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<strong>Australian Championships</strong> have started yesterday – highlights of the competition so far are Lauren Mitchell on floor, Georgia Godwin all around and on bars, Emily Little on vault, details [<a href="http://ausgymnasticschamps.com.au/news/">HERE</a>] and results [<a href="http://ausgymnasticschamps.com.au/results/">HERE</a>]
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<strong>Anadia World Cup</strong> is also happening this week-end; on Thursday the first day of qualifications took place [<a href="http://gymnasticsresults.com/2015/eu/por/anadia/wag1vt.html">vault</a>] [<a href="http://gymnasticsresults.com/2015/eu/por/anadia/wag2ub.html">bars</a>]
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<strong>In News:</strong>
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<strong>FIG announces new Olympic qualifying</strong> and team composition rules [<a href="http://www.thecouchgymnast.com/2015/05/16/fig-announces-new-olympic-team-rules/">HERE</a>]
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<strong>Q&A from the FIG</strong> to facilitate understanding the pros and cons of the new rules. There will <strong>not</strong> be less gymnasts at the Olympics and the qualifying process will be less harsh to the great specialists that could happened to have had a bad day at a crucial competition (one of the two chances for qualifying actually). [<a href="http://www.fig-gymnastics.com/site/figNews/view?id=1151&utm_content=buffer89421&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer">HERE</a>]
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<strong> Aly Raisman</strong>, about the changes in the World and Olympic team compositions “As a gymnast, it’s already extremely hard to make the team, and they’re making it even harder. My biggest fear for the sport is that younger girls will think that it’s impossible to make the team, and they won’t even try for it.” [<a href="http://time.com/3890019/aly-raisman-why-gymnastics-needs-more-team-recognition/">HERE</a>]
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<strong>More reactions</strong> to the change from Briget Sloan and others from the US [<a href="http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/2015/05/20/bridget-sloan-new-olympic-gymnastics-rule-dream-crushing/27657177/">HERE</a>]
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<strong>IG Hall of Fame</strong> welcomes new members: Valery Belenky, Yelena Zamolodchikova were inducted; Philippe Silacci, Johanna Quaas Abie Grossfeld were also honored [<a href="http://www.intlgymnast.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4295:hall-of-fame-grows-to-87-members-22-nations&catid=2:news&Itemid=166">HERE</a>]
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<strong>Larisa Iordache</strong> is still bothered by the ankle pains, doctors can’t establish a diagnose; fortunately Larisa is able to train lightly (no full routines though) [<a href="http://www.prosport.ro/alte-sporturi/gimnastica/specialisti-se-cauta-un-diagnostic-pentru-larisa-iordache-gimnasta-acuza-in-continuare-dureri-la-glezna-stanga-si-nimeni-nu-stie-ce-are-14263760">HERE</a>]
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<strong>Ilaria Kaeslin:</strong> “Montpellier wasn’t good for me, but for the others girls it was really good, and especially for Giulia,” Käslin said. “She did amazing! So when I came back to Switzerland I was really motivated.”, she went on to win two medals at the Varna Challenger Cup last weekend [<a href="http://www.intlgymnast.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4296:gold-in-varna-pulls-kaeslin-out-of-slump&catid=2:news&Itemid=166">HERE</a>]
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<strong> Sergei Starkin</strong>, the translation of a recent interview with <strong>Aliya Mustafina’s coach</strong>: “Aliya is an experienced gymnast. But skipping the half of a year of competitions is a serious loss. Therefore it won’t be right not to compete before Worlds at all. But at the same time Baku Games are not just another competition for us – we prepare for them as we always do, we set maximum goals”. [<a href="http://dolly-z.tumblr.com/post/119364137943/new-interview-with-starkin">HERE</a>]
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<strong>Kim Janas </strong> from Germany has suffered another ACL tear, just as she was making her way back from a previous one [<a href="https://www.facebook.com/TurnTeamStuttgart/posts/924870144203178?fref=nf">HERE</a>]
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<strong>Support team Jamaica</strong> in their bid to make it to Worlds and possibly further [<a href="http://www.gofundme.com/2016olympictryouts">HERE</a>]
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<strong>Russia’s Olympic “candidates” for 2016</strong> – Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation at the request of the Federation of Artistic Gymnastics in Russia has made “The list of athletes – the candidates to participate in the XXXI Olympic Games in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil),” 42 athletes – 21 man and 21 women. The names of all candidates for the Olympic team of Russian Agency of the sports information “All Sport” reported in the <em>media</em> project “The national team of Russia-2016”. – <span style="color: #141823;">WAG: Ksenia Afanasyeva, Yulia Biryulya, Maria Bondareva, Anastasia Dmitrieva, Daria Yelizarova, Natalia Kapitonova, Victoria Komova, Ekaterina Kramarenko, Victoria Kuzmina, Angelina Melnikova, Darya Mikhailova, Alya Mustafina, Maria Paseka, Daria Skripnik, Ekaterina Sokova, Alla Sosnitskaya, Daria Spiridonova, Seda Tutkhalyan, Polina Fedorova, Maria Kharenkova, Evgenia Shelgunova [<a href="http://www.allsportinfo.ru/index.php?id=92895">HERE</a>]</span>
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<strong>Leotard Fashion Police</strong> is back, with a Montpellier Euros edition [<a href="http://www.thecouchgymnast.com/2015/05/19/leotard-fashion-police-montpellier-euros-part-1/">HERE</a>]
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<strong>Junior Watch</strong> is also back, with a Dutch rising star <strong>Bogusia Rossen</strong> feature [<a href="http://www.thecouchgymnast.com/2015/05/16/junior-watch-bogusia-rossen/">HERE</a>]
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<strong>Stuttgart 2019</strong> – the German city that has hosted the World Championships in 2007 won the bid for the 2019 edition, against Rotterdam (also a previous host, in 1987 and 2010) [<a href="http://www.dtb-online.de/portal/news/detailansicht/article/stuttgart-ist-bereit-fuer-die-turn-wm-2019.html">HERE</a>]
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<strong>2019 European Games</strong> will be hosted by the Netherlands. Yay for my adoptive country! [<a href="http://www.ueg.org/en/The-Netherlands-appointed-2019-European-Games!-2015-05-20-1100">HERE</a>]
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<strong> Three gymnasts from Brazil suspended</strong> after racist comments towards team mate [<a href="http://espn.go.com/olympics/gymnastics/story/_/id/12925025/brazil-suspends-3-gymnasts-comments-made-black-teammate?utm_content=buffer63847&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer">HERE</a>]
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<strong>Jade Barbosa</strong> – and here is a good news from Brazil, Barbosa is back. [<a href="http://www.gymblogbrazil.com.br/2015/05/jade-barbosa-completamente-recuperada.html">HERE</a>]
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<strong>Canada/ Ellie Black</strong> – a quick reminder that the Canadian Championships are next week-end. [<a href="http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/sports/1287769-ellie-black-to-seek-third-straight-canadian-women%E2%80%99s-title-next-weekend">HERE</a>]
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<strong>In Video</strong>
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A wonderful short documentary about Lais Souza “Sometimes I dream that I am getting ready to do a jump. Or that I’m doing a flip.”[<a href="https://www.yahoo.com/health/watch-this-former-olympic-gymnast-describe-the-118954863502.html">HERE</a>]
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And something to cheer you up: [<a href="https://www.facebook.com/USAGymnastics/videos/10152443941412168/?fref=nf">HERE</a>]
<div class="fb-video" data-allowfullscreen="true" data-href="/USAGymnastics/videos/vb.27029627167/10152443941412168/?type=1">
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<blockquote cite="/USAGymnastics/videos/10152443941412168/">
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#ThrowbackThursday to two of our favorite moments from the Late Show with David Letterman. First, Dave teaches Carly a new word, and then, McKayla shares the secret to the Fierce Five’s success. #ThanksDave
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Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/USAGymnastics">USA Gymnastics</a> on Thursday, 21 May 2015
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</blockquote>
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<strong>Lauren Mitchell</strong> – it has taken sometime but she has decided to try for Rio Olympics:<br />
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<strong>Asuka Teramoto</strong> threw her Rudi last week-end:
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<span style="color: #ffffff;"> .</span>
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<strong>In Pictures:</strong>
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<strong>Ellie Black:</strong>
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<a href="http://www.thecouchgymnast.com/2015/05/21/so-what-did-i-miss-11/black2/" rel="attachment wp-att-2870"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2870" src="images/2015/05/black2-1024x751.jpg" alt="black2" width="550" height="404" srcset="images/2015/05/black2.jpg 1024w, images/2015/05/black2-300x220.jpg 300w, images/2015/05/black2-200x146.jpg 200w, images/2015/05/black2-143x105.jpg 143w, images/2015/05/black2-286x210.jpg 286w, images/2015/05/black2-572x420.jpg 572w" sizes="(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px" /></a>
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<strong>Romania</strong> – the big happy family from Izvorani:
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<a href="http://www.thecouchgymnast.com/2015/05/21/so-what-did-i-miss-11/untitled-4/" rel="attachment wp-att-2871"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2871" src="images/2015/05/Untitled.jpg" alt="Untitled" width="400" height="398" srcset="images/2015/05/Untitled.jpg 613w, images/2015/05/Untitled-150x150.jpg 150w, images/2015/05/Untitled-300x298.jpg 300w, images/2015/05/Untitled-200x200.jpg 200w, images/2015/05/Untitled-105x105.jpg 105w, images/2015/05/Untitled-211x210.jpg 211w, images/2015/05/Untitled-422x420.jpg 422w, images/2015/05/Untitled-280x280.jpg 280w" sizes="(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px" /></a>
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And another young but already pretty legendary family – <strong>Chow’s:</strong>
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<a href="http://www.thecouchgymnast.com/2015/05/21/so-what-did-i-miss-11/chows/" rel="attachment wp-att-2872"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2872" src="images/2015/05/Chows.jpg" alt="Chow's" width="600" height="392" srcset="images/2015/05/Chows.jpg 740w, images/2015/05/Chows-300x196.jpg 300w, images/2015/05/Chows-200x130.jpg 200w, images/2015/05/Chows-150x98.jpg 150w, images/2015/05/Chows-600x392.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></a>
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<span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span>
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That would be all for now but keep close, more interesting articles are on their way!
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<strong>Article by: Bea Gheorghisor</strong>
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<strong>Photo Cover: Nadia Boyce</strong>
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