LATEST GYM NEWS FROM GYMNASTICS ONLINE UPDATED 11 FEBRUARY

LATEST NEWS HEADLINES!

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Olympic Silver Medallist Irina Chaschina retires! - Record Entry for British RG Duets and Trios Championships this weekend! - USA Senior Men’s Team named! - Nadia Comaneci and Bart Conner expecting a son - Milano Pro-Sport sign 7 year sponsorship with BG - Here soon! - Olympic Champion Kyle Shewfelt scores Perfect 10 at Canadian Trials - New Portuguese Tumbling Site plus links to amazing photos from World Tumbling Championships! - David Durante wins AA Title at USA Winter Challenge by 0.20! - Elyse Hopfner- Hibbs wins Canadian Commonwealth trials, 5 gymnasts named for Canadian Team - Celtic Cup takes place this weekend - Sunday People reports £450 million pounds still not provided to British School Sports to help find future Olympians! - Lynx to open 2nd Gym in Aylesbury - Welsh joy at Prep Competition - 10 pages of fantastic photos from European Sports Acrobatics Championships! - Nastia selected for USA Team for American Cup but Chellsie out as she recovers from ankle surgery, 9 gymnasts trial for 3 spots on US Team - Pacific Alliance Championships, USA, China, Russia, Japan & Canada set to compete - Beth and Ross lead English challenge for Gold at Commonwealths! - 3 New Photo Galleries from World Artistic Championships here this week! NEWSFLASH - 6 PAGES OF MELBOURNE PHOTOS NOW ONLINE!

10 FEBRUARY - IRINA CHASCHINA RETIRES!

OLYMPIC SILVER MEDALIST CONFIRMS APPEARANCE AT EXHIBITION IN JAPAN BUT NO MORE COMPETITIONS FOR RUSSIAN STAR!

Sad news tonight as top Russian Rhythmic gymnast Irina Chaschina announces her retirement at the age of 23 from competition! Irina made her debut on the World stage at the 1999 World Championships in Osaka, Japan and enjoyed a fantastic career winning fans from around the World with her charismatic and elegant performances. One of the the major highlights during a long and distinguished career was watching Irina’s fabulous performance in Athens where she won a Silver Medal in the All Around Finals at the Olympic Games!

Irina quickly established herself as a fan favourite, and her success continued at the World Rhythmic Championships on Baku last year when she won a bronze medal in the All Around Championships!

 Irina won numerous World and European Team and Individual Titles but sadly was not able to win All Around Gold, but one of many highlights in her career came at Athens where she performed superbly to earn the Silver medal at World’s!

 The All Sports Russian News Agency reports that Irina will concentrate on developing her own fitness program with a well known sports company, but does not intend to compete in any Tournaments. She has also written a book called “Be Yourself” which is a woman’s guide to success and beauty, and has been involved in modelling, promoting Reebok in Russia and appearing on the front page of a leading Russian magazine.

Irina also confirmed she will take part in a number of exhibitions, including the next one in Japan later this month. On behalf of her many fans we wish Irina a long and successful career and thank you for some fantastic memories!

All photos on this Site are copyright of Sing Lo, Samantha Davies, Philip Morton, and World Gym Art. All photos are copyright and must not be used  without permission.

Great photos of Irina from Corbeil and Deventer 2005 during her medal winning performances. Photos copyright of Sing Lo.

10 FEBRUARY - RECORD NUMBER OF DUETS AND TRIOS IN BRITISH RHYTHMIC CHAMPIONSHIPS THIS WEEKEND!

A record number of 120 gymnasts representing 15 Rhythmic Gymnastics Clubs from all over the U.K. will challenge for medals at this weekend’s 2006 British Rhythmic Gymnastics Duets and Trios Championships! This compares to 84 gymnasts from 11 Clubs in 2005, and is a great example of the huge increase in popularity and interest in British Rhythmic Gymnastics in the last 2 years.

The Event takes place at the Meadowside Leisure Centre, Burton-Upon-Trent tomorrow February 11th, when this spectacular competition has gained a great tradition in promoting Rhythmic Gymnastics in Britain. Rhythmic Gymnastics  gained Olympic recognition for individuals in 1984 and 6 years ago for the Groups at the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

This weekend’s British Championships include Rachel Maguire (Under 10 Champion) and Annabel Jones (2004 Under 10 Champion) from Llanelli , Wales who will compete this year in the Under 12 Duet. Saskia Barnard and Kezi Gore from Canterbury - both of whom picked up medals at the British Individual Championships in November 2005 will also be strong contenders for medals. Becky Izzard, from Stockport who was the runner up in the 2005 British Junior Championships is part of a Junior Trio, and also look out for Lynne Hutchison from Bath who just missed out in the Overall but won two bronze medals in the British Apparatus Finals, as did Laura Halford from Swindon who is also competing. .

"Since at the time, the majority of our Clubs did not have enough gymnasts of equal standard to form and participate in the Group Exercises Championships which involved 6 gymnasts, we have introduced the National Duets & Trios', said Joan Black, the Chair of the Rhythmic Gymnastics Technical Committee.

"The process of choreographing a routine and presenting it with one or two partners has proven to be very enjoyable for our young gymnasts. Audiences  too, love the variety in the ideas, presentation and style at every Duets & Trios event".

It will see the first GMPD (Gymnastics and Movement for people with Disability) gymnasts to enter a mainstream event - the Senior Trio from "Falcon Spartak" G.C. will be judged on the same code as their mainstream counterparts.  

 The competition begins at 1-30pm tomorrow with presentations at 4pm. Tickets will be available on the door priced at £5.50 per adult with concessions at just £3.30.  Due to the large entry, please check with Meadowside Leisure Centre if you have not already purchased tickets before travelling long distances as tickets are selling fast.

Good luck to all the gymnasts, and look out for full results here on Gymnastics Online.

10 FEBRUARY - USA GYMNASTICS NAMES 2006 MEN’S SENIOR NATIONAL TEAM!

 Following the completion of the 2006 Winter Cup Challenge, USA Gymnastics has named its 2006 Senior National Men’s Team.

The 2006 Senior National Men’s Team is comprised of: Guillermo Alvarez of Blackfoot, Idaho/Team Chevron; Alexander Artemev of Morrison, Colo./Team Chevron; David Durante of Garwood, N.J./Team Chevron; Jason Gatson of Mesa, Ariz./Team Chevron; Sean Golden of Houston/Team Chevron; Jonathan Horton of Houston/University of Oklahoma; Brett McClure of Mill Creek, Wash./Team Chevron; Tim McNeill of Falls Church, Va./ University of California - Berkeley; David Sender of Arlington Heights, Ill./Stanford University; Michael Reavis of Tallahassee, Fla./University of Iowa; Justin Spring of Burke, Va./University of Illinois; Kevin Tan of Fremont, Calif./Team Chevron; Todd Thornton of Pearland, Texas/Team Chevron; Yewki Tomita of Tucson, Ariz./Team Chevron; and Jimmy Wickham of Gulfport, Miss./Ohio State University.

At the 2006 Winter Cup, Durante won his second straight Winter Cup all-around title, edging out Horton by two-tenths of a point, and the parallel bars title. Other national team members who won individual apparatus titles are: floor exercise, Reavis; pommel horse, Artemev; still rings, Tan; vault, Wickham; and horizontal bar, Tomita.

Six members of the senior national team were taken straight from the all-around results at the Winter Cup; six more were determined using a points system applied to the Winter Cup results; and the remaining gymnasts were selected by the Men’s Program Committee.

Senior National Team members at a glance

• Guillermo Alvarez of Blackfoot, Idaho/Team Chevron; 10/24/82 in Denver, Colo.; a recent graduate from the University of Minnesota, where he still trains; third in the all-around at the 2006 Winter Cup; first in team competition and second in the floor exercise at the 2005 Pan Am Championships; floor exercise champion at the 2005 Visa Championships; second year on national team.

• Alexander Artemev of Morrison, Colo./Team Chevron; 8/29/85; is coached by his father, Vladimir Artemev; at 2006 Winter Cup, won pommel horse and was fourth on parallel bars; just returned to competition following shoulder surgery last summer; 3.5 years on senior national team.

• David Durante of Garwood, N.J./Team Chevron; 6/26/80; trains at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.; a graduate of Stanford University; won his second consecutive all-around title at the 2006 Winter Cup, as well as the parallel bars crown; member of the gold-medal team at the 2005 Pan Am Championships; and the all-around bronze medalist at the 2005 Visa Championships; fourth year on senior national team.

• Jason Gatson of Mesa, Ariz./Team Chevron; 6/25/80; trains at the U.S. Olympic Training Center; 2004 Olympic team silver medalist; at 2006 Winter Cup, was third on the parallel bars; was seventh in the parallel bars at the 2005 World Championships; missed most of 2005 recovering from surgery; seventh year on senior national team.

• Sean Golden of Houston/Team Chevron; 6/13/83 in Camden, N.J.; trains at HGA; is the youngest of six children; at the 2006 Winter Cup, was second in the still rings and vault; was the still rings and vault champion at the 2005 Visa Championships and a member of the 2005 World Championships Team; 1.5 years on the senior national team.

• Jonathan Horton of Houston/University of Oklahoma; 12/31/85; sophomore at Oklahoma; at the 2006 Winter Cup, was second in the all-around and third in the floor exercise and still rings and third on the horizontal bar; competed on the two teams that won gold medals at the 2005 Pan Am Championships and the NCAA Championships; 2.5 years on the senior national team.

• Brett McClure of Mill Creek, Wash./Team Chevron; 2/19/81 in Yakima, Wash.; trains at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs; 2004 Olympic team silver medalist; at 2006 Winter Cup, was second on the horizontal bar and tied for fourth in the all-around; just returned to competition following surgery; recently married 1996 Olympic gold-medalist Jaycie Phelps; 7.5 years on the senior national team.

• Tim McNeill of Falls Church, Va./ University of California – Berkeley; 5/5/86; sophomore at UC Berkeley; All-American on pommel horse and vault as a freshman; was fourth on pommel horse and fifth on vault at NCAA Championships’ individual competition; at 2006 Winter Cup, finished third on the pommel horse; first year on senior national team.

• Michael Reavis of Tallahassee, Fla./University of Iowa; 8/5/83; is a senior, studying communication studies; at the 2006 Winter Cup, won the floor exercise title and was sixth in the all-around; holds University of Iowa records on floor, vault and the all-around; All-American in the all-around (2005), vault (2004-05) and high bar (2003); first year on senior national team.

• David Sender of Arlington Heights, Ill./Stanford University; 8/27/85; sophomore at Stanford, studying biology; at 2006 Winter Cup, tied for fourth in the all-around; was second in the all-around, floor exercise and vault at the 2005 Visa Championships and an alternate for the 2005 World Championships Team; second year on the senior national team.

• Justin Spring of Burke, Va./University of Illinois; 3/11/84 in Houston; senior at the University of Illinois in Champaign; was the horizontal bar titlist at the 2005 Visa Championships; tied for second on the horizontal bar at the 2005 American Cup; was the 2005 NCAA parallel bars champion; member of the 2005 U.S. World Championships Team; All-American in parallel bars (2003-05), high bar (2004-05), all-around (2005) and floor exercise (2003); second year on the senior national team.

• Kevin Tan of Fremont, Calif./Team Chevron; 9/24/81; is an assistant coach for and recent graduate of Penn State University; at the 2006 Winter Cup, won on still rings and was fifth on the pommel horse; was a member of Penn State’s 2004 NCAA championship team, the Nittany Lions’ first back-to-back NCAA champion on the still rings (2003-04) and a member of the 2005 World Championships Team; third year on the senior national team (also in 1996, 1999).

• Todd Thornton of Pearland, Texas/Team Chevron; 10/14/82 in Casper, Wyo.; 2005 U.S. all-around champion and all-around finalist at the 2005 World Championships; sixth year on the senior national team.

• Yewki Tomita of Tucson, Ariz./Team Chevron; 3/15/80; trains at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs; at the 2006 Winter Cup, won the horizontal bar title and was second on the parallel bars and sixth on floor; was the pommel horse champion at the 2005 Visa Championships and a member of the 2005 World Championships Team; fifth year on the senior national team.

• Jimmy Wickham of Gulfport, Miss./Ohio State University; 2/25/86; sophomore at Ohio State, majoring in exercise science; earned OSU Scholar-Athlete honors as a freshman; at 2006 Winter Cup, won the vault and placed fourth in the floor exercise; is his first year on the senior national team.

10 February - NADIA AND BART ANNOUNCE BABY SON DUE IN JULY

BABY MARKS THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF NADIA’S PERFECT 10

Olympic legends Nadia Comaneci and Bart Conner revealed that they are expecting a baby son in July! It is the first child for Nadia , 44 and Conner who will be 48 on March 28th. Thirty years after Nadia became the first gymnast to perform the perfect 10, at the age of 14 in that fabulous performance at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, the happy couple announced the perfect way to celebrate the anniversary on July 18th.

Nadia has just returned to the U.S. after a tour to Romania with Harry Potter author JK. Rowling to raise funds for European Orphanages, and said "Everybody there was asking me what I am going to do on July 18th to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the first perfect 10. They wanted to have a special anniversary gala. I was thinking to myself that the only place I'm going in July is the delivery room!."

Nadia did not reveal her pregnancy to the media during the tour as she did not want to distract attention from the “Romania for Europe’s Children” Charity raised an incredible one million Euros for orphanages in Europe.

Nadia shot to overnight stardom after her sensational performance at the 1976 Olympics Games in Montreal where she scored seven perfect 10s and won five medals, including three Gold medals, at just 14 years old. She appeared on the front covers of many International magazines including Newsweek and Sports Illustrated. At the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, Comaneci earned another four more medals, two gold and two silver.

She offically retired in 1984, and later defected to the United States shortly before the 1989 Romanian revolution, where she married Conner, who was a two-time 1984 Olympic gold medalist, in 1996. Today they live in Oklahoma where they operate several very successful gymnastics businesses, including International Gymnast magazine, the Bart Conner Gymnastics Academy, Grips, Etc., and Perfect 10 Productions. Nadia and Bart also carry out a large amount of Charity work including the Special Olympics, and the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Conner said "We're so excited for this next chapter in our lives. We've been so blessed with many exciting moments, but this tops the list."

In our recent gym poll, our visitors showed their appreciation of two true Olympic legends when Nadia was voted one of your all time favourite gymnasts. Congratulations to Bart and Nadia on your wonderful news.

10 FEBRUARY - MILANO PRO-SPORT SIGN 7 YEAR SPONSORSHIP CONTRACT WITH BRITISH GYMNASTICS

British Gymnastics have confirmed that they have agreed a 7 year sponsorship contract with Milano Pro-Sport.

The company was launched in 1991 and have enjoyed incredible success and are now one of the  World’s main players in Gymnastics clothing and leotards. Milano signed their first contract to supply the British National Squads and MD Paul Pendergest commented “ Our policy as far as kit for Great Britain is concerned has always been “what is needed” rather than “what is in the contract” and we believe that this sentiment has helped us build such a strong relationship with British Gymnastics. Although “Milano-Pro-Sport” has many sponsorship contracts throughout the world our contract with British Gymnastics has always and will always take absolute priority.”

Milano has also sponsored and supported many competitions including the British Gymnastics Women’s Championships, and Glasgow Grand Prix, as well as Personal Sponsorships. Milano-Pro-Sport had a major role in 3 Commonwealth Games and 2 Olympic Games, with the highlight at the Manchester 2002 Games where out of the 14 nations who entered, 9 countries wore Milano kit on the podium.

“We are delighted to announce the continuation of the Sponsorship deal with “Milano-Pro-Sport” and we are confident that it will make a big difference for our sport on the exiting road leading to London 2012”, said Alan Sommerville, CEO of British Gymnastics.

“I am absolutely delighted that our relationship with “Milano-Pro-Sport” will continue until 2012.. The new lines of clothing to be introduced at the forthcoming European Championships are fantastic. I know that British teams will be the envy of every other country when we march into the competition arena”, concluded Matthew Greenwood, BG Technical & Performance Director.

Winner of the Canadian Commonwealth Trials Elyse Hopfner - Hibbs shown at the World Championships in Melbourne. The Finals took place in the same arena which will stage the Commonwealth Finals next month.

Photo copyright World Gym Art.