Russian Coaches Migrating ?

British MAG head coach Andrei Popov, who with his colleague Sergei Sizhanov (Head coach of the junior team) is leading the British men to greater victories than ever imagined possible just ten years ago.

Popov and Sizhanov are arguably the most successful migrant Russian coaches on the men's international scene, having lifted British gymnastics from a relatively lowly standing to their medal-contending status today. Popov says that when he took over leadership of the coaching efforts, there were hardly any top seniors competing in Britain, so he looked for the best juniors.

Andrei Popov took up his position in 2004. Before that, he had been a successful international gymnast competing for the Soviet Union, a coach at his home gymnastics club in Vladimir, and a club coach working in the UK.

To all Gymnastics Fans

Tatiana Nabieva retire from Competitive Gymnastics

Sad news. Tatiana Nabieva indirectly confirm on her Instagram account that she will retire from competitive gymnastics stated that she will become a coach. It seems that she will make her announcement around New Year's Eve. 

We wish her all the best in the world knowing for sure that she will become a great coach. 

Davai Tanya

Ana Porgras of Romania.

Happy Birthday,,, Ana Porgras.( 19 December )

In a time of great change in gymnastics, Ana rose as an array of hope, bringing back elegance, grace and style but basically just ARTISTRY. We still miss her gymnastics and we will always do! Happy Birthday, Ana Porgras! Wish you  Good health and great success in Gymnastics

!

The Best Scores of 2013 Updated December 15 Men's Artistic Gymnastics

All hail King Oleg!

Kohei Uchimura may have won Worlds, but Oleg Verniaiev was the first gymnast to break 92 under the new Code. And he did it TWICE!

Last year, the All Around created some handy dandy  rankings leading up to the Olympics. Until The All Around steps in and takes over.

As per usual judging varies from meet to meet, and as you can see, These scores from several meets. I've included the competition names so that you can decide how much crack the judges smoked before handing out the scores.

More than anything, you should think of these tables like this: New quad, new Code of Points. What the H is a good score nowadays?

Many,to Cinese GymnasticsTumblr and Uncle Tim Talks Blog.,

Name	Country	Score	Meet
1. Oleg Verniaiev (Олег Верняєв)	Ukraine	92.165	Stuttgart
2. Kohei Uchimura (内村航平)	Japan	91.990	Worlds
3. Sam Mikulak	USA	(91.650)	U.S. Nationals
4. Liu Rongbing (刘榕冰)	China	90.650	East Asian Games
5. Max Whitlock	Great Britain	90.650	British Championships
6. Alexander Naddour	USA	(90.600)	U.S. Nationals
7. Jossimar Calvo Moreno	Colombia	90.500	Mexican Open
8. John Orozco	USA	(90.400)	U.S. Nationals
9. Deng Shudi (邓书弟)	China	90.350	East Asian Games
10. Wataru Tanigawa	Japan	90.300	Valeri Liukin
11. Zhou Shixiong (周施雄)	China	90.269	Chinese National Games
12. Fabian Hambuechen	Germany	90.265	Stuttgart
13. Ryohei Kato (加藤凌平)	Japan	90.250	University Games
14. Oleg Stepko (Олег Степко)	Ukraine	90.050	University Games
15. Cheng Ran (程然)	China	89.969	Chinese National Games

Brazilan Women's Artistic Gymnastics Camp

The Brazilian Gymnastics Confederation,, with the Brazilian Olympic Committee , organizes Artistic Gymnastics Camp for Women  Artistic Gymnastics .Begining  Monday 9 – 19 December, at the Regional Training Center Planet Life in Three Rivers (RJ). The athletes are accompanied by technical and performed daily training in the morning and afternoon.

Participants, included  are Daniele Hypólito, Flavia Saraiva, Jade Barbosa, Juliana Santos, Leticia Costa and Rebecca Andrade. . "The gymnasts are well and the coaches are seeing the result Alexander Alexandrov -. One of the commanders of the Women's National Team -. Gives opportunity for everyone to participate and this is very important as well This group is being worked on a project that is working "he said. 

China's New Bonus System/COP

China are set to introduce a new bonus system and COP changes for all of their internal competitions. This system aims to boost innovation and difficulty, particularly in areas where they are weak as a country. The source is here- 

FLOOR

- F skill +0.1 G skill +0.2 H skill +0.3 (no super unrealistic provision for I skills I see. G and H are very optimistic already. G is the Dos Santos 2, H are the double double tucked and full twisting double layout).

- Max +0.5 for good artistry

- + 0.1 for E dismount or above

- Bonus for D+B turn combination (not sure amount)

VAULT

- Female junior gymnasts cannot choose basic front tuck/pike vaults.

- +1.0 for vaults worth 6.3 or more (*coughamanar*) 

- +0.3 for DTY, DTT etc, +0.5 for Rudi

BARS

-  +0.3 Pak full (Bhardwaj) or Shap full (Seitz). Extra 0.1 if either are connected to another skill.

- -0.2 deduction for each extra kip-cast-handstand for more than three kip-cast-handstands.

- +0.1 for E bars dismount, +0.3 for F (Example- Fabrichnova. Presumably if someone does a G rated dismount they'll get this bonus too).

-0.1 for flight series of D+D, 0.2 for D+E or more.

BEAM

- +0.2 triple twist dismount, +0.4 full twisting double back dismount. (The latter is almost funny but Chinese gymnast Jiang Wei invented it in 1980).

GENERAL

- +0.1 stick bonus.

- -0.3 Double front salto cowboying, except on vault. Not sure of the correct term- knee and leg separation?

- -0.2 Crossed legs in twisting. 

- Female juniors in their last year before turning senior may not compete at Junior Nationals or the Intercity Games. This is a great move, discourages peaking at the wrong time and lessens the risk of burnout and inopprtune injuries. aids burnout and. For instance, as an old China hand pointed out to me, Zeng Siqi has never fully bounced back from an ankle injury she sustained at the 2011 Intercity Games, her last year as a junior.

- Female senior gymnasts must compete at least two events to qualify for event finals on any one event. Their 2 event total must be higher than the total of 85% of the rest of the gymnasts. Juniors must compete three, and their total must be higher than the total of 80% of the rest of the field. Essentially, MOAR all-arounders please.

- The format of team finals is changing to 6-4-4 for senior nationals and 4-4-3 for junior nationals. Each team should have 4 all-arounders.

Gymnasiade 2013, Brazil

Ended on the 3 Disember ,,thus ending the competition. The Brazil competed well in the female and began to reap the fruits of the investment made ​​with the hiring of Alexander Alexandrov. You men, our gymnasts were not well. 

,MAG team ,, the gold went to Russia, Silver  Englans and Bronze France. Overall individual, no Brazilian ranked among the top eight. In this final, gold and bronze went to Russia (Kirill Potapov and Arthur Dalaloyan) while silver went to England (Nile Wilson). Only Angelo Assumption qualified for the finals: Vault (1) and parallel  bars (6). Angelo finished the final jump in 2nd and parallel 7th. A male gym in Brazil has grown in recent years and has been doing a great campaign, Congratulations to the boys, but I believe they can

WAG team - Gold Russia, Silver  Brazil and Bronze England.

Congratulations to all the gymnasts.For more results :

http://pt.slideshare.net/gymblogbrazil/resultados-gymnasiade-2013-classificatria

Team China Has A New Training Motto

"Innovate, Breakthrough, Strive, and to Realize Dreams" are printed in bold font on the new banner over looking the national training center.  With this new training motto, the National Team has set forth new expectations for preparations leading up to the Rio Olympics.  The two smaller banners on either side read "To break down obsolete training ideas and practices" and "To reform and improve training methods and means." 

Big changes are happening on the National Team championed by Head Coach Huang Yubin.  The changes include everything from training methods, coaching staff, to training groups. So far these changes are well received by the coaches and gymnasts alike. Hopefully we’ll be able to see some results by the end of winter training. 

source: Blosson Chinese Gymnastics

Anna Pavlova - Azernbaijian invited her to compete 2015 Baku 2015 European Championships

On her latest interview given for allsportinfo.ru, Anna Pavlova spoke abut her decision to compete for Azerbaijan and her carrier. 
I receive an offer from the Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation which interested me. Back in August, during the Russian Cup in Penza, I had a conversation with the leaders of our Federation, which agreed to let me go and we filed a enquiry on the International Gymnastics Federation. FIG approved my transition. I certainty wanted to get the approval of the country for which I compete therefore head coach Valentina Rodionenco and Valentina Nikanorova Russian Federation vice president approved my transition.

A couple of years ago there was some proposals to compete for Uzbekistan, but there was nothing official. And I wasn't ready to accept them. I was still hoping that the Russian team was after all, counting on me. I wanted to compete for the country in which I was born. But now my priorities have changed. My dream is to prove to everyone that I still can have results on the international competitions. Azerbaijan has invite me for a specific purpose - to compete in the European Championship that will take place in Baku in 2015. Azerbaijan wants dignity in that competition and I want to return in the international arena. Here our interests converged. About the financial side is really to early too say. In Azerbaijan, as in Russia, you are paid on the result, for the medals. No medals - no money.

GYMNASTICS AZERBIJIAN TO WATCH

 Azerbijian has made greater strides toward Olympic qualification in gymnastics than some countries make in a decade. Some  Russian gymnasts might find it worthwhile to become naturalized citizens, especially with Azerbijian "lucrative" offers. 

Gymnasts such as Ekaterina Kramarkenko?

Alexei Bondarenko? Elena Zamolodchikova?"Anna Dementyeva? just to speculate.

Do nothing but Gymnastics

Russia preparing for 2014

Valentina Rodionenko has outlined the Russian team's plans for the coming months in a recent press statement, highlighting the next major competition for March 2014,the Russian Championships in Penza.  This will be the qualifying event for the European Championships, to take place in Sofia, Bulgaria, next spring.

All the team's major players are back in training now, but not at the most intense level, says Rodionenko. The gymnasts are now working with their coaches to develop new difficulty for their exercises, or to change the composition of their existing routines. 'It is very important that all of them begin the new season in optimal condition', said the head coach.  'On the 22nd, the teams will go home after their current training camp at Round Lake.

source: Rewriting Russian Gymnastiics

National Team Selection Camp -China

Shang Chunsong Wins the 1st Challenge

Today marks the start of two week selection camp for the National Team.  Over 40 young girls and their coaches from all over the country were invited to the camp. The youngest gymnast invited to camp being only 9 years old as part of the identified training group for 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Head Coach Huang Yubin has set new training targets for the National Team members where trampoline trainings will be incorporated in their daily training.  All male gymnasts are expected to complete 4 twists on trampoline where female gymnasts are expected to complete 3.5.  An internal test will be given at the end of the winter training; all gymnasts will be tested on their training results and the gymnast(s) who fails the training target then will be eliminated from the training squat for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

During Monday’s weekly team meeting, Shang Chunsong was awarded a new cellphone for being the 1st gymnast to complete the training goal of 3.5 twists on trampoline. ^_^

(Photos via Che Li’s Weibo)

30th Arthur Gander Memorial 2013 - Morges (Switzerland)

The 30th Memorial Arthur Gander Cup, 

30.10.2013, just ended. The Swiss Pablo Brägger wins gold. In women, it is the Romanian Larisa Iordache Andrea won the title before the Swiss Giulia Steingruber.

MAG

1 PABLO BRAEGGER Suisse
2 ANDREI MUNTEAN Roumania
3 OLEG VERNIAIEV Ukraine
4 ANDREAS BRETSCHNEID-Germany
5 PAOLO PRINCIPI Italiy
6 CHENGLONG ZHANG China
7 ARNAUD WILLIG France

WAG

1 LARISA IORDACHE Roumania
2 GIULIA STEINGRUBER Suisse
3 ELISABETH SEITZ - Germany
4 KIM BUI Germany
5 CHIARA GANDOLFI Italy
6 CHUNSONG SHANG China
7 MAEGAN CHANT Canada

13th Berlin Masters 2013 - Rhythmic Gymnastics

 Russia's Maragarita Mamun won All-around and two apparatus in Berlin

 . The "13th Berlin Masters 2013", after Moscow, Holon, Thiais and Brno, was the last Grand Prix event of the 2013 circuit of the post-Olympic year. Held in Max Schmeling - Hall is a traditional sport event location of the most prestigious international competition of Rhythmic Gymnastics of the year in Germany.

Next year it will be held in Stuttgart the 2014 GAZPROM World Cup, 

Margareta Mamum, the Kiev's World Champion with the ball as well as the final winner of the current 2013 World Cup series won - as espected -in  the individual all-around ...

China getting Ready for Rio 2016

Head Coach Huang Yubin browse through the results and analysis of past competitions with the team.  The MAG team still has depths; the WAG team however just isn’t the same without some of the veterans Sui Lu, Deng Linlin, Jiang Yuyuan, Huang Qiushuang and Wu Liufang…

From the pictures, WAG line up includes Yao Jinnan, Shang Chunsong, Zeng Siqi, Wang Yan, Huang Huidan, Chen Siyi, Tan Sixin, Wang Wei, Tan Jiaxin, Li Yiting and Jiang Tong…

Maybe more will join the team before the best will be ready for Rio.

(Photos via Che Li’s Weibo)

Outdoor Gymnastics - Kiev

Kiev's famous Hydropark has a full set of outdoor gymnastics and athletic equipment, which a few senior citizens put to good use!

Watch utube:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kaoY6gumdYg#t=30

Romania' Sandra Izbasa "Taking a Break"

Izbasa of Romania has endured much in the sport of Gymnastics, plus  two Olympic cycles and a devastating Achilles tendon  tear in 2009.

Izbasa will be remembered as the 2008 Olympic Floor Champion and 2012 Olympic Vault Champion. She collected  seven World and Olympic medals. 

Now we Hear that Sandra Izbasa has chosen to walk away from gymnastics. " (Pentru Sandra Izbaşa ieri a fost prima zi în care nu s-a mai gîndit la gimnastică: "Nu regret nimic!" )

Whether or not Izbasa makes a “ come back “ gymnastics, she will be in our memory  as one of the greatest Romanian gymnasts  like Nadia.. 

In her Fb, Izbasa commented -. It appears "break" is the key word. In a comment on her Fb on October 14, she wrote,

"I can't say goodbye to gymnastics, because I have realized that gymnastics is everything to me.

I'm not excluding a comeback but for now I need a break"

We will miss her how long, I wonder ………..

 

2013 East Asian Games

Gymnastics Results Day 2

WAG Team

1. China 222.900
2. Japan 215.150
3. Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea 214.650
4. Chinese Tapei 171.700
5. Republic of Korea 150.650

 Pic: Tan Sixin (CHN)

WAG All Around 

1. Tan Sixin (CHN) 55.500
2. Yelinzi Zhang (CHN) 54.600
3. Un Hyang Kim (PRK) 54.350
4. Wakana Inoue (JPN) 54.050
5. Chinami Otaki (JPN) 53.500

Austrian Aerobicerinnen "Prague open"

 Austrian Aerobicerinnen "Prague open"   held on October 5 and 6:

Elite-bronze Michelle Sieberer, 
U15 silver Vanessa Adamec and
 U18 final for Jasmin Strobl!

About  300 athletes  from ten countries were in the Czech capital for the championships.

2013 East Asian Games

MAG All-Around Final Results 

Congratulations to Liu Rongbing, Deng Shudi and Huang Yuguo.  The 2 per country rule is in effect at the East Asian Games; therefore, Nonomura from Japan wins the bronze medal. 

The Journey Begins - Glasgow 2014 XX Commonwealth Games

9th October 2013, the Queen's Baton Relay began its epic journey through the 70 nations

and territories of the Commonwealth. It wont be long before the baton returns to Scotland.

The baton holding Her Majesty The Queen's Message to the athletes will cross continents, terrain and time zones. Once it has completed it journey through the Commonwealth the baton will come home to Scotland on 14 June 2014 to spend 40 days visiting communities in all 32 Local Authority areas. On 23 July 2014 the baton will be delivered to Her Majesty at the Opening Ceremony where the 288 day relay concludes and the Games officially begin.