Misconceptions in Gymnastics

Ever since I started watching gymnastics, my family has been dragged down into my obsession with me, especially my twin sister.  My sister has watched quite a few gymnastics meets against her will over the years, and subsequently is learning more and more about the sport.  While she knows more than the average four-year-fan, she still doesn't know much about the sport.  I decided to test how her opinion on misconceptions compare to that of a four-year-fan, my best friend Cassidy, and two die hard gym fans, Ashlee and Brittany from Triple Twist.

1. Many gymnasts have eating disorders. (Anna Burns)
Cassidy- No
Natalie- No, they're skinny but they have muscle and you don't have to be skinny, you just have to have a lot of muscle.
Brittany- It's hard to tell.  In the 80's and 90's a lot of gymnasts admitted to to having some sort of eating disorders but in recent years there hasn't been much talk of that.  That's not saying it doesn't happen...but nowadays, coaches and parents are more aware of how to treat these illnesses before they get out of control.  From what I understand, don't even weigh their gymnasts on a daily basis like they used to, so the pressure to be thin is not as prevalent.
Ashlee- This could vary from gymnast to gymnast for the most part, in this day and age, I don't think eating disorders are a really big problem!
2. A routine is blown without a stuck landing. (Kerry J)
Cassidy- Yes, absolutely
Natalie- No, because you can have a really good routine but even if you don't stink the landing it doesn't mean it's a good routine.
Brittany- False.  The majority of the score comes from all the action that happens during a routine, not just the landing.  However, it doesn't hurt to stink the landing!
Ashlee- False, you can still have a beautiful routine with a step or hop on the dismount.  You can't be perfect all the time.
3. Everyone believes you are going to the Olympics when they hear you do gymnastics. (Jarin)
Cassidy- Nope
Natalie- No, because even though you do gymnastics you can be bad at it.
Brittany- I feel like for the average person... that's true!  Even though us gym fans know it is the farthest thing from the truth!
Ashlee- For someone who isn't a hardcore gymnastics fan, this may be the initial thought.  But only five girls make it to the Olympics out of the thousands of gymnasts in the world.

Spokeo

4. The Chinese Gymnasts are all under aged. (Beautiful Gymnastics)
Cassidy- Yes
Natalie- Some of them are, because some of them look young but not all of them.
Brittany- False!  Even though they are tiny, that does not necessarily make them look underage.
Ashlee- False, Chinese people tend to look much younger than, for example, the Americans.  Even though some were underage in the past, it's not fair to assume they are always underage.
5. Coaches abuse their gymnasts.
Cassidy- Yes
Natalie- No, they don't
Brittany- False.  Their job is to push you.  Physical and verbal abuse is one thing, but a coach being tough on their athlete is not abuse.
Ashlee- Again, this could vary from gymnast to gymnast but it's pretty safe to say it's false.  Abuse wouldn't go very far today.
6. It is impossible to be a successful gymnast if you are not a prepubescent.

GymBox

Cassidy- No, (look at what's her face... You know who I'm talking about [Oksana Chusovitina])
Natalie- It makes it harder but not impossible.
Brittany- False.  Dominique Moceanu was 14 when she won with the Magnificent 7.  In fact many gymnasts reach their peak before the age of 16 (which is why the age limit needs to be lowered).
Ashlee- Oksana Chusovitina and Vanessa Ferrari are screaming to answer this one.  False!
7. Gymnastics is not a sport.
Cassidy- If Dance is, then gymnastics is.
Natalie- It is a sport because some of the things gymnasts do are harder than things other athletes have to do.
Brittany- That's incredibly false.  It's the hardest sport in the world.
Ashlee- False, if you are sweating then it's a sport.
8. In order to win a medal in gymnastics, "all you have to do is wink at some French judges." (Yahoo Sports)
Cassidy- HELL NO
Natalie- But what if you're not in France?  No because you have to have a lot of talent.
Brittany- False.  In order to win a medal you have to put in the hours at the gym and work your butt off to make yourself a contender!  Nothing comes easy!
Ashlee- False, in order to win a medal you have to work hard and earn it.
9. Gymnastics is only competed every 4 years at the Olympics, not every year.
Cassidy- Gymnastics occurs more than just the Olympics!
Natalie- No, even I know that one!
Brittany- False.  Gymnastics is something you do every single day that leads up to the biggest meet of your life...that just so happens to be every four years.
Ashlee- False.  There are gymnastics meets almost every weekend, whether it be a "level" meet, collegiate, or elite.

As you can see, there is a drastic change between Ashlee and Brittany and Cassidy.  The "four-year-fan" takes what they hear on television more serious than the hard-core fans.  The hard-core fans know more about the sport and form more opinions, while the four-year-fan believes more misconceptions than Ashlee and Brittany.

The Loss of Ana Porgras

The Couch Gymnast

As I rewatched the 2010 Team Final, I watched the beauty that was Ana Porgras.  Ana Porgras, the subject that makes most gym fans cry, the sole Romanian bar worker, the gymnast that brought beauty back to gymnastics.  Ana Porgras, the gymnast that retired four months before London.  Like many gym fans, Ana's retirement came as a surprise to me, as a gymnast so talented and filled with potential; retiring four months before the Olympic Games.   Porgras was struggling with an injury and had a hard time adjusting to the coaching style of Bellu and Bitang and called it quits after Romania failed to earn a medal at the 2011 World Championships.  After her retirement, many fans and experts questioned how well Romania would do in London.  Romania bounced back decently from their unfortunate Worlds in 2011, bringing a Team Bronze, Vault Gold and Floor Silver.  I decided to use Ana's scores from the three World Championships she attended in 2009, 2010, and 2011 to see how Anna would've affected Romania's success.

Team Final
I'm only using scores from past Team Finals here.
Vault
Larisa Iordache- 14.8
Catalina Ponor- 15.1
Sandra Izbasa- 15.1
Total- 45.00

Uneven Bars
Diana Chelaru- 13.633
Larisa Iordache- 13.766
Diana Bulimar- 14.066
Ana Porgras- 14.466
Original Total- 41.465
New Total- 42.298

Longines

Beam
Diana Bulimar- 14.533
Larisa Iordache- 15.3
Catalina Ponor- 15.416
Ana Porgras- 15.3
Original Total- 45.249
New Total- 46.016







Floor
Diana Bulimar- 14.7
Catalina Ponor- 14.8
Sandra Izbasa- 15.2
Original Total- 44.7

Original Team Total- 176.414
New Team Total- 178.014
Total Difference- 1.6

Ana Porgras' presence in London last summer would've made a huge difference in Romania's team total, however would not have changed the color of Romania's medal.  With the addition of Ana Porgras, Romania could've moved within 6 tenths of Russia however.  Porgras' biggest addition would've been on bars, where she took home a share of a bronze medal in 2009.  Porgras could've potentially added .833 to the bars score due to one routine alone.  Bars have been Romania's weak spot for several years, and would've used Porgras' routines for sure in the Team Final.  While Porgras makes a slightly smaller splash in Romania's Beam rotation, her beam routine alone would boost Romania's total Beam score by .767.  By going to London for two routines, she could've boosted Romania's score by over a point and a half!  Ana Porgras was not only missed by fans in London.

Key Players in the NCAA

The NCAA season starts in one month, and I could not be more excited!  As a way to get in the mood for the upcoming NCAA season, as well as the Fantasy Gymnastics draft tomorrow, I am going to highlight some of the gymnasts who are sure to be key-players for their schools!

Bridget Sloan ~ University of Florida

GatorZone.com

Bridget Sloan is the reigning NCAA AA Champion, 8-Time First-Team All American, and led her team to their first National Championship Title ever, all as a freshman.  During her first year as a Gator, Bridget recorded only two falls all season.  She became the first person to win a World, U.S. and NCAA AA Champion, as well as becoming the fourth freshman to win the Honda Award, an award celebrating the best collegiate gymnast.  This year, Sloan looks to take off where she left off.  Likely to lead the All Around on a very stacked Florida lineup, as well as try to defend her Beam NCAA title.  When asked about Bridget, Coach Rhonda Faehn said, "Bridget has been highly successful - she's reached the highest level of our sport.  She's a tremendous athlete and a tremendous competitor.  And since day one of her arrival on campus, Bridget has been solely focused on this team and doing everything possible to help the Gators.  She's an incredible team player and has a very strong work ethic.  Bridget's personality is infectious.  The whole team feeds off of it.  She has fun and loves what she is doing."

Taylor Spears ~ Oklahoma University

gymnastike 

Taylor Spears, a senior at Oklahoma, hails from the powerhouse that is WOGA, and certainly has the lines to prove it!  She is a very consistent All Arounder, who's specialty is her exquisite beam work, and did not register a fall on this event all season and consistently scores in the 9.9 range.  Her beautiful routines compliment a great Oklahoma line-up where she anchors the team on most events and lead the team in the All Around (along with Keely Kmieciak).  She had 26 individual titles last season, including eight All Around, ten Beam, four Bars, three Floor, and one Vault, the second most titles in the NCAA.  A Second Team All-American, she led her team to the highest placement at NCAAs in Team History, as well as placing 15 in the All Around.  Look for Taylor to contribute strongly for Oklahoma, especially on beam.

Diandra Milliner ~ University of Alabama

gymtide.com

Diandra Milliner is such an explosive gymnast that it's hard to take your eyes off of her when she competes her floor routine!  Last season, she competed a Double Arabian, a Front Layout-Front Full, and ends with a double pike.  She has such a high level of difficulty and performs these skills brilliantly, which earned her a second place at NCAA Championships this spring in Los Angeles, CA.  Then there is her vault.  Unlike most college gymnasts, she competes a 1.5TY, and performs it exceptionally.  Her lines during this vault are picture perfect, and generally lands it very well.  Her almost perfect vault was just that at NCAA's, for which she earned a 9.925, and took home her first NCAA Title.  Look for her to try to defend her title this year in her senior year.  Coach Patterson has high praise for this athlete, for good measure.  She is taking on a leadership position, and I am very excited to see her compete this season!  Coach Sarah Patterson told me, "Diandra Milliner is an amazing athlete who is probably one of the best competitors I have worked with during my career.  She knows when to 'Light the Fire' so to speak and has that sense of urgency in competition that every coach loves to have.  She has a natural athletic ability that you can not teach."

Sam Peszek ~ UCLA

photos.al.com

 Sam Peszek, 2008 Olympian headlines a stellar UCLA team.  Peszek was forced to Redshirt last year after tearing her Achilles Tendon in the preseason and is ready to rock this season.  Her beam work, much like it was in her elite days, is stunning.  In 2012, after injuring her wrist, she competed solely on beam, with what the UCLA staff called "The Bluetooth Routine" without using her hands.  She was also the first college gymnast to compete a standing full in 2011 when she won the 2011 NCAA Beam title.  She has always been a solid and consistent All Arounder, counting one fall all season in 2012. Peszek will look to come back strong this season as a Redshirt Junior.

Rheagan Courville ~ LSU

gymnastike.com

Rheagan Courville, a former elite who made the Junior National Team in 2007-2008, has been a standout of a rising LSU team during the past few season.  The stellar junior excels on All Around, and is the reigning 2013 NCAA vault champion.  She placed second AA at the 2013 NCAA Championships behind World Champion Bridget Sloan and a 3-Time All-American from 2013.  Her beam work looks effortless and has a beautiful Standing Arabian, similar to that of Nia Dennis and Viktoria Komova.  Rheagan leads the resurgent LSU team, which made Super 6 last year and handed University of Florida it's only loss of the season, and will look to stay as consistent and strong as she has been in her first two seasons as a Tiger.  Assistant Coach Jay Clark has some wonderful things to say about this amazing athlete.  Clark says, "Rheagan Courville is one of the most gifted athletes I have ever worked with.  Her gymnastics is light and effortless and she is a joy to coach."