2013 U.S. Secret Classic

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I attended the 2013 U.S. Secret Classic yesterday! First of all, my congratulations to Molly Frack and Christina Desiderio and their coaches from Parkettes who got to compete at a USA Championship! Way to go, girls!

I am becoming the big fan of coach Chow and his gymnasts. Since the first appearance of Shawn Johnson, I was always impressed with his coaching style, silent and smiling, like all work had been done at home and they had come to win (and they always did!). He had even more impressive results with Gabby Douglas. And now, his new elites show the same attitude, discipline and respect to their coach and to their own work. Hands up, Coach Chow and a lot of respect!

Overall, it seems like a lot of juniors are struggling with bars. I believe some problems with the basics are holding them back. I enjoyed watching beam, a lot of solid, very well balanced routines. My personal picks of the day – Norah Flatley BM and Lauren Hernandez FX. What are yours?

Norah Flatley – Balance Beam – 2013 Secret U.S. Classic

Lauren Hernandez – Floor Exercise – 2013 Secret U.S. Classic

Inside Gymnastics Magazine – 10 of the Best Ever on Beam

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10 of the Best Ever on Beam

From: Inside Gymnastics Magazine – 10 of the Best Ever on Beam. “Best known for the roundoff-style vault entry, Soviet Natalia Yurchenko was equally inventive on beam. At the 1979 Sparatakiade she introduced the Yurchenko Loop, a spectacular back handspring sideways down to the beam with a hip circle around the beam. Then, at the 1985 World Championships in Montreal, late in her career, she upped the ante by introducing the concept of layout entries to the beam, performing a risky roundoff mount from the springboard.”

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Welcome to my Blog!

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It’s with great pleasure that I not only announce the introduction of my new Web site, but, my blog as well! I’m constantly being asked by gymnasts, coaches, parents and fans my thoughts about recent competitions (e.g. McKayla Maroney’s vault in the 2012 Summer Olympics), new routines, gymnastics news and coaching techniques. Now, I have a forum through which I can share news and my thoughts about a variety of gymnastics topics ! Please subscribe to my blog for the latest updates.

And, if you have a question or a topic that you’d like me to talk about, please let me know by posting a comment here. I look forward to sharing my thoughts and hearing your feedback!

Best!
Natalia Yurchenko