Wednesday, August 4, 2010

This and That

Alexy Bilozertchev has a good sense of humor about his mishap on high bar. He owns points for being awesome and having fantastic form and technique. God Bless his genes.

Simpson and Miller's ''Pink Panther'' routine from the Indy Challenge. He really needs to lay off the Guinness.

Oksana Domnina and Roman Kostomarov were recently married and are expecting.

The Los Angeles City Council has declared August 7th Kim Yu-Na Day.

IG is reporting that Sandra Izbasa will return to competition August 12-14th at a Romania-Great Britain dual meet. Izbasa is expected to make the Romanian Team for the upcoming World Championships. She will compete on all but bars at the dual meet. Nicolae Forminte had returned to the National Team but is apparently seeking coaching jobs elsewhere.

The Chinese Gymnastics Federation announced that they plan to same identical squads to October's World Championships and November's Asian Games. The team will be selected following Nationals, which will be held August 22-31 in Hunan. Chen Yibing is back training all six events for the first time since finishing 4th AA at the 2006 Worlds. Xiao Qin is back in the gym aiming for a third Olympics but will have to compete against current Pommel Horse master Zhang Hongtao. Xiao Qin took time off to attend University and recent spent July getting back into tip-top physical condition.

Ksenia Afanasyeva and Ksenia Semenova both performed well at the recent Russian Spartikiada. Valentina Rodionenko expects both gymnasts (coached by Marina Nazarova) to contend for the title at the upcoming Russian Cup. She felt that Myzdrikova and Kurbatova both underperformed. The Russian Cup will take place Aug. 23-29 in Chelyabinsk.

Johnny Weir made news when he told a red carpet reporter that he will tell the who, what,where and when of his sexuality in his upcoming book. It is amazing that his sexuality continues to make such headlines. Because a male figure skater being a raging bottom is such an anomaly. He was asked a bizarre red carpet question about gay suicide rates and homophobia. He dealt with the unexpected question as well as expected, despite sporting an unfortunate hairdo and improper shade of foundation. Johnny did take time out to give an inspirational talk at a camp for transgender youth.

Gymnastike's latest workout is a video of a Wednesday workout at Texas Dreams a week before the US Classic.


9 comments:

  1. KIM YU-NA DAY?! I love my town!

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  2. I read Matt Rettemund's Boy Culture blog about as religiously as I read this one. I understand his reasoning for asking Johnny the weird homophobia question -- that he wanted Johnny to draw a parallel between that scenario and Johnny's reasoning that he shouldn't care what PETA thinks about his fur collection. But it was a BIG S-T-R-E-T-C-H, especially for a red carpet interview where celebs are herded like cattle and don't really have time for in-depth, though-provoking discussions. Johnny did handle it well, though. Despite his more colorful soundbites, he's pretty good at extemporaneous speaking.

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  3. only in LA.

    as for the other, more shocking bit of news "Oksana Domnina and Roman Kostomarov have been married and are expecting." If anybody saw that coming we have to honor this person as a prophet. Talk about left field.

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  4. I believe they've been together for a little while. Some reporters asked her if she'd consider ice dancing with Roman. Given the marriage success rates of Russian ice dancers, I'm thinking they'll be divorced by Sochi.

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  5. "Rodionenko expects both gymnasts (coached by Marina Nazarova) to contend for the title at the upcoming Russian Cup. He felt that Myzdrikova and Kurbatova both underperformed."

    It was actually Valentina Rodionenko (Andrei's wife) who said those things.

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  6. I saw Rodionenko and didn't remember he had a wife who coached. I made the correction above.

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  7. OMG, Texas Dreams has a gymnast named "Dare????" The TV commentators and the people who make fluff pieces would totally crap their pants over that one....

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  8. Simpson and Yankowskas have that looooong, telegraphed entrance into their throws.

    Nathan Miller might want to cool it with the drinking for his own health, never mind so that he can look like and be an elite athlete. A beer gut on a young kid like that, geesh.

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  9. That girls real name is "Mary Maxwell" but she goes by Dare for whatever reason. YEah NBC would totally eat that up if she makes it to senior etc

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