Artistic Gymnastics

... Personalities: Another German gymnastics expert has gone abroad ...

04. Januar 2003  
Linz (AUT), Berlin (GER)  
Artistic Gymnastics

... Personalities: Another German gymnastics expert has gone abroad ...

Siegfried Wüstemann:
A regrettable loss for German gymnastics

For one of Germany's longest-serving senior coaches, Monday 5 January 2009 is his first working day in the European City of Culture, Linz, in Upper Austria.
Siegfried WÜSTEMANN, hitherto of SC Berlin - following his predecessor Gerhard Kaminski (who served as senior coach at the former SC Dynamo Berlin for over 24 years) - has thus, after 22 years, ended one of the longest periods of service in a leading position at a German gymnastics centre, and one which is among the most successful in the history of the sport. The reason for his departure was the Deutschen Turner-Bund's surprise suspension of Siegfried Wüstemann from the position of senior coach for the junior squad shortly before the Junior European Championships in April last year ...

Siegfried Wüstemann with one of his many successful protégés, Paolo Lando

... and a long sought-after new job offer for the gymnastics expert who, with generations of talented gymnasts, made SC Berlin one of the world's leading gymnastics centres, both before and after the revolutionary political changes of 1989/90.
SC Berlin (- formerly "Dynamo" - the world's top gymnastics club in GDR times) was, for example, the home club of the first German Olympic champion after the reunification of Germany (Andreas Wecker, Atlanta 1996, gold on high bar), produced a series of national team members, such as Peter Nikiferow, Daniel Farago, Dimitri Nonin as well as new young and current international-level gymnasts, such as Brian Gladow and Philip Sorrer.
Under Wüstemann's direction SC Berlin developed once again into one of the most successful German breeding grounds for young talents, and particularly over the past few years it achieved numerous age-group victories in the German Championships and cup competititions.

Siegfried Wüstemann in 'his element': he has a real passion for coaching ...!

After the huge successes of the German juniors at the Junior Europeans 2006 in Volos - at that time under the direction of the senior coach for the junior squad Jens Milbradt (also of SC Berlin) - it was clear to the experts that owing to the low birth rate after 1990 and the resulting reduction in numbers of gymnasts, Siegfried Wüstemann would have a hard job as successor to Jens Milbradt in the position of coach to the DTB's junior squad. From 1 January 2007 this renowned expert coach therefore set about his new duties with an especially high degree of commitment and carefully drawn up plans and targets.
(* - see >> GYMmedia-Exklusiv-Interview, 22 January 2007)

Wüstemann, An expert who has worked his way through the ranks:
Spartakiade winner, member of the Olympic squad, National gymnast in the GDR (- until 1976), later coach, head coach of the junior squad at Berlin Dynamo (1982 - '86), thereafter head gymnastics coach for 22 years

Unfortunately, the former Spartakiade champion, GDR national and Olympic squad gymnast (in the 1970s) did not succeed to a sufficient extent in persuading all the centres and his fellow coaches to support his ambitious plans.
And that is what brought about his suspension by the DTB as squad coach at short notice - and to everyone's surprise - shortly before the Junior Europeans in Lausanne in May 2008.
It turned out not to be possible to clarify matters with his former employer, the DTB, or to find new employment opportunities or reasonable professional prospects for such a highly qualified and successful coach in Germany. "The DTB has never held any discussion with me to really clarify the reasons for my suspension", - says Wüstemann disappointedly.
And so neither the Berlin Gymnastics Association nor the gymnastics manager and head coach in Berlin Jens Milbradt were able to prevent this regrettable loss of an expert coach.
Towards the very end of last year, Siegfried Wüstemann decided to take on a new challenge:

Wüstemann: 'I see this as a new professional challenge; ... if a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well!'

As of Monday (5 January 2009) he is now working at the gymnastics centre in Linz (Upper Austria), which has set itself ambitious goals. 
In the local press there, his engagement has been celebrated as a "master-stroke". 
In Germany, on the other hand, his departure is a continuation of the exodus of highly qualified specialists (Berlin Olympic champions such as Roland Brückner and Maxi Gnauck are working in Switzerland, for example) owing to unsatisfactory conditions and a lack of suitable prospects for enhancing their professional status in top-level sport.
But at least the now renowned "International Junior Team Cup 2009" - which originally came into being on the initiative of Wüstemann as the "OBI-Cup" and developed largely under his direction to become one of the world's most important competitions for junior teams - will be taking place again this year (28 February).
It is to be expected that Austrian talents will be there who are training under the guidance of the now ex-Berlin gymnastics expert Siegfried Wüstemann.
* GYMmedia/- ehe -

Last International Competition this Year: Voronin Cup

20. Dezember 2008  
Moscow, Russia  
Artistic Gymnastics

Last International Competition this Year: Voronin Cup

Dmitri Gogotov (RUS)

Host Russia captured three of four all-around titles (elite & juniors) at the annual "Voronin Cup 2008", which concluded last week (Dec 18) in Mosocw.
Russia's Kristina Goryunova (59.950) and Japan's Hiroyuki Imai (87.800) won the senior all-around titles on Wednesday and the title at the parallel bars final. 
Goryunova won also vault and uneven bars and the
third placed in all-around, Dmitri GOGOTOV, was the winner at the final on floor exercise on Tuesday....

2008 Mikhail Voronin Cup
  - Moscow, Russia,  December 17-18
________________________________________

** Women's All-Around (sen.)
1. Kristina Goryunova RUS 59.950
2. Anna Myzdrikova RUS 58.400
3. Yana Demyanchuk UKR 57.150

4. Irina Sazonova RUS 55.000
5. Angela Golovina RUS 51.700
6. Karina Topalova KAZ 51.650

*Women's All-Around (jun.)
1. Viktoria Komova RUS 61.250
2. Diana Sapronova RUS 58.000
3. Anastasia Novikova RUS 57.900
4. Valeria Sviridova RUS 57.350
5. Laura Svilpaite LTU 56.700
6. Galina Ivanets BLR 56.150

* WOMEN's App. FINALS,
* Vault / Sprung 
1. Kristina Goryunova RUS 14.325
2. Anna Myzdrikova RUS 14.175
3. Yana Demyanchuk UKR 13.500

*Uneven Bars / Stufenbarren
1. Kristina Goryunova RUS 14.750
2. Irina Sazonova RUS 14.350
3. Yana Demyanchuk UKR 13.800

* Balance Beam / Balken
1. Vasiliki Millousi GRE 15.500
2. Alyona Zmeu RUS 15.300
3. Kristina Goryunova RUS 15.200

* Floor Exercise / Boden
1. Anna Myzdrikova RUS 14.800
2. Kristina Goryunova RUS 14.750
3. Yana Demyanchuk UKR 14.000

**MEN's All-Around (sen.)
1. Hiroyuki Imai JPN 87.800
2. Anton Lobachyov RUS 87.850
3. Dmitry Gogotov RUS 86.700

4. Eldar Valiyev KAZ 86300
5. Kazuma Fujikawa JPN 85.250
6. Mikhail Bodnar RUS 85.000

* Men's All-Around (jun.)
1. Igor Pakhomenko RUS 86.200
2. Nikita Ignatiev RUS 85.300
3. Denis Ablyazin RUS 83.250
4. Ashley Watson GBR 82.700
5. Ishise Tatsuki JPN 80.000
6. Junpei Oka JPN 79.650
** MEN's App. FINALS
* Floor Exercise
1. Dmitry Gogotov RUS 14.900
2. Alexander Savenko RUS 14.850
3. Pavel Bulavsky BLR 14.750

* Pommel Horse
1. Harutyum Merdinyan ARM 15.400
2. Vladimir Olennikov RUS 15.000
3. Andrei Perevozchikov RUS 14.600

* Still Rings
1. Timur Kurbanbayev KAZ 16.000
2. Ruslan Nigmazdyanov RUS 15.500
3. Ildar Valeyev KAZ 15.000

* Men's Vault
1. Yernar Yerimbetov KAZ 16.150
2. Anton Lobachyov RUS 16.000
3. Mikhail Bodnar RUS 16.000

* Parallel Bars
1. Hiroyuki Imai JPN 15.650
2. Vahag Stepanyan ARM 14.800
3. Andrei Likhovsky RUS 14.700

* High Bar
1. Kim Sung In KOR 15.000
2. Dmitry Gogotov RUS 14.900
3. Hiroyuki Imai JPN 14.800

... Personalities:Yves Kieffer head coach in Flanders

25. Dezember 2008  
Ghent, Belgium  
Artistic Gymnastics

... Personalities:Yves Kieffer head coach in Flanders

Yves KIEFFER

As of January 2009, the Frenchman Yves KIEFFER will be the new head coach of the GymnastiekFederatie Vlaanderen, the Flemish section of the Royal Belgian Gymnastics Federation has announced.

<< Yves Kieffer  has been engaged for the new Olympic Cycle 2009-2012 and will take the lead of the women's artistic gymnastics section at the training centre in Ghent, Belgium ...

'Topgymnastiekhal' in Ghent - opened in 2001, June

Yves KIEFFER*  will be assisted by his wife Marjorie HEULS as well as Valentina SOLDATENTKOVA and Iouri KIRITCHENKO.
Yves was, among others, coach of Emilie LePennec (gold uneven bars OG 2004) and led the French team to 6th place at the Olympic Games in Athens and at the 2007 World Championships.

(* ...read more about Y. Kieffer at the >> GYMmedia-News 2008, January 24
In Ghent - at one of the most modern artistic gymnastics centres in Europe, which was opened  in the year of the Worlds 2001 - gymnasts are now being prepared for the 2012 Olympic Games.


With this team of coaches, the Gymnastiek Federatie Vlaanderen wants to play an active role in elite women's artistic gymnastics and ensure that the gymnasts are given optimal coaching and guidance and thus have every chance of achieving international success.
* Source: GymnastiekFederatie Vlaanderen

... Personalities:Russia engages Ukrainian star coach Ostapenko ...

24. Dezember 2008  
Moscow, Russia  
Artistic Gymnastics

... Personalities:Russia engages Ukrainian star coach Ostapenko ...

Oleg Ostapenko

The Russian Gymnastics Federation announced last week that the former head coach of Ukraine and Brazil, Oleg OSTAPENKO, will be the new junior women's coach for Russia. He will take this new responsibility under the lead of the new Russian head  Alexander Alexandrov, who returned to Russia last month after working for 15 years in Texas.
Ostapenko - who had been working as the Brazilian head coach since 2001 - returned to Ukraine in November 2008, initially with the intention of starting work in January with the Ukrainian women's national team,  ... but now this surprising change of plans has been announced... 

Nadeshda OSTAPENKO, coaching Daiane dos Santos

Ostapenko and his wife, Nadeshda Ostapenko, moved to Brazil in 2001. They worked at the national training center in Curitiba, and helped oversee a strong improvement in the Brazilian women's team, which has won three world medals through Daiane dos Santos (2001), Daniele Hypolito (2003) and Jade Barbosa (2007).
The Brazilian women finished eighth at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, and left without any medals.

Ostapenko was the personal coach of the double Olympic champion Tatiana Lysenko (Barcelona 1992), Natalia Kalinina (Good Will Games Champion) and Viktoria Karpenko (all-around vice-world champion, Tianjin 1999). 
Also 1996 Olympic champion Lilia Podkopayeva worked under the guidance of Ostapenko.
* Russian Gym Fed & Russian/Ukrainian press

Oleksander Vorobyov - Ukraine s Best Athlete of the Month

28. Dezember 2008  
Kiev, Ukraine  
Artistic Gymnastics

Oleksander Vorobyov - Ukraine s Best Athlete of the Month

Ukrainian National Olympic Committee determines the country's best athlete and trainer in the month of December

According to the poll for the last month of 2008, the winner of the World Cup Final in Madrid in artistic gymnastics Oleksandr Vorobyov (<< photo, left) was voted best athlete. His trainer Oleksandr Horin was voted best trainer.
The Ukrainian National Olympic Committee determines the country's best athletes and trainers each month.
The National Olympic Committee traditionally awards each month's winners with a commemorative statuette, a money prize and a certificate.
end

Jordan Jovtchev elected head of Bulgarian Gymnastics Federation

20. Dezember 2008  
Sofia, Bulgaria  
Artistic Gymnastics

Jordan Jovtchev elected head of Bulgarian Gymnastics Federation

Jordan JOVTCHEV (BUL)

Jordan Jovtchev, one of Bulgaria's most successful male gymnasts in history, has officially been elected the head of the Bulgarian Sports Gymnastics Federation, Dnevnik daily reported on December 19.
The four-time world champion and silver Olympic medallist from Athens will take over from Nikola Prodanov. Yovchev has been voted unanimously by the participants in the federation's congress.
Another former legend in Bulgarian sports gymnastics, the silver medallist from the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 on high bar, Krassimir Dounev, was elected secretary-general of the Bulgarian Gymnastics Federation.


New Structures at the national Federation
The common assembly also appointed a new managing committee consisting of 13 members. The congress also discussed the 2009 budget of the federation, which is 1.2 million leva.
Jovtchev is one of the successful Bulgarian gymnasts, having won four Olympic medals - one silver (Athens 2004) and three bronze.
He has 12 world championship medals, including four gold, and six European championship medals, including one gold. All but three of his medals came on rings or floor.
* Source: Bulgarian media

CHENG, Fei - The most successful gymnast at the WORLD CUP FINAL

14. Dezember 2008  
Madrid, Spain  
Artistic Gymnastics

CHENG, Fei - The most successful gymnast at the WORLD CUP FINAL

CHENG, Fei (CHN)
Double winner in Madrid

At the 14th WORLD CUP FINAL 2008 in artistic gymnastics the top-ranking gymnast on floor, Diego HYPOLITO from Brazil, won the last competition on his best apparatus this year. He was particularly happy about this victory, because he was ill and injured before the Olympics in Beijing ...!
The Chinese ZHANG, Hongtao beat the European specialist Krisztian Berki on pommel horse and the Ukrainian Alexander VOROBYOV was the best on rings, ahead of veteran Jordan Jovtchev and the Dutch favorite Yuri van Gelder.
On the final day the French gymnasts Thomas BOHAIL on vault and Yann CUCHERAT on parallel bars, along with Epke ZONDERLAND of the Netherlands on high bar, topped their Chinese and other rivals.

In the women's events CHENG, Fei won on vault and floor and HE, Kexin on bars.
Ariella Kaeslin from Switzerland was a big surprise, taking second place on vault. Lauren MITCHELL from Australia was the winner on balance beam.

.. more results...:

World Cup victors in the vault final, Madrid
(2) Arielle Kaeslin; (1) Cheng, Fei; (3) Aagje VANWALLEGHEM
photos: Esther Teijeira (Madrid)

Alexander Vorobyov (UKR)

14th WORLD CUP FINAL 2008
 - Men's Artistic Gymnastics -
    - Madrid, Telefonica Arena -
_________________________________________________

* Men's Floor Exercises / Boden
1. Diego HYPOLITO (BRA)  - 16,125
2. Kohei UCHIMURA  (JPN)  - 15,900
3. Alexander SHATILOV  (ISR)  - 15,500
4. Eleftherios KOSMIDIS  (GRE)  - 15,150
5. Kristian THOMAS  (GBR)  - 14,950
6. Wajdi BOUALLEGUE  (TUN)  - 14,550
7. Jeffrey WAMMES  (NED)  - 13,875
8. Matthias FAHRIG  (GER)  - 13,350

** POMMEL HORSE / Pferd
1. ZHANG, Hongtao                     (CHN)  - 16,375
2. Krisztian BERKI                      (HUN)  - 16,100
3. Prashanth SALLATHURAI  (AUS)  - 16,025

4. Louis SMITH                         (GBR)  - 15,600
5. Robert SELIGMAN               (CRO)  - 14,250
6. Saso BERTONCELJ           (SLO)  - 14,025
8. Donna-Donny TRUYENS  (BEL)  - 12,775

** STILL RINGS / Ringe
1. Alexander VOROBYOV        (UKR)  - 16,275
2. Jordan JOVTCHEV               (BUL)  - 16,150
3. Yuri VAN GELDER                 (NED)  - 16,075

4. YAN, Mingyong                       (CHN)  15,950
5. Regulo CARMONA               (VEN)  - 15,650
6. Irodotos GEORGALLAS       (CYP)  - 15,375
7. K. PLUZHNIKOV                   (RUS)  - 15,325
8. Dimosthenis TAMPAKOS  (GRE)  - 14,700

* VAULT / Sprung:
1. Thomas BOHAIL               (FRA)  - 16,225
2. Jeffrey WAMMES             (NED)  - 16,150
3. Anton GOLOTSUTSKOV (RUS)  - 16,075
    Asaac BOTELLA               (ESP)  - 16,075

5. Matthias FAHRIG (GER)  - 16,012
6. Diego HYPOLITHO (BRA)  - 15,812
7. Enrique GONZALEZ (CHI)  - 15,312
8. Evgeni SAPRONENKO (LAT) 15,087

* PARALLEL BARS / Barren
1. Yann CUCHERAT        (FRA)  - 15,775
2. ZHE, Feng                    (CHN)  - 15,775
3. Yaleri GONCHAROV (UKR)  - 15,675

4. Samuel PIASECKY (SVK)  - 15,450
5. Manuel CARBALLO  (ESP)  - 15,300
6. Hiroyuki TOMITA (JPN)  - 14,875
6. Yosuke HOSHI (JPN)  - 14,875
8. Vasileios TSOLAKIDIS (GRE)  - 14,425

* HIGH BAR / Reck
1. Epke ZONDERLAND (NED)  - 16,175
2. Philippe RIZZO          (AUS)  - 15,825
3. Hiroyuki TOMITA       (JPN)  - 15,325

4. Yann CUCHERAT (FRA)  - 14,850
5. Mosiah RODRIGUES (BRA)  - 14,475
6. Christoph SCHAERER (SUI)  - 14,200
8. Igor CASSINA (ITA)  - 12,725

Ariella Kaeslin: ... a strong Olympic Year!!

14th WORLD CUP FINAL 2008
 - Women's Artistic Gymnastics -
    - Madrid, Telefonica Arena -
_________________________________________________

* VAULT / Sprung
1. CHENG Fei                           (CHN)  - 15,050
2. Ariella KAESLIN                 (SUI)  - 14,912
3. Aagie VANWALLEGHEM (BEL)  - 14,250

4. Elsa GARCIA  (MEX)  - 14,400
5. Dorina BOCZOGO  (HUN)  - 13,787
6. Elena ZAMOLODCHIKOVA  (RUS)  - 13,475
7. Jana KOMRSKOVA  (CZE)  - 13,262
8. Wong HUI YING ANGEL  (HKG)  - 12,712

* UNEVEN BARS / Stufenbarren
1. HE, Kexin  (CHN)  - 16,250
2. JIANG, Yuan  (CHN)  - 15,700
3. Koko TSURUMI  (JPN)  - 15,250

4. Daria ZGOBA  (UKR)  - 14,500
5. Jana SIKULOVA  (CZE)  - 14,300
6. Anastasia KOVAL  (UKR)  - 13,625
7. Daniele HYPOLITO  (BRA)  - 13,625
    YANG, Yilin  (CHN)  ----

Lauren Mitchell (AUS)

* BALANCE BEAM / Schwebebalken
1. Lauren MITCHELL  (AUS)  - 15,250
2. Yulia LOZHECHKO (RUS)  - 15,200
3. LI, Shanshan          (CHN)  - 15,150

4. Sandra IZBASA (ROU)  - 14,925
5. Daria ZGOBA (UKR)  - 14,000
6. CHENG, Fei (CHN)  - 13,825
7. Daniele HYPOLITO (BRA)  - 13,425

* FLOOR EXERCISES
1. CHENG, Fei (CHN)  - 15,375
2. JIANG, Yuyan (CHN)  - 15,225
3. Sandra IZBASA (ROU)  - 15,000

4. Elena ZAMOLODCHIKOVA (ROUS)  - 14,075
5. NAOMI RUIZ (RSP)  - 13,900
6. Daniele HYPOLITO (ESP)  - 13,700
7. Koko TSUMURI (JPN)  - 13,575
8. Elsa GARCÌA (MEX)  - 13,175
9. Suzanne HARMS (NED)  - 12,650

Louis Smith - one of the favourites in Madrid

12. Dezember 2008  
Huntington, Madrid  
Artistic Gymnastics

Louis Smith - one of the favourites in Madrid

Louis SMITH (GBR)
in GYMmedia INTERVIEW

The 2008 Olympic Bronze medallist on pommel horse, the 19 year-old British gymnast Louis SMITH from Huntingdon Gym Club, is one of the favourites for the title in the World Cup Final on this apparatus this weekend.
In the absence of the Chinese Olympic champion Xiao Qin he will be battling against the European champion and Olympic silver medallist Krisztian BERKI and the European No. 3, Robert Seligmann from Croatia.

GYMmedia correspondent Nico Tandel visited the home club of Louis Smith, the Huntingdon Gym Club, and spoke with the young British star, who won Britain's first ever Olympic medal in artistic gymnastics last summer ...

Huntingdon GYM Club
The only gymnastics club in the UK to win an Olympic medal in 80 years has said it is at breaking point because of cash shortages.
** ... a TV report about the Huntington Club and Lousi SMITH
>> by BBC Television

Louis SMITH (right), 19 year-old bronze medallist after winner Xiao Qin (CHN) and Filip Ude (CRO; left)

** GYMmedia exclusive:
Interview with Louis Smith, Huntingdon Gym Club
--- by Nico Tandel for GYMmedia INTERNATIONAL
_________________________________________________

GYMmedia: --  Hi Louis, I’m sure this is not your first or last interview after the Olympic bronze medal in Bejing and after the world cup silver medal in Glasgow this autumn!
Louis: " ... definitely not, this Olympic medal is the first one in England’s history in artistic gymnastics! It is an amazing feeling which is difficult to explain. Being able to represent Great Britain was fantastic but then qualifying for a bronze medal was mind-blowing!"

GYMmedia: --  How the reactions of the environment have been after your return from the Olympic Games?
Louis: "People in my hometown want autographs and pictures and they see me as a hero and a role model and its all a bit overwhelming. I have got lots of letters from overseas – people wanting my autographs. This is quite difficult because I don’t have that many photographs of myself."

GYMmedia: --  Has anything changed for you since then? Have you found sponsors to fund your professional gymnastics career?
Louis:  "For sure things have changed. More people recognise me. I have made a number of TV appearances as well as advertisements and being a guest at various functions but I have not been signed up by any sponsor yet. But I’m hoping for something to happen in the future."

GYMmedia: --   One thing I’ve noticed: you got roughly 200 kg of pasta sponsored to give you enough power to perform your pommel horse routine all the time. Who gave this to you?
Louis:  "A man by the name of Peter McDermott from the company 'Food Network Ltd.' gave me a year’s supply of pasta and I’ll be getting it for the runup to London 2012!"

GYMmedia: --  How are things going now in your sporting career? What are your next aims?
Louis:  "I got back into training again some weeks ago and I've been preparing for the World Cup Final in Madrid just recently. My next aim is to qualify for the Europeans at the beginning of next year in Milan, Italy."

GYMmedia: --   Earlier in an interview with Daniel KEATINGS, your club mate and best gymnast of the Europeans 2008 in Lausanne, I heard that  your club is already planning a new gym due to the large number of gymnasts here, and in particular with regard to London 2012! When will this gym get to be built and is the club still in need of more financial support?

Smith and Daniel Keatings (right) with their coach Paul Hall at the World Cup in Cottbus 2008.

Louis:  "Yes we are planning to build a new hall because we are very crowded in this one and we would like to have better facilities to offer more activities for the many young people out there who want a safe environment in which to learn new skills. We have put in for a grant for money from the Lottery fund and we will know in February whether we were successful or not. In the meantime we have started working on smaller changes at the gym – like building a new reception area and giving us a new road to access the gym via a more commercial road."
GYMmedia: --  At the beginning of November I had the pleasure of judging at the British Championships in London. I must say the level is very high, including in the junior field. Can you explain this development in British artistic gymnastics?
Louis:  "We have a group of very dedicated, experienced and committed coaches who are working very hard and this is beginning to show results."

This was the victory ceremony in Cottbus in March 2008 ... and now, Madrid:
... maybe there will be the same constellation as at the World Cup in Cottbus, or could it perhaps be different ...??
(2) Smith, (1) Berki, (3) Seligman...?

GYMmedia: --  At these British Championships Luke FOLWELL from Huntingdon won the silver medal in the all around senior competition and in addition several medals in the apparatus finals. Therefore in the men’s field alone, three of the British team members come from Huntingdon. Do you engage in any rivalry?
Louis:  "We are friends first and we all encourage each other especially in team events. But in an individual competition we go all out for ourselves in the hope of winning whatever title is up for grabs."

GYMmedia: --   This can also be noticed, the fantastic atmosphere here in the hall among the gymnasts and also with the coaches makes you to feel comfortable.
Louis, thanks a lot for the nice interview.
On behalf of Gymmedia INTERNATIONAL I wish you and your club mates a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Good luck and best results for your sporting aims, especially now at the world cup final in Madrid!

* Nico Tandel, Huntingdon, for GYMmedia INTERNATIONAL

Preview: Artictic Gymnastics World Cup Final 2009

12. Dezember 2008  
Madrid, Spain  
Artistic Gymnastics

Preview: Artictic Gymnastics World Cup Final 2009

World Cup Final
needs changes in the future!

As the basis for invitations to the World Cup Final on 13-14 December in Madrid, the international gymnastics federation, the F.I.G., published its world cup individual apparatus rankings at the end of November following the last World Cup of the series. As a result, the best eight gymnasts on each apparatus were now qualified, and in the event that a gymnast did not take up the invitation, their place would be taken by the next gymnast in the rankings  ...

Aljaz Pegan, the Slovenian 'old master' did not perform in Beijing

WORLD CUP FINAL  2008
- Madrid, December 13-14 , Telefonica Arena -
_____________________________________________

The men's competitions:
Only four of the six leading gymnasts on the FIG world apparatus rankings have taken up the invitation to participate in the 2008 World Cup Final in Spain :
- Floor: Diego Hypolito (BRA),
- Vault: Krisztian Berki (HUN)
- Rings: Yuri van Gelder (NED) and
- High Bar: Aljaz Pegan.
On the vault the Polish Olympic gold medallist Leszek Blanik is missing, and on P-bars the Slovene Mitja Petkovsek, who holds the highest number of points, namely 1.016,34, will be absent, as will four more of the gymnasts who have qualified for this apparatus.  
For a wide variety of reasons, as many as 20 (!!) of the 6x8 = 48 gymnasts who have qualified have waived their right to participate! Those whose absence will have the strongest effect on the sporting level of the competition are some of the Chinese stars of the Olympic Games, such as  Zhou, Kai (3rd on floor; 5th on high bar), Xiao, Qin (2nd on vault), Li, Xiaopeng (3rd on P-bars) and Huang, Xu (5th on P-bars).

Vault specialist Fahrig (GER)

The German high-bar world champion and Olympic bronze medal winner Fabian Hambüchen (2nd on high bar) is also waiving his chance to take part and will instead be performing on behalf of his guest club Straubenhardt at home in the finals of the German Club Championships.

The German male gymnasts will therefore only be represented by the Halle-based vault specialist Matthias Fahrig.
Although he would not normally be qualified on account of his twelfth position in the rankings, he was one of the four to have moved up, following Hypolito (BRA), Isaac Botella (ESP) and Enrique Gonzales (CHI) .

>> Men's Qualifier

Cheng Fei -

The womens' competitions ...
... or rather the participants in this so-called "World Cup Final" cast serious doubt on the sense of the current system:
Cheng, Fei (CHN) is the only one among the top four in the rankings to have come (1st on floor).
Oksana Chusovitina (GER; 1st on vault), Beth Tweddle (GBR; 1st on bars) and Catalina Ponor( ROU; beam) are all absent.
The US gymnasts are leaving out this final altogether - as so often in this series of competitions. As a result, such top-class performers as Nastasia Liukin (3rd on bars; 2nd on beam), Alicia Sacramone (4th on vault) and Shawn Johnson (5th on beam; 5th on floor) are all missing. 

Ariella Kaeslin: ... Chances of a place on the rostrum?

A gymnast who is ranked third on two pieces, Anna Pavlova (RUS; vault and beam) is also absent....
Swiss gymnast Ariella Kaeslin - who is tenth in the rankings - certainly has a reasonable chance of a medal along with the favourites, Cheng (2nd), Zamolodchikova (5th) and Komrskova (9th) . Switzerland's current Sportswoman of the Year is highly motivated in any case ...!

Of the 4x8 = 32 regular qualifiers, 21 (!!) are absent - that is exactly two thirds of the best gymnasts on each apparatus ... !
... The FIG is now considering giving up the World Cup Finals, which are regularly spurned by a large number of gymnasts, after this event in Madrid.
In the absence of Oksana Chusovitina, Kim Bui, will attempt to uphold the honour of Germany's female gymnasts, only three of whom are currently listed among the Top 30 in the individual apparatus rankings:
* O.Chusovitina (1st on vault ; 25th on beam; 22nd on floor)
* K. Bui ( 21st on vault;  - :   -  ;  28th on floor)
* Jenny Brunner ( - ; 24th on bars; -; -; )

>> Women's Qualifier

Team USA elects Vidmar and Retton to board of directors

11. Dezember 2008  
Indianapolis, USA  
Artistic Gymnastics

Team USA elects Vidmar and Retton to board of directors

Peter Vidmar, Mary Lou Retton

USA gymnastics --: 1984 Olympic gold medalist Peter Vidmar was elected chairman of the USA Gymnastics board of directors Monday, and will be joined in the group by 1984 all-around champion Mary Lou Retton.
Vidmar and Retton, elected to one of four public sector positions on the board, each will serve four-year terms.
Ron Froelich, chair of USA Gymnastics, was named chairman emeritus....
"This is a great time to assist USA Gymnastics in continuing to move in a positive direction," Vidmar said.
"Our athletes and coaches have done a remarkable job of succeeding on a consistent basis and I look forward to this opportunity."

Vidmar helped the U.S. men win the gold medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, their only Olympic team gold so far, and also won a gold on pommel horse and a silver in the all-around. He previously served on the USA Gymnastics board and executive committee, and was chair of the Athletes Advisory Council. He is currently the vice chair of the California Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
USA Gymnastics announced in November 2007 that it was restructuring its board, paring the group from 48 members to 20.
In addition to the chairman, the board now has two representatives each from the men's and women's programs; one each from rhythmic gymnastics; trampoline and tumbling; and acrobatics; five athlete representatives; four members from the public sector; and three from an advisory council that represents independent gymnastics organizations.
* Source: US gymnastics, AP
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USA Gymnastics Board of Directors:
Chairman: Peter Vidmar, Coto De Caza, Calif.
Vice chairman: Paul Parilla, Lake Forest, Calif. (non voting position)
Secretary: Gary Anderson, Hillsboro Beach, Fla. (non-voting position)
Treasurer: Jim Morris, Indianapolis, Ind.
...
...
Public Sector Directors
* Mary Lou Retton, former Olympic champion and motivational speaker, Houston
* Bitsy Kelley, Outrigger Activities/Bitsy Kelley Outdoors, Portland, Ore.
* Frank Marshall, entertainment producer, Santa Monica, Calif.
* Jim Morris, Pacers Sports & Entertainment, Indianapolis, Ind.

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