GYMN-L Digest - 2 Apr 1996 to 3 Apr 1996

There are 4 messages totalling 171 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

1. Bluewater Invit.
2. JOB POSTING
3. 1989 Soviet team: ethnicity, residency, citizenship.
4. Zmeskal

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Date: Tue, 2 Apr 1996 23:20:34 -0500
From: ***@LEARN.SENECAC.ON.CA
Subject: Bluewater Invit.

Chris asked about the Pak Salto performed by one of the Sport Seneca
athletes. It was done by Amy Jordan (A.J.). This is her first year in
the National Novice category and she made the jump from Novice 2 last
year. She suffered a fracture in her hand a couple months ago and is
just back into the swing of things (no pun intended).

On another note, I'm sure everyone here at Seneca is very proud of Leah
Homma's performance, as mentioned in the last digest, scoring UCLA's all
time high score 39.700, as well as Luisa's excellent score on BB.

-AL

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Date: Wed, 3 Apr 1996 01:06:54 -0500
From: ***@AOL.COM
Subject: JOB POSTING

Menlo Park Gymnastics, a comprehensive developmental program of over 1400
students, located on the beautiful San Francisco Bay Peninsula has an
immediate position available for a compulsory level team coach. Duties
include teaching all levels of classes, coaching Level 6 & 7 compulsory team,
choreography for optional level beam and floor routines, and developing the
exhibition/demonstration team. Approximately 30 hours per week with salary of
$12-$15 per hour. Please e-reply or contact Michael A. Taylor, Director, at
415-858-3480.

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Date: Mon, 3 Apr 1995 10:28:39 -0700
From: ***@INFOCOM.KIEV.UA
Subject: 1989 Soviet team: ethnicity, residency, citizenship.

In regards to the 'Russian' vs 'former soviet republic' issue of the 1989 team.

Ukrainians have two labels associated with their passports here. The first one
is their
*citizenship* 'Ukrainian', the second is their *ethnicity*. Their *ethnicity*
could be 'Russian',
it could be 'Ukrainian', it could be 'Tatar', 'Hungarian', 'Slovakian', 'Polish'
etc. SO,
usually, people here talk about their *ethnicity* (and not about their
*citizenship*, which is
usually obvious - but not always).

Americans do not have ethnicity in their passport, and often (but not always, as
there are many
views and self-perceptions) we think about our 'nationality' in this regard,
without ethnicity.
However, I am sure you will find, that if you ask *ethnic* 'Russians' in any of
the former soviet
republics, the most common response will be their ethnicity, as opposed to their
citizenship. In
many cases, ethnic Russians do not have citizenship within the baltics and other
former
republics, and are ethnic and national Russians, just *residing* in those
places.

Although I am not sure, I would guess that during the former soviet government
people labled
themselves (in general) according to their *ethnicity*, and not nationality
(since it would
rarely even be a question of a foreigner being here). If you asked these former
team members
'What are you?', would they answer Russian as opposed to Soviet? Most likely,
they would (if they
were an Ethnic Russian).

Another interesting thing, is the fact that in most things here, including
sports, non-ethnic
Russians were discriminated against at different points and time. This is why
despite the fact
that many of these athletes came from different parts of the soviet Union, most
(not all, but
most) were ethnic Russian. I could talk all day about this so I think I will
stop right now....

"MICHELLE A. HARTEN" wrote:

>There wasn't a single Russian on the 89 *Soviet* Worlds team. It was
>comprised of 2 Latvians, 2 Belarussians, 2 Ukrainians and even had a
>Ukranian reserve. In fact, the last Russian to compete for the Soviet
>Union in a World Championships was Shushunova in 1987!

I am assuming that Michelle is talking about *residency* (since the gymnasts
were Soviet
Nationals, and not Latvian or Belarussian or Ukrainian nationals at the time),
but maybe it is
*nationality* (since some of the republics were pseudo-national i.e. Ukraine and
Belarus had
seats in the UN -before- the break-up) or maybe *Ethnicity*, But since
*Nationality*,
*Ethnicity*, and *Residency* are complicated issues (especially with the former
soviet
republics)it might be advisable to relax and clarify an issue, rather than
attacking and
presenting incomplete information.

So, in order 'to get the facts straight' we need to know what
*citizenship*(nationality) all of
these former members have *now* and had *then*. In addition, what is their
*ethnicity* *now*, and
what was it back *then* (here in Ukraine, you could change your ethnicity on
paper if you wanted
to, after the break-up), their actual *residency* *then* (did they train in the
former republic
which they were born in/grew-up in, some did and some did not) and *now* (for
example Boguinskaya
resides in the US, competes for Belarus, but that does not make her a US
national)?. And, just to
be on the safe side, we should investigate both in their *domestic* and
*international* passports
(yes, they have two passports in the Former Soviet Republics)to make sure we
have not missed
anything. We would need to know all of this and perhaps more(as each republic
has different laws
now!), just to get the facts straight as Michelle put it. Maybe Michelle could
clarify what she
meant, and present some more information about all three *categories*(ethnicity,
nationality,
residency), in relation to *both time frames* (before and after the break-up).

However, I know that there are some people on the list who have studied Soviet
issues etc, and
know team members in some of the former soviet republics. Perhaps they could
shed some more light
on this issue, and also, if they know, could clear up the *ethnicity*,
*residency*, and
*Nationality* of former team members that they know of.... Roza Galieva, we have
already
discussed too.

Maybe some of the people on the list with different perspectives on 'ethnicity',
'nationality',
and 'residency' have something to add? I know there are some people who don't
appreciate foreign
residents who then compete for their country of citizenship.

jason

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Date: Wed, 3 Apr 1996 19:06:40 +1000
From: ***@OZEMAIL.COM.AU
Subject: Zmeskal

I could have told you six months ago that Zmeskal wouldn't be at Atlanta
(competing, anyway). A while back someone pointed out that she couldn't
really be serious about a comeback if she hadn't competed, and it was only
six months to the Olympics. I totally agree. Also, I'm surprised that she
didn't go for Sabae if she wanted to gain the competitive experience under
the current Code.

Zmeskal certainly used an injured knee as a reason for delaying her return.
Sure, gym injuries can be serious, but when you compete at exhibitions as
well? She is not the same gymnast she was in 1991/92, and even if she is a
champion, fighter, etc, sometimes that's not enough.

I'm still wondering if Shannon Miller will make the team. Is she injured?
She hasn't competed for some time now, and it is getting a bit close to the
Olympics.


Simone

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End of GYMN-L Digest - 2 Apr 1996 to 3 Apr 1996
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