gymn Digest Tue, 8 Nov 94 Volume 3 : Issue 38

Today's Topics:
Brown and Miller (2 msgs)
Dial Award
GBR v ROM Junior Girls International
gymn Digest V3 #32
IL Gymnast missing (3 msgs)
New member (2 msgs)
Undeliverable Mail
Worlds Formats (2 msgs)

This is a digest of the gymn@athena.mit.edu mailing list.

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Date: Sun, 6 Nov 1994 09:11:00 -0500
From: ***@aol.com
Subject: Brown and Miller

In today's Dallas Morning News, M. McDonald wrote about the new gym in
Houston. Said Houston was rapidly becoming the gymn center of the country.
Brown is quoted as saying, " ' I believe the new facility will help the U.S.
enter a new era in gymnstics. '...' This gym has been a dream of mine for
years.' "
I continued to say that she plans to use this gym to concentrate on men's
gymnastics. Hideo Mizoguchi (former tech. dir. of USAG) will run the men's
and boys programs.

The article also discusses USAG's new video which features Mary Lou and
treats the topic of eating disorders. It is being given to all national team
members and coaches.

Lastly, he briefly mentions the World Championships......he quotes Shannon
Miller's expectations for the competition. SHe said they are hoping for a
silver. Could this mean she's competing AA???

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Date: Sun, 6 Nov 1994 12:24:57 -0500
From: ***@aol.com
Subject: Brown and Miller

>Lastly, he briefly mentions the World Championships......he quotes Shannon
Miller's expectations for the competition. SHe said they are hoping for a
silver. Could this mean she's competing AA???

More importantly, does it confirm she's *definitely* competing (if only some
events)?

Mara

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Date: Tue, 08 Nov 94 10:22:32 EST
From: ***@eos.ncsu.edu
Subject: Dial Award

There was a listing of Dial Award nominees in yesterday's USA TODAY.
The Dial Award is given to a high school student with outstanding
achievements. Shannon Miller is the only gymnastic nominee as a senior
at Edmond (OK) North High with a 3.96 GPA.

--Brent

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Date: Sun, 6 Nov 94 1:27:11 GMT
From: ***@ic.ac.uk
Subject: GBR v ROM Junior Girls International

Great Britain vs Romania Juniors Girls International,
Portsmouth, England, 5th November 1994.
=====================================================

This meet is held to celebrate the opening of the Pitt Street Gymnastics
Centre, the brand new regional centre of excellence and the foremost
gymnastics centre in the South of England. Great Britain has close
links with the Romanians since our National womens head coach is the
Romanian Adrian Stan. In March'94 we had GBR v ROM Seniors in Liverpool
and this time it's the Romanian Juniors who are invited to take part.

It was held in the Mountbatten Sports Centre in Portsmouth starting from
2pm. It was basically just a gymnasium with stands on both sides and my
friend Kasha and I were just sitting on the ground level (level with the
gymnasts) on the front row facing the start of the vault runway.

There were 8 competitors on both sides and ALL EIGHT Romanians were from
that team photo in the October issue of "International Gymnast" mag (p.40).
They are namely:

Alexandra Marinescu
Camelia Andronic
Monica Zahiu
Mirela Tugurlan
Alina Pascariu
Aurelia Gheba
Alexandra Dobrescu
Corina Ungureanu

I am very happy that the ROMs are sending out a very strong team and to have
a first look at maybe the backbone of a future great Romanian team. Claudia
Presacan was listed in the programme but she wasn't here at the competition.

Since most of the time there are simultaneous routines going on for both
teams, I concentrated on the Romanians so I'm afraid this post will be about
the Romanians only. (I have some notes on the Brits but not a lot)

They started with the vault which is right in front of us. Gave us a good
chance to have a good close look at the girls just one or two metres away
from us. They are really tiny (not that I am surprised but you have to say
this)! They stood up as tall as I sat down. Since I haven't seen any of them
before it was difficult at first to recognise who's who (except Marinescu
whom we can distinguish from immediately). They are all of the same height
(or at least very similar). The Romanians always have excellent team spirits
and they were shouting for each other all the time. We were concentrating
especially on Marinescu of course, since she is the current European Junior
Champion.

On the vault, it was all Yurchenkos, whether it's full-twist or 1/2 twist into
layout; pucked or straight. Monica Zahiu top scored here with 9.875 for her
1/2-Twist-Yurchenko straight. Marinescu scored 9.725 with her Full-Twist-
Yurchenko straight. The minimum score was by Aurelia Gheba with 9.55 because
she sat on her first vault.

On the bars everybody had one release, Jaeger or Geinger. (No Tkatchevs at
all!) A lot of full-turn in long swings, whether it's forward or reverse
grip. For the dismount, 4 did double front, 2 did full-in back-out, and 2
did double layout. Those double layouts seem to fly off a long way ending
up landing miles away from the bars. Alexandra Marinescu (whom her team-mate
simply call her "Alex") top scored with 9.90! She had a couple of reserve
full turns, Jaeger, and a full-twisitng double back dismount. Gheba again
scored lowest when she sat on her double front dismount and had to be
comforted by the coach...

On the beam everybody had that major tumbling sequence: flick layout layout;
or flick flick layout layout; or any combinations of those two skills in
the four moves. Ungureanu had a couple of Korbuts in there; Tugurlan was the
only one who did the back flip 1/4 turn into handstand; Dobrescu did a couple
of front somersaults including the mount; and Ungureanu, Zahiu and Marinescu
did the side somersault. EVERYBODY dismount with the flick flick double tuck
combination. Ungureanu top scored with 9.825, because Marinescu fell on her
flick into full-twisitng back somi combo where she ended up scoring only
9.325. The lowest mark was for Zahiu who sat on her dismount with only 9.150.

On the floor there were two and a falf or triple twists galore. I've spotted
four triple twists and five 2 1/2 twists (any go into punch front after the
2 1/2 twists).Even the lowest score was a high quality 9.650, and Marinescu
had the top score with 9.90 again. Her routine had front somi building up into
2 and 1/2 twists immediately front layout; a double tuck middle run; and two
handsprings into 1 and 1/2 twists last tumble. I think she was overmarked
since she struggled with her first run, landing her front layout very low
(in an almost sitting position). There were also a few full-twisitng double
backs being offered of course, whether it's tucked or piked.

The Romanians beat the British team by 195 to 183 points. And in the All-Around,
it was actually Corina Ungureanu who won it.

All-Around

1. Corina Ungureanu 38.975
2. Mirela Tugurlan 38.970
3. Alexandra Marinescu 38.845 (with a fall on beam)

I am impressed by the Romanian girls but didn't think Marinescu was that
outstanding. I mean, she didn't stand out in the crowd particularly but
is within a group of very good Romanians. The future or Romanian gymastics
is certainly still very bright!

When the meet is over that's where the good bits began for us! We started
wondering around on the floor and my friend Kasha started to hand out
presents to the Romanian gymnasts! (She brought eight little gifts, one to
each Romanain) She also took the opportunity to ask for autographs and
we're probably the oldest ones in the crowd of autograph hunters. (Kasha's
25, I'm 24) Kasha can speak a little Romanian and she was asking some of
them to pose for her so she could take some close up photos. The Romanian
girls were very obedient and stood very still while Kasha took the photos.
There was a cute moment when the busy Alex Marinescu was signing away and
chatting with her pals when Kasha asked for a photo. Alex immeditaely
stood still like a stick and as soon as the flash on the camera went, she
whisked off somewhere doing her other busy things. The nicest was actually
Aurelia Gheba who had a little chat with Kasha (In Romanian...) and she
seemed very happy to get a present. It's not a serious chat, just some
"Thank You" and "Goodbye", but many of the others didn't say a word. Most
of them are surprised to get a present (just some miniature necklace,
handbags, etc.) but they generally appreciate them. Kasha only missed out
giving one to Camelia Andronic, who was busy holding up the Cup that her
team had won in this comp. During competition Camelia was very talkative,
always saying something and encouraging others and I think she probably
is the team captain. Alex certainly know at least one English phrase...
"Excuse Me!" as she often sneak between crowds here and there, she always
seems to be moving <busy bee>. Kasha managed to get her autograph last
when she stood still for a second in a rare moment. It's difficult to hunt
her down since as soon as you get to where she was, she is somewhere else.

All the time I was beside Kasha observing everything and rubbing shoulders
with the gymnasts. It was great to have them standing right there in front
of you (and only standing up to your waist...), and you just have the urge
to cuddle some of them since they're so cute!! (I resisted or I'd be
arrested!) Or say "Fancy being my daughter?"... I also took the opportunity
to have a grasp of those bars (never tried that before you know...).

There were some funny moments during the meet, mostly made by the organisers.
Apart from the usual problems with the sound system (the announcer kept
shaking his head...), there were some witty bits made by the announcer
himself too. (He was John Atkinson, by the way, a well known British coach...
at least in Britain anyway) Once when he was introducing some "important
person" coming out to present medals, he was reading the script saying,
"Mr. xxx will now be presenting the medals to the winners, and he is
accompanied by... (ne then looked up and grasp in shock horror) HIS
DAUGHTER!" (His change of tone was really funny... <g>). The Mayor of
Portsmouth also was pretty funny during his introductory speech...
"Keep an eye out for the European Junior Champion, Alexandra... I've
forgotten her name now...". And there's another bit when he went "We'd
like to thank our sponsors without whom this will not be possible.
Continental Sports, Forte Posthouse and... what was the other one?" <g>
I guess I shouldn't be making fun of an old (relatively) man but he was
laughing himself, so I guess he didn't mind.

The whole meet took place under a relaxed atmosphere and it was very
enjoyable to be there to see everything. It took me 3 and 1/2 hours to get
home but it seemd that Marinescu was still standing right in front of me
now...

Hope I haven't forgotten to mention anything significant...

Sherwin

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Date: Mon, 7 Nov 1994 21:49:14 -0500
From: ***@aol.com
Subject: IL Gymnast missing

Hi, saw on preveiws for local news at ten: prominent IL gymnast MISSING.
Details at 10.Who are IL gymnasts? After I watch it, I will send more.
TTFN,
Anne

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Date: Mon, 7 Nov 1994 23:45:55 -0500 (EST)
From: ***@emerald.tufts.edu
Subject: IL Gymnast missing

> Hi, saw on preveiws for local news at ten: prominent IL gymnast MISSING.
> Details at 10.Who are IL gymnasts? After I watch it, I will send more.
> TTFN,
> Anne
>=20
Larissa Fontaine =FBis from Deerfield, Il. Let me know if it's her!=F4=A8

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Date: Mon, 7 Nov 94 23:47:54 -0500
From: ***@ERE.UMontreal.CA
Subject: IL Gymnast missing

>After I watch it, I will send more.
I am waiting, don't be late!!
Are there in our list some champions in gymnastics ?

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Date: Sun, 6 Nov 94 11:20:50 -0500
From: ***@ERE.UMontreal.CA
Subject: New member

I've just just sucribed in the gymn list, I'm a student in Montreal university
(Canada),and I wish that you accept me as a freind first of all, would you?
Riadh
Montreal university/mathematics department
3455 Place Decelles # 506 Montreal H3S1X3 Canada
tel : (514) 735 8548

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Date: Sun, 6 Nov 1994 10:03:38 -0500
From: ***@aol.com
Subject: Worlds Formats

>>SHe said they are hoping for a silver. Could this mean she's competing
AA???<<

The Dortmund World Championships are a team compeition *only* (for M&W). The
AA and EF were decided back in April in Brisbane, AUS.

All teams (which qualified in by a complex and confusing process of all
Barcelona teams and continent championships) will compete in Compulsories
(the first time they've been shown at the World level) and Optionals. The top
6 teams from there will go onto a "team finals" where they will get a clean
slate ("new life") and compete **optionals only** for the meals.

The next World Championships will be the last (we think but they change their
minds so often you can never be sure) "full" Worlds in Saebe (sp?), Japan. It
will have a normal (as far as I know) C&O team comp., AA (new life), and EF
(also new life). It is the qualifier for the Atlanta Olympics. The top 12
teams (M&W) get team bearths. Individuals entrants are later decided by
commitee.

-Susan

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Date: Sun, 6 Nov 1994 11:18:27 -0500 (EST)
From: ***@minerva.cis.yale.edu
Subject: Worlds Formats

> The top
> 6 teams from there will go onto a "team finals" where they will get a clean
> slate ("new life") and compete **optionals only** for the meals.

The "meals", huh? What an apt typo! :)

> The next World Championships will be the last (we think but they change their
> minds so often you can never be sure) "full" Worlds in Saebe (sp?), Japan. It
> will have a normal (as far as I know) C&O team comp., AA (new life), and EF
> (also new life). It is the qualifier for the Atlanta Olympics. The top 12
> teams (M&W) get team bearths. Individuals entrants are later decided by
> commitee.

Sabae. Unless something has changed, individual qualifiers to the
Olympics are not decided by committee. The way it works (or used to) was
that the teams placing 13, 14, and 15 get three entrants each, teams #16,
17, and 18 get two each, and then the next 9 individuals by score, one at
most per country, get the remaining spots. The total comes to 24
individuals.

:)
Adriana

********************************************************
* "Consistency is the key to greatness." *
* *
* -- Jackie Joyner-Kersee *
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End of gymn Digest
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