If a sports performance director says it, it must be true: Junior European all-around champion Sam Oldham's the British guy to watch for in 2012. (Full Twist)
Andreea Raducan's book: The 2000 Olympic all-around champion (yes, she is) has written a book about her experiences in gymnastics. I'm hoping it'll be translated into English. Or I'm going to have to learn Romanian. (Fangymnastics)
Kyle Shewfelt Gymnastics Festival: The website for this celebration of gymnastics, spearheaded by the 2004 Olympic floor champion, is now live. The Gymfest will take place March 25-27 at the University of Calgary. Registration opened yesterday. (Kyle Shewfelt Gymnastics Festival)
Sidorova wins and wins at Top Gym: The young Russian, who placed third on floor at the 2010 Junior Europeans, won the all-around, beam and floor at Top Gym in Belgium a few days after capturing the Russian Sports Schools title. (She probably would have won vault as well had she not completely undercooked her FTY in event finals. For videos, please see here.) The U.S.'s Ariana Guerra ended up winning vault, with teammate Ericha Fassbender captured the title on bars. (Examiner.com)
Sandra Izbasa interview: After a torn Achilles tendon in 2009, Izbasa is just grateful to still be doing high-level gymnastics. Doesn't mean she wasn't disappointed at not defending her Olympic floor title at the 2010 Worlds. A great interview. (Libertatea via Gymnastics No Ceiling)
Cartwheels in Colombia: Colombian juniors Ginny Escobar and Jossimar Calvo were the stars of the Junior South American Championships in Medellin, Colombia. (International Gymnast Magazine)
Behind the scenes at the Victoria's Secret fashion show: With Chris Brooks, Steve McCain, John Macready, Morgan Hamm, David Durante, Wes Haagensen, Derek Shepard, Alexy Bilozertchev and Sasha Artemev. A very, very fun read. (Houston Chronicle)
Ivy Leaguers: Cornell gymnastics goes four a fourth-straight Ivy league title. (Cornell Sun)
Play or stay?: That's the choice members of the Cal men's and women's gymnastics teams -- as well as other Cal sports on the chopping block -- are facing. An interesting read. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Speaking of the Romanians: The struggles of the past quadrennium may be a thing of the past come 2011. A November news report from Romanian TV shows the juniors working at Izvorani with new coaches Octavian Belu and Mariana Bitang. Among other things, Diana Bulimar is working a full twisting double layout for floor (we haven't seen one of those in awhile) and Larissa Iordache is doing double twisting double backs. Very interesting. (Aunt Joyce's Ice Cream Stand)
The best Romanians: ...on the team's collectively worst event. Gymnastics No Ceiling lists and analyzes why there is hope for team Romania on bars. These days, about one Romanian per decade contends for a World medal on bars. (Gymnastics No Ceiling)
10 questions with Elisabeth Seitz: The German national champion on her other favorite sports, what she needs to be reminded of and her proudest moment in gymnastics. (The Couch Gymnast)
Photo of the week: Those World Championship winning Russians meet President Dmitri Medvedev at the Kremlin. Loving Aliya Mustafina's jacket and tailored pants and Ksenia Afanasyeva's boots! (Stoi!)
Kent to stay at Iowa State: Former Iowa State standout Ashley Kent has taken an assistant coaching position at her alma mater. (Iowa State Cyclones)
Yes, she'll be continuing: Imogen Cairns's post-2008 thoughts about retirement were just that: thoughts, she tells the BBC. These days she's thinking more about London in 2012. (BBC)
The return of Peng Peng Lee: One of Canada's most exciting juniors ever to compete is back after two years of injuries and a gym change (video!). Lee is older, more mature and looking forward to competing for UCLA, but her spark has remained. (Gymnastics Coaching)
More on gymnastics hair: Curly girls and the best of the bangs. Awesome. (Stoi!)
Photo gallery: Gymnastics photographer Heather Maynez captured the emotion of the Rotterdam Worlds -- good and bad -- in this gallery. Click here or click the image of 2010 World bars champion Beth Tweddle above and to the left to access the gallery.
Follow Gymnastics Examiner Blythe Lawrence on Facebook or Twitter, or click the "Subscribe" button above to receive the latest gymnastics news and results via e-mail.
Comments