“Chussy” decides it’s time

So I’m checking up on a few things and to my dismay, I find out that Oksana Chusovitina has announced her intention to finally retire.

Chusovitina is the very model of perseverance; even Valeri Liukin said, “Everyone bows down to her.” I wish her all the best for her and her family in future.

In more cheerful news, I enjoyed this 2009 montage by the Utah Utes. Someday it will be their year; shame that it couldn’t have been during Baskett and Kim’s time.

She’s grown up

Here’s an interview with Simona Amânar.

Basically:

Right now I am a University assistant at the College for Physical Education and Sport in Timisoara and Vice-President of the Romanian Federation of Gymnastics.

Ah, dear old Simi. How you’ve grown.

No Pac-10 in the Super Six

Nooooo!

All right, so maybe Stanford’s absence doesn’t shock me as much, but UCLA’s? Damn. And Utah seems to not have had a very good prelims.

Hence that tie-breaker. The kind that no one is going to say OMGZ NASTIA GOT CHEETED! about. [/joke]

Dear gymnasts: stick it to the mat! (With your feet, not anything else, and don’t do it when you’re not supposed to.)

Also:

Dear Courtney: Hey, congratulations on winning the all-around. Freaking legendary, girl. Wishing you all the best (and also plz to not be wearing so many ribbons in your hair, it makes your hotness look like a show poodle)!

No, really, did you have to?

Looks like Shawn beat Nastia in getting the very very ‘prestigious’  Sullivan Award. I should not be too surprised. Although I must laugh at the resurrection of the “Shawn vs. Nastia bang-a-rang”. Sigh, good times.

I has a poll for you all!

Congratulations are in order

My warmest congratulations to:

1. Ariella Kaeslin for winning bronze at the European Championships. I don’t care if the competition was thin and so forth; I’m sure Ariella is beyond thrilled.

2. Penn State for making NCAA Championships (along with the usual suspects…yawn). It remains to be seen if they can make the Super Six, but knocking out Nebraska was something I did not even envision them doing. Wow.

(I would comment on poor Sandra’s floor routine in which she got docked severely, but this is a congratulations post, not a “I’m so sad” post.  Shouldn’t ruin it.)

Happy April, everyone!

OMG Georgia got beaten!

Yes, it has happened before. Yes, I know Georgia is not indestructible and they do get beaten. But every time someone beats the GymDawgs, it is cause for minor celebration I mean, some surprise.

This time it was Alabama who dropped them, at the SEC Championships no less. Roll Tide!

And yes, my girl Courtney Kupets was the top all-arounder, and I join Coach Rick in saying, “as usual“.

Expect the GymDawgs to win the Super Six, though. Unless a miracle happens and Stanford UCLA Utah wins. (But seriously? I want Allyse Ishino and the Cardinal to win a championship. PLZ.)

Not doctor-recommended

Found this priceless quote by Georgia coach Suzanne Yoculan (thanks to the Couch Gymnast):

“There is no way I am going to be able to sleep for days. I have a lot of beer to drink.”

Suzanne Yoculan after a Super Six win.

…

Well, that explains a lot of things. Snort snort.

Frippery can be a GREAT thing

I’m just saying. If you ever need a good, hearty laugh, the Couch Gymnast blog is the place to be.

It’s where Vanessa Ferrari plots world domination, Simona Amânar draws graffiti on the equipment, Beth Tweddle gives advice on how to do your hair, Yelena Produnova is soooo Beyonce, and Anna Pavlova is constantly drunk.

Grace Taylor article

Because she’s the only other GymDawg (aside from Courtney Kupets) that can make me sit up and watch. (Although watching her casting to handstand last year reminded me of Beth Tweddle’s, and not in the good way.)

So without further ado: “Amazing Grace” Taylor. Enjoy.

(Thanks to Gymnastics Coaching for the link.)

Well, this isn’t good news…

Triple Full, one of my favorite gymnastics blogs ever since its inception, has taken its final salute. Accordingly, lack of time and busy-ness has been cited as the cause, and I understand and can commiserate.

My own updates are few and far between, due to lack of interest in Mob Boss Karolyi’s recent dealings and my absence from gymnastics messageboards. I must admit that another reason why my interest has waned is because my favorite quadrennium (2001-2004) is fading into history, with Memmel’s comeback only a small possibility at this moment and Kupets in her last year of NCAA – leaving only a handful of the elites I once knew in their last years of  NCAA eligibility (unless someone pulls a Mohini Bhardwaj and returns to elite competition).

But I have no intent on closing up shop here yet, as I always manage to end up back here somehow, some way. There’ll always be the stories, good and bad, about the triumph and pain of the sport – and the lessons of humanity that come with it.  And that’s what keeps me coming back to watch, and learn.