GYMN-L Digest - 23 Oct 1995 to 24 Oct 1995 - Special issue

There are 19 messages totalling 539 lines in this issue.

Topics in this special issue:

1. Summer Competition
2. Any Rhythmic Enthusiasts on Gymn
3. Timochenko, Skaldina
4. RSG coaches
5. RSG Junior Olympic Group Championships
6. FIG Videos
7. Fabrichnova
8. Reporter for 1995 Subway World Gymnastics Challenge
9. Khorkina's back
10. A letter I think you should read. (2)
11. Number of gymnasts with eating disorders
12. A letter I think you should read. -Reply (2)
13. CBC Coverage of Worlds
14. Questions
15. South Carolina Meets
16. FIG Code of Points
17. eating disorders

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Oct 1995 23:45:03 -0400
From: ***@AOL.COM
Subject: Summer Competition

To all coaches and gymnasts:

I am posting to see the reaction to running an invitational meet. This
meet would be open all boys level 1-6 and elites or open category, and all
girls 5-10 and elite. This competition would run for one weekend, there
would be two sessions for boys, and four for the girls. Several team and
individual categories. The meet would take place the first weekend in June.
For boys this is one month after Nationals; this would be a good time to
try those routines with those tricks that were too risky to throw during the
regular season, and it would be a relaxing no pressure competition. For the
girls, this meet would be a great tune up for Nationals, in Orlando.
Nationals is two weeks after this, and the weekend of the 1st is about 3
weeks after level 8 regionals.
This meet would be run in New Jersey, close to the beaches. If you
have any questions, please respond to this message, or if you would like to
be placed on our mailing list when further details are available. My e-mail
address is ***@aol.com
or you can mail a letter to:
Head Over Heels School of Gymnastics
c/o Jason
109 White Oak Lane
Old Bridge, New Jersey 08857

Thank you for your consideration!

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Oct 1995 21:13:11 -10
From: ***@ALOHA.NET
Subject: Any Rhythmic Enthusiasts on Gymn

Are there any RSG enthusiasts out there "lurking" in Gymn? If there
are, I would appreciate hearing from you regarding the recent World
Championships held in Vienna. I just got through watching the event
finals and was just blown away at the "quality" of the competition
even though Olga Gontar and Tatiana Ogrizko were missing. Does
anyone know what happened to these two?

Here are some of my thoughts regarding the top ten RSG gymnasts:

Starting with my favorites
Larissa Lukyanenko: At twenty-two even though she does not look like it
-proof that someone over twenty can still be an elite champion in
gymnastics--at least in RSG.

Elena Vitrichenko: tremendous difficulty. Has what it takes to
become champion but often stuck ending up in 6th place during Worlds.
Why?

Katya Serebrianskaya: IG called her a Timochenko clone when she
debuted in the 92 Brussels Worlds. This was underserved because
she definitely has more difficulty/risk than Timochenko ever had.
Being from the Deryugina stable, her choice of music often is
horrendous but strong composition often makes up for that so the
judges often overlook this.

Olga Gontar: I can't believe this girl practices artistic
gymnastics. With a little more difficulty-she'll be a senior
champion in no time. She needs to improve her attitude turns though.
Her free leg tends to move from the horizontal position.

Yana Batyrchina: A true prodigy of the Russian school. She looks
like a Thai temple dancer with that bun of hair perched on top of her
head. No illusion forward roll, triple roll combinations for this
girl because of this "monstrosity"

The rest of the pack?

Maria Petrova: What can I say, 3 World AA titles and this from the
woman who said she was not defending her 94 title. Her strength is
consistency, great composition, originality, difficulty, and
personality.

Amina Zaripova: although flexibility is an important requirement in
RSG--who wants it shoved in your face all the time. The key is
to balance all elements and with Zaripova it is not. Your back hurts from all
those
back scales that she does. Im willing to bet she would do well in a
game of twister.

Diana Popova: One wonders how it can be that Petrova is so good
and Diana so mediocre? Favoritism perhaps?

Magdalena Breszka: One of Germany's current gymnastic imports.
Great difficulty and originality but it will be very difficult to
crack the top six with the hegemony going on right now.

Eva Serrano: She needs more difficulty but has beautiful extenstion
body line/techniques. I think she needs to improve on her speed
also.

Enough for now! Bye!

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Oct 1995 21:45:49 -10
From: ***@ALOHA.NET
Subject: Timochenko, Skaldina

For RSG fans out there, the October issue of IG has an interview
conducted by John Crumlish of the legendary Ukrainian RSG coaching
team of Albina and Irina Deryugina. When asked about the whereabouts
of theif famous duo of Timochenko and Skaldina, Madame Deryugina
responded by saying that Timochenko is coaching in Germany while
Skaldina is married and coaching in Moscow. So much for the earlier
rumors that Timochenko got married and that Skaldina joined some
dance troup.

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Oct 1995 21:45:49 -10
From: ***@ALOHA.NET
Subject: RSG coaches

Anyone know who coaches Elena Vitrichenko, Olga Gontar, and Tatiana
Ogrizko?

Eva Serrano of France is said to be coached by a Bulgarian named
Ludmil Kotsev. Is this a man's name? If it is, this will be the
first time I have ever heard of a male RSG coach. The Spanish team
also seems to have a man as part of its coaching team. Anyone know
of his name or if he happens to be Bulgarian?

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Oct 1995 21:45:48 -10
From: ***@ALOHA.NET
Subject: RSG Junior Olympic Group Championships

Any San Francisco Gymners with results of the Junior Olympic RSG
group nationals held in SFO last October 14, 15?


By the way, for those interested, the San Francisco RSG International
Invitational is being held February 24-25, 1996. It is hosted by
Scherba's Sports Center. They expect to have junior and senior elite
individuals and groups for this competition from Japan, Europe and
America. For more info: please contact phone/fax (415)587-4447 or
write to Scherba's Sports Center
750 Gonzalez Dr., #2A
San Francisco, CA 94132
USA

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Oct 1995 21:45:48 -10
From: ***@ALOHA.NET
Subject: FIG Videos

The following was taken from FIG's ad for videos from IG. Videos of
selected World and Olympic competitions for both Artistic and RSG are
available in (NTSC, PAL, SECAM). To order write :

International Gymnastics Federation
PO Box 359
2740 Moutier 1, Switzerland

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 24 Oct 1995 09:04:53 MET
From: ***@SEPA.TUDELFT.NL
Subject: Re: Fabrichnova

Beth wrote:
> Interestingly, I just read in Sovetsky Sport that Svetlana
>Khorkina was nearly kept off the Sabae team because she also had
>a sore back. Arkayev wanted to leave her at home, but she REALLY
>wanted to go and, obviously, won out. :)


Last week the programme 'Russia Now' on NBC super channel
featured the russian gymnastics team at their national training
centre just before worlds 1995 and you could see very clearly
Svetlana was in great pain concerning her back.

Chantal



------------------------------

Date: Tue, 24 Oct 1995 07:17:58 -0600
From: ***@RMII.COM
Subject: Reporter for 1995 Subway World Gymnastics Challenge

Well, it might already be obvious <grin>, but since I had said I would
announce Gymn reporters:

Gymn is happy to have Grace reporting for us on the 1995 Subway
World Gymnastics Challenge. Her pages are great, and are the featured
first link on the Gymn home page.

Rachele

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 24 Oct 1995 09:13:58 -0500
From: ***@VAXA.CIS.UWOSH.EDU
Subject: Re: Khorkina's back

Date sent: 24-OCT-1995 09:11:59

Re: Khorkina's sore back....maybe she and Miller should BOTH get credit for
being so gutsy.

Real quick question, folks. If anyone has a copy of the 1993 and 1994 Ncaa
Women's gymnastics championships, please mail me. I need to find a copy.
Thanks.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 24 Oct 1995 11:15:11 -0400
From: ***@ASTRO.OCIS.TEMPLE.EDU
Subject: Re: A letter I think you should read.

> My daughter is a level ten who is about to go to Elite. Her schedule (and her
> families) sounds a lot like your daughters and every other high level gymnast
> at our club in Sacramento. Its been my experience that because of the rigors
> of the sport many kids that would be susceptible to eating disorders do not
> make it to the top. I'm a psychiatrist. I've seen many a child and adult
> with an eating disorder. Because of the population that gymnasts are from a
> certain percentage of them may well develop these disorders. They're very
> common in American society in this population. I'm not convinced that these
> disorders are found in any higher percentage than any other sport with
> similar aged girls. In fact I'm not convinced its any higher for any age
> matched group outside of athletics. Good luck to your daughter. Saludos.
>
The last statistic I heard stated that 76% (or was it 78%) of
American elite level gymnasts have clinically significant eating
disorders. Obviously not all of these meet criteria for
anorexia, bulimia, etc. Still, for measurable, clinically
important problems this seems awfully high to me. Are you
suggesting that this figure is consistent with the population
at large (by which I mean girls of the same age and socioeconomic
status)? Do you know what the numbers actually are?

When I was a gymnast, we used to talk to each other about all
the ways to maintain one's weight. I heard some mighty crazy
stories. I've also heard well-known former gymnasts (Cathy
Rigby-Mason and Cathy Johnson-Clark) say that National team
members used to teach each other such skills as how to
make one's self throw up

Seems to me like there are some serious problems in the sport
that we need to address.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 24 Oct 1995 10:00:21 -0600
From: ***@RMII.COM
Subject: Number of gymnasts with eating disorders

Ilene said she had heard the number 76%. I myself have never heard a
number that high. The following is a clip from USA Gymnastics'
Preliminary Response to the Female Athlete Triad:

>The number of gymnasts affected by disordered eating or Triad related
>problems is unclear. Dr. Bill Sands' unpublished survey of elite
>gymnasts and their mothers indicated that 28% of the gymnasts surveyed
>had eating disorder problems. A survey of 42 NCAA gymnastics programs
>showed that 62% of collegiate gymnasts have engaged in disordered
>eating practices. No statistics are available on the numbers or
>percentages of gymnasts who have anorexia nervosa or bulimia.

This Report is available via anon ftp
(ftp.cac.psu.edu/pub/gymn/Other/USAG-Female-Triad) or on the Gymn WWW
pages (http://rainbow.rmii.com/~rachele/gymnhome.html, then jump to
"More current events" and then the "USA Gymnastics Preliminary
Response..." link.)

Rachele

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 24 Oct 1995 11:33:18 -0500
From: ***@CIC.NCHE.EDU
Subject: Re: A letter I think you should read. -Reply

Yes, there is an eating disorder problem in America, but please,
let's stop singaling out elite gymnastics (or gymnastics period). I
know of lots of cheerleaders who have eating disorders because they
cannot make the squad if they go over a certain weight restriction
(the men have to lift them). And also lots of girls who want to be
models, and lots of wrestlers who want to wrestle in a certain weight
class--this isn't just gymnastics! Kelly

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
When I was a gymnast, we used to talk to each other about all the
ways to maintain one's weight. I heard some mighty crazy stories.
I've also heard well-known former gymnasts (Cathy
Rigby-Mason and Cathy Johnson-Clark) say that National team members
used to teach each other such skills as how to make one's self throw
up. Seems to me like there are some serious problems in the sport
that we need to address.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 24 Oct 1995 10:34:56 -0600
From: ***@TIBALT.SUPERNET.AB.CA
Subject: Re: CBC Coverage of Worlds

>Yes, isn't she great? We are so proud of her here. Carol Angela Orchard is not
>just coaching elite gymnasts at Sport Seneca but also teaches coaching. In
>her spare time she handles administration and does CBC commentaries.

Help. I missed CBC's team/all-round stuff. What happened, did they show
Bogi??? Please write me and tell me what happened on the side, if they
showed other people that ABC didn't. maybe we cane talk about someone
sending me a tape. I live here in Canada.

Kel

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 24 Oct 1995 16:58:16 +0100
From: ***@GL.RHBNC.AC.UK
Subject: Questions

Just a couple of question......


1) When some people talk of a backhandspring am I to take it they mean a back
flip?

2) Where can I get hold of the FIG code of points?





laters


Sarah:)

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 24 Oct 1995 12:36:20 -0400
From: ***@ISSCAD.COM
Subject: Re: A letter I think you should read.

> Subject: Re: A letter I think you should read.
> >
> The last statistic I heard stated that 76% (or was it 78%) of
> American elite level gymnasts have clinically significant eating
> disorders. Obviously not all of these meet criteria for
> anorexia, bulimia, etc. Still, for measurable, clinically
> important problems this seems awfully high to me. Are you
> suggesting that this figure is consistent with the population
> at large (by which I mean girls of the same age and socioeconomic
> status)? Do you know what the numbers actually are?
>

The first thing that I do when I hear statistics bandied about like this
is to question their source. Where exactly did this number come from? What
journal published it and who did the study? The next thing to do is to examine
what criteria was used to determine what is or what is not a "significant
eating disorder". What are the credentials of the person(s) who published
this number? Questions? Questions? Questions?

I have to agree with Rachael, all of the published material that I have
come across indicates that the actual number is much lower. Still 20-30 %
is a significant amount, and is indicative of a problem. I am glad to see
that USAG is taking it seriously. I've seen first hand what it can do to a
child.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 24 Oct 1995 10:51:11 -0600
From: ***@TIBALT.SUPERNET.AB.CA
Subject: Re: South Carolina Meets

>I am wondering how to find out about local and state gymnastic
>meets, especially in South Carolina? Where could I go or call to
>find this information? Thanks.

I have a similar ?. I want to find out about exhibitions here in Canada.
And even smaller gym competitions. I have no clue where to start looking.

Help!

Kel

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 24 Oct 1995 09:57:51 -0700
From: ***@ENG.SUN.COM
Subject: Re: A letter I think you should read. -Reply

Kelly writes:

Yes, there is an eating disorder problem in America, but please,
let's stop singaling out elite gymnastics (or gymnastics period). I
know of lots of cheerleaders who have eating disorders because they
cannot make the squad if they go over a certain weight restriction
(the men have to lift them). And also lots of girls who want to be
models, and lots of wrestlers who want to wrestle in a certain weight
class--this isn't just gymnastics! Kelly

Much truth. Not to trivialize the topic, and certainly bulimia/anorexia
isn't trivial, but it's interesting that we never mention the alarming
statistic that an increasing number of young U.S. citizens are overweight
as well as out of shape. In contrast young gymnasts are the epitome of
health. And they really are. Not that this makes the discovery of a
gymnast with an eating disorder easier to accept, but it puts the
statistics in a more appropriate light. A typical gymnast's diet is
prbably far superior to the diet of the population as a whole.

It would be interesting if someone with hard statistics could comment on
this.

-G

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 24 Oct 1995 13:00:46 -0500
From: ***@VAXA.CIS.UWOSH.EDU
Subject: FIG Code of Points

Date sent: 24-OCT-1995 12:59:37

I have a partial code of points that I photocopied out of IG's Nov.
1993 issue. If anyone is interested, I'll post it up here. I think most
of it is still accurate, though I know they've devalued the Yurchenko
1/2 and the front 1 1/2.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 24 Oct 1995 13:07:07 -0500
From: ***@LIBRARY.MTSU.EDU
Subject: eating disorders

Hi everyone,

I may have found where Ilyene got her 75% figure. I'm an academic
librarian and recently noticed a book entitled Helping Athletes with
Eating Disorders by Thompson and Sherman. Naturally I checked the index
for references to gymnastics. One study of female college gymnasts
conducted by Rosen and Hough in 1988 found that all of the gymnasts they
surveyed (42) in their study were actively dieting. 62% of
these gymnasts were also using at least one type of pathogenic weight control
such as vomitimg, laxatives, etc. Two-thirds of the gymnasts in
the survey had been told by their coaches that they were too heavy. 75% of
these gymnasts used pathogenic weight control measures. The complete
citation to this study is listed below:

Rosen, L.W., & Hough, D.O. (1988) Pathogenic weight-control behaviors of
female college gymnasts. Physicial and Sportsmedicine, v.16, 141-144.

The book also discussed a study by Falls and Humphrey (1978) that
showed that gymnasts diet both to enhance performance and appearance.
Conclusions indicated that despite the apparent belief both by coaches
and athletes that a thin shape results in higher scores no controlled
study existed in 1978 that determined the optimal weight-to-height
ratios for peak gymnastic performance. The citation for this study is
listed below:

Falls, H. B., & Humphrey, L.D. (1978). Body type and composition
differences between placers and nonplacers in an AIAW gymnastics meet.
Research Quarterly, v.49, 38-43.

A third thread focused upon deficiences in gymnasts' diets. The latest study
mentioned was conducted by Coleman in 1986 indicated that 30% of the
gymnasts surveyed ate foods that provided less that 50% of the RDA and 60% ate
foods that provided less than 80% of the RDA for at least one nutrient.
The complete citation to this study is listed below:

Coleman, E. (1986). Good nutrition and female gymnasts. Sports Medicine
Digest, v.8, p.6.

Obviously, these studies are rather old. It would be helpful if some new
ones were conducted. Anyway, here's the citation to the book:

Thompson, Ron A., and Sherman, Roberta Trattner. Helping Athletes with
Eating Disorders. Champaign, Il: Human Kinetics Publishers, 1993.

My library is an interlibrary loan suplier if anyone wants to read this book.

Sharon

------------------------------

End of GYMN-L Digest - 23 Oct 1995 to 24 Oct 1995 - Special issue
*****************************************************************