nastia Liukin and Amanda Jetter have been added to the National Team following this past weekend's camp. Looking forward to those bars, Nast. I guess she's super serial about this now. Though I am surprised that she didn't wait until someone's wedding or maybe the middle of their floor routine to make an announcement.

Becca Bross was also in attendance at camp, and is apparently doing very well in her recovery from the knee injury she sustained at Nationals in August.

Chellsie Memmel is now a Brevet judge. So...is she done, then? Did her shoulder finally beg for mercy loudly enough to be heard?

Ivana Hong and Sami Shapiro have settled in at Stanford.

Aly Raisman, as you all know by now, has foregone her NCAA eligibility in favor of pro status after verbally committing to Florida. I really, really hope this decision works out for her. : /

The fight for the five Olympic spots is going to be very interesting. The only "locks" I think there are at all are Jordyn Wieber and a healthy Bross. I predict McKayla Maroney will have a spot, too, especially with upgrades on everything but vault. But yeah...trials are going to be hot. I can't wait.

The State of the Gym Union

2011-11-12T17:53:00.001-05:00

2010 World All Around champ Aliya Mustafina told the Gym Examiner that she intends to compete the Amanar again in competition, specifically the 2012 Olympics, because, "To win, I will have to do the 2.5."

This is a terrible effing idea. But sadly, she's probably right. Especially since her biggest rivals for the title, Jordyn Wieber and Russian teammate Viktoria Komova, are both capable of vaulting the 2.5. Had Komova thrown hers in Tokyo--even if it was sloppy--and had the same outcome on all other events, she would have taken the title from Wieber.

"So Jen--is this going to be another one of those, 'The code is killing gymnastics!' posts we're all getting so tired of reading?"

In a nutshell? Yep. Because I really am sick of gifted gymnasts winding themselves up like time bombs on skills that are slowly destroying them. And in some cases, skills that finally do destroy or seriously hinder them in one nasty moment.

Now, an injury can happen on any skill. Hell, Komova fucked up her ankle walking across the gym last winter. And girls get hurt on skills that they are perfectly capable of doing safely in freak moments all the time. It happens. It's the risk of the sport. But because of the current state of the gym union, a gold medal too often means throwing out skills that are simply not right for a particular gymnast, all so that she can keep up in the scores. I'm not even talking about aesthetics or artistry; a skill can be ugly and not be too difficult for a gymnast. She may just have ugly technique and opt not to fix it for whatever reason. I'm talking about skills that are truly dangerous for a girl to be doing.

I point to Bross' Patterson as another example. Every time I see her set up to dismount the beam, I feel butterflies in my stomach. Each time, I brace myself that this is going to be the one that blows out her knees. I don't know all the numbers, but I know it's a heavily rewarded skill, and it boosts her D-score so she can stay competitive. And in London next year, assuming she's on the team, we're going to see her throw it. She'll have to if she wants a shot at an AA medal. But it's not a skill she should be doing, because she's not capable of consistently doing it safely.

Talk to me. What skills do you think certain girls should stop doing in the interest of safety? What do you think should be done about it? I don't have the answers, because frankly I just don't have the depth of knowledge to really work out the implications of any given plan. But I'd love to hear some of your thoughts on this. Maybe I'll write another open letter to Bruno, who will never, ever see it.

Take the whopping fifteen seconds required...

2011-11-08T15:16:00.001-05:00

...to vote for Jordyn, Danell, and the WAG Team for USOC Athlete of the Month honors. No email address or registration required. You just click a button. Help them pull ahead! They're all trailing by slim enough margins that it could be made up!

VOTE NOW!

Tid Bits

2011-11-02T12:21:00.001-04:00

Hey, peeps! I--

Let me start again. I just realized that I used the word "peeps" and it makes me want to punch myself in the face.

So...Hey, y'all. Not really much better, I suppose, but I'm a Kentucky girl, so I can pull it off. I've got a few little tid bits for you, so listen up.

First and foremost, there's been some issue lately with some bloggers basically copying the posts of other, more talented bloggers. No, I'm not talking about myself. I'd have to actually post every once in awhile to be copied. I'm just saying this: having the same idea or opinion as someone else is one thing, but it's pretty obvious when you've taken their post and just sort of rewritten it. No, it's not plagiarism, but it's unethical, and bloggers need to respect each other. We know how reliable (ahem) the "real" news outlets are for thoughtful and accurate gym commentary. Until this sport gets some respect from the media (in non-Olympic years), the bloggers are what we have. Once again, I'm not talking about myself. I just like to hear myself talk, mostly. So if you're going to use someone else's work--credit it. I'm about to do it below, so watch carefully. It's fun and easy. Here we go:

My dear friend Spanny Tampson has a great post up about the friggin' perves who aim to exploit female gymnasts. Spanny says:

"A few weeks ago, I was linked to a gym video on Youtube. It was your totally normal, run of the mill Khorkina splat montage video. Nothing strange about that at all. However, on the side of the page, you know how Youtube suggests videos that are similar? There was one titled something like "Gymnastics Ass" or something equally nasty. Why I clicked on it, I don't know, but I'm glad I did. I found what was an entire channel of close up home videos of gymnasts at meets. And make no mistake, they were not videos of the routines."

So Spanny took action and some folks over at GGMB got involved. Spanny copied this from their site and asked that other pass it on, as well:

"If you find a website with inappropriate photos or videos:
1. Report the site to the host (e.g., YouTube, Go Daddy, etc.)
2. File a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx. This will allow the FBI to begin a formal investigation, track the IP address and identify the site owner.

If you witness or suspect inappropriate photo/video taking IN PERSON:
Call the police and report the person. The police will have to file an incident report. They can also ask the man to show them his camera (of course he doesn't have to comply, but that's irrelevant for our purposes). The agent told me that they have caught many offenders (a shocking number according to her) simply by asking to see their cameras or computers, scrolling through the pictures and finding child pornography on the device. Reporting the person therefore accomplishes three goals: the possibility of finding child pornography, starting the all important paper trail, and harassing them so that they know not to come back."

In a nutshell--help keep the perves at bay. Help protect the girls, many of whom are still children, from sick fuckers.

That's all I've got for now. You all know what went down at Worlds and Pan Ams and all that shiz. You don't need me to rehash it.

Alicia

2011-10-09T23:42:00.002-04:00

I've been thinking a lot about Alicia Sacramone since her injury during training in Tokyo a few days ago. Sac is, without question, one of my very favorite gymnasts. And it's not just her skills--it's what she brings to the sport as a person. She rushes off the podium after her own floor set to cheer on her younger gymmate, Aly Raisman. She rallies the troops when spirits are at risk of nosediving. She shoulders the burden of a gold medal lost in Beijing, even though that weight is far from all hers to bear. And above all--she keeps going. She pushes past a body which has often failed her to take one more shot at her dream. She's the rock of the U.S. program, a fresh voice in a choir of "I just wanna hit four for four" answerbots.

Sac inspires me.

This video from iLitter is several years old, so it's a little dated, but it's one of my favorites. The sentiment is still the same. We're rooting for you, Alicia, and we believe in you. Not that you read my shitty blog, but...I'm just putting the positive energy out there.

Lest anyone think I've forgotten about the other injured girls, I haven't. Half the National Team is sidelined right now, including Macko, who has a college career that could be affected by her bum ankles. I haven't forgotten about any of them. For some reason with Alicia, though, it felt more like a punch in the face when she got hurt. So this post's for her.

Worlds video

2011-10-05T17:23:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Ashley for putting together this montage. This song always makes me think of our U.S. WAG.

I really love fan-made commercials for big events, so if you have one for Worlds, send it to me and I'll see about linking to it. I'm a sucker for these things.

Memmel has shoulder surgery

2011-09-28T13:47:00.002-04:00

Inside Gymnastics spoke to Chellsie Memmel, who confirmed that she had surgery on a torn tendon in her right shoulder and will be out for three months. Memmel injured the shoulder on Day 2 of the Visa National Championships in August on her final event, the uneven bars. If you didn't see the routine, here it is. Don't worry--it's nothing graphic. I wouldn't post a graphic injury.

Chellsie has a long history of untimely injuries, including a shoulder injury at the 2006 World Championships which kept her out of the all-around and event finals, and a broken ankle at the 2008 Olympics which limited her contribution to only uneven bars in the team finals. She also has a long history of coming through for the team with personal sacrifice. If anyone can come back strong, it's Memmel.

Get well, Chells!

2011 U.S. WAG Worlds team announced

2011-09-21T22:07:00.001-04:00

Selection camp #2 is over and the names are in. The seven ladies who will travel to radioactive and typhoon-ravaged Tokyo in a few weeks are:

Wieber
Sac
Raisman
Li
Douglas
Maroney
Vega

Shawn Johnson, who was named to the Pan Ams team, is listed as the "non-traveling alternate". So if someone breaks before things get started...she goes in case someone else breaks, I guess?

Read the press release here.

Hi.

2011-09-16T17:04:00.000-04:00

It's been a hot minute, but I've been busy, y'all. First and foremost, I birfed mah baby:

So that's been keeping me busy.

Nats came and went. Despite a 8/18 due date, Little Man stayed put long enough for me to get to watch. I was too tired/sore/sober to blog during the competition, but I did get to watch that catastrophe live. In brief--Yay, Chellsie, please don't be broken; Boo for poor Becca, whom I hope recovers fully and quickly; Yay for Jordyn, who looked great; Yay for Aly, who will never be elegant or classically stylish, but has continued to improve and is a true rock; Yay for Alicia, who has added back floor. I'm not scared about the kinks in her performance--she'll work them out; Yay for Gabby's lovely bars but boo for her nerves. She's great, so I hope she can get her head in order; Boo for night one and some boo for night two, as well, because of the injuries.

I have a nursing baby on my lap, so I'm going to stop typing one-handed now and sign off. I haven't really had much to say lately, because others have sort of taken care of it. But I'm still here. Mostly.

Tid Bits

2011-07-09T19:45:00.000-04:00

To be frank, y'all, today's edition of "Tid Bits" is full of information you should probably already know by now. If not--where the hell have you been? Excuse me? What do you mean, where the hell have I been? I'm making a person here!

I have to say, my feathers are a little ruffled at your attitude. I'm going to need a moment to down a gallon of ice cream with bacon and cry over a Hallmark commercial.

*takes a moment*

Ahem. Now let's talk. As we know, CoverGirlMassengillPlaytexDepends Classic is coming up in about five minutes. Or two weeks. The broadcast of the senior women's competition will be shown live on Universal Sports as well as Universal Sports.com, according to...Universal Sports. So that's good news, since I don't get Universal Sports on tv, and it's all about me.

Nationals will take place August 18-20 and will also be shown live on UniversalSports.com. My unborn child is due on the 18th. Great timing, right? With any luck, he'll be here just a nice, safe two-three days early so I can watch the competition from the comfort of my home. Granted, I'll probably have him attached to my chest, literally draining the life out of me during the live stream, so the bottle of wine I usually kill during these things will have to wait until Worlds in October. Once again--it's all about me.

Chellsie Memmel will compete at Classic, and Shawn Johnson will compete at Nationals. Nastia Liukin will, I'm sure, let us know her plans by Christmas, as she has every year since Beijing. *eyeroll*

Psst...Nastia...we can accept your retirement. Pretending you haven't decided is what makes you so super annoying. That, and the constant Twitter references to designer labels. SUPER tacky, yo.

Isn't it cute how I pretend Nastia reads my shitty blog?

Moving on. Sac is training a handspring double full on vault, and while it's doubtful it'll be ready for this year's competition season (because Sac doesn't throw skills that aren't truly ready for prime time), we could potentially see The Sacramone become a game changer in 2012. No, it hasn't been named for her yet--but it would be. Sac is a goddess, and we should all take a moment to show our reverence for her sheer bad-assery.

Plus, she is so rock-solid on beam...the girl can do no wrong, to my way of thinking. I can't imagine a 2012 Olympic team without her. I really can't.

In non-US related news, Aliya Mustafina and Viktoriya Komova are both working back from their respective injuries. Mustafina will not be able to defend her AA title in Tokyo, and last I heard was hoping to be useful on bars alone if she can go at all. Komova is, as of this week, apparently planning to fight for that title herself, so assuming she's back to top form (please, please, please), it should be a great fight between her, Wieber, and Bross for the AA gold. I really, really hope she only gets put in if she's truly ready. I do not want to see Komova re-injured and missing out on more training and experience so close to the Olympics. Or at all, really. I never want any of them to get hurt.

Anyway, now I'm tired and there is a pair of very tiny feet lodged in my ribs, so I'm peacing out for now. Um...bye.

Gymnasts do weird things to airline equipment

2011-05-31T15:50:00.000-04:00

*stares blankly*

WTF is this? I read the article and I'm still not sure.

I, for one, am flattered.

2011-05-21T23:54:00.000-04:00

So like a huge lame ass, I checked my stats today, just to see if anyone reads this garbage when I'm not updating frequently. And two people had linked from one Ms. Vanessa Atler's new blog, From Gymnast to Coach. Naturally I went virtually flying over there to see if she had mentioned my blog or something, and I found that she has it on her blog roll.

Vanessa Atler is aware of my shitty blog.

So I'm thinking--it's about time for a new Know a Coach segment, no? Maybe I keep the recent trend and cover a female coach? I think people are interested in Atler and her post-elite life.

You don't have to say anything. I know I'm super lamesauce and gymstruck. I own it.

Adult gymnastics

2011-05-13T18:12:00.000-04:00

Now that I'm finished with school and am attempting to turn freelance writing into a career, I spend a lot of time checking my various email accounts. Imagine my joy when I went to Yahoo this evening and saw that the headline story was about...adult gymnastics!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_weekend/20110513/ts_yblog_weekend/adult-gymnastics-youre-never-too-young-to-start

I want to take a class so badly. That is, after I pop this kid out (I'm due during Nationals, naturally). There is one place around here that offers an adult class, but it's been "full" for over two years, and I think it's actually less a class open for registration and more of a little club the coach started amongst his friends.

It would be awesome if adults participating in gymnastics garnered enough attention that more gyms began offering classes. I think they'd fill up quickly.

Kathryn Mahoney update

2011-04-13T23:49:00.001-04:00

International Gymnast posted a link to a video on wlns.com showing MSU gymnast Kathryn Mahoney attending an academic gala in her wheelchair. She looks fantastic and is all smiles in the video.

Mahoney was injured in December training vault. She fractured her C-6 vertebrae and her prognosis was unclear.

One of the gym parents at my daughter's (former--Fifo quit) gym is Mahoney's first cousin, and their family went up to...Illinois, I think?--a few months ago for Kathryn's sister's wedding. They didn't get to see Kathryn in person, as they were only there for one night and she was still either in the hospital or rehab--I can't remember which. But the gym mom told me that she was doing well considering her condition, and even attempting to feed herself, thought at that time she was unable to do so with much success. She also apparently Skyped in to watch either the wedding or the ceremony--once again, I can't remember. I didn't want to bombard them with questions about their injured loved one.

The doctors weren't really willing to speculate as to her potential progress. They had hope that she'd be able to eventually care for herself because of her level of fitness and youth, but with a spinal injury, promises are hard to make.

Clearly, she has come a long way. It thrills me to no end to see how far this girl has come, smiling, using her arms, drinking from a glass on her own...it's remarkable. We're sending out our strongest vibes to her for a continued recovery and a life long-lived and well-spent. She doesn't owe anyone those smiles and bright spirits, and yet she is choosing freely to give them. The kid is amazing, and we wish her the very, very best.

Aliya Mustafina and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Injury

2011-04-10T00:54:00.000-04:00

So as we all know, Musty put some hurtin' on her left knee during the AA at Euros this week. You can see in the video, especially during the replay, where her leg turns in hard on the landing, and immediately after throwing up her arms to salute, she's down for the count.

Word is that Worlds is out, so she will not be defending her AA title. We all know who the other Big Names are, so I'm not going to bother naming them here.

No good. I hate to hear about a gymnast getting injured, especially in such a crucial year when you know how much preparation is being put into getting ready for the upcoming Olympics. These kids are tough, but they're only human, and the girl is clearly in agonizing pain. After dealing with that, she'll have the recovery and rehab process before she can even step back into training. And unlike "normal" people, these top athletes are always thinking about the impact an injury will have on their careers far more than any pain or discomfort.

Musty's vaults have always scared me, in part because I worry those octopus legs will take out a judge, and partly because it always seemed as if a devastating injury was imminent.She's just so wild in the air, and it's scary to watch. Her landings always look scary to me, like she's asking more of her knees than is reasonable.

I really, really hope she will let go of the Amanar now. Nabieva has started throwing DTYs again (that fugliness is a whole other story), and while I know the Amanar is the "it" vault to have right now, these kids' health and careers are not worth it. I wish to god we could focus on well-executed work instead of difficulty. I know I'm preaching to the choir with all of you, except for the one random person who will inevitably disagree in the comments somewhere, which is fine. But I stand by it--sometimes pushing the difficulty envelope is just not worth it, and coaches and athletes have to acknowledge that a skill is simply too unsafe. In Mustafina's case, I think that's true of this vault. This is not a freak accident--this was an inevitability.

Tid Bits

2011-04-01T13:39:00.000-04:00

I'm sure everyone has heard by now that Bridget Sloan has committed to Florida, although she will defer until after London. Apparently Ivana Hong plans to head to Stanford. I like these pairings. I like them a lot.

Nastia gave one of the most painful interviews I've ever read in my life. You can read it here, but you might want to just copy/paste it into a word file and remove all of the "like"s from the transcript. It's really difficult to read because it is unedited. Also, it's becoming increasingly clear that Nastia is finished competing and that it's time for all of us to move on. Most of the interview is about fashion and shoes. We've all seen the stuff Nastia wears, right? And we're still interested in her opinions on fashion? *shudders*

Catalina Ponor is staging a comeback. I've never really been a fan, but hey--whatever makes her happy.

Shawn Johnson is apparently planning for Nationals in August to be her first competition back. I really don't know how all that stuff works, with qualifying and all that jazz, but I assume someone who does told her that was cool.

So that's all the super old news I have to finally share now that you've all read it elsewhere already.I'm pregnant and I have a stomach virus--I offer no apologies.

Which country's WAG will surprise in 2011?

2011-03-19T16:16:00.000-04:00

In part...something...of Blythe Lawrence, Gymnastics Examiner's, Discussion series, we bloggery-type folks shared our opinions as to which countries (women only) would rock some socks this year.

My every instinct said to go with Japan, and I do love me some Japanese gymnastics. But I went with Australia, because it was different and I think they have potential. Obviously, Lauren Mitchell has been the Big Story in Australian gymnastics, and I'd love to see the Aussies ride her wave of momentum to a top four finish in London next year (which I realize is not in 2011, but I think this could be the build-up year).

It's not a popular pick, but I stand by it. I've always had a soft spot for Australian gymnastics. So many gingers have worn those teal and gold leos. What other country can say that? Ireland? I think not.

Anyway--check it out HERE. There are, as always, some interesting and well thought-out responses. Lots of faith in Romania, as well. Read it, skanks!

Live viewing of the Supergirl Cup

2011-03-04T18:57:00.005-05:00

So I'm very tired (hey, I'm making a person here!) and I don't feel like doing my usual lame-ass quick hits, but I might do a few if something tickles my fancy. In case you missed my last blog post and you want to watch the live coverage on Universal Sports, click HERE.

And refresh this page once in awhile. I might decide to amuse you with my charm and with. Or something.

Damn it. I need a snack. The actual meet coverage hasn't yet begun, but I know if I get up, it'll start and I'll miss something cool. Like lame-o commentating.

*sigh* BRB.

DAMN IT. I knew I'd miss lame-o commentating.

Tim said it's a big deal for these girls to have seen World Champion Aliya Mustafina on the floor. Wonder if they're as excited about World Champion Kayla Williams?

Are we getting scores here?

Supergirl Cup Live on Universal Sports Tonight

2011-03-04T17:28:00.002-05:00

And they aren't even making us pay for it!

I think that by clicking HERE, you'll be in the right spot to watch. If I discover that I am incorrect on this, I will update. Obviously there is nothing there right now, but it should work tonight. check back here if not.

Come on, y'all! We're finally getting a glimpse of this mysterious "Kayla Williams!" I hear she's a decent vaulter, but you know, she's so new to the scene...

Sorry. I know it's not nice to beat a dead horse. I mean, it's practically defenseless.

*update: I really HATE Universal Sports' website. It's a maze to find anything. And oh--when I tried to sign in, it kept giving me an error. So I tried to have them send me my password after checking my email and copying/pasting my username directly from my original confirmation email from them. I got another error claiming that account does not exist. So I tried to set up a new one using the same email. sorry--that email is being used by another user. No shit--it's ME. So I set up a new account with a different email address. Hoping that will allow me to watch the coverage tonight. Wish me luck!

*UPDATE again--it works! Click the link--I now have video on my screen!

Predicting the American Cup Winner

2011-03-04T10:07:00.000-05:00

Blythe sent us a few new questions a couple of days ago, asking for us to predict the American Cup winner. You know how much I love useless speculation, so I put in my two cents:

*sigh* Mustafina. Ugly twists and octopus legged-vaults and all, she's got the difficulty and the momentum. I am always on Team USA, so I'm rooting hard for Wieber and Raisman, and would be thrilled to be wrong about this. But only if one of them really, truly earns it. I do not want one of our girls to win just because she's from the U.S. and the judges are corrupt.

Wow, tangent much? Anyway -- in a totally fair fight, with everyone performing free of major error, I predict Mustafina. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go cry into a pillow.

Read what the other bloggers had to say HERE.

Shannon Miller takes her story to Fox

2011-03-03T20:36:00.000-05:00

At 11:20 a.m. on Friday, March 4, Shannon Miller will deliver "a special message" on Fox News Live online.

Gross.

I mean, don't get me wrong--I'm guessing it's about her cancer scare, and I think it's great that she's educating women. But does she have to remind me that she's a big 'ole Republican? Can we not just overlook that part of her life?

Yeah, I just got all political on your asses. I detest Fox News.

Kamerin Moore update

2011-03-03T19:41:00.001-05:00

Gymnastike spoke to Kamerin Moore about her recent return to competition. I am a big fan of Kamerin, and I was so thrilled to hear that she was coming back.

However. After surgery on her hip, she is no longer able to do roundoffs. A gymnast who cannot do a roundoff. Not good. So she is limited to all front-tumbling on floor, as well as a forward dismount on beam. I wonder if she could do a Gainer dismount? Probably, though I don't have the understanding of the necessary body mechanics to say for sure. She can twist, so I would think she'd be good to go.

It seems as though she'll also be adding in a handspring front tuck vault at some point.

Additionally, she has no plans to return to elite level competition. Her goals include competing level 10 to the highest possible arena and hopefully earning a college scholarship.

I'm disappointed that we won't see her at the elite level anymore, but what a mature, smart decision. Rather than wreck her body any more than necessary, she's setting realistic but no less admirable goals.

Kamerin has always been a favorite of mine, and I'm pleased to see what a lovely, poised young lady she's become. I intend to continue following her career, and I hope it eventually takes her to an NCAA title.

Glad to have you back, kiddo.

Shannon Miller cancer scare

2011-02-25T14:02:00.001-05:00

Shannon Miller, my favorite gymnast of all time, posted today on her Shannon Miller Lifestyle website about a malignant tumor she had removed in January. It was discovered during a routine exam.

The details are a tad fuzzy, but she says that there are currently no signs of cancer. However, she and her physicians have decided to being chemotherapy treatments, nonetheless. She doesn't elaborate at this time.

From all of us out here in Fan World, we wish Shannon a successful and full recovery. Our thoughts are with her and her family. As the mother of a young child, I can't personalize fathom the fear that would go along with hearing the word "cancer" or "malignancy."

Much love, Shannon!

UPDATE: A few more details are available on Universal Sports.

2011-02-23T10:00:00.019-05:00

Once again, it's time for Gymnastics Examiner Blythe Lawrence's Discussion series. This week, the topic involved the proposal to modify the balance beam, widening the ends in order to allow for more difficult skills.

Personally, I'm a "no" on this one. Here's my response:

You know, I think that if gymnastics is going to survive, it has to evolve to a certain extent. We’ve seen great improvements in safety and training equipment, as well as changes made to the various apparatus in order to allow for the increase in difficulty over the years. Beam has remained the least changed in that time. However…I’m not sure how I feel about widening the ends. It seems like a means to continue putting the emphasis on difficulty while abandoning the idea of doing skills well. I’d rather see a beautiful double twist than a sloppy triple any day of the week. If the goal is to make harder skills easier, it seems like that defeats the entire purpose of gymnastics. I have to give this particular innovation a thumbs down.

Check out what all the bloggers with too much time on our hands had to say at The Examiner. You can also see the video where Leonid Arkayev supports the innovation, along with a quick, poorly-angled glimpse of a prototype of the beam.

Nastia defends the Supergirl Cup

2011-02-22T14:23:00.000-05:00

Inside Gymnastics spoke to Nastia Liukin about her appearance on that show where Sharpay does toe-touches, as well as the upcoming Supergirl Cup.

As you may recall, I was less than thrilled to see former WORLD CHAMPION VAULTER Kayla Williams had qualified to the meet just because she dropped back to level ten rather than doing what most CGA girls do and simply begging MLT for the sweet release of death before retiring or switching gyms.

My point is simple. The press release from Lexie Priessman's 2010 win stated that "The Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup and the accompanying Nastia Liukin Cup Series provide a unique competitive opportunity for the country’s rising female gymnasts."

Kayla is not a "rising female gymnast." She's a former World Champion who is heading off to Alabama on a full ride in about fifteen minutes. The other purpose of this meet was supposedly to give girls experience on a podium at an international-type meet. Once again...Kayla Williams, nice kid that I'm sure she is, does not require such experience.

Anyway--what the fuck ever. In Nastia's Inside Gymnastics interview, she first says, "All the feedback that I’ve gotten, right after the competition and for the past year, has been nothing but positive."

Because her agent has his hands over her ears? Nope. She goes on to say that "I think it’s just great to give a lot of these girls the opportunity to be able to compete at that world level. I know this year there have been some elites that have been able to go back and I’ve gotten feedback on that, how that’s possible for us to try and say that it’s for up-and-coming gymnasts, but I think everyone has different routes in their life and everyone has different goals, so yes, it was supposed to be for up-and-coming athletes. But I think it’s also great that it gives those other athletes that maybe aren’t elite the opportunity."

Perhaps, then, rather than changing the mission statement as you go along, someone should have said from the get-go that anyone can be in this fucking meet? Can I be in it? I have different routes and goals, and I have my cartwheel. Hell, maybe Nastia should enter it. She hasn't competed internationally since before Kayla did! Surely she could use the refresher!

Basically, what I'm saying is this: what started out as a nice idea with a positive mission statement has become a joke, and frankly, kind of a scam. It's hard to have any investment in who wins when you have girls with zero international experience and little to no podium experience competing against world champions. This meet no longer means anything.

I'm pretty annoyed right now, so I'm gonna peace out. Plus there's a person sitting on my bladder, so I should deal with that, as well.

About.com Reader's Choice Awards

2011-02-11T17:22:00.000-05:00

Hey, all. About.com is hosting a Reader's Choice contest. Go vote for a variety of gymnastics-related topics, including favorite blog (no, yours truly is not nominated).

Vote now! Don't let your favorite brands of grips and leotards lose to an inferior species!

Bloggers as journalists?

2011-02-10T23:10:00.001-05:00

There's been some interesting chatter on a few blogs regarding Eileen Langsley's write up in the International Sports Press Association's magazine about the decrease in professionalism and quality in gymnastics journalism at major events. Rick from Gymnastics Coaching discussed it today and expressed his thoughts, and it sparked a very interesting discussion in the comments, with a lot of different people making very good points.

Langsley, obviously, makes some really great points, too, and I think you should all read the article HERE, if for no other reason than to learn a little something new (I did!). Considering her position, I tend to take her feelings on the issue to heart.

On the one hand, I support the presence of gymnastics bloggers at events, for one primary reason--their coverage is often far more informed and tailored to their audiences than what we see in many major news outlets (not counting gymnastics-specific outlets, of course). I like blogger coverage because the bloggers are fans themselves and they know what the average fan will find interesting.

I think Universal Sports' reporters do a nice job, as do the magazines, for the most part. My main defense for the bloggers over some of the more traditional journalists is that many freelancers who are sent off to cover gymnastics know even less about it than I do. Frightening. And we get crap like THIS (on USA Gymnastics' site, nonetheless!).

That said, there are clearly some concerns. I have never "covered" an event. I would feel like a fool even asking for credentials, because while it sounds really awesome and fun, I know I would be in way over my head and have no business anywhere but in the stands. And I'm actually okay with that. I do this blog because I love gymnastics and I like to write about it, but never have I for one second fancied myself an expert, and the pros would laugh their asses off at me with my Canon point-and-shoot and my old-school tape recorder.

The concern, as pointed out by Langsley, is a certain amount of unprofessionalism that apparently accompanies the presence of non-pros. As much as I love having immediate coverage from bloggers, if there is rudeness or (and I can't believe I'm even having to type this) pushing and shoving, then we have a major problem. Journalism is often portrayed in fiction as a cut-throat, no-holds-barred field. And in some ways, it is. But professionals know that no matter how badly they want a shot, there is a right and a wrong way to get it. It is never okay to disrespect another photographer or writer, and perhaps even less okay to disrespect an athlete.

So I don't know. Like I said--I've never covered an event live. And as long as I write a non-monetized blog, it is unlikely that I ever will. I love the coverage we get from many of the bloggers, but I do hope that professional decorum is being practiced by all of them at the same time.

What are your thoughts? I know there are at least five of you, and possibly as many as ten, who read this piece o' crap, so let me know what you think. Should bloggers be able to receive media credentials, or should they do their reporting from the stands? Or are they just "entirely self-centered and useless", as per one of the comments on Rick's blog (ouch, dude. Harsh.)?

Most underrated female gymnast in the world?

2011-02-09T22:00:00.001-05:00

Gym Examiner's Discussion series question: Who is the most underrated female gymnast in the world?

I considered choosing Ivana Hong for this, but I ended up going with Anastasia Grishina. I'm a little bit obsessed with her gymnastics, and I look forward to seeing her and Komova duke it out for Russian supremacy. I like underdogs (although I adore Komova's work, too).

Maybe they'll be the Russian Shawn and Nastia in a few years, and no one will be able to discuss one without bringing the other into it, and there will be internet flame wars and any and all gym fans will be forced to pledge their allegiance to one and to ridicule and despise the other! It will be GLORIOUS!

*breathes heavily for a moment*

Or they'll both just be awesome. Or burn out. Or get hurt. Or...well, lots of things. You know how this goes.

Still--click the link and read the responses. It's a pretty short post, and there are some good points made.

Blythe's Discussion series

2011-02-04T20:55:00.000-05:00

New question up on Gymnastics Examiner Blythe's page. I declined to answer this one, because I know less about NCAA than I do about elite, and the five of you who read this crap know what I'm talking about here.

Still--check it out HERE. Support Blythe by giving her some clicks, because unlike the "real" (ahem) media, she reports on gymnastics and actually has a base of knowledge. Basically, I'm asking you to support her because she'll never write a story about Mustafina doing flips on the balance bar horse.

Peace, kids.

Know a Coach - Kim Zmeskal Burdette

2011-02-03T14:32:00.000-05:00

What is there to say about Kim Zmeskal-Burdette that the average gymnastics enthusiast doesn't already know? She was the leader of the Karolyi Six Pack, the 1991 World All-Around Champion, and the USA's shining hope for AA gold in Barcelona. She was known for her power on floor and her solidity on beam--not to mention that gorgeous mount.

Zmeskal-Burdette isn't tumbling much herself these days--at least, not in the public eye. But as owner of Texas Dreams Gymnastics (along with husband Chris Burdette), who knows what skills she throws around when the athletes have all gone home? I like to think she still has a whipback series in her.

Maybe not. But who knows?

Zmeskal-Burdette was born in Houston, Texas on February 6, 1976. She trained as a gymnast under Bela Karolyi from a young age, in the very same gym as 1984 Olympic Champion and current Trivial Pursuit answer Mary Lou Retton. By the age of thirteen, Zmeskal-Burdette was a rising star, as well as U.S. Junior National Champion. Two years later, she shocked the world by becoming the first American woman to win the World Championship All-Around gold medal.

Most of us know this story, but we can rehash it briefly for those who don't. After a fantastic showing at Olympic Trials in 1992, Zmeskal-Burdette was named to the team and was expected to come home with some major hardware--including a possible All-Around gold medal. But a fall off the beam during compulsories on the first night of competition forced her to fight back hard to even earn a spot in the All Around--which she did. Zmeskal-Burdette helped the American team reach the podium in bronze medal position, but after a mistake during her floor routine in the All-Around, she ended up 10th.

It wasn't the dream, but for godsake, she had two major, uncharacteristic errors and STILL managed to come in tenth. Not. Too. Shabby.

Injuries put the kabosh on later attempts at a return to the Olympics, but at one time, Zmeskal-Burdette was considered a serious potential contender for the 2000 team--eight years after her first Olympics. She wanted to be the old lady on the team before being the old lady was cool.

Her talent and knowledge of the sport would not go to waste, however. In 2000, Kim married Chris Burdette, and together they opened Texas Dreams Gymnastics in Coppell, Texas in 2001.

As a coach and gym owner, Zmeskal-Burdette has produced several elite-level athletes, including current Senior National Team member and Georgia recruit Chelsea Davis, and Junior National Team member Kennedy Baker. Chelsea Davis was also named to the 2011 World Championships team, although injury during training right before the competition left her off the floor.

The Burdettes are parents to three young children, two boys and one girl. Zmeskal-Burdette has often been mentioned by gymnatics enthusiasts as a possible eventual National Team Coordinator, a position currently held by her former coach's wife, Martha Karolyi.

http://gymnastics.about.com/od/famousgymnasts/ig/Where-Are-They-Now-/Update--Kim-Zmeskal.htm

http://www.gymnasticshalloffame.org/files/bio/k_zmeskal/k_zmeskal.html

http://www.ask.com/wiki/Kim_Zmeskal

http://www.gymnasticsonline.co.uk/html/kim_zmeskal_.html

http://www.usa-gymnastics.org/

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/52134/biography_of_us_gymnast_kim_zmeskal.html?cat=14

http://www.texasdreamsgymnastics.com/

Which 2008 Olympian has the best shot at 2012?

2011-01-29T10:00:00.000-05:00

Discussion over at The Gymnastics Examiner--Which 2008 Olympian, aside from Alicia Sacramone, has the best shot at making it back in 2012?

When I submitted my response about two weeks ago, I said Shawn. While I still think she's one of the more likely candidates, I'm definitely being swayed by the fact that Nastia went to camp this month. Chellsie is a terrific bars worker, but she breaks so easily that I have a hard time putting money on here--especially when you consider that even at her best, Nastia still has the superior bars. Bridget is great, and really came through at Worlds, but I'm having a hard time gauging her interest in continuing on, and once again--if it's bars we need, we have stronger people. We could definitely use her on floor, though. Sam, I think, is going to focus on NCAA, which makes sense.

Check out the entire discussion HERE.And feel free to add your own input.

Not much to say about the Hilton/USAG partnership...

2011-01-27T16:36:00.003-05:00

...'cause it's all in that grown-up talkin' business speak. Something about Paris Hilton giving them her old mattresses for the trampoline people to practice on...whatevs. If it's more money and more publicity for the sport, bring it on. Maybe just Lysol and Febreeze those mattresses first.

I did enjoy reading about the Ranch's facilities list. It includes:

Facilities:

Two artistic gymnastics training facilities (50,000 sq. ft. total)

You know--the discipline that USAG gives a shit about.

Multi-purpose training gym for rhythmic and acrobatic gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling (32,000 sq. ft.)

Share it, red-headed stepchildren.

Medical and rehab facilities

Most frequently used facility; connected to every other facility by secret tunnels that spray a cortisone mist on all who pass through.

Dance studio

Storage.

Dining hall

Shares space with dance hall. Iceberg lettuce and grapes served daily.

Housing for 300 participants, coaches and administrators

Hilton beds. Plastic sheets/Lysol will not be provided.

Athlete lounge, complete with large TV

For spying on the Russians.

Recreational facilities, including Olympic-size swimming pool, basketball court, tennis court, volleyball court, indoor whirlpool and sauna

For burning off those grape salads.

Internet access

For Tweeting. And spying on the Russians.

I was going to post something about Chellsie Memmel's comeback...

2011-01-23T15:20:00.000-05:00

But Spanny Tampson did it SO much better than I could have. Do yourself a favor and go read her post, stat.

And give some props to Ginger-Ken, who conducted one of Gymnastike's best interviews to date. Nary a *giggle* or a "Cool..." was to be heard.

Komova or Mustafina in 2011?

2011-01-22T09:54:00.001-05:00

Blythe at the Gymnastics Examiner has invited several bloggers to participate in a discussion group, and our first discussion has been posted.

The bloggers were pretty well split as to which gymnast is the better all-arounder, with a slight edge going to Komova with a few undecided contributors.

Check it out HERE and post your thoughts. I have never, at any point, claimed to be a gymnastics expert--I'm just going on what I have to work with. So feel free to be wrong and disagree with me at length. ; )

Cassie Whitcomb switches gyms

2011-01-20T16:03:00.002-05:00

Cassie Whitcomb has moved from CGA to Legacy Gymnastics in Lexington, Kentucky. With her recent drop to level 10 and preparation for UCLA, this is not really surprising. Last I heard, her family was in Lexington, and since she's not doing elite anymore...there's no logical reason to stay at CGA. There's been some chatter that she wasn't training at CGA anymore, but now it's confirmed.

I know you want a source. I'm not giving you one, because I was specifically asked not to, and because I'm not exactly In The Know, ya' know? I was told the move was not a secret, so it's not like this is deep, dark scoop or anything. From what I hear, the parting was very polite, so don't look for drama. Even though we love drama, there just isn't any here right now. But I assure you--this is fact.

Peace, kids. Can't WAIT to see Cassie at UCLA, especially after a good long time not working elite routines. Her body can rest a bit and she'll hopefully start school ready to join the line-up!

The Nastia Liukin Cup. Ahem.

2011-01-18T13:17:00.004-05:00

So the first competitors have qualified for the Nastia Liukin Cup. This competition, which takes place the evening before the American Cup, is an opportunity "to help young women recognize their dreams and achievements..."

You know--young girls like former elite Kayla Williams, 2009-10 National Team member and World vault champion, as well as University of Alabama recruit. This competition will give this young lady the chance to be seen by the five gymnastics fans who have not yet had that opportunity. Won't that be remarkable for her?

According the the press release from Lexie Priessman's 2010 win, "The Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup and the accompanying Nastia Liukin Cup Series provide a unique competitive opportunity for the country’s rising female gymnasts."

Maybe this will be Kayla's big year.

I feel like I need to say here--I'm not blaming Kayla. Why would she not jump at an opportunity to compete when she's been out for so long, and in a field she will most likely dominate? I do think this is pretty tacky, all the way around, though. I feel like the entire purpose of the meet is being lost here, and that frankly, Kayla should withdraw her name. I know that's a strong opinion, but hey--I run a free blog. I can say what I want.

Basically, gymnasts of her pedigree should not be eligible if the mission statement of the NL Cup is, indeed, to give opportunities to up-and-comers. If they're going to allow former World champions, then they need to rethink their mission statement.

Is WOGA dropping hints?

2011-01-12T22:02:00.001-05:00

I'm telling myself that I'm reading way too much into this Tweet...but screw it. I don't care.

wogagymnastics WOGA Gymnastics

Hey @NastiaLiukin you ready for the WOGA Classic Elite Session on Feb 19th up in Frisco, TX at the Dr. Pepper Center? Missed you last year!

Ahem. Please discuss.

Some stuff

2010-12-26T18:50:00.004-05:00

Hi, kids. There are a few things I need to cover, so let's hop right to it.

I'm a massive slacker, for one. True, I'm about to enter my final semester of undergraduate coursework, and I'm a mother, but you know--there's still time to blog. I find time to poke around in Facebook and IG, so I know there's time for FIFO. I'm just lazy as shit.

Also, even when there's so much to talk about (Sac winning an overdue World vault gold!), I tend to take the, "Nah--why bother?" approach, because EVERYONE else is already blogging about it, and it feels redundant. So once again, my laziness creeps in.

I'm a Twitter failure. I know how to post a "Tweet" (that sounds so stupid...), but when it comes to using any other function, I'm at a loss. Today I accidentally Tweeted Sac and I felt like one of those people who are so excited to have "access" to their favorite celebs that they pester them in social networks. As much as I'd love to strike up a nice rapport with a bunch of elite gymnasts, I'm not going to exploit Twitter or Facebook to do it.

Well...probably.

And finally, I'm super tired because Little Fifo has a new sibling on the way. You heard it here first (as if you'd hear it anywhere else)--FIFO is with child. I'm only a little over six weeks in, but I'm exhausted and running off to pee pretty much every hour, so...that happened.

Anyway, the point of all of this is that I'm not gone or anything. This is not a defunct blog, and I have no intention of letting it become one. But the fact of the matter is, it's an occasional blog. For regular content, I highly recommend the wonderful, thoughtful posts by The Couch Gymnast, The Gymnastics Examiner, or Gymnastics Coaching. They all post pretty much daily, and the content is really good.

But hey--check back with me over here on occasion. Once this kid pops out, I'm going to need something to exercise my baby-riddled goo-goo, ga-ga brain, and I'll be a new college graduate who will likely not have a job. So maybe my blogging habits will pick back up.

I hope you've all had a fantastic holiday thus far, whether you formally celebrate anything or not, and I wish you all the happiest New Year imaginable. I leave you, then, with a short list of things I've found fascinating in the past few months.

1. Sac being her badass self, but with a new sense of refinement. She's a little older, a little wiser, and somehow, even a little tougher. Her much-touted save on beam during team finals at Worlds was one of the highlights for me, though she might disagree. I just think she's phenomenal, and I really cannot wait to see what she has in her back pocket for us all. She's finally World vault champion, but she's no dummy--though her clean form and impeccable style helped her beat competitors with technically more difficult vaults this time, she knows that will not always be the case. Those bitches WILL try to fix their sloppy "Amanars," and they will come back swinging. The great thing about Sac is that I don't think she'll throw a tougher vault, even one she is technically doing correctly, unless it's clean and ready for Primetime, too. I wouldn't respect her as much is she went for the cheap shots, and frankly, she doesn't have to. She's that damned good.

2. Viktoriya Komova getting hurt walking across the gym. It's not funny! We need her, Wieber, and Grishina in tip-top shape so that we can have epic AA battles! I am dying to see the three of them go at it, and even though I will always be Team USA all the way, I want to see Jordyn work for it. No easy victories--I want the best player on any given day to win because she worked her ass off--not because someone else fell.

3. Speaking of Grishina...could she be the one to usurp Komova in the imaginations of the masses (of gymfans)? I think the potential is there.

4. The apparently dedicated training of Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin. Shawn had some training videos go up and even went to the ranch for camp while a bunch of the juniors were there. Nastia is allegedly back to two-a-day sessions, though there is still clearly some traveling going on. Shawn is officially training with 2012 in mind, while Nastia has, once again, promised a Christmas-time announcement on her decision. We'll see, but I have my hopes up, I have to admit.

5. The status of various injured US gymnasts (yes, I know I focus heavily on the US. Bite me). Ivana was show to be walking around in the gym in a recent video of Nastia, though I haven't heard how much she's able to do since tearing her ACL at camp before the American Cup. I have a nasty feeling that we've seen the last of Kamerin Moore, which breaks my cold, dead heart. I've heard no updates on Jordyn since her ankle sent her off the beam three times at Visas. Etc., etc., etc.

Anyone know anything about any of these kids?

Update on the Universal Sports coverage issues

2010-10-24T16:19:00.005-04:00

Despite my earlier (and justified) frustration with Universal Sports' coverage of Worlds this year, I am a believer in giving credit where it is due. They have responded quickly in assuaging the disappointment of gymnastics fans by replying to emails within a few hours, and by offering refunds to those affected. I've already been promised a refund on the $9.99 I paid in, and while it has not yet shown up in my bank account, I'm giving it a few days. It's the weekend--it may take a few days to show up.

I was impressed with how the coverage went this morning. I still had to deal with excessive "buffering," but I am going to have faith in Uni that they will take this all as a learning experience and when Scam rolls around next year, they'll have the kinks worked out.

If you experienced issues with your coverage, there is information about how to contact Universal Sports on the L.A. Times Blog.

On another note, I'm sorry I wasn't able to offer my usual quick hits, but FIFO spent Friday night in the hospital dealing with an 8mm kidney stone. All I wanted to do yesterday and today was relax and watch the show. I'm healthy now--the stone is gone, and I actually wasn't having pain with it, but I am tired and, frankly, a little bit dirty. So get your refunds, enjoy rewatching video from a really enjoyable Worlds, and check back sometime to see if I've gotten off my ass and updated.

Later.

An open letter to Universal Sports

2010-10-20T22:42:00.006-04:00

Dear Universal Sports,

Precious. Please--sit down. We need to talk.

Would you like a Coke? Or Pepsi? Can I get you a tampon? Who's sponsoring this one? I'll make that product placement happen. Anything to get you to sit and quietly listen for a moment.

Today was the WAG team final of the World Championships in Rotterdam. I'm sure you're vaguely aware of this, right? Remember? You charged $14.99 to let us watch it, despite your previously free coverage?

It was a terrific meet. There were high-flying skills. There were falls. There were beautifully stuck landings. There was buffering...buffering...buffering...

What's that? Buffering? Didn't things stop "buffering" around 2006? I don't remember "buffering" when I was watching your free coverage a year ago. Or last March during the American Cup. Or during Classic in July. Thinking back...nope, definitely no "buffering."

And come on, Uni. Can I call you Uni? Seriously, Uni--buffering during the RUSSIANS' BARS ROUTINES? You BUFFERED while Tatiana Nabieva was throwing a toe-on laid out Tkatchev? Do you hate us?

I have serious suspicions that the pause in the rhythm of your coverage actually caused her fall. After all, she froze mid-flight on my computer screen--no way she could have come back from that.

So buffering. In 2010. Seriously.

On top of that, let's discuss the major dearth of routines being shown throughout. I understand that there were scoring issues. But dude--Uni--I don't remember ever having to sit and watch so much pacing and jacket-putting-on in my life. I hear floor music in the background, but all I see is Huang Qiushang biting her hangnail. What were the judges waiting on--your stream to catch up?

Not cool, bro. Not cool at all.

In conclusion, Uni, you dropped the ball. And not the rhythmic kind, either. My guess is that if it were the rhythmic kind, you'd freeze it midair and wait for the gymnast to lose patience and walk off the floor before dropping it in a fit of passionate buffering. You owe the viewers an apology, because after suckering us in to forking over our hard earned money for coverage that you used to offer for free, your coverage SUCKED. It SUCKED ASS.

In a minute, I'm going to hit "publish post," and this letter will forever have a home in cyberspace. It will travel there without delay, without "buffering"...because that's what the internet can do in the year 2010.

Disappointed and broke,

FIFO

Worlds Quick Hits--2010

2010-10-20T10:42:00.024-04:00

Okay, Universal Sports, I'm ready for my live coverage to begin. Please. Now.

11:01--warm ups! Poor Brossy and those awful ankles.

Dear god, Nabieva's legs are ugly in the air on her vault.

Kurbatova on vault: DTY. Some form errors, and jumps out of bounds on the landing, though she landed inside. Not bad. Not great, but not bad. 14.733

Mustafina on vault: Her eyes are wicked. Amanar. Great in the air, stepped with her right foot on the landing. Not bad, though we've seen video of her doing it better. Still--she should save that for the AA. 15.633

Nabieva on vault: Amanar--sloppy in the air, but she hit. 15.4

Sloan on bars: We didn't get Macko's bars! Boo on that! She got a 14.66, though. Come on Bridget. You must hit. Nice Church to Pak. She got a little lost on the low bar again, but it wasn't a disaster. Good DLO, tiny hoplet. 14.566

Brossy on bars: Get it, girl. Everything is ON. Stuck FT double back. 14.833

Um...no buffering, Universal Sports! Do not screw with me!

Vanessa Ferrari on floor: Her landings are so good. She makes it look effortless. I'm getting REALLY pissed off about all this "buffering." I paid for this shit.

Jiang on vault: DTY.

EFF you, Universal Sports. I missed a ton of stuff just now. But I'm back.

Yang on vault--really good DTY, step on the landing, but dead center. 14.966

Lauren Mitchell on beam: Oh, man--she's off the beam on her layout. Damn. Her Humphrey turn is flawless. I really hate that she fell.

Rotation one is over, but they're showing Koko's floor. Her full turn is so good. 13.866

Current standings: Russia, China, USA.

Sandra Izbasa on beam: Some tiny footing issues, but she's on. No big bobbles so far. She really looks like Nastia at some angles with her hair this light blond color. I do not think she got her triple twist all the way around. Nope, no way--not in the slow replay. Not even close. But we'll see what the judges do. 14.333

Huang on bars: I love me some China on bars. Oh, dear...it was going well, if not a little sluggish for her, but she lost it on the low bar. Gorgeous DLO. That sucks--she had a major falter on the low bars. She literally stopped. That's the kind of error that could open the door for the US to step into silver position.

This score is taking FOREVER. We could have watched Mitchell's floor in this time. But instead, we're watching Huang put her jacket on for five minutes. There's debate as to whether she hit her feet on the floor when she transitioned to the low bar before her total loss of rhythm, which would lower her D score. Poor kid--she looks so worried. I want to hug her. The second rotation is basically over, and we've seen almost no routines because of this. 14.75

So glad I paid ten dollars for this...

Apprently Jiang fell off the bar during her routine. We got to see a few seconds of the slow replay.

He Kexin on bars: Stunning, of course. Nailed the dismount. Too bad her teammates melted down. Romania might move into medal contention. Of course, they may have had bad rotations, too--I have no idea, because we're not seeing any gymnastics.

Ana Porgras on beam: Stunning, of course.

My laptop is about to die--switching to desk top...

Holy crap--Dementieva fell off the bars. Ouch. USA, don't get too excited and start getting hasty...13.366

Alicia on beam: She's solid. Alicia almost spilled on her front pike, but she held on. Good girl. That experience just shines. GREAT double pike, with a small step back. But her chest was up and it was great. I love her tenacity.

Musty on bars: She has some ground to make up for her teammate. She looks good. Fingertip Tkatchev. Stuck 1.5 twisting double back. It was great. She's proving why she's the favorite to win the AA.

Nabieva on bars: Fell on her Nabieva. And she's off the bar. She fell off the low bar. The door is WIDE open now...these very young Russian girls just don't have the experience yet, but man, do they have the talent. I want Team USA to win, but I hate for it to happen this way. 12.933

Tweddle on floor: The girl is not elegant, but MAN, can she tumble. She's on. I missed a "stumble on the leap" while I was typing, apparently. NAILED her 2.5 to full. Really good. 14.666

Second rotation is over. Standings are: China, USA, Russia, Romania

Alicia got a 14.6 on beam. I had her routine on here, and it disappeared. WTF.

Semy on beam: She's solid, if not a little bit timid. Bobble and deep knee bends. Deep but decent double pike. Not bad, but not enough at this point. What the Russians need to win is an epic fail from the other teams now. 14.3

Cairns on vault: STUCK Yurchenko 1.5. Off center a bit, but stuck cold. 14.633--good for her.

Bross on floor: We didn't get her beam. Phooey. Yeah--I said phooey. Bite me.

Apparently, we're waiting on Mattie's score. We didn't see it, which is annoying.

Musty on beam: Lovely double turn. Solid arabian. Great jumps. Triple twist--almost completely around, but maybe not quite? 15.033

Downie on vault" Really nice DTY. I think she may have started twisting a bit early, but she hit. 14.733

Still no news on Mattie's floor score. WTF.

Aly on floor: We didn't get to see Bross'. We got to watch her pace and wait, but not perform. This coverage sucks. Too much watching people pace. Anyway--back to Aly. Flawless opening pass, great double arabian. Stuck her triple cold. She could use some ballet, but I can overlook that for now. Uh-oh--I hear booing...I think a score came out...Hop on Aly's double back tuck. Really, really good--exactly what we've come to expect from Aly. No more, now less, and I know she's pleased. 14.5

The commentators are talking about a low American score on floor, but they haven't shared it with us. Come ON. Was it Mattie's? Bross'? WTH. This expensive-ass coverage is dreadful. But I do like the British commentators.

Ana Porgras on floor: Great full-in. She's on, and her dance is lovely. Great outing. That switch ring...wow. 14.133

Deng on beam: So solid. Beautiful L-turn. Leg up on the leap landing. Deep, but nice, double pike. Very good. 14.7

Chelaru on floor: Great DLO. Whip triple--great. Full in, I think. I glanced up, and I have a hard time seeing when the twist takes place--sorry. Double tuck. Really, really good floor routine.

They are not doing a good job of giving us scores.

Sui on beam: She's on the floor. Damn. Wow, she is so good, but you can tell she's rattled by that fall. Poor kid. Beautiful double pike, though a bit deep. 13.0

So many mistakes today. The US needs to hit vault to take advantage of this. It sucks, though, to have it so close because of mistakes.

We're seeing Izbasa's floor now: I don't love this new routine. She's awesome, but I don't love it. She hit, but she had some less-than-stellar landings. OOB on her final pass. 14.2

Current standings after three rotations: China, Russia, USA. IDK that the US can catch up at this point. I just don't know everyone's D-scores going into the last rotation, but I know we have three really good DTYs, so...maybe?

Chelaru on vault--super sloppy legs in the air. 14.7

Huang on floor--I like her music. OOB on first pass. I think the nerves are kicking in. Looked like she went OOB on her last pass, too...I'm not sure. 14.0

Haidu on vault: GoodDTY--dead center, decent form. Good for her. 14.886

Sui on floor: She could use a good routine after the fall on beam. I HAVE to run to the bathroom--brb...I'm back! I got back just in time to see her finish. 14.733

Barring a total meltdown, we should see the expected finishers in the medals--USA, China, and Russia. It's the order that stands to be seen.

Jiang on floor: These camera angles are an outrage. We're missing landings. On FLOOR. She's so adorable, still. She did well. 14.5

Can we see the Americans vault, please?

We're watching the Russians and Chinese walk around. WTF, dude.

Macko on vault: Come on, girl. we need you. Nice DTY. No slo-mo replay yet. 15

Dementieva on floor: She's hitting everything. Really good!

Sac on vault!: Get it, girl...The Rudi! Whoo-hoo! She is so awesome. Big step on the landing, but we knew that. If Alicia learned to stick a landing, she owuld be unstoppable. 15.6

Afanasyeva on floor: Nailed the DLO. Whip, whip, whip, BHS, triple. Awesome. I do not like her soap opera music. I feel like I'm eating at Frisch's. But I like her. NAILED the double pike. She rocked it out. 14.8

Sac has ice on her arm. Hm?

They showed Aly's DTY, and it was DAMNED good. Right in the center, Great form, small hop.

OMG OMG OMG...come on...

Musty on floor: She needs to hit HARD. Love her music. Wow, sky high double arabian. She is hitting the landings beautifully. Three passes in, and she's on. OOB on her past pass...son of a...14.66

And the standings are...

Russia 175.397
USA 175.196
China 174.781

Down to the last tenths.

Good work, Team USA. I still want to know what happened with Mattie's score on floor. Congrats to Russia!

Worlds start list

2010-10-20T10:27:00.003-04:00

Okay, kids, we have about a half hour until this shit goes down. What'll we do with ourselves until then?

Why, we post the start lists, of course.

Assuming no one sprains a friggin' ankle in warm-up, the US start list is as follows (we start on bars, with Romania):

Uneven bars

Mackenzie Caquatto
Bridget Sloan
Rebecca Bross

Balance beam
Alexandra Raisman
Alicia Sacramone
Rebecca Bross

Floor exercise
Mattie Larson
Rebecca Bross
Alexandra Raisman

Vault
Mackenzie Caquatto
Alexandra Raisman
Alicia Sacramone

Russia and China will begin, of course, on vault. Kurbatova, Mustafina, and Nabieva will face off against Jiang, Huang, and Yang. Great Britain and Australia start on floor (man, I hope we get to see some of that rotation), and Italy and Japan will begin on beam.

I love that Macko is doing two events. Good for her. I hope she keeps her head where it needs to be. Probably knowing she doesn't have to touch a balance beam will help. I'm glad for her.

No surprise that Rebecca is anchoring both bars and beam. I hope she doesn't overdo it on floor and end up injured for the AA. And holy hell, I cannot wait to see Alicia vault. I am so friggin' excited.

Honestly, there are gymnasts in every single rotation who I really, really want to see. I hope we get some coverage of Japan, Britain, Australia, and Italy. I want to see Koko! And Lauren! And...and...everybody!

Twenty minutes! I'm moving to a new post for quick hits. Join me?

Watching Worlds today!

2010-10-20T09:19:00.002-04:00

So I am skipping both of my classes today so that I can watch Worlds live. I paid my $9.99 to Universal Sports like the good little sucker that I am. I made arrangements with my group mates in my poetry writing class to exchange our work via email. I have tested my log-in at Universal Sports to make sure it works when the time comes. All I need is to brew up some coffee and grab some snacks, and I'm ready to go. An hour and a half early.

So who is it going to be? The Russians come into the team final as the favorite, having qualified first, just ahead of China and the US, respectively. The difference between first and third was less than nine tenths of a point. That's nine hit handstands, nine pointed feet, nine stuck landings. That's getting down to hitting all the little details at all the right times.

I have not yet seen many of the qualifying videos, but I heard the Russians have been overscored. I'm not going to whine about it if it's true--fact is, they're really good, so overscored or not, they are legitimate gold medal contenders. And it's not like overscoring is a new thing--it happens all the time. I think the US has an outside shot at the gold, but like I said--they are going to have to be PERFECT. No timid steps on landings. No wobbling on full turns. No crazy legs in mid air during their vaults. They literally have to hit everything. Even if the Russians have a single major error, like a fall, they could still take it if they hit everywhere else and the US and China don't bring their top games.

I'm really excited. Of course, I am Team USA through and through, and I want our girls to win. But I want them to win because they truly kicked ass. I don't want the Russians or the Chinese to fall--I like watching them too much.

Let's go, USA! And let's see some beautiful gymnastics, EVERYONE!

Join me as I offer quick hits about skills I don't know the names of, whose hair is bad and whose is slightly less bad, and all the moronic and creepy things the commentators say! I'm back here at 11 a.m.

And if you do want to watch live, it's not too late. Go HERE and fork over ten bucks to watch. The actual price is $14.99, but you can use the code "USAGYMFAN" and get five dollars off.

See you at 11:00!

Podium training video!

2010-10-13T18:18:00.004-04:00

Whoo-hoo! Our first look at our girls in Holland. I have a few thoughts.

1.) Why is Aly Raisman touching the bars? And dear GOD, those feet...
Seriously, if the situation is ever bad enough that we need Aly's bars, I might eat my own arm. Without ranch dressing.

2.) I love Mattie Larson. Her bars, for me, are sort of frustrating, because, like Ivana Hong, I feel like she has the goods, but for some reason isn't quite there. I want her to just perfect every little foot flex, every tiny leg split, and just get it super clean. I think she could have some beautiful bars.

3.) Why is Mackenzie Caquatto touching a balance beam, but we didn't get to see her on bars? Not that she looked bad in the small, few-second clip they showed of her beam, but please--do not scare me like that. Every time I see her on beam, my heart speeds up in a bad way.

4.) Alicia Sacramone is a goddess.

5.) Aly on beam--I know she hasn't been great since Scam, but I still believe she has it in her, and I'm still rooting for her. I am not ready to give up on Snack Sac just yet.

6.) Bridget landed her double pike on floor kinda low, but hopefully, she's back to fighting form.

7.) Alicia makes the vaulting table her bitch, daily. Seriously--the girl's raw power both frightens and fascinates me. She is a beast, and I love it.

8.) Brossy is training vault with a brace of some kind on her shin (she wasn't wearing it during the beam or floor clips), and it wasn't a super clean go in the clip. But she looks to be gunning for the AA if her health holds up.

Other thoughts: This is the first rodeo for four of the seven girls on the team. I'm dying to see Mattie's beautiful floor, and I really, really hope she makes EF. I believe with everything I have that Alicia is going to finally take that elusive vault title. I hope Macko hits--I think that will do wonders for her confidence, and I want her to have a great outing.

That's all I got for now. I have more thoughts, but I also have dinner sitting in front of me. Dinner wins.

And the 2010 WAG Worlds team is...

2010-10-06T19:07:00.004-04:00

Rebecca Bross
Mattie Larson
Aly Raisman
Mackenzie Caquatto
Alicia Sacramone
Bridget Sloan
Chelsea Davis

Via Twitter:

"USA_Gymnastics

7 member US Women's World Team named: Bross, Caquatto, Davis, Larson, Raisman, Sacramone & Sloan. Check www.usagym.org for more info!"

This comes after news that Samantha Shapiro had to remove her name from contention after an injury. We are literally never going to see her in international competition again. Ever.

Tid Bits

2010-09-03T16:48:00.002-04:00

Ivana Hong Tweeted yesterday that she has been released to begin working on trampoline and beam.

"IvanaHong Released to start doing some tramp and beam :))"

This comes after she sustained an ACL injury at a selection camp leading up to the American Cup in March. We're very pleased to hear this news. Good luck, Ivana!

There is chatter that Samantha Shapiro has verbally committed to Stanford. I believe that Sam is a junior in high school this year (correct me if I'm wrong), which would mean she will graduate high school in 2012. Perfect timing for an Olympic run before heading off to school in the fall...

Nastia "interviewed" Evan Lysacek in an effort to promote the Skating and Gymnastics Monstrosity coming up this fall. I wonder if she took sick pleasure in asking him about a come back? Also, you'd think Universal Sports could have provided them with better sound/production quality.

Bridget talks about her Worlds goals/debuts parallel bars routine

2010-08-20T17:44:00.005-04:00

Read it here.

If only Bridget had "spun on the parallel bars" or not fallen as "she tried to tip-toe across the balance beam," maybe...MAYBE...she would have had a chance. Seriously--forget the forward triple twist she's rumored to be training--if she's working a PB routine, that's REALLY going to pull her ahead in her scoring potential! Now if only she could master those tip-toeing requirements, or learn to turn a decent "somersault across the floor..."

This little tid-bit was extremely enlightening, as well:

"No woman helped her team more than Sloan last year when she finished sixth in the bars final to clinch the all-around title at the world championships in London."

Sorry. I know I'm being a bit of a bitch. I just get frustrated with the lack of interest in accuracy in gymnastics reporting. The bloggers and volunteer gym writers are seriously the first line in gym reporting (and I'm not talking about myself here--I mean the really knowledgeable bloggers who travel regularly, often on their own dimes, to give the fans decent reporting). I grow weary of the lack of respect for our sport and the small details that make an article credible. I think there are many talented, capable freelancers out there, and no one is immune to mistakes in reporting, but faulty gym reporting seems to be the status quo, and frankly, it twists my knickers a little bit.

End rant. And many thanks to the volunteer or poorly paid writers and interviewers out there who do it because they love and appreciate gymnastics--not because the assignment landed in their inbox and they needed a paycheck.

Fight! Fight!

2010-08-18T20:47:00.003-04:00

Okay, not really. But is our reigning Olympic All Around Champ picking a fight with the Queen of Pop?

"NLiukin Big story on the Today Show about how Madonna's new kids line is too grown up... We designed Supergirl by Nastia to be mom approved ;)"

Jussayin'...Madge will cut you, Nast. Better to play nice.

Twitter Updates

2010-08-17T19:24:00.003-04:00

As you may have noticed (or not--I have no idea), I was not online for night two of the Senior WAG Nationals. I was drinking heavily at a wedding in Chicago. My friend, whom I am grooming as a new gym fan, was kind enough to tune in and text me updates.

Anyway. I'm back and settled back in to my routine now. And I been'a checkin' the Twitters.

This mysterious little tid bit from Sam Peszek caught my interest:

"samanthapeszek Practice .....got REALLY good news today. So motivated :)"

Chellsie Memmel, who promises she is not retired, gave us this:

"CMemmel definitely going to be sore tomorrow, did some tumbling today :)"

We finally know the real story on what caused Steven Slater to lose his shit and do what every one of us has since fantasized about doing:

"bridgetsloan Finally landed in Indy. Fight attendants and I don't get along sometimes..."

And while this is technically not a Twitter update, I found the link via Twitter, so I'm using it. The interviewers talking to Rebecca Bross make Anne from Gymnastike sound like Diane Sawyer. Seriously--can no one at a gym meet with a microphone utilize their full brain function?

The interview is lame--I'm just posting it because its very lameness is what makes it entertaining.

Let's cover this pot--part deux.

2010-08-12T18:52:00.018-04:00

Moving over here for live competition coverage. The first post was getting too cluttered with inane pre-show coverage.

Alyssa Beckerman is going to sing the Anthem. Please let her be better than Carly...

Not bad, Alyssa. Coupla rough spots, but she kept it simple and avoided ambitious runs and riffs. I didn't have to cover my ears.

Commercial.

7:03

Wait--that's Al's voice! Where did Nastia and JR go?

Crap. Is this gonna be a Trio kinda night? Was I really foolish enough to think it wouldn't be?

Hartford is the Insurance Capital of the World. Al sure knows how to make a city sexy.

Elfi finds Alicia "totally legit." I agree.

Alicia has abandoned her pouf for two braids/big corn rows. Love her.

Commercial. Seriously?

7:08

Kytra Hunter on floor. OOB on her full twisting DLO. She seems kind of lackluster tonight, like she's not all the way in it. The tumbling is good, as always, but there's something really lackluster about her performance. All of her landings seemed tentative. It was fine, but it wasn't special. 14.5

Brossy on bars. She's solid, gorgeous Jaeger, Pak is good, stuck her dismount for a second before falling forward a bit. I thought she had it. But it was good. 15.15

Commercial

7:15

Al said (of Bross), "Elfi, I would not want to play Poker against her!" Elfi ignored him and moved on.

Aly Raisman on bars. Let's get this out of the way. Come on, Aly. Tkatchev was high, but the feet were flexed as hell. Nice double front dismount. It's actually one of her better outings on bars, but still...there are no World bars medals in her future. 13.65

Mackenzie Caquatto on beam. Get it, girl. I don't love her on beam, but I am pulling for her. She is balance-checking all over the place. He E-score will not be high, but it's not the worst I've seen her by far. Piked double back with a step back, messy legs in the air. Not bad, but 8.3 on execution. 13.5

Mattie Larson on beam. Love her. I like her leo--white, grey, purple, and pink. She's a little wobbly. Oh, my--almost fell. 2.5 twist is great, with a little hop. I think they said...13.55?

Commercial

7:30

Apparently, Marta said Alicia doesn't need a third even to make the Worlds team. Because she's f***ing AWESOME.

Oh, crap. Andrea Joyce. How will she shock and offend this time?

Rebecca Bross on beam. No wobbles on her full turn. Rock solid Arabian. She has not so much as wavered. Big step forward on the Patterson, but it was not scary, and it was super high. It's one of the best beam routines I've seen from her as a senior. 15.5

Al said, "15.5--that should keep Rebecca Bross in first place." No shit, dumbass.

Alicia Sacramone on beam. She's a rock. The dismount was good in the air, but she took several steps back when she hit the floor. She's almost there. 14.85

Kytra on vault. This should be good. DTY, small step back. 15.1

Commercial. These commercials are frigging LOUD compared to the competition coverage.

7:43

Mattie Larson on floor. God, her DLO is breathtaking. I love the flared arms. So stylish. And it's so nice to see someone dance. Her tumbling is looking great--very fluid and precise. Mush better than beam--she's awesome. 15.0, with a 9.2 on execution. NICE.

Aly Raisman on beam. I like her on beam. There are definitely some form deductions here, but she's solid. Sunk her Patterson into the floor, but she didn't sit or drop it. Close call. Not a great showing from her, overall. 14.2

Briley Casanova on beam. And now off the beam. Oops. Nice double full dismount. 12.6

Vanessa Zamarripa on beam. Nice, until she fell off the beam on a jump. Stunning stuck 2.5 twisting dismount. SUCKS that she fell.

Commercial

8:00

Current standings: Bross, Hunter, Smith, Larson, Davis, Raisman

Andrea comparing gymnastics to real estate. WTF.

Sophia Lee on floor. Nice DLO, with a big step back. Hands on the floor when she landed her double back. I am so sick to death of National Treasure. Decent double pike.

Mattie Larson on vault. Beautiful DTY, with a hop back.

Aly Raisman on floor. Let's see if she can pike both rotations on her Arabian. She changed it--tucked it all the way around. Jesus, the girl can twist. She is a lot like Alicia, but she's missing the same spark. They do so many things similarly, but I guess when Alicia first started out as a senior, she wasn't as charismatic as she eventually became. I know it;s not fair to always compare them, but it is what it is. 14.65

Kytra Hunter on bars. This is not her best event at all. It was actually pretty good. Not super dynamic or hard, but her releases were high, and she stuck her dismount. Well done, Kytra. 13.05

Why are we not getting all the scores? Bastards.

Commercial/pee break.

8:15

Vanessa Zamarripa on floor. Nice stuck DLO. She's adorable, and she's hitting her landings. It's not up to the difficulty she'll ultimately need in elite, but it's good for now. Not quite as energetic as I've seen her, but not bad.

Rebecca Bross on floor. I do not like these leaps out of bad landings. It's ugly and clunky. Bless her heart, she tries so hard to dance. Wowza--still falling out of that turn, just like in podium training.

Valeri is really graying at the temples.

Commercial

8:25

Al said that "...this is what Alisha Beckerman sounded like singing the National Anthem." Alisha. Uh-lish-uh. I kid you not.

Standings before the final rotation: Bross, Larson, Davis, Smith, Hunter, Raisman

Andrea with Nastia and her shirt. Nastia still insists that a comeback is not out of the question.

Aly Raisman on vault. I've been looking forward to this. Really great DTY, the tiniest of hoplets on the landing. More of a brush back than anything. Very nice. 15.05

OMG--they're showing Chelsea Davis. Holy crap.

Chelsea Davis on beam. She seems a little tentative, but she's on. Held on with a near-fall. Very nice double pike, little hop. It was timid, but pretty good.

Mattie Larson on bars. She looks beautiful, but it's little things-a missed connection, a missed handstand, a dead hang, a tiny hop on the landing...it was really pretty, but once those details are cleaned up, she'll be great.

Rebecca Bross on vault. Stuck cold DTY. Very, very nice. She pikes a little early, but this will be a really great score. 15.0

Alicia Sacramone on vault! Rock it out, Sac. Laid out Rudi, hop back, a bit off center, but really good. 15.65

Alicia's DTY--Great vault, same damned hop back. If she could eliminate those hops, she'd be un-friggin'-stoppable. It's astonishing to me that she took over a YEAR off and comes back with these routines. 15.35

8:42

Bridget Sloan on beam. The only event she's on tonight, due to injury to her shoulder. Uh-oh--she is OFF the beam. Oh, no...Her L-turn was really good, no falling out of it or wobbling. Solid on her punch front. Almost stuck her double pike, but it was a deep landing. She looks really unhappy. I feel unhappy for her.

Competition is over. Night two will be on Saturday. It is unlikely that I will be here, as I have to go to a wedding, but I am going to try to slip away to our room and watch, anyway.

What is wrong with Alyssa Beckerman's hair?

Standings:
1. Bross 60.4
2. Larson
3. Davis
4. Hunter
5. Raisman (tie)
5. Caquatto (tie)

Andrea Joyce is trying to verbally destroy Bross' soul. Because that's what she does.

Al--STFU about Carly and Nastia when you talk about Bross. "You can almost hear Carly and Nastia whispering in her ear..." What--is Mary Lou a bit dated for you now? *insert eyeroll here*

Andrea with Alicia. Hit her, Alicia! Let's see some hair pulling!

Let's cover this pot

2010-08-12T18:24:00.008-04:00

Well, the time is nigh...or something.

It's time to watch...to revel...to roll our eyes at the commentators...

It's time for Senior Nationals, bitches.

You've no doubt heard about the absolute CLUSTER that was Day One of the Junior WAG competition. Jordyn Wieber was, thankfully, not severely injured in her numerous uncharacteristic falls (including a beam dismount gone awry where, from what I gather, she smacked her head on the beam? Is that right?) Anyway, there was some fear that the blood that was being cleaned from the beam was hers, but it was not, in fact, as confirmed by her. I heard it was fro ma minor cut on someone's toe.

Anyway, there were a LOT of falls today, but little Kyla Ross did what she does and is comfortably in the lead for now. There have been several athletes who have dropped form the AA tonight, but none due to serious injury. I think we're seeing a lot of precautionary measures taken, an occurrence which I am certain has Marta's girdle all in a twist.

Coverage on Universal Sports begins in two minutes with the pre-show. Tune in and follow along on this blog, being sure to refresh every once in awhile, as I spew my drivel all over the place.

6:30: It's Nastia and Roethlisberger to commentate. This will do, I suppose. I don't love JR as a commentator, but whatevs.

Nastia loves Brossy. Also, she is wearing an epicly unflattering drapy purple top. Love her--hate this look.

Oh, look--commercial. The guy who does movie promo voiceovers is making everything being advertised seem badass and necessary. How do you score a sweet gig like that? I want to assume a crazy deep voice and talk about how cool shit is!

Is it so wrong that I think of "London 2012" as a gymnastics event rather than a full-out athletic competition? I forget that there is more to the Olys than gym. I do not apologize for this.

6:38: Nastia is chatting with Tasha and Elise, asking badly rehearsed questions. Everyone on these bright orange couches is adorable. That shirt gives Nastia man shoulders.

The sound guy is on thin ice--these mics are in and out all over the place.

Elise is so diplomatic and well-spoken.

I'm getting bored. I need some Jaegers and standing Arabians. Stat.

Commercial...*sigh*

6:45: We're talking now to Jon Horton and Chris Brooks. They do MAG. I don't get it. I'm gonna need them to go ahead and take their shirts off.

JR is going to cut the video people who didn't slap up Steve Legendre's vault fast enough. He is going to cut them hard.

Steve Legendre took Nastia to her senior Prom? I didn't know that! WTF?

Sweet--awkward bantering. And Nastia got to say "When we come back, we have Most Decorated American Gymnast, Shannon Miller." Awkward...

Commercial. Movie promo guy.

6:53: Shannon!

Shannon says she would not wanting to be competing right now because shit got HARD.

WTF do you mean, "Enough about gymnastics," John Roethlisberger? Back off--we don't get much during the year. Do not take this from me!

Here come the gymnasts!

I'm moving to another post for competition coverage. Follow that HERE.

Tid Bits -- Nationals Edition

2010-08-10T16:44:00.004-04:00

Bridget Sloan announced today that, due to an apparently new shoulder issue, she will not be defending her title as U.S. National Champion. Sloan will compete only on beam. With silver 2009 silver medalist Ivana Hong still out nursing an ACL injury, Rebecca Bross seemingly needs only to stay on the equipment and not face plant to secure her first Senior National All around title.

Looking to stave off Bross, or take advantage of any falls she may have, will be Classic AA champ Mattie Larson and American Cup silver medalist Aly Raisman. No word on whether Raisman will attempt her Amanar again since her less-than-stellar (and borderline terrifying) showing at Classic, and frankly, I have no real guess. She could hold back and throw the sky-high DTY that's she's so capable of, but she may decide that if she's going to run with Bross' D scores, the Amanar is the only way to make up a significant amount of the deficit. It will be interesting to see, either way.

Once again, my stOOPid life is getting in the way of my gymnastics obsession. My husband and I will be in Chicago one night only--Saturday night. At a wedding. Luckily, it's at the hotel, so I may grab a bottle of wine and slip upstairs to watch finals. I'm taking the laptop, but it's a total piece, so at this point, I'm just doing my best. Just like with Classic, if you intend to live blog, feel free to link to your blog in the comments so that others may find you. I will do my best to at least hit on a little of it, but I make no promises.

I will, however, be home on Thursday night for prelims. That starts at 6:30, and I will be parked in front of my computer, probably drinking and definitely dropping quick hits all up in here. Or something.

For those of you who intend to watch the Live Broadcast on Universal Sports, the schedule is HERE. You should be able to watch HERE by clicking "Live Now!" on the right. No, not "Live Now!" now. "Live Now!" then.

Um...I have a brow wax at 5:45, so I'm peacing out for a bit. No one likes an overgrown Fifo. I'll keep you all updated as much as possible.

Credit where it's due

2010-08-07T22:30:00.017-04:00

Okay, so I may, perhaps, have been known to poke gentle fun at Brooke Parker a little bit here and there. Once or twice. It's mostly just because of the way she speaks--she has a voice that makes Keri Strug's sound downright masculine, and it just grates in every way ("we go to baaaaaaahs..."). She also always seems a little bit confused, like she's not quite sure where she's supposed to be at the moment. See here for vocal samplings. *shudder*

"Excuse me, which way to the baaahhhrrrs?"

If you don't know who Brooke is, I'm not surprised. She's an elite out of Capital Gymnastics on Virginia, but she's never made a National Team. Her routines are not shown on live broadcasts, and pretty much the only footage you'll find of her is home video or on Gymnastike.

Just for shits and giggles, I looked up lil' Brookie tonight to see what she's been up to, prepared to mute the volume if she began speaking. It turns out she's heading to Alabama to compete for the Crimson Tide in 2012 (along with Kayla Williams).

I came across her floor routine from this year's Buckeye Classic, and while watching her dance was every bit as agonizing as I expected, I was impressed with some of her tumbling. Even though she was using National Treasure, which should be retired forever after Anna Li made it her bitch, girl tossed a double arabian from a round off that scraped the rafters, and a double back with her knees together. Her landings aren't horrid, either--she might be capable of a cold stick.

You've been warned--you might prefer to stab yourself in the leg with a dull knife than watch her dance. But look for those little glimmers in the tumbling.

So good luck in college, Brooke Parker. Avoid microphones and keep a map handy, and you'll be just fine. Keep rocking your tumbling and embrace NCAA difficulty. We believe you're a good kid, and we're cheering for you. See you at Nationals.

Know a Coach - Mary Lee Tracy

2010-08-07T11:33:00.006-04:00

There is not a dedicated gymnastics fan who is not aware of MLT. Even as a kid during the Atlanta Games in 1996, I knew the names of only two coaches--Bela Karolyi and Mary Lee Tracy.

That's because 1996 was arguably MLT's most successful year as an elite gymnastics coach. She sent two athletes--Jaycie Phelps and Amanda Borden--to Atlanta from her Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy, and was named Assistant Coach during those Games, as well. It was in 1996 when MLT became a name in gymnastics to the casual viewer, but it was not by any means her debut as an important influence on the sport.

It began, in fact, in 1977. Tracy was a recent high school graduate and a Ben-Gal cheerleader (the cutesy name of the Cincinnati Bengals' cheerleaders). She had a foundation in tumbling from her experience as a high school cheerleader, and when an opportunity arose to turn that foundation into a coaching job at a Cincinnati gym, she took it. According to those who worked with her, including the gym's PR director Lynne Ruhl, MLT was a quick study and had a natural gift for learning and relaying as a teacher.

In 1983, at the age of only twenty-four, MLT seized the opportunity to buy the gym, despite her fear and misgivings. She believed it was the opportunity of a lifetime, and the Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy was born in a less-than-ideal storage shed-like facility. After some renovations, both Borden and Phelps earned their Olympic berths as students in the old facility. In 1997, however, Tracy turned her new success and, one can only guess, vastly expanded income, and purchased a much more appropriate facility in Fairfield, Ohio.

Training under MLT includes sharing her philosophical ideas, and she expects her instructors to follow suit. It's a controversial standpoint, but Tracy believes in it, and does not apologize for making Bible Study a part of her gymnastics coaching style.

“I like my style,” she said in an interview with the Cincinnati Enquirer in 2000. “My core philosophies aren't going to change.”

After Tracy's success in 1996, there were high expectation for her to place more gymnasts on the 2000 Sydney Olympics team. With several promising prospects, including Jennie Thompson and 1996 gold medalist Dominique Moceanu, these expectations were not unreasonable.

However, in the Olympic year, Moceanu, Thompson, and Sierra Sapunar all sat out trials with injuries that just weren't going to heal in time for the Games (Thompson actually retired completely; Sapunar went to college that fall). After a sub par showing at trials, Alyssa Beckerman was named as an alternate. Only Morgan White was actually named to the squad, but after suffering a broken foot, she was replaced by another alternate, Tasha Schweikert. With five promising hopefuls under her tutelage, CGA was completely unrepresented by any athlete in Sydney. Tracy did serve as Assistant Coach to the Olympic team for the second time, with Kelli Hill serving as head coach.

In a 2004 Cincinnati Enquirer interview, Tracy said, "That was definitely the period of my career where I was feeling doubt and wasn't sure it was worth it."

Since 2000, Tracy has coached numerous elite and eventual NCAA athletes to successful careers. Her athletes have represented the US on countless international assignments, including World Championships. CGA has not placed an Olympic Team member since 2000, including alternates, but Tracy is always stocked with a groups of talented elites ready to rise up in the ranks and fight for those few precious spots.

Currently, Tracy trains Cassie Whitcomb, an athlete known for her lovely, increasingly difficult bars work; Amanda Jetter, who recently took the silver medal in the all around at the 2010 Covergirl Classic; and several talented juniors, including Lexie Priessman, who took the all around title at the first ever Nastia Liukin Cup in 2010. She also took in a gymless Kayla Williams, 2009 World vault champion, though injury forced Kayla to retire from elite competition and focus on her upcoming NCAA career.

In addition to training top level athletes, MLT has a passion for charity work, including involvement with the Special Olympics, Children's Miracle Network, and recently Pantene's Beautiful Lengths program.

Mary Lee Tracy is one of the most recognizable and successful gymnastics coaches in the United States. Her methods and techniques have been called controversial, and there is often speculation among gym fans as to what training is really like at CGA. But despite a recent lull in international successes, Tracy continues to produce gifted athletes who frequently go on to have excellent NCAA careers, and many of them speak fondly of their time training under her at CGA.

In a 2008 interview with Inside Gymnastics, Jennie Thompson said, "Even though I learned many new gymnastics skills, made two World teams and a bunch of other stuff, I will always remember those years as the time in my life when I grew into the person I am today. Mary Lee taught me how to enjoy the process of both life and gymnastics."

Sources:

http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2000/02/20/spt_tracy_trains.html

http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2004/06/01/spt_sptsgym1a.html

http://www.insidegymnastics.com/content/show/newsarticle.aspx?articleid=290&zoneid=1

http://www.usaproject2012.com/9/mary-lee-tracy.html

http://www.usa-gymnastics.org/pages/post.html?PostID=1326&prog=h

http://cincinnatigymnastics.com/?page_id=37

http://www.nytimes.com/2000/08/18/sports/olympics-injured-moceanu-forced-out-of-competition.html?n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/People/M/Moceanu,%20Dominique

http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2000/06/16/spt_injury_ends_gymnasts.html

http://www.shanfan.com/bios/whitebio.html

http://www2.usa-gymnastics.org/bios/athletebios.php?id=047907

Inside Gymnastics thinks we're all just swell.

2010-08-06T19:36:00.006-04:00

According to Inside Gymnastics' Power 25 Preview, you and I (the fans!) are the tenth most powerful force in gymnastics. The athletes and HBsIC all tune in to see what riveting insight and snark we will provide, on message boards, blogs, and Youtube comments.

Oh, really...

Well. In that case, I have a few things to say.

An Open Letter to the Powers that Be in Gymnastics

Dear Nastia,

I thought for sure that Shawn's announcement and subsequent training would be enough to push you back into the gym. You said 2012 was important to you, but I'm sensing a falsehood has been told. It's okay if you're done--it really is. Just stop toying with my emotions. If you're fine with Shawn becoming the best bar worker* we have in the States, then I am, too.

Dear Shawn,

I hear your training is going well. Do not get hurt. Do not let Martha break you. Do not forget that it's okay to ease back into competing with only a few events ready, a la Alicia at Classic. I'm excited to see you back (next year, perhaps?). But if you change your mind, I'm coming to Iowa and locking you in the gym with cornstalks. You've been forewarned.

Dear Martha,

Stop breaking gymnasts. I love the idea of the girls going to camps and training together, but for crying out loud, stop crippling them. You've got a brilliant strategic mind, and yours and Bela's knowledge is legendary, but I am sick to death of reports coming out of camp of more broken elites. Back off. If you break Raisman or Weiber, I will be forced to declare Thumb War on you, and I have ridiculously large hands for an average size female.

Dear Bruno,

*sigh*

Dear Steve,

Make Martha stop breaking gymnasts. Go to a camp and observe. Offer me a job as a telecommuting writer. Technical writing, press releases, you name it--I'm on it. Seriously. I have two semesters left until I earn my degree. Let's talk.

*wipes glaring pathetic shame from face, moves on*

Dear Universal Sports,

I love you. I do. You've given me live gymnastics from the convenience of my computer, making quick-hit blogging possible and convenient. I'd like to propose that you add more coverage. Send someone to Pac Rims in the spring, and be not afraid of broadcasting the junior competitions, as well. Trust me--the people who are tuning in to watch gymnastics on Universal Sports are not casual, unknowledgeable viewers. It's the diehards, the ones who will absolutely sit online all day to watch both the junior AND senior competitions. Give us both, and we'll spend more time on your website. Crunch some numbers. Make some calls. You can make this work.

Also, if you're hiring next year...

Okay, at this point, my kid is asking for me to love and appreciate her, so I'm gonna bounce. Feel free to provide your own Open Letters, which Inside Gymnastics assures us will be read, in the comments section.

*runs off to pretend puzzles are fun*

*That's not a knock on Shawn--I think her bars are quite nice, actually. Not crazy dynamic, but definitely clean.

Kayla retires

2010-07-27T18:44:00.004-04:00

Well, that's all she wrote, folks. At least for Kayla Williams' elite career, anyway.

Now that MLT has given her her first elite damaged body part (never one to disappoint on that front), Kayla is backing the f*** up and concentrating on her NCAA intentions. She'll be a high school senior this fall and has verbally committed to Alabama for college. So frankly, I don't think this is an unreasonable or, when you think about it, surprising decision. I didn't necessarily see it coming--I'm just not shocked now that it has. Kayla was built for NCAA competition. Winning the vault title--while it was AWESOME--in a weak Worlds field was probably about as good as it was going to get for her in her elite career, and take that how you want, but I don't mean it as a dig.

She's a talented girl. She'll do well in college, if she stays away from the party scene and does what she's there to do. We're glad for her.

Classic Coverage

2010-07-22T16:58:00.003-04:00

As we all well know, Classic is this weekend. Unfortunately for me, and for those of you who tune in to FIFO for my sparkling wit and poignant observations, I am stuck in a dark theatre on Saturday working on the run crew for a musical.

So. That's that.

But fear not--you can still watch on your own. Live coverage will begin at 8 p.m. Saturday on Universal Sports.

If you're a blogger and you intend to do live quick hits, leave your info in the comments and my lovelies can come to you for their fix.

I'm super sad, but I'm going to make every effort to keep my schedule clean for Nationals next month.

Go, Alicia, go!

Classic!

2010-07-09T16:42:00.004-04:00

Gymnastike kindly posted the list of competitors for the CoverGirl Classic coming up in just a few weeks. And there are some names on that list which will make man of us slip into our happy places and smile.

Unfortunately, I have a commitment I cannot get out of and will not be able to watch the live broadcast of the senior WAG on Universal Sports 7/24. Which means no live blogging. I'm a little pissed, but there is literally nothing I can do.

Anyway--here are some of the performances I'm most looking forward to when I watch it later/catch videos on Youtube (stay healthy, girls!):

Sam Shapiro (injured last year)
Mattie Larson (injured last year)
Sophina DeJesus (as a senior!)
Bridget Sloan (hoping she'll debut/test out an upgrade or two)
Aly Raisman (one of my new favorites)
Alicia Sacramone (retired after '08--this is her first competition back!)
Kytra Hunter (back from injury)
Jordyn Wieber (injured last year, just kicked ass at Pac Rims)
Kyla Ross (won last year, but can she hold off Wieber?)
Lexie Priessman (AA champ of the 2010 Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup. Should be interesting)
Becca Bross (injured last year and only competed bars at Classic, but has obviously come back with a vengeance. It's always fun to see how the team "stars" are doing as they train to peak for Nationals and/or Worlds)

Noticeably absent:

Sam Peszek (Anyone know if she plans to do Nationals this year, or hold off on further elite competition and focus on UCLA?)
Olivia Courtney (won last year's AA, but was injured soon after. Going to UCLA in the fall, I believe)
Ivana Hong (still recovering from a nasty ACL injury at camp right before the American Cup. Anyone know anything about her college plans yet? She's going to be a senior in high school this fall, right?)

Commentators

2010-07-06T13:53:00.006-04:00

So I've been thinking.

Hey--hear me out!

On IG today, there has been lively discussion about who we would pick to replace the Trio should the opportunity arise. Commentators have a pretty sweet gig, even if it does put them at risk for some pretty bad embarrassment.

I have some thoughts as to what I like and don't like in a commentator. I posted them on IG, but I'll reiterate. I really like BBC coverage. I think they do a nice job of providing education to the viewer without falling so in love with the sound of their own voices that they forget to shut the hell up and let us just watch.

I like when commentators provide insight or bits of knowledge that might benefit the viewer. Pointing out a hard-to-spot deduction is helpful. Distinguishing between release skills on bars used to be a HUGE help to me, although thanks to MostepanovaFan, I've come a long way.

What I do NOT like is mindless chatter, creepy comments, and too much information about the skills. I do not need to know that the beam is four inches wide, fifteen times. Let's have a little more faith in people. They can see that it's tiny. We don't need analogies derived from other sports (baseball, anyone?).

What do you think? If you could hand-design your perfect commentator, what qualities and/or tendencies would you include? What would be a deal breaker for you?

Shannon Miller hangs out in Florida

2010-06-26T15:25:00.003-04:00

And I'm kinda pissed that I didn't know she'd be in Tampa. My brothers live there, and one of them is a gym fan and probably would have gone out there and gotten me an autograph. I really need to stop doing things that keep me away from the computer so that I can know where all gymnasts are at all times.

'Cause I'm creepy.

Anyway--Shannon talks to the St. Petersburg Times about Atlanta and her beam gold, as well as Shannon Miller Lifestyle. And the reporter has a Research Fail and says that Shannon is the only American to have won Olympic beam gold. You know--because the one Shawn won two years ago didn't count. Insert eyeroll here. Is it really that hard to fact check when you are a PROFESSIONAL JOURNALIST?

Whatever. Check it out, peeps.

Hey! Look who noticed me!

2010-06-25T20:09:00.004-04:00

Click here and look at the line on the bottom of the profile.

That's ME! I am having such a Sally Field moment here.

Yeah, okay, FINE. I totally Googled myself. And WOGA totally added my Valeri profile to his bio. I am such a dorky fangirl.

I really dropped the ball on the old "Know a Coach" segment. I loved doing it, and I had big plans, but I am also very, very lazy, and opted not to stick to those plans. This has inspired me, though. I am going to do a new write-up next week, while I'm on vacation. I've done write-ups on Valeri and Marvin...how about a woman? Mary Lee? Armine? Kelly? Kim Z?

Feel free to drop suggestions in the comments. I want to stick to American coaches first, but if there's someone you'd like a comprehensive bio written on, let me know.

Hope springs eternal

2010-06-21T16:44:00.002-04:00

Okay, okay, I know there's a crop of great talent coming up the ranks. But I am going to cling to last quad's stars, just as I did with the Mag Seven in the nineties, refusing to believe that anyone could ever be as worthy of my adoration. So humor me, 'K?

Today, Nastia Tweeted this:

"NLiukin

People are staring at me as I walk into the gym soaking wet.....Remind me to never run outside when its 100 degrees."

Is it bad that I'm telling myself that's a big "F.U." to me for being a Doubting Thomas? What's that? You seriously doubt Nastia reads my blog or gives a rat's ass about my opinions?

Well. I never.

ASac to compete at Classic

2010-06-08T20:06:00.003-04:00

Hell, yes! This is going to be so fun.

Blythe at the Gymnastics Examiner reported today on a Universal Sports article in which Alicia said the following:

"I will be at Classics and definitely shooting for VISA Championships in August. I know a lot of people are hearing mixed things about our Olympic Team, who is coming back, who is not, but I'm for sure training."

Of her training, she says, "The beam was the easiest thing to get back. Vault was a little bit more difficult because I had shoulder surgery, so getting the strength back to support myself was a little bit hard."

There is also talk of a new floor routine which she apparently hopes to reveal in the next year or so. Click HERE, and scroll to the bottom.

Welcome back, Sac! I wondered when Alicia planned to make her "debut." Classic and Nationals this year are going to be so kick-ass, as long as we can remain relatively injury-free. And will we be adding Nastia and Shawn back to the mix in 2011? Only time and Twitter will tell.

And thanks, Blythe, for the great info and links!

Shawn's stalker pleads not guilty...

2010-06-08T09:33:00.004-04:00

...by reason of insanity.

Well, no shit, Sherlock. Anyone with half a brain knows you're certifiably NUTS. But I don't know if that'll be enough to get you the "insanity" defense. I hope not. Crazy ass needs to be tried and chucked in the slammer.

According to the AP article in the Des Moines Register, "Robert O'Ryan, 36, entered the plea and waived his right to a jury trial, clearing the way for a judge to determine if he is guilty and sane."

Shawn seems to have held up extraordinarily well, but I'm sure seeing the judicial process begin is some comfort. The article says that she is expected to testify, which I'm sure will be scary, but she's a tough kid.

You've got our support Shawn. Creepers with guns and duct tape + celebrity teenagers (well, anyone, really) = Fifo's bad side.

Bridget Sloan on Universal Sports

2010-06-03T12:49:00.003-04:00

Universal Sports spoke to reigning US and World Champion Bridget Sloan and gleaned very little new information. Read it here.

Like Sam Peszek, I think Bridget is another great example of a real, down-to-earth chick. Indiana gymnasts are a different breed, I suppose.

She's another one for whom I am always rooting. I think she'll be phenomenal in college, and I think it would be great to see her continue to upgrade and improve and make a go for 2012.

Sam Peszek update

2010-06-02T20:37:00.004-04:00

Funny--I was literally thinking about Sam yesterday, wondering what her plans were (if any) for Classic and Nationals this summer.

Inside Gymnastics put up an new interview with her today, and while she's not 100% decided on her plans, it sounds like she still has the fire to continue elite.

"One thing Peszek is prepared to pronounce is that she’s not done with Elite, no matter what happens this summer. 'I want to go to the Olympics again,' she says. 'So I did decide that. But this year isn’t the year I need to be in my prime. Next year, I’m still planning on training, no matter what. I know it’s so hard, and that no one has ever done college and Elite at the same time, but I’m confident that if I really want to do it, I can set my mind to it and figure out a way.'"

I really, really like Sam, and I am cheering hard for her no matter what she decides. I think she's a good, normal kid who does things for the right reasons. She's a good role model.

Also, I love that she says "half-ass." It always makes me smile when we see our girls breaking that "perky pixie" mold and being real people. It is possible to be a real human being AND a good role model. I think Sam's a terrific example of that idea.

Young CGA gymnasts make a difference

2010-05-16T22:20:00.004-04:00

Nine young gymnasts and one mother from Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy donated their hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths (think "Locks of Love"). According to CGA's website, "Pantene Beautiful Lengths is committed to providing free, real-hair wigs to women with cancer."

From the looks of the information on the website, it appears as though this program was open, so nine girls and a mom doesn't sound like many people. But I think it's terrific that the kids are being taught to think outside of themselves and to do what they can to make a difference. A whole person is one who understand his or her potential impact on others, and I'm pleased to see CGA participating in this program. And it's not a religious thing, so that's good, too.

Can Nastia come back in 2011?

2010-05-15T18:21:00.002-04:00

Well, any hope I had that Nastia actually meant it when she said she was really gunning for 2012 have begun to die. This Tweet today confirmed my fears:

NLiukin Last weekend home for the whole summer.... Definitely going to enjoy it.

It's kind of hard to train if she's not going to be home, since her gym is in Plano.

I know it was probably foolish to get my hopes up. But she messed with my head! How dare she behave as a young adult and have a fulfilling life outside of gymnastics! What about my needs? What about ME!!??

I guess she could come out and say that she's going to start seriously training in the fall, but is that really enough time to get in shape for Nationals or Worlds in 2011? She hasn't been seriously training since last summer, and even then, she was only really in the gym when her hectic schedule allowed for it.

I know she told her people that if they need her to travel, it has to be this year, because next year is all about gymnastics. But I just don't see her being ready if she's going to take the summer off. And I don't think that's something she's unaware of--she's a smart girl. You know what, though? Prove me wrong, Nast. I will gladly eat my words, even without ketchup. And I really love ketchup on my words.

I don't know. I want her to be happy and successful in any endeavor she chooses to pursue, but stop toying with my emotions, woman! You are, or you aren't, and either way is fine, but please don't break our hearts again. I'm itching for a really great American bars routine, and when you wave a comeback in my face and then snatch it away...well, it hurts, Nast. It hurts.

Genetic predisposition for athletic ability?

2010-05-12T12:54:00.004-04:00

The idea that our genes play into our prowess as athletes is not new. When you put together a perfect storm of genetic material, like Valeri and Anna Liukin, you're far more likely to produce a little Nastia than the Average Joe. And by Average Joe, I mean people like my husband and me, whose daughter will likely be around 5'9".

I digress.

Genetic tests are now being utilized by some parents to check for a particular gene variant (or lack there of) which may be comparable to that of elite athletes. Read the article here.

The crux of the study is this:

Atlas Sports Genetics said it looks at the ACTN3 genes. The company said if those genes are without something called a variant, you're more like an elite athlete. That means pre-disposed to sprint and power events.

If you have one copy of the variant, you're a mixed-performance athlete, the company said. That means you're good at a wide range of sports.

And finally, Atlas said if you have two variants, you're likely to be good at endurance sports. That's figure skating and long-distance running.

Personally, I'm pretty sure I have none of these. But maybe Shawn and Alicia are without variants, and perhaps Nastia has two. It takes a lot of endurance to get through her bars routine. And I seriously doubt any one of these options actually limits what you can do. Also, I have no idea about any of these girls' genetic makeup. But it's interesting to speculate.

I'm not sure how much stock to put into it, and I'm certainly not going to have my daughter tested, but I don't see anything wrong with checking it out if you have the money. It might be a decent gauge of which direction to point a child in. I'd prefer not to know, personally, so that I'm not tempted to stick Little Fifo in one thing and make her stay there to realize her "potential." But then, she doesn't show an exceptional amount of ability in any one sport or activity (aside from academics), so "well-rounded" may be a better course for her, anyway. Maybe if you've got a kid who is unusually great at gymnastics, or soccer, or whatever, you check this out to see if maybe there's something more to it.

What do you think? I'd love to hear your respectful, non-judgmental thoughts.

In Kayla Williams news...

2010-05-08T14:00:00.003-04:00

Seems like the glitz and glamour of my hometown* have drawn in Kayla Williams.

In news no one is especially surprised to read, Kayla has finally settled on a new gym after a nasty split over autograph signing with her former gym, Bozhi's Gym Nest. We'll be welcoming Kayla to the Queen City to train with Mary Lee Tracy at CGA.

Glad to have you, Kayla! If you want good Cincinnati chili, go with Gold Star--not Skyline. I'd offer to take you to Graeter's Ice Cream, but MLT would hunt me down and have me sacrificed, so nothin' doin'. And don't let anyone take you to the Creation Museum. It's a freak show.

Also, if someone sends you on a "snipe hunt," roll your eyes. But if they invite you to play cornhole, don't panic--it's not what you think.

I guess what I'm saying is--welcome to Cincy.

*Cincy is neither glitzy, nor glamorous. But we have hella good food.

Chellsie not "officially" retired

2010-05-08T13:47:00.004-04:00

Chellsie told Gymnastike that she is not officially retired--just taking a break. She's been working in the office at M&M.

She says, "I'm not officially retired yet. I, um, just decided to take a break and, you know, get all my stuff together and, you know, figure it out from there. But um, not retired yet, and if I do retire yet, I will officially announce it, but I'm not ready to do that yet."

She also says that the only reason for her to try again would be because she didn't have the Olympics that she wanted, so giving that another go would be her only real motivation.

It doesn't sound like she's not retiring--just that she's not quite ready to tell the world yet. What do you think?

(The video wouldn't embed--click on the link above)

Shawn's Olympic Sized Announcement

2010-05-04T16:21:00.004-04:00

She's training for 2012, baby.

After hinting at a Big Announcement on Twitter a week or so ago, Shawn apparently let it slip a bit before she intended to.

She still hasn't said anything on her Twitter, other than this from two hours ago:

"Im gonna be sick..."

At least she didn't say "haha!"

Now we wait for Nastia's inevitable response announcement.

EFs at Pac Rims and Euros...

2010-05-02T11:57:00.004-04:00

...janked from other blogs.

Final results of the EFs at Euros on The Gymnastics Examiner.

No surprise--Tweddle took the gold on bars, though poor Dufournet lost half a point because her coach touched her during her Def. Without that deduction, she would have been in bronze position.

Tweddle also took the gold on floor, ahead of Myzdrikova and Chelaru.

Aliya Mustafina walked away with silver medals on bars and beam.

Pac Rims results on Gymnastics Coaching.

Bross racked up some hardware. In addition to winning the AA, she took gold on both beam and floor, and silver on bars.

Ross and Wieber went 1,2 on vault, and also on floor and bars, but with Wieber taking the gold on those two events. Vega took the silver on beam.

Raisman followed Bross in silver position on both beam and floor.

Tid Bits

2010-04-30T21:19:00.004-04:00

There are a host of Pac Rims videos up on Youtube. Click HERE.

If you don't already know--and you really should--The U.S. kicked ass at Pac Rims, taking not only the team title, but both the Junior and Senior AA titles. Bross and Raisman went 1,2, and in the Junior competition, it was Wieber, Ross, and Vega. Nice work, ladies.

Bridget was injured, and only competed bars. It wasn't one of her better routines, either, but I'm glad they aren't taking risks with her ankle.

Komova kicked everyone's ass in the Junior division at Europeans. This is after the Russian juniors won the team competition.

Shawn is making cryptic promises, a la Nastia, about her Big Announcement. She posted this on Twitter Wednesday:

"OH and I will have the link here in a few days but..... DRUM ROLL PLEASE...."

OH! Becky Wing is following me on Twitter. I was so excited when I saw that in my inbox. I am such a squealy gym-fan girl. Shut up, the lot of you--I felt excited. So far this year I've managed to piss off an Olympic gold medalist and procure one of GBR's top WAG ladies as a Twitter follower. It's a big year for FiFo.

Holy Crap...

2010-04-28T11:41:00.003-04:00

The IOC has formally stripped China of its WAG team bronze from Sydney.

The United States will be awarded the bronze medal.

I will post more information when it becomes available, but because Dong Fangxiao didn't win any individual medals, I doubt any further medal stripping will occur.

I'm not a huge fan of age limits, but they are in place, and if you're going to be a cheater pants, well...this is the risk you take.

Another Russian gymnast is lost

2010-04-23T13:01:00.003-04:00

I rarely cover anything other than WAG, but I think that when something like this happens, it's as much a part of the FIFO world as anything.

Russian Rhythmic Gymnast Natalia Lavrova has died. She was involved in a car accident southeast of Moscow. Her sister was also killed. You can read the short article here.

The gym world came together last year to mourn the traffic related death of MAG athlete Yuri Ryazonov. Russia has a long-standing tradition of producing beautiful gymnasts, and when we lose one, it's a loss for us all.

Our thoughts are with Lavrova's family today.

More elite retirement news

2010-04-22T18:30:00.002-04:00

I am hearing chatter than Miss Chellsie Memmel is hanging up her grips and calling it a career.

Chellsie does not have the prettiest gymnastics in the world. Her form has always been questionable in its finest moments, and painful in its worst.

But she's Chellsie. She's probably the toughest gymnast I have ever had the pleasure of following. She's been broken more times than I can count, and yet she always came through for her team, even at the sacrifice of personal success.

Here's to you, Chells - we love you for your major skills and rock-solid technique. When another gymnast may have crumpled, you sucked it up and rocked your sets.

Thanks for two quads of tenacious, courageous gymnastics.

Shawn Johnson pulls a Nastia

2010-04-15T18:33:00.002-04:00

How long will we have to wait to find out about Shawn's Catwoman or Batgirl or Black Canary line of clothing, sold exclusively at Target or Kohl's?

ShawneyJ Oh and just fyi HUGE news coming ur way... Will be a bit before the official release of it... But I think u all will be extremely happy :)

This had better not take six months to unfold. The "...u will all be extremely happy" thing has me wondering if maybe she hasn't actually decided to start training again. I'm not getting my hopes up, but judging from this interview, I'd say it's entirely possible.

Ann Li coming back to elite?

2010-04-07T22:16:00.004-04:00

It looks like that's the plan. Blythe over at The Examiner posted information today from an interview with Anna and Brittani McCullough, and Anna makes it clear that she's interested in seeing what she can do out there on the elite circuit.

"I spent a lot of time trying to decide what I wanted to do, and realized that there's no harm in giving elite one last shot. Who knows how well my body will stay healthy, since it's already been through a few years of elite as well as four years of NCAA, but I want to finish this sport that I have so much passion for without any regrets (whether I train for 2 or 3 more months or make it through 2 more years!). So after summer when I finish up school, I'll be going back home to train with my parents at their new gym, Legacy Elite. I'll definitely be focusing on training - the sole purpose of me leaving LA and all my teammates and friends here. I'll be making training my main priority, which is why I decided not to take a 5th year of school and finish it all by this summer Stunt work and Cirque will be put off for now, so we'll see how that goes :-)"

I wonder what kind of upgrades she's thinking of adding? I'm not really a code expert - at all - so feel free to offer up any suggestions.

She should feel free to bring her mad floor skills and come back to the dark side. We welcome her with open arms, but we do not have cookies. Martha does not allow it.

Is it just me...

2010-03-28T16:35:00.012-04:00

...or do Jamie Dantzscher and actress Kathleen Robertson look like they spawned from the same uterus?

I also feel this way about Kristen Maloney and Tim McNeill, an observation on which I have commented before. I've found the two of them more comparable in video than in photos, though.

Nastia's Subway debut

2010-03-27T18:31:00.002-04:00

If you want to see Nastia shill for Subway for 1.3 seconds, click HERE. Make sure you're logged in to Facebook.

Michael Phelps got way more screen time. Maybe he and Nast need to get together and fire one up. I guarantee it'll make that stale ass bread more palatable when they hit the Subway to cure their munchies.

Nastia looks adorable, but the commercial is one of the more annoying ones I've seen, her part not withstanding. There is really no reason for me to have an opinion on this, but I have a blog, so I am fairly certain there's some kind of code that says I have to feel strongly, one way or the other.

*shrugs*

I'm out.

Ace of Cakes goes to the gym

2010-03-25T19:45:00.002-04:00

Okay, maybe not really, but anyway...

While diligently searching out cakespiration for my both my daughter's and my husband's upcoming birthdays, I decided to head on over to Charm City Cakes' website to see if they had any cool ideas up that I could pass on to my baker.

This amazeballs thing was on the front page under "recent cakes."

But then I looked closer. Girlfriend has a backward foot on her right leg, not to mention some major bendage at the knee. She also appears to have dropped a healthy load in her leotard (though I'll give props for a gorgeous left leg).

If even Charm City can't do it, can anyone? Is there anyone out there who can design and execute a decent gym cake? Is there no artistry in gymnastics cakery anymore?

We're talking about two of my favorite things here - gymnastics and cake. And my prowess in ingesting the former is probably at least part of the reason that I'm so bad at the latter.

NASTIA'S BIG NEWS

2010-03-22T14:46:00.005-04:00

So Nastia's much-teased, much-hyped news came out today. According to USA Gymnastics, Nastia will be introducing a Supergirl clothing line this fall geared towards girls aged 8-12.

It's a cute idea, and I like her for it. I think if it hadn't been hyped so much, it would seem a little more exciting, but I'm glad for her. And the good news is that when celebrities come out with these clothing lines, they rarely have as much say in them as they claim to, so it will likely not affect her training as much as it may seem. Assuming she's still as committed to returning as she was a few months ago, which is her business, but I certainly hope she will.

Nastia confirmed that this is her "big news" via Twitter today.

"NLIUKINI'm so excited to FINALLY tell you all what I've been working on for months......"

I think it's great, and I can TOTALLY see myself buying her stuff for Little Fifo.

I wonder how Saving Jane feels about all of this? They are one of my favorite groups, and they approached her about using their song "Supergirl" as her theme song for 2008. I hope she'll rope them in somehow - they could use the boost, and I absolutely love them. If you're not familiar, check them out - they have a Myspace music page, and I don't THINK you have to have a Myspace account to listen to their stuff on there.

Or, of course, check out this "oldie but goody" montage by Athlete065.

2010 Tyson American Cup

2010-03-06T11:27:00.047-05:00

Well, folks, it's about that time. Time to hand another American an easy victory over the world's talented but second string competitors. I wonder if Rebecca Bross has finally learned to wear the pink leotard on competition day, or if she'll buck the trend and try it in another color? I swear, if Aly Raisman comes out on that pink Nastia leo, I will declare her the winner before the first even commences. Bross better Get Smart.

11:35 - the video is not working for me. I am getting PISSED.

11:46 - ok, I've got it now on Universal Sports. It's the guys right now. Snooze.

Strike that! Fabien is up...he's hot. I will watch him.

Can we please eliminate PH from the men's competition? It's so fug. I hate it.

11:51 - Jonathon Horton on PH. Oh, dear...

He didn't fall! With that out of the way, he could win this. I think. IDK - I don't follow the guys' D scores at all.

AND we're taking a break.

11:57 - we're getting background story on Horton and Chris Brooks.

I think I might take a break until the women are up. This is only the second rotation of the men. Which means we probably have about an hour/hour and a half until the ladies. I am bored.

Okay, fine. I'll watch. Horton did well on floor, though he still looks like he's hopped up on something heavily caffeinated. He apparently also has some sort of superstitious thing where he needs his coach in certain corners of the floor at certain times. I worry about him - I hope he's not pulling a Jana Bieger. He makes me nervous as shit.

Daniel Keatings fell on PH.

AND commercial break. With no commercials.

12:13 - GIRLS!

Rebecca Bross IS wearing the pink leo. Ok, it's A pink leo. Smart girl...

Never mind. It was just warm ups. We're back to guys.

I've decided that Chris Brooks is attractive. I think it would be in everyone's best interest if he wore less clothing.

Really? Another commercial break? It's 12:17. WTF.

Wait - I just checked. Bross wore pink at Worlds during the AA. IS this going to be a problem? Where is Aly? I need to see what Aly is wearing. Although, as long as Bross doesn't fall apart, I can't imagine her losing.

12:20 - Bross on vault! Yay! Girls time! I sound like a pedophilic lesbian, a rare breed indeed.

Bross and her poor wonky legs on vault: DTY. Nice landing, though a little low, and with a step back. But not bad at all. Al makes a creepy comment about Valeri patting Bross on the abs and it sounding like metal. He's such a fucking creeper. And I don't think he even means to be. 15.1

There are other live score updates HERE.

More guys. Snoooooooze....

Al just said that "For American gymnasts, anybody who is anybody has won this event." That's a little rude. Plenty of awesome gymnasts who I would say are certainly "anybody" have not competed or won the stOOpid American Cup. I wish he'd take a douche break.

12:30 - guys again.

Aly Raisman, in pink, on vault - Will we see 2.5 twists? Yes? No? Maybe so? DTY, and beautifully done. She barely stepped on the landing. Very, very nice. 15.150 Rebecca just had a heart attack, Valeri has dug a hole in his jaw with his teeth. Okay, maybe not. It's one event, and when Aly and Bross go to bars...I think the scores will speak for themselves. But I do like me some Aly. She's got the stuff.

Commercial Break.

12:38 - Horton is leading the bros, and he looks like he may have settled down a little bit. He needs a win, I think, to rebuild his shaky confidence after Worlds.

Another commercial break. I'm a little surprised we didn't get to see Ariella Kaeslin's vault. She's moved up to tie for second with Bross after the first rotation. All of those scores can be found HERE.

12:43 - The ladies are warming up bars.

Nastia in the house, and it looks like she's texting. I am stunned.

Yuko Shintake on bars - Very pretty. She has beautiful form, and a nice dismount. 13.9

Horton's vault is cool, but his legs literally STABBED the mat on his landing.

Bross on bars - This is where she can distance herself. Great routine. Nailed her full twisting double dismount. Bye, Aly - it was nice knowing you. 15.3

12:55pm

Raisman on bars - She has a bit of aversion to toe point any time her hands leave the bar. It's not a total atrocity - just clearly her weakest event. Little form breaks and a lack of difficulty will keep her at bay on bars. 14.0

I am now switching to television - webcast is over.

1:01 - NBC is making me listen to football news. This is most disturbing.

1:05 - More men.

Reshowing Bross' routines. Can we get on with it?

Dominique Pegg on bars - she smacked her legs on the floor. Face plant on her Jaeger. Her leo is pretty. Nice dismount. Ouch. 12.2. WOWZA.

1:19 - Horton is cleaning up on the men's side. Let's see if he can hold on.

Elsa Garcia on beam - I wonder how tall she is? She looks really tall up there. She's pretty on beam, but she's having a lot of little bobbles and breaks. Very nice double back dismount, with a stuck landing. 13.7

Aly on beam - I haven't been impressed with videos I've seen of her beam, but let's see how she is at this point. She is looking rock solid. Little Alicia, indeed. Oh, the punchfront to the back tuck. And a beautiful L-turn. She's changing my mind about her beam. OMFG. She just NAILED a Patterson. WOWZA. Martha is swooning over her. It was really a terrific beam routine. 15.050

AND Horton is off the Parallel bars. WTF, brah.

Commercial break

Kaeslin on beam - She's fine. She's really solid. I just don't find her dynamic, and she bores me a bit on beam. But she did well. 14.2

Andrea Joyce is interviewing Alicia Sacramone. Alicia should put her in a headlock and beat her to death. Alicia is hoping for her first meet to be Classic, and then Nationals. Alicia has nothing but love for Aly. She also looks like she wants to go all kinds of Youtube on Andrea.

Jessica Lopez on beam - Hello, Gameface. She looks PISSED. I like it. Al is askinh stOOpid questions. She's very fluid. Wow, cameraman - how close CAN you get to her face? Pretty two and a half twist dismount. She was very good. 14.5

Bross on beam - she better hit her fucking Patterson after what Aly did with hers. Aly's was amazing. Ooh, her leg slipped off a bit. Great Arabian. Love her sheep jump. Her dismount wasn;t as bad as we've seen it, but it wasn't great. She took a massive step. But she didn't look like she was about to break her knees, at least. Not her finest beam routine, but she should still hold on to the lead with no trouble. 15.3

Commercial break - "I hate meatloaf...pasta...asparagus...I don't like soisage..."

Aly is behind Bross by a point and a half. Unless Bross totally melts down, this is her competition. And by totally, I mean falling on every pass and probably going out of bounds. Not going to happen.

Andrea Joyce is bothering Nastia. She doesn't have a poof - thank goodness. Lexie Priessman is there being bothered, too. She's adorable, but she's talking about "The Secret." Nastia has indoctrinated her. Uf.

Elsa Garcia on floor - Her tumbling is a tiny bit...hm. IDK the right word. Sluggish? But she is incredibly expressive. Very nice piked double back. It was good. Not phenomenal, but nice. 13.8

Elizabeth Seitz on floor - She's a cute little thing. We haven't seen her yet. I like her music. She looks a little lost. She's not a bad tumble, but we're not seeing anything crazy hard. Now she's taking a page from the A-Sac book of Floor Seduction. OOB. 14.150

Ariella Kaeslin on floor - Aside from the tumbling, this looks like a routine from Make It Or Break It. The music is not helping that image. It was fine. I don't love it. 13.9

Elfi is defending the honor of the American Cup. She said some European athletes don't train as hard for it as other events. She doesn't understand why. Okay.

Al is comparing gymnastics to baseball. WHA!? He never does that.

Dominique Pegg on floor - I am kind of pulling for this kid. Do well on the floor, kiddo! Ooh, girlfriend is NOT a graceful dancer. I see lots of arm flailing. She gave it her all, but it wasn't anything special. Much better than her bars, though. 14.250

Ooh, Elfi said Bross has a new floor routine. No more National Treasure? I'm looking forward to this.

Jessica Lopez on floor - I like her tumbling. Lovely first pass. She's sticking the passes and she's very elegant. I like it. Big step on the piked double back dismount, but it was really nice. 13.9

Bross on floor - It's hers to (not likely) lose. OOb on on her first pass. She's still robotic n her dance, but I do think it's better. Almost sat down her last pass, but she saved it. It wasn't great, but she would easily retain the lead. Efli says it was great, but I thought it was very good, at best. Obviously, Scam is the place to test out these things, so I think she's right on target, honestly. 14.850

Aly on floor - I'm stoked for this routine. Hit it, girl. Wow. Beautiful first pass, nailed landing. She flies. Really nice work. It's not flawless - like I said, this is the time to work out the kinks. But it was very, very good. 14.7

Al said "Rebecca Bross can take everything off now - everything off her ankle." I love when he catches himself being creepery.

Yuko Shintake on floor - I'm kind of loving her music. She's really lovely to watch. Nice clean tumbling, nothing exceptionally difficult. But she's good - I liked it a lot. 13.8

Rebecca Bross has never been happier to not have Bridget Sloan on the floor. She competed well today. Not up to her full potential, but well for this early in the season, and she has time to perfect it all for later in the year. Good for her.

So the final standings for the women are as follows:

Rebecca Bross - 60.550

Aly Raisman - 58.9

Jessica Lopez - 56.5

Priessman is Supergirl

2010-03-06T10:45:00.003-05:00

Yesterday's inaugural Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup ended in a victory for Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy's Lexi Priessman.

That's right, bitches - Cincinnati girls don't play.

The top three were as follows:

Priessman - 38.400

Kassandra Lopez - 37.675

Diandra Milliner - 37.400

Full all-around results can be found here.

Much to my dismay, I was unable to watch the competition, because we don't have Universal Sports in Cincy, and if this thing streamed online, it wasn't there for me. Universal Sports' website said it was "Live on television" and the only thing they had streaming was some equestrian thing. Phooey on that.

Tune in for the American Cup this morning at 11:30.

Jana Bieger retired?

2010-03-04T18:18:00.003-05:00

There is some buzz percolating that Jana Bieger is hanging up her grips post-camp this week. I cannot confirm this, but if it's true, I am sure we'll hear soon enough. Don't start screaming at me for sources - I write a free blog.

I think it's for the best. Her best years truly are behind her, and despite her presence as an exciting junior with some killer tumbling, Jana just never really seemed to peak.

In memoriam of the career of Jana Bieger (if it is, in fact, over), I'd like to take you on a journey through time. Enjoy.

Raisman confirmed

2010-03-02T18:23:00.004-05:00

USA Gymnastics confirmed rumors that Aly Raisman will compete as the second American alongside Rebecca Bross at the 2010 American Cup this weekend.

Apparently Ivana Hong was injured at camp, and the buzz is that she effed up her ACL (anterior cruciate ligament - basically, her knee). Not good. Not good at all. I guess it's better that it happened now and not later in the season, but if the rumor is true, I'm sure we'll have more details on her recovery and whether there will be surgery involved in the near future. I hope she's healthy for Nationals!

Even if it is the American Cup...

2010-03-01T23:16:00.002-05:00

...I am SO ready for an elite competition again. NCAA can only tide me over for so long.

The very loud rumor mill is reporting that Aly Raisman has been added as the second American, along with Rebecca Bross. I am excited to see Raisman in a non-grainy video. Yes, we all know she has Brestyan's bars. I can overlook that for now. I need elite gymnastics.

Broadcast Schedule (Live coverage):

Nastia Liukin SuperGirl Cup (in conjunction with Scam): Friday 3/5 from 7-9pmn on Universal Sports

Tyson American Cup: Saturday 3/6 from 11:30am - 1pm on Universal Sports
1pm - 3pm on NBC Sports

I don't know if only half of Scam is being shown on Universal Sports, and the other half will be on NBC Sports. It's a tad confusing in the schedule on USA gymnastics.

New commercial for the Nastia Liukin Cup

2010-02-28T15:56:00.002-05:00

Nastia linked everyone via Twitter to the Universal Sport commercial for the Nastia Liukin Cup.

While I'm pretty excited to see who/what will come out of this thing, the commercial did nothing to incite that eagerness. Why are Nastia's lips stained up with red Kool-Aid in the first shots? And do we really, REALLY have to start that "Who will be the next Nastia?" stuff? Did we not have enough "new" Nadias and Mary Lous? Can we just accept that the next hot thing in gymnastics will become so by forging her own identity, as all of the greats have done before her?

I'm ready for the insanely talented Youtube montage makers to create some real commercials. I love those.

Anyway. Soap box speech complete.

Nastia & Evan - sort of confirmed?

2010-02-22T14:16:00.004-05:00

This article on Yahoo today states that Evan Lysacek finally confirmed the rumors that he and Nastia are dating. I know - we're all stunned.

But the supposed confirmation to People Magazine doesn't seem to be as clear cut as Yahoo would suggest.

So who knows if he actually admitted it in so many words? I just love the gossip. Come one, Evan and Nastia - what are you so ashamed of? Out with it!

ETA on 2/23: apparently the hullabaloo yesterday got Nastia's knickers in a twist. My favorite current gymnast posted the following on her Twitter:

"The media: such a love/hate relationship. Wish people would just mind their own business."

Yes, because most people begin their conversation with People Magazine as follows: "Dear Diary..."

Granted, People boasted a "confirmation" when they didn't actually have one (I SO called that). But you don't get to pick and choose what aspects of your public life the media will scrutinize. Writers and reporters (and half-assed bloggers!) must discern for themselves what does and does not cross the line, and the media will pretty much always draw the line and then do a double front right over it. For example, I will not discuss our gymnasts' weight or supposed body issues. I think it's tacky and does harm. But I will absolutely speculate on the gossipy things that aren't hurting anyone. And I'll say it with as much honesty as I can muster.

So come out with it or keep it to yourselves - we can't make anyone confirm or deny anything. But the less you say, the more the public will speculate.* It's a package deal. Jussayin'.

*Isn't it cute how I phrase that as though Nastia reads my drivel? A girl can dream.