This is a comprehensive assembly of news, feature articles, videos and pictures of the last 28 days in gymnastics. We will be back with more regular coverage starting with March.
In Competition:
Baku World Cup was dominated by one charming little Brazilian, Flavia Saraiva. Results, report and videos: qualifications and finals
Nadia Comaneci Invitational saw the Canadian seniors dominating and the Romanian Juniors leaving a positive impression: report and results
Elite Canada: Isabela Onysko won the all around by a huge margin [HERE]
**2016 Seria A debuted **: results and report of the first stage [HERE]
Nastia Liukin Cup list of participants and their qualifying scores [HERE]
Cara Kennedy is a Scottish National Champ [HERE]
This year’s Gymnix (3-6 March) looks super solid, especially in the Junior competition. Find updates and all you need to know on their official Facebook page [HERE]
Rio Test event draw for qualifications/team event:
Subdiv 1: VT Australia, UB Romania, BB Mix group 5 (Hungary, China, Poland, Croatia), FX Mix group 6 (North Korea, USA, Japan, Belarus) Subdiv 2: VT Mix group 4 (Azerbaijan, Slovakia, Ukraine, Malaysia, Venezuela, Argentina, Armenia), UB Mix group 1 (Netherlands, Greece, Great Britain, Uzbekistan), BB Brazil, FX Switzerland Subdiv 3: VT Mix group 7 (Spain, Sweden, Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago, New Zealand), UB Mix group 8 (Russia, Peru, Portugal, Guatemala, Chile, Vietnam), BB Germany, FX South Korea Subdiv 4: VT Belgium, UB Mix group 2 (Canada, Slovenia, Ireland, Algeria, Jamaica, Iceland), BB France, FX Mix group 3 (Mexico, Italy, Austria, Turkey)
2018 Euros to be hosted by Glasgow. The weird thing though… it looks like they will take place in August. [HERE]
2016 NCAA, the latest stats have Oklahoma on top [HERE]
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In News:
Sandra Izbasa announced her official decision not to continue training for Rio ” As we know, gymnastics is guided by a Code of Points, by this Code of Points at the moment I am not so much at an advantage, I also have to compete on four events if I want to make the team. I failed to do this. I’m happy with the results we’ve had in many years of high-performance gym. Outside the Code, there is nothing that would make me take this decision…. Because I weighed the situation well. ” [HERE]
McKayla Maroney is done with competing in gymnastics although she made it clear she is “not retiring” from the sport. “I will always be here whether you like it or not” she said jokingly. Listen to or watch the entire interview on the GymCastic website [HERE]
Former team mate and good friend Kyla Ross also announced her decision to move on and focus on her next step, as a collegiate gymnast with UCLA. After the January US training camp Ross realized she didn’t have the same intense drive necessary to carry her to a second Olympics [HERE]
Speaking of... team USA has again gathered at Camp. They are now looking at the readiness level of the gymnasts to compete in the March World Cups and at 2016 Gymnix. The Jesolo teams will also be selected here. Notable absentees: Jazmyn Foberg, Racel Gowey and Bailie Key [HERE]
Nia Dennis was initially selected to represent team USA at the Stuttgart World Cup (mid March) but she injured her Achilles and she is out for the season [HERE]
Kim Janas injured her elbow, went through emergency surgery and is out for the next months. The devastating injury came as Janas was re-starting training after her April 2015 knee injury. [HERE]
It’s early to tell for sure, but Maartje Ruikes might be also out with an Achilles tear [HERE]
Beth Tweddle also got injured this month, while filming a reality show about sky jumping. Fortunately she is already out of the hospital after a major scare. [HERE]
Earlier in the month, UCLA gymnast Sophina DeJesus became an internet sensation after debuting new sassy floor choreography. [HERE]
Media exposure increasing for Simone Biles – more and more major outlets are running stories about her, the attention is good for the sport, but will this be translated into more pressure? [HERE]
Great Britain will be challenging the great gymnastics powers in 2016 and it all started with coaching the coaches “Head national coach Amanda Reddin said much of the credit lay with a Romanian – Adrian Stan, who moved to Britain and took charge of the women’s national programme in 1992. “British gymnastics has progressed a lot over the last decade,” Reddin said.“We had a fabulous national coach in Adrian Stan, who helped us develop as coaches and gave us all the confidence to improve.”” [HERE]
Controversy in the Trinidad and Tobago Federation. Shady (not to mention coward) accusations were made, the Federation promises to take action [HERE]
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In Video:
Flavia Saraiva is looking to upgrade her vault to a DTY:
Inside gymnastics series – Journey to the games. The first episode is a cool montage about Madison Kocian:
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The Today Show got access to the Karoly Ranch and spoke to some of the favorites to make the US Olympic team – watch HERE
Throwback to the 2015 Worlds, Dutch beam beauty:
Mustafina is practicing the DLO:
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<a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BCP4DShq_0F/" target="_blank">A video posted by Aliya Mustafina (@musaliya135)</a> on <time style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;" datetime="2016-02-26T11:37:26+00:00">Feb 26, 2016 at 3:37am PST</time> </div> </blockquote>
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Sneak peek of Catalina Ponor’s floor choreo:
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<a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BCS-4orCu1J/" target="_blank">A video posted by Catalina Ponor (@catalina_ponor)</a> on <time style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;" datetime="2016-02-27T16:34:52+00:00">Feb 27, 2016 at 8:34am PST</time>
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Bad-ass commercial featuring Maggie Nichols, Madison Kocian and MyKayla Skinner:
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<strong>In Pictures:</strong>
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Team Belgium for Gymnix:
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<a href="http://www.thecouchgymnast.com/2016/02/28/so-what-did-i-miss-february-2016-edition/belgium/" rel="attachment wp-att-4072"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4072" src="images/2016/02/Belgium.jpg" alt="Belgium" width="797" height="476" srcset="images/2016/02/Belgium.jpg 797w, images/2016/02/Belgium-200x119.jpg 200w, images/2016/02/Belgium-150x90.jpg 150w, images/2016/02/Belgium-300x179.jpg 300w, images/2016/02/Belgium-600x358.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 797px) 100vw, 797px" /></a>
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The Australian February Camp (thanks Mez Monkton):
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<a href="http://www.thecouchgymnast.com/2016/02/28/so-what-did-i-miss-february-2016-edition/the-australian-feb-camp/" rel="attachment wp-att-4073"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4073" src="images/2016/02/The-Australian-Feb-Camp.jpg" alt="The Australian Feb Camp" width="589" height="394" srcset="images/2016/02/The-Australian-Feb-Camp.jpg 589w, images/2016/02/The-Australian-Feb-Camp-200x134.jpg 200w, images/2016/02/The-Australian-Feb-Camp-150x100.jpg 150w, images/2016/02/The-Australian-Feb-Camp-300x201.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 589px) 100vw, 589px" /></a>
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And another one from camp – Germany:
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<a href="http://www.thecouchgymnast.com/2016/02/28/so-what-did-i-miss-february-2016-edition/ger-camp/" rel="attachment wp-att-4077"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4077" src="images/2016/02/Ger-camp.jpg" alt="Ger camp" width="615" height="605" srcset="images/2016/02/Ger-camp.jpg 615w, images/2016/02/Ger-camp-200x197.jpg 200w, images/2016/02/Ger-camp-107x105.jpg 107w, images/2016/02/Ger-camp-213x210.jpg 213w, images/2016/02/Ger-camp-427x420.jpg 427w" sizes="(max-width: 615px) 100vw, 615px" /></a>
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Rebecca Andrade shows us her gym:
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<a href="http://www.thecouchgymnast.com/2016/02/28/so-what-did-i-miss-february-2016-edition/andrade-rebeca/" rel="attachment wp-att-4074"><img class="size-full wp-image-4074 alignleft" src="images/2016/02/Andrade-Rebeca.jpg" alt="Andrade Rebeca" width="339" height="550" srcset="images/2016/02/Andrade-Rebeca.jpg 339w, images/2016/02/Andrade-Rebeca-123x200.jpg 123w, images/2016/02/Andrade-Rebeca-65x105.jpg 65w, images/2016/02/Andrade-Rebeca-129x210.jpg 129w, images/2016/02/Andrade-Rebeca-259x420.jpg 259w" sizes="(max-width: 339px) 100vw, 339px" /></a>
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Shawn Johnson is a young adult fiction published author:
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<a href="http://www.thecouchgymnast.com/2016/02/28/so-what-did-i-miss-february-2016-edition/sjohnsonnovel/" rel="attachment wp-att-4076"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4076" src="images/2016/02/SJohnsonnovel.jpg" alt="SJohnsonnovel" width="475" height="585" srcset="images/2016/02/SJohnsonnovel.jpg 475w, images/2016/02/SJohnsonnovel-162x200.jpg 162w, images/2016/02/SJohnsonnovel-85x105.jpg 85w, images/2016/02/SJohnsonnovel-171x210.jpg 171w, images/2016/02/SJohnsonnovel-341x420.jpg 341w" sizes="(max-width: 475px) 100vw, 475px" /></a>
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That would be all for now. Keep close, new articles and stories to come soon on the blog!
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<strong>Article: Bea Gheorghisor</strong>
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<strong>Photo Cover: Nadia Boyce</strong>
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