Blog 11- 5 more days to go!
Bolt. Biles. Ross. Naddour. Phelps. Hypolito. Jennigs. Whitlock. Felix. WOW!
Links and Downloads:
Preview to today's Beam, Vault and Rings- CLICK HERE!
Quotes and Fun Facts on Naddour, Kocian and Biles! CLICK HERE!
For a look at some of the inherent differences between Men's and Women's Artistic Gymnastics, CLICK HERE (Coming Soon!)
So much happened yesterday, and all of it was in the news! Gymnastics was amazing. Event finals in the Olympics are run one event at a time, so the entire audience is captive to each of the eight routines. In general, the higher you qualify in, the later you go. So, in essence, you can determine whether or not you need to pull the “big guns” out for the finals. Especially on vault, where it is the average of two. Simone soared above the rest of the competition, it essentially wasn’t even fair. Not only is she amazing to watch in height, but her score is not even reflexctive of the power that she gives (and subsequently gets back) from the vault. I am so very proud of her!
Alex Naddour did, for the first time in 32 years, what the men needed- an individual Olympic medal on Pommel Horse! Not since Dagget and Vidmar at the LA Olympics in 1984 have we done this. What a drought! You would think, knowing this, that we, as a country would change our ways and our training a bit. Trickle it down to the developmental programs to emphasize a focus on an even that we clearly need help on. By the time the guys become international elites, they have to spread their time essentially between 8 events: all 6 events, conditioning, and flexibility. The time to do this is when they are all younger, and body positions are easier to become wrote.
Alex is married to Hollie Vise, who I treated and worked with in the time leading up to Worlds in 2003 (on US soil in Anaheim, CA!) and they have a beautiful baby. Holly washes Alex’s uniform in the baby detergent so that he can always be reminded of what his purpose is in life as a father and a husband, and the fact that besides personal achievement.. he is doing this to show his child, and future children, the importance of perseverance, dedication, and love. Honestly, one of the best guys out there. My pride for him is an understatement.
The Olympic track arena is HUGE! The athletes, when running, look like ants (like cars do from a plane!) Bolt, once again, made history. Third Olympics where he medaled (he was at the 2004 but only in heats), and the fastest man alive remains.
Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross advance, and play Brazilians tomorrow night, the crowd will be tough to counter, but these ladies can do it. I’ll be there with bells on!
Now, for some great Olympics spirit moments…
- Yesterday I had the pleasure of talking at length with my new friend from Brazil, a physio here, working gymnastics for Brazil! I see her a lot, but we finally got to talk more… we both do dry needling, manual therapists, biomechanics, and she wants to do ART as well… it was crazy!
Like my doppelganger thousands of miles away! The Brazilians are so lucky to have her knowledge and patients, and most of all.. her skills. We happened to also be in line for the store yesterday, and got to talking with a family from Brazil (it was Father’s Day here yesterday, and the man and his Dad were here to watch!). They were an absolute example of the kind hearted nature of the Brazilian people. I tried to do a little Portuguese, they tried a bit of English. We laughed, we hugged, and in the end, took a fabulous picture! He has two daughters, who love gymnastics and “Miss See-moneee!” So, I knew this was one of the people to give my US shirt to! He cried with appreciation, handed me three brazil slap bracelets for my kids (After, of course, we did the whole show your kids picture thing!), and we traded pins. With Raquel, the PT, she gave me the pin of the Physical Therapy group that provided care for the athletes here. SO GREAT!
- Finally got to have a real meal! Food, on real plates, safe to eat… yes!!! Grand Hyatt on the beach (clearly WAY different from where we are staying) was amazing. The company was equally wonderful! I don’t get a chance to catch up with Amanda often, she and I are essentially parallel in life now.. owning businesses, having three kids, and trying to balance it all! Kelly is the brain behind the design of ALL of our leotards, and throughout the years of our friendship, she amazes me more each year. Her design is so thought out, planned, and with a story for the pride of the US, and to make our athletes look the absolute best! Ron Galimore, of course, is the heart and soul behind USA Gymnastics.
His leadership, direction, integrity, and compassion for not only the sport and the athletes here, but the sport of gymnastics in general, was recognized this year as he entered into the Hall of Fame! Chris, the publisher for the mag and dear friend, and I got to enjoy a meal and conversation that did not involve routines and writing for the first time since stepping foot in Rio. YAY! Soul cleansing day!
- Phelps can literally be a country in and of himself, that is how many medals he has won in swimming.
This graphic says it all, thank you NBC! He is an animal! This video, as well, gives me chills. It is TRULY about what the athletes do, day in day out. Not in pretty uniforms and leos, but daily. Not in beautiful pools, but at home. WATCH!
- My friend Kathy had a great vantage point last night, and got a few pics of the cameras that were to be placed on the runners INSANE! They have them mounted, because (obviously) the camera folks cannot stand at the end of the run. Cool!
- Friendships. Chris Korotky, publisher and everything for Inside Pubs/Inside Gymnastics, is an amazing man. He balances 5 magazines, web content, 200k on Instagram, twitter, Facebook and more, with an amazing staff back in Atlanta. The organization and planning that goes into what we are doing here is so much behind the scenes that people do not even understand. As well, the magazine layout and order, and more. I am blessed to have been working with Chris for 14 years now, and what a ride! Tokyo 2020 here we come!
Cheers!
-A tired, but still very excited Gina!