GYMN-L Digest - 4 Sep 1995 to 5 Sep 1995

There are 12 messages totalling 406 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

1. 1995 ROM Natl. Champs. (2)
2. Amanda, Bogi & Larissa
3. OLYMPIC PREVIEW
4. U.S. Olympic trials
5. Olympic Preview Request
6. Fwd: Amanda, Bogi & Larissa
7. TV Times (2)
8. '95 Intl. Jr. Champs.
9. '95 Intl. Jr. Champs. -- Entrants
10. Olympic Trials

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Date: Mon, 4 Sep 1995 22:07:07 -0600
From: ***@ZEPHYR.MEDCHEM.PURDUE.EDU
Subject: Re: 1995 ROM Natl. Champs.

I hope she does. When she hits, she's a contender. She always is. But she's
been having trouble hitting lately. Nice to see that she came back and
won beam, considering her nasty fall in Dortmund.


Jeff

P.S. My pick for worlds is a battle between Khorkina and Milo (or another
Romanian) for gold, but the bronze is up for grabs for anyone. Anyone.
Its nice that it is going to be a really open competition and anyone of
several of the top gymnasts who hit can win it.

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Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 10:44:59 -0400
From: ***@AOL.COM
Subject: Amanda, Bogi & Larissa

Hi everyone!

I just have a few comments and questions:

1) In Friday's (Sept. 1) Olympic Section of _The Atlanta Journal and
Constitution_ , they reported that Amanda Borden has pulled out of the
upcoming World Championship Trials :( Her petition from Nationals was
accepted, but apparently the injury to her toe was more serious than they
originally thought. The article really made me mad, though, because they
strongly implied that pulling out of this competition affected her chances of
making the Olympic team! Since she has already established herself on the
international scene, I really think this meet has no bearing on her Olympic
status, as long as she recovers from her injury.

2) I meant to post this earlier because it was reported a few weeks ago in
_The Atlanta Journal & Constitution_. It is true that Bela is only training
Dominique Moceanu and Kim Zmeskal because Bogi left his gym! It seems that
after Bela fired Alexandrov (as Rachele reported earlier), Bogi followed him
to Rita Brown's gym in Houston, where he is now coaching.

3) Please excuse me if this has been discussed, but my mail got messed up
when I was at Nationals. I only attended the Optionals and I was wondering
what happened to Larissa Fontaine?? I saw in the paper that she got a 7.80
on comp. beam. Was she injured? If so, did she petition to Trials? Did
anyone who attended the comp. sessions see what happened? I was just
curious.

Thanks!

Amy

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Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 10:33:17 -0500
From: ***@VAXA.CIS.UWOSH.EDU
Subject: OLYMPIC PREVIEW

Date sent: 5-SEP-1995 10:05:34

OKie. Due to popular demand, here is the Olympic Preview I wrote.
I think, for the most part, it is pretty accurate. I tried to
frame it like Street and Smith did theirs in 1988, which is what gave
me the idea in the first place. Enjoy.

START TEXT
In 1992, expectations for the U.S. Woman's Gymnastics team couldn't
have been much higher. After coming up with a surprise team silver medal at
the 1991 World Championships, plus riding the wave of Kim Zmeskal's
all-around gold, the team was expected to challenge for the team gold.
They were brought back down to Earth with a somewhat disappointing
third place bronze medal after Kim Zmeskal fell off compulsory beam and
several other team members were not at their best. However, trials winner
Shannon Miller shone, winning the all-around silver and four other medals.
Now, three years later and Barcelona in the far distant past, the
United States is gearing up for the Olympic Games, to be held on their own
turf in Atlanta. Expectations are again high, as no fewer than 12 athletes,
young and old alike, have a shot at making the seven-member team (rule
changes since 1992 now allow the alternate to compete).
Still near the top of the pack is Miller, who has since added two
world all-around crowns and a national all-around title to her collection.
At 18, she is one several veterans on the senior women's team, but the age
has only enhanced her natural line and grace, still some of the best on the
US team. Recent problems on the balance beam have hampered her this year,
but expect Miller to rebound and make her second Olympic team.
One of those beam problems opened the door for spunky Dominique
Moceanu, 13, who could very well be the next star for the US. Coached by
the legendary Bela Karolyi (who came out of retirement to coach her and Kim
Zmeskal), Moceanu surprised many with her steady performance at nationals,
and stepped into the gold when Miller stepped off beam. Junior national
champ in 1994, her form and difficulty have both improved in the past year.
1996 could be her year.
Another Dominique who has been stealing the spotlight is Dominique
Dawes, 18. A veteran of the senior national team, and the 1992 Olympic
team, Dawes has only gotten better as she has gotten older. Now throwing
some of the most difficult sets in the country (and the world), Dawes can
be considered not only a threat on every apparatus, but in the all-around
as well. After finishing a dissapoitning fourth in the all-around at the
recent US Nationals, she came back to win both the uneven bars and floor
exercise with sensational routines, showing the mettle of a champion.
Also a veteran of the 1992 Olympic team, Kerri Strug, 17, has seen
a difficult path since the Olympics. In 1994, after a stint at Dynamo with
Steve Nunno, she finally returned home to train, and made the US team to
Dortmund. Now, a year later, she has again relocated, this time to the
Colorado Aerials, and is looking stronger than ever. A huge tumbler and
vaulter, Strug also possesses one of the best uneven bar sets in the
country. She is also a tough competitor, and will lend valuable experience
to the team.
Amanda Borden, 18, has lurked as one of the most consistent US
performers since 1992. her clean form and performance style, not to mention
her infectious smile, make a dangerous addition to any meet. Although she
is lacking a 10.0 start value vault, she is among the top US athletes on
the other events. Coached by Mary Lee Tracy in Cinnicinatti, Borden is the
Pan Am Games all-around silver medalist, and was a member of the US team at
the Dortmund worlds in 1994.
Borden's Cinncinatti teammate, Jaycie Phelps, 16, has come a long
way in two years. After almost quitting the sport in 1993, she relocated to
Cinncinnati and has skyrocketed into the top echelon of the sport.
Possessing the form and line of Shannon Miller, and the grace and beauty of
the great KAthy Johnson, Phelps' gymnastics is consistent, clean and HARD!
She throws a double front on floor, a two-release bar set ending with a
huge double front, and a 10.0 start value vault. Look for her to keep on
climbing.
Also not to be excluded are Doni Thompson and Kristy Powell,
teammates of Strug in Colorado. Powell won the 1995 American Cup, while
Thompson won the 1994 Olympic Festival and is the US beam champ. Both are
strong all-arounders with clean form, a trademark of the Aerials program.
Rounding out the possibles are Larissa Fontaine and Amy Chow, both
of whom are world team members, Katie Teft, a talented junior who beginning
to see international competition, and Jennie Thompson, 1993 junior national
champion. Fontaine is a veteran of two world championships, while Chow has
arguable the toughest sets in teh country. Teft and Thompson are both
consistent athletes, who, like Chow and Fontaine, have the ability to make
the team.
With this depth of talent, choosing a team to Atlanta will be no
easy task. No doubt, several deserving athletes will be left on the
sidelines.
One thing is for certain, though. The picture for the US in Atlanta
couldn't be brighter. The chosen seven will carry the hopes of the nation
proudly, and could very well be wearing gold medals around their necks for
the world to see.

END TEXT

Okie. There it is. Criticism and commentary is always welcome. I'm a
journalism major, so i tried my damnedest to be up to par. Hope you all
enjoy it.

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Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 12:22:44 -0400
From: ***@HUGSE1.HARVARD.EDU
Subject: U.S. Olympic trials

Just thought I'd let people know that tickets for the Olympic trials in Boston
are on said anyon
are on sale. If anyone is interested, you can call:617 443-4909.

I just bought 2 strip tickets, which includes tickets to all events, men's
women's, preliminary and finals. I'm only interested in going to the women's
events, and so would like to so my tickets to the men's events. I'm
not sure yet of the price, but they're excellent seats. Anyone
interested? Contact me privately if you are -- thanks -- Kiki.

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Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 13:29:24 -0500
From: ***@VAXA.CIS.UWOSH.EDU
Subject: Olympic Preview Request

Date sent: 5-SEP-1995 13:28:50
Just to clarify: I've received numerous requests for the Olympic
Preview i wrote. I posted it on the server this morning. Enjoy.

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Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 12:31:19 -0700
From: ***@IX.NETCOM.COM
Subject: Fwd: Amanda, Bogi & Larissa

In the Cincinnati Enquirer an article quoted Mary Lee Tracy saying that
if Amanda pulls out of the Worlds it would not effect the chances of
her making the Olmpic Team because she has already proven herself on
the International status.
Bye!
Margi and Mardi =)


< The article really made me mad, though, because they
<strongly implied that pulling out of this competition affected her
<chances of
<making the Olympic team! Since she has already established herself on
<the
<international scene, I really think this meet has no bearing on her
>Olympic
>status, as long as she recovers from her injury.

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Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 15:38:48 -0400
From: ***@AOL.COM
Subject: TV Times

Someone asked about TV schedules. This is what I know so far. Forgive me if
there have been changes I was not aware of. :)


US World Team Trials(W)- 9/25/95 at *9:30-11:00pm on ESPN
US World Team Trials(M)- 10/4/95 at 9:30-10:30pm on ESPN
World Championships- 10/8/95 at 4:00-6:00pm on ABC
World Championships- 10/15/95 at 4:00-6:00pm on ABC
*All times are EST.
Dawn

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Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 18:12:42 -0500
From: ***@NETCOM.COM
Subject: '95 Intl. Jr. Champs.

1995 Intl. Junior Champs.
August 30-31, 1995
Yokohama, Japan

WOMEN AA
1. Evgenia Kuznetsova (RUS) 9.637 9.800 9.500 9.750 38.687
2. Mirela Tugurlan (ROM) 9.637 9.725 9.425 9.625 38.312
3. Ying Jin (CHN) 9.375 9.600 9.700 9.450 38.125
4. Vanessa Atler (USA) 9.488 9.625 9.200 9.750 38.063
5. Elena Produnova (RUS) 9.425 9.650 9.575 9.275 37.925
6. Viktoria Karpenko (UKR) 9.187 9.325 9.425 9.750 37.712
7. Yulia Sobko (BLR) 9.050 9.200 9.325 9.625 37.200
-- Naho Hoshiyama (JPN)** 9.075 9.350 9.375 9.375 37.175
8. Jamie Dantzscher (JPN) 9.562 9.125 8.675 9.500 36.862
9. Yoon Jing Kong (KOR) 9.412 9.325 7.850 9.450 36.037
10.Mizuki Ohsugi (JPN) 9.225 8.500 8.850 9.450 36.025
-- Rie Okumoto (JPN)** 9.282 7.600 9.100 9.225 35.207
11.Lim Fong Zhu (SUI) 8.537 7.900 8.950 8.825 34.212
12.Akiko Kawai (JPN) 8.725 8.150 7.700 7.650 32.225

The **'ed names mean that these Japanese girls weren't the "official"
entrants.

WOMEN EF
V. 1. Kuznetsova 9.575, 2. Tugurlan 9.562, 3. Karpenko 9.475
UB: 1. Karpenko 9.800, 2. Tugurlan 9.750, 3. Kuznetsova 9.725
B: 1. Tugurlan 9.650, 2. Produnova 9.625, 3. Karpenko 9.575
FX: 1. Atler 9.700, 2. Dantzscher 9.650, 3. Tugurlan 9.625

MEN AA
1. Xu Huang (CHN) 55.85 (9.3, 9.35, 9.35, 9.2, 9.45, 9.2)
2. Alexei Bondarenko (RUS) 55.60
3. Evgeny Podgorny (RUS) 55.225
4. Naoya Tsukahara (JPN) ??????
[NO OTHER RESULTS KNOWN]

MEN EF
FX: V:
1. Podgorny 9.6, 1. Bondarenko 9.412
2. Pfeifer (GER) 9.3, 2. Podgorny 9.325
3. Tsukahara & Mezentsev (UKR) 9.15 3. Tsukahara 9.225

PH: PB:
1. Huang 9.35 1. Podgorny 9.5
2. Tsukhara 9.3 2. Tsukahara 9.4
3. Bondardnko 9.25 3. Bondarenko 9.35

R: HB:
1. Ferratti(?) (ITA) 9.55 1. Orzata (ROM) 9.5
2. Huang 9.45 2. Tsukahara 9.3
3. Shkuratovich (BLR) 9.30 3. Ferratti 9.25

Naoya Tsukahara is Mitsuo's son.

Debbie

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Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 18:18:20 -0500
From: ***@NETCOM.COM
Subject: '95 Intl. Jr. Champs. -- Entrants

From the program...

MEN

GER: Sergei Pfeifer
AUS: David Schneider
BLR: Vladimir Shkuratovich & Alexei Sinkevich
BUL: Hristian Ivanov
CHN: Huang Xu
KOR: Lee Kyung Ki
HUN: Zoltan Lang
ITA: Matteo Ferrtti (Ferratti?)
ROM: Rares-Iulian Orzata
RUS: Evgeny Podgorny & Alexei Bondarenko
SUI: Daniel Obrist
UKR: Ruslan Mezentsev
USA: Mike Morgan
JPN: Taku Saito, Naoya Tsukahara, Masato Hiramoto, Isao Yoneda

HUN and BUL cancelled their boys' entries for some unknown reason.

WOMEN
AUS: Katarina Frketic & Sarah Prosser
BLR: Yulia Sobko
CHN: Ying Jin
KOR: Yoon Jing Kong
USA: Jamie Dantzscher & Vanessa Atler
FRA: Orelie Troscompt
HUN: Adrienn Zsirai
ROM: Mirela Tugurlan
RUS: Elena Produnova & Evgenia Kuznetsova
SUI: Lim Fong Zhu
UKR: Viktoria Karpenko
JPN: Naho Hoshiyama, Mizuki Ohsugi, Rie Okumoto, Akiko Kawai

FRA and AUS cancelled their girls' entries for unknown reasons.

Debbie

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Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 18:30:31 -0400
From: ***@STYX.IOS.COM
Subject: Olympic Trials

Does anyone know the dates of the womens competition for the US Olympic
Trials?


Thanks

Lori

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Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 20:22:34 -0400
From: ***@AOL.COM
Subject: Re: TV Times

Sorry everyone, I made a mistake.

The World Team Trials (W) air on ESPN on 10/3/95 from 9:00-10:30pm.

NOT: 9/25/95 until 11:00.

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Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 21:26:56 -0600
From: ***@ZEPHYR.MEDCHEM.PURDUE.EDU
Subject: Re: 1995 ROM Natl. Champs.

I don't think so. Mo is good, but she will need a great performance to out do
the establishment. However, If we look at history, the winner of the world's
*prior* to the Olympics is usually someone who doesn't win at the Olympics.
It has recently been a "new star" (i.e. Dobre, Zmeskal) and they tend to
peak then and not a year later. So, you could say that a new star, possibly
from ROM or RUS will be the victor.

Personally- I'd like to see either Pod, Khorkina, or Miller win. If so the
judges send a message to the world: Difficulty is required, but you better
be artistic. These three have it all, and are deserving champions. But it is
far to close to call, so I doubt even VEGAS will give odds!


Jeff

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End of GYMN-L Digest - 4 Sep 1995 to 5 Sep 1995
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