GYMN-L Digest - 20 Jul 1995 to 21 Jul 1995

There are 20 messages totalling 443 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

  1. US Olympic Festival (4)
  2. heights (4)
  3. U.S. Classic
  4. Tall gymnasts
  5. Classic (2)
  6. Miller's height
  7. Too many goddamn things, but listen anyyhow
  8. One more thing
  9. Olympics Trials. (2)
 10. Silivas? & Shushunova (was Gurova et al)
 11. Olympic preview
 12. heights\short gymnasts

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Date:    Thu, 20 Jul 1995 23:03:23 -0400
From:    ***@DELPHI.COM
Subject: US Olympic Festival

Dear Gymners,

Does anyone know when and on what channel they will broadcast the gymnastics
from the US Olympic Festival?  The Festival started today!

Gymnastically yours,
David =]

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Date:    Thu, 20 Jul 1995 22:07:05 -0700
From:    ***@ACCESSNV.COM
Subject: Re: US Olympic Festival

> Dear Gymners,
>
> Does anyone know when and on what channel they will broadcast the gymnastics
> from the US Olympic Festival?  The Festival started today!
>
> Gymnastically yours,
> David =]
>

The Olympic Festival is being broadcast on the Prime Sports Network.  If
your cable co. carries it, you'll be able to see it.  In Vegas it's on
channel 19 but only if you have cable.  I don't see anything listed in
the TV Guide until Saturday at 5:00 PDT (Gymnastics, swimming and diving,
taped in Colorado).  That is the only listing for gymnastics that I can find.

Greg

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Date:    Thu, 20 Jul 1995 23:09:05 -0600
From:    ***@RMII.COM
Subject: US Olympic Festival

| Does anyone know when and on what channel they will broadcast the gymnastics
| from the US Olympic Festival?  The Festival started today!

Well, I don't know TV info, but I know that gymnastics doesn't begin
for five days or so.

rachele

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Date:    Fri, 21 Jul 1995 09:13:19 -0400
From:    ***@PERFIT.ZKO.DEC.COM
Subject: Re: heights

Orion writes:

>Mihai Bagiu 5'9''
>Alexei Nemov 5'8''
>Trent Dimas 5'8''
>Zoltan Supola 5'8''?
>Dmitri Bilozerchev 5'7'' or 5'8''?
>Vitali Rudnitsky 5'7''?
>John Roethlisberger 5'7''

Being at gatherings of other gymnasts, I always found myself to be one of the
taller people.  Pretty good for the ego :)

Steve - a towering 5'7"

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Date:    Fri, 21 Jul 1995 12:38:51 -0400
From:    ***@AOL.COM
Subject: Re: US Olympic Festival

| Does anyone know when and on what channel they will broadcast the
gymnastics
| from the US Olympic Festival?  The Festival started today!
This is according to AOL:
CBS will have four days of coverage: (all times are EDT)
July 22 4-6 boxing and figure skating
July 23 4:30-6 boxing and figure skating
July 29 1-2 men's gymnastics and figure skating
July 30 1-4 women's gymnastics, highlights of the men's individual finals,
figure skating, and boxing
Prime TV (I guess that's a cable channel), starting tomorrow, will have
coverage every night from 8-10, with the exception of July 29 (from 8-12) and
July 30 (from 7-11).  I think they'll be showing gymnastics on July 23 (I
guess they mean rythmic) and July 30.
Hope this helps!
Alexis

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Date:    Fri, 21 Jul 1995 13:10:35 -0500
From:    ***@ASTRO.OCIS.TEMPLE.EDU
Subject: Re: heights

>If you look at results, you'll find that a taller gymnast sticks around
>longer.  Nadia, Bogie, Stoyanova, Polokova, etc. all *continued* to improve
>as they got older.  Of course, they did have a "down time" as their bodies
>changed, but
>puberty doesn't seem to be as "career-threatening" for a taller gymnast
>as it is for a shorter gymnast.   (Not meaning to sound cruel ... it's just
>an observation.)

I wonder if these gymnasts stick around longer _because_ they are able to
survive growing taller and still improve their skills.  A gymnast who can't
handle her height will drop out of the sport younger.

>The main way I can think of that the sport has changed to support taller
>women is, obviously, the width of the uneven bars.  Of course, shorter
>gymnasts don't exactly object to that ;) but that change probably kept
>many taller gymnasts from retiring.

This seems likely, although there's another side to it.  When the bars were
closer together, taller gymnasts just didn't swing giants.  The stuck to
stalters, toe-ons and clear hips.  They could even do impressive between
bar releases out of belly beats (or they could stick to browses).  Single
bar release moves and dismountsw were much harder, though.

>-For those of you that have seen the documentary "The Romanian Dream"
>you'll know their "screening" procedure for selecting young girls.
>The ROM coaches (at least the ones in the documentary) preferred
>girls with longer arms and legs and they would take a look at the
>parents and grand-parents to predict how the girl would grow
>and thus decide whether or not she was "suitable" for gymnastics.
>They don't want the short/stocky gymnasts.  I assume because they
>know that a taller person will be leaner, thus less worrying
>about weight/appearance etc.

Fascinating.  Milo's double layout always amazes me.

>Hope to stir up a little discussion here...

Wish granted.  :-)

>-----------------------------
>DORY --- the guy from Canada
>-----------------------------

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Date:    Fri, 21 Jul 1995 13:10:39 -0500
From:    ***@ASTRO.OCIS.TEMPLE.EDU
Subject: Re: heights

I think Shannon Miller is 4' 11 1/2, which puts her almost in the tall
camp.  She's had a lot of problems handling her height, though, unlike
Khorkina, Milo, or Gogean.  I still think she's one of the most beautiful
gymnasts around (I'm partial to the graceful types with good dance), but
her tumbling and her vaulting really have suffered, as well as her dreaded
double layout of UB.

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Date:    Fri, 21 Jul 1995 12:48:43 CDT
From:    ***@PROCTR.CBA.UA.EDU
Subject: Re: heights

I should be seeing Shannon at the U.S. Classic this weekend in
Birmingham, Alabama, along with Dom Dawes.  It will be interesting to
see how she is keeping up with her height.  It's been a while since
I've seen Shannon compete.
For those of you who don't know, along with the Classic this weekend
will be the World University Games Team Trials.  Can't wait!!

Shawn

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Date:    Fri, 21 Jul 1995 13:04:14 CDT
From:    ***@PROCTR.CBA.UA.EDU
Subject: U.S. Classic

Just got word that most of the big names will be at the Classic in
Birmingham: Shannon, Dom, Amanda Borden, and Amy
Chow.  Thought I would pass it along!!

Shawn

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Date:    Fri, 21 Jul 1995 14:28:03 -0400
From:    ***@AOL.COM
Subject: Tall gymnasts

Heres a couple I thought of that I dont think have been listed:
Amanda Borden (5')??
Summer Reid  (5'3'')
Jenni Beatherd  (5'1'')

These are a couple I can think of off the top of my head w/o checking my
tapes.  What about extremely short gymnasts?  Mo Hulian and Jennie Thompson
come to mind.  Any gymnasts under 4 feet?

TTFN,
Anne

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Date:    Fri, 21 Jul 1995 15:59:33 -0400
From:    ***@AOL.COM
Subject: Classic

Isn't Kim Zmeskal going to compete at the U.S. Classic???

Ann Marie

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Date:    Fri, 21 Jul 1995 16:03:14 -0400
From:    ***@AOL.COM
Subject: Miller's height

Someone wrote that Shannon Miller was 4'6" in Barcelona, but she was actually
4'7".  NBC announced it wrong the entire games (they also said she weighed 69
lbs., when she was really 72 lbs.).

Ann Marie

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Date:    Fri, 21 Jul 1995 17:24:54 -0400
From:    ***@AOL.COM
Subject: Classic

I'm flad to hear that so many of my favorites will be at the Classic.  Did
they start today?  Will someone please post results as soon as they are
known.  Also, anyone know any more about whether this will be televised?
 Thanks.
-Emily

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Date:    Fri, 21 Jul 1995 17:05:01 -0500
From:    ***@VAXA.CIS.UWOSH.EDU
Subject: Too many goddamn things, but listen anyyhow

Date sent:  21-JUL-1995 16:58:00
I'm sorry my mail messages tend to be so long, but I wait till I can get
on line for free to send e-mail, and the number I use is very busy. Anyhow,
here we go:

1)Regarding heights and the recent debate, I personally enjoy the
added height, but it takes a while for gymnasts to adjust. Take Milo,
for instance, she was slow and cumbersome at first (93 worlds), but
she really has become a better gymnast. And, BTW, Summer Reid is
5'6", I believe.

2)Regarding the Olympic selection process: I would never agree
that the selection process that denied Dianne Durham a spot on
the Olympic team was fair. But our current system isn't fair
to the athletes, and doesn't seem to work anyhow. The team's performance
in Barcelona sufferred because the athlets were doubting themselves.
There were many stupid errors (Strug not sticking her bars dismount,
Dawes' wobbles on beam, Miller's problems on floor, other stuff, too),
which I feel would have been avoided if there had been one trials that
solidified the team. 1988's team, while embroiled in controversy about
the coaching, was unified and working together. 1992, on the other hand,
saw gymnasts ignoring their teammates. So...what do you do? I understand
the jusification about putting the best athlets on the floor, but
it doesn't seem to be helping.

3)Anyone know whether Larissa Fontaine is deferring her acceptance
to Stanford, or is going this year?

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Date:    Fri, 21 Jul 1995 17:09:31 -0500
From:    ***@VAXA.CIS.UWOSH.EDU
Subject: One more thing

Date sent:  21-JUL-1995 17:08:34
Can someone please explain this new floor move of Amy Chow's
to me? It keeps getting discribed as an arabian double front
with an extra half tweist, which, if I am thinking right, is
simply a full-in. Or is it a double front with a half twist?

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Date:    Fri, 21 Jul 1995 19:10:13 -0600
From:    ***@ZEPHYR.MEDCHEM.PURDUE.EDU
Subject: Olympics Trials.

No one is going to like ANY form of deciding the top 6 gymnasts when there
are more than six gymnasts who are all fighting for these spots.

There is no FAIR way of doing it and anyway that is tried is only going
to get questioned and attacked. Perhaps they should go for a
way which promotes unity (a.k.a the trials ONLY) since that way is the
BEST for producing a unified team. BTW: It is really interesting that when
you look at it, Mills (1988) was so much better the athlete than the rest of
the team, perhaps there was no problem dealing "getting the job done"
with the rest of the team. In Barcelona, 4 years and MULTIPLE world medals
later, you have three gymnasts with WORLD MEDALS at the top, and the rest
fighting it out in the early line up. Perhaps the 1992 team was more
polarized by its structure than by the method of its selection?

In the past, other countries have been made up of multi medal winners, but
this is a new thing for the Americans. And except for the team medal in
1994, only two american women have individual world medals (Shannon and
Dawes). Perhaps if an American DOESN'T win the world AA just before
Atlanta, then there may be less pressure on the individuals and
more focus on the team. Americans can do it. They did it in Dortmund,
where no individual medals were at stake, and brought home a silver.


Just my thoughts....rambling on at the terminal on Friday night at- OH MY
GOD 7:15!


UGH!

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Date:    Fri, 21 Jul 1995 20:20:29 -0400
From:    ***@PRISM.GATECH.EDU
Subject: Re: Silivas? & Shushunova (was Gurova et al)

B
> > After finishing behind Baraksanova & Zabrodina in the AA at 84 Euro
> > Juniors in Rimini, and winning BB, she went on, in my opinion, to become
> > the greatest female gymnast in history.............what I wouldn't do to
> > see Shushunova's AA vault in Seoul scored fairly!
> >
> I think Silivas won more world and olympic medals than than anyone since
 Larissa
> Latynina, if I remember correctly.  And I have *always* believed that the AA
> gold in Seoul should have been Daniela's.  If you go back and look at the
 final
> vaults of both gymnasts, what you will see on the first vault is a SLIGHT
 scoot

I am not going to question Silvas's Seoul problems, but at times she
was greatly overscored. Look at the 1989 Europeans (Beam, in particular)

Overscoring and scoring problems happen to all gymnasts. It is always the
ones that hurt them that are talked about, not the ones that help them.


Jeff

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Date:    Fri, 21 Jul 1995 20:38:37 -0400
From:    ***@AOL.COM
Subject: Olympic preview

For those of us not lucky enough to be able to attend one of the competitions
going on this weekend, NBC will air one of its Olympic preview shows this
Sunday, July 23 at 2:30 pm central.  I don't think it will include
gymnastics, but it might be of some interest.

Ann Marie

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Date:    Fri, 21 Jul 1995 21:01:07 -0400
From:    ***@AOL.COM
Subject: Re: Olympics Trials.

I agree that no selection process will ever be perfect!  One thing I didn't
get about the '92 Trials was that Betty Okino and Michele Campi were
petitioned onto the training squad, but Kim Zmeskal, who at that point was
the reinging EVERYTHING, had to complete trials.  If anyone had proven
themselves and should have been let onto the squad, it should have been her.
 I know that gets into a whole other issue of "well, if we put so-and-so on,
we have to put another so-and-so on too."  It just seemed to me the USGF knew
from day one who was going to Barcelona (maybe everyone else did to).
Two questions:  Are the '96 Trails going to be the same way...a training
squad selection, or an absolute, this-is-the-team-that's-going Trails?  Did
the '92 men go through the same process?

Ann Marie

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Date:    Fri, 21 Jul 1995 22:47:59 -0400
From:    ***@DELPHI.COM
Subject: Re: heights\short gymnasts

Someone mentioned the shorter gymnasts around. Do they still
count after they get taller? :-) Actually, I was wondering
recently about some of the female gymnasts who seem to have
stopped growing and are still under 5', especially Kerri Strug,
who was one of the *shorter* members of the '94 Worlds team,
and Kim Zmeskal, who seemed closer to Dominique's height than
Svetlana's when they've shown clips of them training together
on TV.  Does anyone have current height listings for them?
-Emily of Waco

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End of GYMN-L Digest - 20 Jul 1995 to 21 Jul 1995
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