FéDéRATION  INTERNATIONALE  DE  GYMNASTIQUE

FIG International Press Review – February 7 – 13, 2009

GYMNASTICS

Gymnastics could help to fix obesity levels

February 12, 2009 (Wales Online): Welsh gymnast of the year Francesca Jones has kicked off a new scheme to encourage youngsters in Wales to enjoy exercise and help tackle growing concerns about childhood obesity. The 18-year-old said she hoped the Fun and Fitness scheme would inspire the under-fives to follow in her footsteps. Champion rhythmic gymnast Francesca said: “We hope this could be the start of some budding gymnastic and sports careers.”

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Rhythms create harmony with gymnastics, ballet

February 12, 2009 (Del Mar Times): The sport of rhythmic gymnastics may use a pretty ribbon, but that doesn't mean it's easy. Just try to keep a ribbon floating or a ball balanced while completing a twirling move, all while keeping your toes perfectly pointed.

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Legendary Armenian gymnast Albert Azaryan marks 80th birthday

February 11, 2009 (PanArmenianNet): President of the Armenian Olympic Gymnastics Federation Albert Azaryan is marking his 80th birthday today.

Albert Azaryan (born February 11, 1929 in Yerevan) is an Armenian artistic gymnast who competed internationally representing the Soviet Union. He is the 1956 and 1960 Olympic champion on the still rings. He was the first person to do one of the most famous exercises on the rings called the Iron Cross, Crucifix, or Azarian Cross in an international competition. He is the 1954 and 1958 World Champion on the rings and 1958 silver medalist on the horizontal bar.

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Asian Aerobics will meet in Thailand next month

February 10, 2009 (Gymmedia): Viet Nam is gearing up for the 2009 Asian Sport Aerobic Championships in Thailand next month. There are 15 events and three age groups: for 12 to 14s, 15 to 17s and over-18s. According to coach Nguyen Kim Lan, the prestigious tournament will attract strong rivals from South Korea, China and Japan and will be a good training ground for Vietnamese athletes.

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Few Come Out Swinging at Winter Cup

February 9, 2009 (International Gymnast): Any gymnast wishing to make the U.S. men's national team, or make a world championships or Olympic team: Master pommel horse. If the U.S. men's gymnastics program has any goals or aspirations to again medal as a team at future world championships or Olympics it had better devise an out-of-the-box, cohesive national strategy to vastly improve the international competition potential of pommel horse.

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Hagerty Wins Winter Cup

February 7, 2009 (International Gymnast): 2008 Olympian Joseph Hagerty won the U.S. Winter Cup on Saturday night in Las Vegas, outscoring Danell Leyva and Sho Nakamori to take his first major all-around title. Hagerty, the top scorer in Thursday's preliminary competition, improved his all-around score on Saturday by 1.6 points to hold off Leyva and Nakamori.

Hagerty finished 20th at the 2007 U.S. Winter Cup. He and U.S. national champion David Sender, 11th in Las Vegas, are scheduled to compete at the upcoming American Cup in Chicago.

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National Gymnastics Week Set To Go

February 7, 2009 (Northumberland View): Gymnasts of all ages from Victoria, B.C. to St.John's, Nfld., are limbering up to spring, swing, roll, dance, and tumble at their local gyms during National Gymnastics Week from February 8-14. It's no coincidence that National Gymnastics Week overlaps with St. Valentine's Day on February 14th.

"I Love Gymnastics" is the ongoing theme for the week-long celebration designed to promote gymnastics as a healthy, lifelong activity. One of the most exciting sports in the world, gymnastics is also recognized by the International Olympic Committee and Sport Canada as one of several "foundational sports" that form the basis of participation in many other sports.

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La gymnastique africaine revient sur la scène internationale

February 7, 2009 (La Nouvelle): La gymnastique africaine, «absente», ces dernières années de la scène internationale, revient «petitement mais sûrement» à même de lui présager un avenir sur le plan international, a déclaré jeudi au Caire le président de la Confédération africaine de gymnastique (CAG), l’Algérien Mohamed Yamani.

Read more …   and see also El Moudjahid

 

 

SPORTS WORLD

Madrid 2016 Team Claims Huge Public Backing For Bid

February 12, 2009 (The Sport Briefing): More than nine out of 10 Spaniards support Madrid’s efforts to bring the 2016 Olympics to the country, according to the bid team, which handed its candidature file to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Thursday. In a press release, Madrid 2016 claimed that Madrid had been dubbed the “safest choice” for the IOC, with all infrastructure complete, finances guaranteed and 77% of the competition venues either ready for action or under construction.

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Les femmes les plus influentes dans le sport et l’activité physique en 2008

February 10, 2009 (COC): L’Association canadienne pour l’avancement des femmes, du sport et de l’activité physique (ACAFS) a publié sa liste des femmes les plus influentes en 2008, liste qui revêt une touche olympique.

Slava Corn : Elle joue un rôle important dans la gymnastique au Canada et dans le sport à l’échelle mondiale. Membre du Conseil d’administration de Gymnastique Canada, Corn est également vice-présidente de la Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique.

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IOC: London and Vancouver Games safe from credit crunch

February 6, 2009 (Universal Sports): Vancouver and London face no great immediate threat from the credit crisis and preparations for the 2010 and 2012 Olympics are on track, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Friday.

Gilbert Felli, the IOC's Olympic Games Executive Director in charge of monitoring progress in the cities, said both London and Vancouver had already felt the effects of the crisis but were well positioned to tackle them.

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Wada hits back in doping rule row

February 6, 2009 (BBC Sport): The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) has defended the reformed "whereabouts" system which has attracted criticism from around the sports world.

"We haven't heard a suggestion of anything better," Wada director general David Howman told BBC Sport.

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