Prosport is carrying the following article about Simone Biles, who they tip as a favourite for Olympic gold. I thought I would share it here (Google translate in italics) as it gives an interesting perspective on where the Russians feel the sport is heading. Elena Zamolidchikova and Alexander Alexandrov are both extensively quoted. Atypical American. Simon Biles on the way to Olympic gold Simone Biles, American gymnast, turned 18 on March 14, 2015. Shortly before this, the first in US history absolute Olympic gymnastics champion Mary Lou Retton called Biles perhaps the most gifted athlete in the history of the sport. In 2014, Simon became the first gymnast for 40 years to win four gold at a World Championships. But Biles is not only talent. This is the first gymnast in recent years from the United States, who is not going to earn on its potential Olympic success. Text: Alexander Vladimirov March 15, 2015 9:35 The article on Prosport/Photo: Lintao Zhang / Getty Images / Fotob...
music and artisty haven't been major (or even significant) elements in exercise composition or judging for the last several Codes.....expect the usual FIG blather resulting from these workshops but do NOT expect any perceptible change....
ReplyDeleteI am all for it, but to me tha FIG is playing with a double edge sword. for example the women are unfairly being push to try 4 hard difficult passes, insert all the requirements in the COP, come up with a good choreagraphy, and they have to stick their landing like the men and now with no pauses in the corners, that is a recipe to bring more injuries. but the men floor exercise is nothing but tumbling passes from one corner to the next. the men no longer have to do scales, or 2 different kinds of planches and handstand, and absolutely no flairs or show flexibility. something is got to give.
ReplyDeleteto me they should allow the women to return to lunges, only penalize them if they stand more than 3 seconds in the corners, and increase the time to a minute and forty five or fifty seconds per exercise in order to have them to work on choreagrophy while incorporating all the requirements in the COP and the 4 tumbling passes.
Gymnasts are not initially selected for their artistic abilities, but rather their athletic , and they might or might not have an artistic bone in their body. The code is not conducive to artistic endeavour and has not been for quite awhile. You cannot quantify artistry.
ReplyDeletePossibly the choreographers have adapted to the scoring reality and have a few dynamic poses on the way to a multitude of counting skills.
I still think the Russians are the best in the world artistically