GYMN-L Digest - 21 Jul 1995 to 22 Jul 1995

There are 25 messages totalling 585 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

1. Any Classic Scores?
2. heights
3. D. Thompson Out of Festival
4. Olympics Trials. (2)
5. "Today" Show
6. Olympic Trials
7. Borden and Phelps
8. Miller
9. Heights (2)
10. Diaz
11. Diaz and Anne Woynorowski
12. Olympic Festival
13. One more thing
14. Abusive email (2)
15. Fwd: Re: Heights
16. Shannon Miller
17. Tanya Maiers
18. Fan Mail (3)
19. Trials.
20. Fwd: RE: Fan Mail

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Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 00:23:21 -0400
From: ***@AOL.COM
Subject: Any Classic Scores?

The subject line says it all. If you have them, please post.
:-)
Mara

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Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 01:20:29 -0400
From: ***@MAGNUS.ACS.OHIO-STATE.EDU
Subject: heights

At the US-UKR dual meet, I was able to roughly gauge some of the gymnasts'
heights during interviews or while they were just walking around. Yelena
Shapornaya is definitely another "tall" one. I'd say she's at least my height
(5' 1 1/2") or maybe even taller. Dominique Dawes is very close to my height,
probably just a little shorter. Kerri Strug, who was there briefly for
training, is still quite short. I actually felt really tall when standing near
her! Yet she TOWERS above Lyubov Sheremeta, who was by far the shortest gymnast
there. I don't know her exact height, but I wonder if she's even 4'!

Beth

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Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 01:29:08 -0400
From: ***@AOL.COM
Subject: D. Thompson Out of Festival

According to the AP, Doni Thompson has pulled out of the Olympic Festival due
to a pulled muscle in her lower back

Mara

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Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 01:29:15 -0400
From: ***@AOL.COM
Subject: Re: Olympics Trials.

> Perhaps they should go for a
way which promotes unity (a.k.a the trials ONLY) since that way is the
BEST for producing a unified team.

Unfortunately that way produces a team more focused on avoiding injury in the
6 weeks between Trials and Olympics than in improving. The 1988 US team had
at least one (the one was a glaring example) member who had gone sharply down
hill from the Trials to the Games.

Mara

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Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 01:31:39 -0400
From: ***@CORNELL.EDU
Subject: Re: "Today" Show

>...I just wanted to add how
>impressed I was with Kim. She has really matured and seems to have a great
>attitude about the sport and life in general. Hopefully, her healthy
>perspective will help to give the sport a more positive image. I find this
>really ironic since it was really Kim's "downfall" at Barcelona that started
>a lot of the negative press to begin with! It would really help if the media
>actually listened to what the GYMNASTS say rather than forming their own
>perceptions!!
>Just my two cents.
>Amy

Brief aside... When the only reason you wish you were back at school
is that using your e-mail is a free call...I hate being up this late to use
the phone.
Ahem. I definitely agree with those comments on the "Today" thing:
I was really struck by how much more mature Zmeskal sounded like. And yes,
Bryant Gumbel's lead in line ("is this a sport?") sounded absolutely
terrible. Once again, the "problems" of gymnastics were brought up again,
(Gee, I don't think they were that critical in '92...) but Zmeskal handled
the line of questions well.
More confirmation that promos don't necessarily have much to do with
who's going to be on: Ann Marie's initial posting telling everyone about the
show mentioned that Miller and Dawes were in the spot. Interestingly
enough, they go to Houston (surprise!).
Which brings me to my other subject: What is Miller doing now
anyway? It seems like she hasn't been seen since, what was it, Peachtree?

...Er, just noticed that thing about the US Classic. Still...




--

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Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 09:53:47 -0400
From: ***@PHARM.MED.UPENN.EDU
Subject: Re: Olympics Trials.

Ann Marie asked
Did the '92 men go through the same process? Squad selection

The answer to that is no. I think that on the men's side they would agree
that everyone who deserved to be there according to their performance at
trails was there. However, since there was not any controversy, they are
changing it to match the women's controversial methods for '96 -- better
media fodder!!

Mayland


>>I agree that no selection process will ever be perfect! One thing I didn't
>get about the '92 Trials was that Betty Okino and Michele Campi were
>petitioned onto the training squad, but Kim Zmeskal, who at that point was
>the reinging EVERYTHING, had to complete trials. If anyone had proven
>themselves and should have been let onto the squad, it should have been her.
> I know that gets into a whole other issue of "well, if we put so-and-so on,
>we have to put another so-and-so on too." It just seemed to me the USGF knew
>from day one who was going to Barcelona (maybe everyone else did to).
>Two questions: Are the '96 Trails going to be the same way...a training
>squad selection, or an absolute, this-is-the-team-that's-going Trails?
>Ann Marie
>
>

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Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 09:09:22 -0500
From: ***@VAXA.CIS.UWOSH.EDU
Subject: Re: Olympic Trials

Date sent: 22-JUL-1995 09:03:49
If the system promotes athletes staying healthy, ok, fine. Bu
the current selection process hurts their performance level. As
for seeing one athlete whose performance declined sharply,
I really can't find a glaring problem, though several athletes

had some small bobbles or falls (none of which counted in the
team score).


Ack.
My back space is all goofed up, so please ignore the double line. Anyway,
as far as I can decipher, the women are using the same selection process
as in 1992, while the men are going the route of solidifying the top
5 spots, and then slecting the next two during a trils. While I find
that preferable to the women's selection, there are still logistical
problems involved (ie, the top 5 might slack off, the bottom 3 might
actually perform better). I guess it is true that we won't have a perfect
selection, but there has GOT to be some way to avoid a last minute
selection that will hurt feelings and that will STILL put out the best
team. I haven't even MENTIONED Sandy Woolsey, but she deserved to perform
at Indianapolis, no question. Don't even TRY to tell me dropping her
was fair. It wasn't.

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Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 07:13:31 -0700
From: ***@IX.NETCOM.COM
Subject: Borden and Phelps

Olympic hopefuls. In it they had a brief thing about Amanda Borden and
Jaycie Phelps. Amanda Borden:
It said that she graduated from Finneytown High school
but is putting off college until after the Olympics. They told about
her missing the Olympic team in '92 and her 2 golds and 2 silvers at
the Pan-Am Games. With it they included a picture of her doing a
straddle jump and one of her head.
Jaycie Phelps:
Going to be a sophmore next year and finished eight in
the American Cup.
I was lucky enough to meet Amanda Borden and her teammates
(including Karin Lichey, Kristie Lichey, Sam Mulheman, Jaycie Phelps,
etc.) at a local competition her gym was hosting. While in the
autograph line Amanda spilled her orange juice all over the white table
cloth :) I just thought I would share. Bye!

Margi

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Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 07:17:11 -0700
From: ***@IX.NETCOM.COM
Subject: Miller

her teammates in the Dortmund worlds? SHe did just compete Compulsories
but was part of the team. Just curious. :)

Margi

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Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 07:22:52 -0700
From: ***@IX.NETCOM.COM
Subject: Heights

heights of the Romanian gymnasts and I do not think that they are that
tall! Lavinia is only 4'11" and 1/2
Here are some of the heights that I found:

Elena Piskun 4'10"1/2
Roza Galieva 4'8"
Michelle Campi 4'11"
Luisa Porticarrero 5'0"
Amanda Borden 5'0"
Stella Umeh 5'1"
Zita Lusack 5'0"
Dominique Dawes 4'11"
Tatiana Lisenko 4'8" 1/2

Now for some really short heights:
Jennie Thompson 4'2"
Dominique Moceanu 4'3"
Mo Huilan 4'5"

Also I read in the Summer 95 edition of Gym Stars that Roza Galieva
retired and moved to Moscow.

Margi

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Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 07:25:55 -0700
From: ***@IX.NETCOM.COM
Subject: Diaz

Olympic Festival on the West team and was training at Cypress Academy.
In a USA Gymnastics issue she said that her dad lived in Puerto Rico0
for his job and they live seperatly so she could train. In different
meets I have heard that she was from Guatemala, Puerto Rico, and Peru.
I was just wondering.

Margi

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Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 09:38:11 -0500
From: ***@VAXA.CIS.UWOSH.EDU
Subject: Re: Diaz and Anne Woynorowski

Date sent: 22-JUL-1995 09:34:57
Diaz trains at Cypress academy, but competes for her adopted
coutry of Puerto Rico.

Anne is going to New hampshire, saw that on the NCAA list. But I
still am curious as to why she dropped down to level 9 or 10.

And I went to access the back issue, and I cannot do it. Can someone
find the back issue in March of GYMN that has the entire NCAA listing
and e-mail it to me?

And...one more thing? This is an oldie, but a goodie. Why did
Leslie Pyfer quit the sport in 1979? She was national champion, and
had just been the highest finisher at the Worlds. I'm curious, and
have been for a while. Also, what happened to those two really young
girls (Amy and Beth) who finished in the top six t the 1980 trials?

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Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 11:15:54 -0400
From: ***@AOL.COM
Subject: Olympic Festival

I got this team roster from AOL:

NORTH (Coach-Beth Rybacki): Kristy Powell, Doni Thompson, Theresa Kulikowski,
Vanessa Atler, Jami Dantzscher, and Ashley Kever

SOUTH (Coach-Peggy Liddick): Mina Kim, Heather Brink, Marianna Webster,
Jennie Thompson, Soni Meduna, and Kristen Stucky

WEST (Coach-Deana Parish): Kristi Lichi, Rachel Rochelli, Sarah Balogach,
Kerri Strug, Melinda Baimbridge, and Kinsey Rowe

EAST (Coach-Dena Baker): Gail Kachura, Breanne Rutherford, Alexis Brion,
Mohini Bhardwaj, Larissa Fontaine, and Jenni Beathard


Question- The roster listed Kerri Strug's club as Gymnastics World. Just how
recently did seh move to Aeriels?

-Emily

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Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 12:50:18 -0500
From: ***@ASTRO.OCIS.TEMPLE.EDU
Subject: Re: One more thing

>Can someone please explain this new floor move of Amy Chow's
>to me? It keeps getting discribed as an arabian double front
>with an extra half tweist, which, if I am thinking right, is
>simply a full-in. Or is it a double front with a half twist?

Chow does an Arabian double front with an extra half twist added onto the
end of the move. It's different from a full-in because of the placement of
the second half twist. She actually somersaults forward; in a full-in the
gymnast somersaults backward.

I don't like the move. It's difficult, but unless it's done really well it
looks like a half-in half-out.
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Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 12:50:25 -0500
From: ***@ASTRO.OCIS.TEMPLE.EDU
Subject: Re: Heights

>heights of the Romanian gymnasts and I do not think that they are that
>tall! Lavinia is only 4'11" and 1/2


How old was that IG? Last I heard, Milo was over 5'3.

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Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 12:50:28 -0500
From: ***@ASTRO.OCIS.TEMPLE.EDU
Subject: Abusive email

Yesterday I received a remarkably abusive piece of personal email in
response to my original question about the heights of the Romanian teams
members. Just curious--has anyone else been receiving serious flames for
their participation on this list, or am I the only lucky one?

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Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 11:48:44 -0700
From: ***@IX.NETCOM.COM
Subject: Fwd: Re: Heights

>heights of the Romanian gymnasts and I do not think that they are that
>tall! Lavinia is only 4'11" and 1/2


How old was that IG? Last I heard, Milo was over 5'3.

I got this information from a recent gymnastics magazine(within the
last two months) I'm not sure which one because I get three. Also, I've
heard this in competitions. I'm also sure that Gina Gogean is not over
4'10". I personally don't find the Romanians to be that tall.


Margi

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Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 11:50:27 -0700
From: ***@IX.NETCOM.COM
Subject: Shannon Miller

In Dortmund, Germany, did Shannon Miller receive a medal along with her
teamates?

- Margi

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Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 15:26:19 -0400
From: ***@AOL.COM
Subject: Tanya Maiers

Is Tanya Maiers still training with Aeriels? She is not listed on the
Olympic Festival roster, although Aeriels' other elites are scheduled to be
in that competition. Is she still competing? Injured? Changed gyms?

-Emily

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Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 15:41:38 -0400
From: ***@AOL.COM
Subject: Re: Abusive email

I have received at least one unsolicited and very rude e-mail reguarding
something so trivial it was silly. However, as long as it comes privately
and is not sent to the whole list, what can a person do but respond as they
see fit? It absolutely amazes me how petty and forward some people can be on
e-mail--you would never approach someone you just met in such a way. I just
want to talk about gymnastics and promote the sport in a positive way! I
think the majority of people on GYMN want the same thiing.

Ann Marie

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Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 15:57:58 -0700
From: ***@IX.NETCOM.COM
Subject: Fan Mail

January '94 I wrote a whole bunch of gymnasts fan mail. A few weeks
later Michelle Campi was nice enough to respond with a handwritten
letter autographed pictures that I sent her, and a photo of her with
Oksana Fabrichnova and Elena Piskun. Also about three months later I
got a fact sheet from Jennie Thompson. Even though it wasn't
autographed, at least she sent us soething. Also Shannon Miller sent an
autographed postcard and subscribed me to her catalog. A company
probably did that for her but at least she autographed the postcard.
Also Wendy Bruce sent me a Christmas card. It wasn't personalized or
personally autographed (there was a xeroxed one on it) but it had a
neat picture of her on it. I also wrote to Kim Zmeskal, Kerri Strug,
Dominique Moceanu, Dominique Dawes, and Betty Okino. None of them have
written back but I am still waiting and hoping.

Has anyone else written to any of these people and gotten a
response? Just wondering.

Is Wendy Bruce retired yet? I know she competed in the US
Championships but I hven't seen her since.

Thanks,
Margi

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Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 18:09:00 -0600
From: ***@ZEPHYR.MEDCHEM.PURDUE.EDU
Subject: Trials.

Someone commmented that a competitor at the 1988 trials went "down hill
fast" before the Olympics. Who?

Respond via private mail, please, so I won't be flamed.


About nasty EMAIL:

A few months ago, someone took something I submitted at turned it all
around and misconstrued that I was being sexist against female
gymnasts. I simply replied to that person that I would like for them
to delete their email which has my address on it and I will delete
anything that they send so that we will not get into a petty fight over
what people mean or think. It worked. I suggest others do this, as well.

Jeff

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Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 20:13:51 -0400
From: ***@AOL.COM
Subject: Re: Fan Mail

In the last issue of "USA Gymnastics" Kim Zmeskal said she personally answers
every piece of fan mail sent to Karolyi's gym, but she also said she was
really behind and apologized to everyone she hasn't written back yet. I've
heard she has one of the best reputations for answering mail, along with
Shannon Miller. Do a lot of you Gymners write fan mail? I've thought about
it, but never actually written anyone.

As far as Wendy Bruce, IG reported she retired again (after making last
year's National team).

Ann Marie

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Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 17:43:41 -0700
From: ***@IX.NETCOM.COM
Subject: Fwd: RE: Fan Mail

<I haven't written to any gymnasts, but I'd LOVE to! How do I find out
<where to send to letters?

<Michael
<Tokyo, Japan




Here are the addresses that I have:

Ukranian Gymnastics Federation
Esplanadnaya Street 42, 252023 Kiev, Ukraine

Belarussian Gymnastics Federation
Kirov Street, 8/2, 220600 Minsk, Belarus

Uzbestistan Gymnastics Federation
P.O.Box 15, UI. Poltoratskogo, 83, Tashkent, Uzbestistan

Azerbaijan National Olympic Committee
98-A, Leningradski Prospect, Baku, Azerbaijan

Russian Gymnastics Federation
Lujnetskaya Nabereynaya 8, Moscow 119.270 Russia

Romanian Gymnastics Federation
Str.Vasile Conta 16, 70139 Bucharest, Romania

Hungarian Gymnastics Federation
Magyar Torna Szovetseg, Dozsa Gyorgy ut 1-3, 1143 Budapest Hungary

Karolyi's Gymnastics
17203 Bamwood, Houston, Texas 77090

Brown's Gymnastics
740 Orange Avenue, Altamonte Springs, Florida 32714

Dynamo Gymnastics
P.O.Box 270535 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73137

Hill's Angels
7557 Lindbergh Drive, Gaitherburg, Maryland 20879

Parkettes Gymnastics
401 Lawrence Street, Allentown, Pennsylvania 18102

Pozar's Gymnastics
2709 El Camino Avenue, Sacramento, California 95821

Margi

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Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 22:31:04 +0500
From: ***@CLARK.NET
Subject: Re: Fan Mail

I wrote to Svetlana Boginskaya c/o Karolyi's gym. Since I know Russian, I
wrote to her in her native language. I haven't heard back yet (it has been
quite awhile). I don't know whether she answers mail, or is really far behind.
Vicki

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End of GYMN-L Digest - 21 Jul 1995 to 22 Jul 1995
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