Alternates to Tokyo after all

They have VISAs now but the ladies will still be training in Tokyo.

Kathy Johnson – 1978 FX

It’s sometimes fun to apply the new code to old floor routines.  I think this one from Kathy Johnson has a start value of about 12.8 today but maybe up to 13.1 if she did her double twist at the end.  Her top ten skills are 8 As, one B and one C.  She does the double twist twice so it doesn’t count the second time.  She has no double salto so she loses .5 there.  Since her ending double twist doesn’t count, she loses a possible .3.  She gets no connection bonus.  

Her 1979 at Champions All started with a double pike and ended with the double twist.  Provided she didn’t change anything else (the video blacks out) I believe that routine would be worth about 13.9 the way she did it and 14.1 if she did the double pike at the end.  

Another routine in 1981 had a Triple twist and a B jump and turn but then she doesn’t complete all of today’s EGRs.  No leap series, no two saltos in different directions, and no dismount of the required level of difficulty.  As she performed it, I think the routine would be worth 13.0 or 13.1 depending on if she got credit for the triple twist or not.  It could be worth up to 14.6 though if she had the EGRs back in and the double pike to end.

WOGA Recruit

Bayley Wilson from Reflex Gymnastics in Florida is headed to WOGA.  

Wilson was granted an impromptu tryout at the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy (WOGA) near Dallas, from which she was handpicked by Olympic gold medalist Valeri Liukin as one of 11 kids to join the academy team.

Despite improvements in the number and quality of gymnastics clubs in the US, it looks like the days of moving across the country to go to an “IT” club aren’t quite over yet.

“If we win only one gold again, …”

“…I will jump off the highest building,”

China’s gymnastics head coach will leap from a high building if his team fails to improve on their 2004 medal haul at next month’s Olympic Games, state media reported Wednesday.

 No doubt Huang Yubin is just kiddng.

2008 World Tour of Gymnastics Superstars

Tickets are going on sale Monday.  Details won’t be available until Monday.  I search “2008 World Tour of Gymnastics Superstars” and all I get is a bunch of ticket websites.  That kinda sucks.    

It looks as if Nastia Liukin signed with Burg.  I wasn’t in suspense thinking that she wouldn’t.  It’s the only tour this year.

Nancy Roach

Nancy is off to the Olympic games – again.  She is working with NBC behind the scenes and she thinks it’s a great job.  You don’t say.  Nancy has done a lot of really good choreography for the US team and came this close to getting Mary Beth Arnold onto the 1996 Olympic team.

Shayla Whorley’s assets

LBLGymnastics has a post from WWGYM about the Whorley’s money situation.  Shayla and her family may still go to Beijing as spectators.  I think that’s pretty cool and I hope they have a great time.

Desi Borgese had a great time at Championship

Desi was still a level 9 as of May 2007.  Desi placed 22nd out of 29 jr. competitors at Nats.  She was 19th on beam and 14th on floor.  She is 12 and has a little sister, Chloe, who also trains at Airborne.

Chelsea Davis is back in the gym

Chelsea didn’t make the 2008 US Olympic team but she’s undeterred.  

Davis has proved she is determined enough to beat any physical obstacle that comes in her way. Before she went off to compete in the team trials, Davis had suffered a dislocated knee which had coaches, family and friends worried if she would attend the trials. However, she recovered in time and performed to the best of her abilities.

USAG marketing revenues = $4 Mil

This article from NBC Olympics talks about USAG and it’s marketing partners.  

Fortunately for USAG, its marketing partners don’t simply show up toward the end of the Olympic countdown. When Visa or AT&T or Tyson develops a program around athletes, it isn’t a one-year deal.

“Visa has helped us by making the athletes a fundamental part of their reality campaign,” Penny says. “AT&T has put together the online documentaries, ‘Behind The Team,’ with 25 episodes online. Then they spend in advertising to promote the series. They helped us put the world championships from Stuttgart on when they were not scheduled for TV.