GYMN-L Digest - 20 May 1996 to 21 May 1996

There are 24 messages totalling 504 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

1. WOmen's NCAA questions
2. Marinescu vs. Moceanu (3)
3. Mystery Gymnast on Reading Rainbow (2)
4. WAG: Europeans
5. GYMN-L Digest - 13 May 1996 to 14 May 1996
6. I'm going insane....still!
7. Kim Kelly (2)
8. Marinescu
9. Marinescu & Morceanu (long)
10. Programmed gymnasts
11. code changes
12. U.S championship tickets
13. Kerri Strug
14. What ever happened to.... (2)
15. GYMN-L Digest - 19 May 1996 to 20 May 1996 - Special issue (2)
16. IRC CHAT INSTRUCTIONS
17. Mihai who????
18. Womens Euros

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Date: Mon, 20 May 1996 16:29:11 -0500
From: ***@VAXA.CIS.UWOSH.EDU
Subject: WOmen's NCAA questions

Two questions about next year and women's NCAA gymnastics:

1) Where are the women's championships being held?

2) Anyone got some background on Kiernan Andrews (who will be attending
Arizona) and Caroline Harris (attending Georgia)? Please?

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Date: Mon, 20 May 1996 17:56:15 -0400
From: ***@GWIS2.CIRC.GWU.EDU
Subject: Re: Marinescu vs. Moceanu

May I please just remind everyone that unlike some of the gymnasts in the
US Marinescu does not have the benefit of an agent and publicists to tell
her what to say. This is a 15yr old...

The translation difficulties, her right to speak her mind etc. have all
been mentioned and I won't delve into them again...

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Date: Mon, 20 May 1996 19:00:34 -0400
From: ***@UMICH.EDU
Subject: Re: Mystery Gymnast on Reading Rainbow

it could have been elisabeth crandall, juliet bangeter, or sandy woolsey.

> I was randomly chanel surfing a week ago and found an interview with a
> female gymnast I could not place. She mentioned she was second in the
> nation which really made me wonder. Turned out it was an episode of
> Reading Rainbow. The next feature was on the brother/sister skating pair
> Natalia and Waybe Seybold. Judging from their clothing it was in the
> 80s. I later found out they were in the 88 olympics and this was
> obviously pre olympics so they gymnast must also have been an olympic
> hopeful. I never caught a name, but at one point she was working out and
> the wall behind her said Desert Devils. She was blond. Anyway who is
> she ... I'm a little fuzzy on that period of gymnastics.

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Date: Mon, 20 May 1996 19:04:54 -0400
From: ***@YORKU.CA
Subject: Re: Mystery Gymnast on Reading Rainbow

I recall seeing this show too a few years back, and it was in fact
Elisabeth Crandal. On the show, she mentions being ranked number two in
the country, and this would have been 1988, so she was refering to her #2
finish at junior USA's that year, right behind her clubmate Juliet Bangerter.
Chris.

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Date: Tue, 21 May 1996 01:03:04 BST
From: ***@IC.AC.UK
Subject: Re: WAG: Europeans

> P.S. Was Onodi there with the team but not competing?

I dont think Onodi was there at all. She wasn't listed anywhere
(not even as one of the non-competing gymnasts) though she could
have been there as a spectator.

Sherwin

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Date: Mon, 20 May 1996 20:15:00 -0400
From: ***@AOL.COM
Subject: Re: GYMN-L Digest - 13 May 1996 to 14 May 1996

I feel Kerri Strug is a come from behind hopeful for the Olympics, it seems
like everyone underestimates her talent and that is so unfair. She has always
been my favorite and I think you should pay more attention, she is even more
threatening now that she is back at Karolyi's After all she did when the
1996 American Cup!

I am a15 yr old freshmen from Davenport Iowa and I am a competitive tumbler,
I am very into music and golf

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Date: Mon, 20 May 1996 20:23:24 -0400
From: ***@MAGNUS.ACS.OHIO-STATE.EDU
Subject: Marinescu vs. Moceanu

I must be missing something, because until I read the letters in IG and
the messages on Gymn, it didn't even occur to me to consider Marinescu's
comments "arrogant." She is a young girl who was simply answering questions put
to her by an adult, and the answers were then translated into English with no
indication of Alexandra's tone of voice, body language, etc. Perhaps I'm wrong,
but it seems like most of the accusations of "arrogance" have come from
die-hard Moceanu fans, who might be reacting a bit over-sensitively. I don't
see anything "arrogant" in Alexandra's saying she's competed against gymnasts
better than Dominique. She has. She comes from the team that has won the gold
at the past two World Championships. Like Nadia in 1976, she very well may see
her own teammates as her toughest competition. Not to mention people like
Podkopayeva and Khorkina, who were 1-2 in Sabae. For Alexandra to say they are
better than Dominique is not, at least to my mind, a slam against Dominique but
a statement reflecting the current rankings in the world. I also don't see the
statement that Dominique has "a lot to learn" as a vicious attack. ALL gymnasts
new to world-level competition have a lot to learn. I wouldn't be surprised if
Alexandra would say that she herself has a lot to learn, if someone asked her.
I also wouldn't be surprised if Dominique said she had a lot to learn. In fact,
didn't she say something to this effect after winning AA at nationals and then
sort of falling apart during EF? It just seems to me that Alexandra's comments
have been twisted around and misconstrued, and it's silly to assume any kind of
hostility between her and Dominique. I think the athletes are too busy thinking
about their own performances and routines to waste time harboring grudges and
whatnot against each other. Most of the real hostility seems to be between the
fans, sad to say.
As for which M - Marinescu or Moceanu - is the favorite for Atlanta, I,
for one, am placing my stakes on another M - Mo Huilan. IMHO, she is the best
and most complete gymnast in the world right now, and I would love to see her
take the AA gold in Atlanta. And judging from the results of Europeans,
Podkopayeva would seem to be her toughest challenger. But who knows what the
next 2 months will bring?

Beth

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Date: Mon, 20 May 1996 19:40:10 -0500
From: ***@VAXA.CIS.UWOSH.EDU
Subject: Re: Marinescu vs. Moceanu

I am somewhat ambivalent about Marinescu's comments, but I am also
willing to chalk it up to the translation and lack of ability to interpret
the tone. Also, I don't read it as arrogance, but simply telling the truth.
Which, as we have all seen, has NEVER been well interpreted.

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Date: Mon, 20 May 1996 18:18:31 -0700
From: ***@DIRECT.CA
Subject: I'm going insane....still!

Are we STILL hooked on Spartanburg or whatever the hell it's called?!?!?!
Can we not move on with our conversation?!?!?! Do we not know how to take a
hint and DROP a subject when complaints are posted?!?! Look, I'll teach you
how...see this:

That is someone NOT saying anything about this issue!

WOW! It's just so easy to do! If you want, I can even teach you what
PRIVATE email means! It's an amazing thing, I urge you to try it!

Jen

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Date: Mon, 20 May 1996 21:23:41 -0400
From: ***@AOL.COM
Subject: Re: Kim Kelly

I was watching the women's NCAA Championships, and the commentators said
that Kim Kelly earned a place on the Barcelona Olympic team, but lost the
spot to someone who came back from injury. Does anyone know who the gymnast
was?
Dawn :)

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Date: Mon, 20 May 1996 21:23:44 -0400
From: ***@AOL.COM
Subject: Re: Marinescu

I think this was discussed before, and someone said that Alexandra
probably meant that she'd competed against top women in the world (Pods,
etc.) and that Moceanu wasn't as good as them. I don't think she
neccessarily wanted to insult Moceanu, because in other interviews I have
read, she has seemed like a nice person. I happen to like Moceanu, but I
have to admit, she's not the best in the world.
Dawn :)

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Date: Mon, 20 May 1996 18:59:26 -0700
From: ***@VCN.BC.CA
Subject: Re: Marinescu & Morceanu (long)

Hi! All,

I also agree with a lot of others comment on this subject, I for one
don't think there is anything wrong with speaking your mind. Yes
sometimes comments do comes out a little strong, but I like that better
then someone who beats around the bush. I understand why lot of people
feel that Marinescu is being a little offensive, because my best friend
Mihai a 100% Romanian (soon to be Olympian, Go Bro), is sort of like that
too. This guy has a temper of Prince Vlad (the Romanian Prince that
most of us known as Dracula) and he express his feeling
without holding back, if he doesn't like something you will know for sure.
This was very difficult in our early stage of friendship, almost kill
each other a few time, but now I know him better, he is all good inside
and he has the heart and courage more than anyone I have ever met.
So hopefully this will clear things up a little, is just like Mr. Dean Tygart
say "in U.S. that could be consider a bit rude however in her country
that could be the norm to speak your mind" and I totally agree with that,
you really need to have some encounter with a culture before you know how
things work for them.

Happy gymnastic,
Thomas

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Date: Mon, 20 May 1996 22:18:06 -0400
From: ***@INETNOW.NET
Subject: Re: Programmed gymnasts

What exactly is a programmed gymnast? Good question, huh? Well you know, it
is a known fact that some people (coaches, etc) like their gymnasts to be
quiet and cute. I am talking specifically about the women's gymnasts. But
the same can apply to males somewhat as well. This is an old stereotype of
gymnasts, of the athlete being quiet and "uncontroversial", or unassuming.

As for the Amy Chow comments, what she said is nothing new. Most of our
gymnasts are taught to give interviews like that. They recieve "training" in
dealing with the media. In fact, there was a summit held in Atlanta a few
weeks ago, where several olympic athletes attended workshops on how to deal
with the media. Dominique Moceanu attended the seminar with her coach Bela
Karolyi. The federation likes for the elite athletes to receive "training in
dealing with the media".

This is assumingly to make sure the athlete doesn't look like a fool in
front of the camera. In a way, I agree. Not everybody is a natural
communicator. I have seen a lot of lousy interviews (I mean all athletes). I
don't think our gymnasts will get up in front of a camera and curse and use
loud slang like a ballplayer. But some polish couldn't hurt.

What I do object to is trying to censor and put words in the mouths of a
person. Let them speak their minds. As long as the person can say what they
really mean, without being under pressure to say that somebody elses wants
said, it's fine with me.

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Date: Mon, 20 May 1996 19:20:32 -0700
From: ***@EARTHLINK.NET
Subject: code changes

I heard that women's routines starting in 1997 would have a start value
of 9.0 just like the men. You could have a whip through triple,double
front and double layout, and only start at a 9.9
Just wondering if anyone can confirm this or is it just a rumor.

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Date: Mon, 20 May 1996 19:55:00 -0700
From: ***@EARTHLINK.NET
Subject: U.S championship tickets

Hi,
I've got 4 tickets to the U.S mens championships in Tennesse. Four
for the finals,four for the optionals. The tickets are great seats 6 rows up
dead center. My parents bought bulk rate and are only attending the junior
and seniors womens events. So if you live in Tennesee or planning to fly
there I'd be more than happy to give them to you. First one to e-mail me.

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Date: Tue, 21 May 1996 00:25:42 -0300
From: ***@CCN.CS.DAL.CA
Subject: Re: Kerri Strug

> I feel Kerri Strug is a come from behind hopeful for the Olympics, it seems
> like everyone underestimates her talent and that is so unfair. She has always
> been my favorite and I think you should pay more attention, she is even more
> threatening now that she is back at Karolyi's After all she did when the
> 1996 American Cup!

Hi. I agree that Kerri Strug is a great gymnast. She's come a long way
and I admire her determination. Even though the 96 Cup was her first
major title, Strug has got a lot of experience of her side. She was the
youngest member of the 92 team for Barcelona and thus has a feel for that,
and her gym switches I
would think has given her a feel for the variety of coaches in the field.
So I am hoping and looking forward to seeing her make it to Atlanta this
year. Lisa, not claiming to really know what she's talking about <G>

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Date: Mon, 20 May 1996 23:48:18 -0400
From: ***@YORKU.CA
Subject: What ever happened to....

I have a couple of what ever happened to questions, now that I've
recently acquired some older gymnastics videos (ie early 80's; I didn't
really start following the sport till 1986).
1) Beth Pope. She was coached by Bela Karolyi and won the Sports
Festival in 1981 I believe. In Mary Lou Retton's book, she mentions her
a lot, and on her "retirement" just said "Beth Pope wasn't around
anymore". Does anyone know when/why she quit, what she is doing now,and
what her national ranking was like? Did she ever go to worlds or
represent the US internationally?
2) Julianne Brumbaugh. She was with NAAG and seemed to show much
promise at both the SIngle ELimination meet in 1982 and the Caesar's
palace meet in 1983. She appeared very young then. Did she make it to
the Olympic trials in 84?
3) Tracy Hinkle of Parkettes. In an interivew during the 83
Caecar's Palace meet, she said her goal was to make the Olympic team in
84 and to be #1 in the nation. Neither of these things happened, but did
she make it to trials at least and how long did she and Brumbaugh
compete?
I'd appreciate any answers to these questions.
Chris.

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Date: Tue, 21 May 1996 00:44:57 -0400
From: ***@AOL.COM
Subject: Re: GYMN-L Digest - 19 May 1996 to 20 May 1996 - Special issue

In a message dated 96-05-20 01:55:14 EDT, you write:

> 2. Has SCATS changed it's name to Gym-Max, or did all of the SCATS girls
>> switch gyms??
>
>The girls switched gyms from SCATS to Gym-Max, which is owned by former
>SCATS coaches Hao "Howie" Liang (former Chinese nat'l team coach), Wen
>Jia, and New Hope coach Li Xiaoping...who are husband and wife, parents
>of two little girls and were great gymnasts to say the least...:)
>
>

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Date: Tue, 21 May 1996 00:51:16 -0400
From: ***@AOL.COM
Subject: Re: GYMN-L Digest - 19 May 1996 to 20 May 1996 - Special issue

> 2. Has SCATS changed it's name to Gym-Max, or did all of the SCATS girls
>> switch gyms??
>
>The girls switched gyms from SCATS to Gym-Max, which is owned by former
>SCATS coaches Hao "Howie" Liang (former Chinese nat'l team coach), Wen
>Jia, and New Hope coach Li Xiaoping...who are husband and wife, parents
>of two little girls and were great gymnasts to say the least...:)
>
>

David McCreary of Gymagic in Northern California will be taking over the head
coaching position at Scats. He is leaving the headaches of being
self-employed for the security of a salaried position of Scats. We'll miss
him at Gymagic. We're trying to figure out what to do with our daughter.
David was able to get her to the U.S. Classic. Now we're at a loss at what to
do. We've been trying to convince the owners of Technique in Sacramento to
hire Rick Newman. He wants to return to Northern California after the
Olympics. They seem suspicious of Rick's reputation. We had Rick for 4 years
and he was the greatest. Saludos, Ramon Garcia.

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Date: Tue, 21 May 1996 02:03:55 -0400
From: ***@PIPELINE.COM
Subject: IRC CHAT INSTRUCTIONS

Could someone please list the mail address for irc chat specifically for
gymnastics?
Also day and time(est) of typical chat action would be very helpful.

Thanks,

Eric

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Date: Mon, 20 May 1996 23:06:32 -0700
From: ***@IX.NETCOM.COM
Subject: Re: What ever happened to....

Re: Shelley Engle

Just talked to my mom tonight (she used to be co-exec director of SCATS),
and said the last she heard of Shelley, she was in Junior College, and
hoping to go on to California State University - Fullerton, but she
hasn't been in touch with her family in a while.

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Date: Tue, 21 May 1996 02:31:03 -0400
From: ***@AOL.COM
Subject: Re: Kim Kelly


> I was watching the women's NCAA Championships, and the commentators said
>that Kim Kelly earned a place on the Barcelona Olympic team, but lost the
>spot to someone who came back from injury. Does anyone know who the gymnast
>was?

It was Michelle Campi who took the last spot on the Barcelona Olympic Team.
Kim Kelly was not on the team. She did not make the final cut and Michelle
did. If you remember back, the family and the Strausses were very upset by
this and I think may have even filed a lawsuit to have her on the team. But
you know Americans, ALWAYS willing to sue. Maybe that's why lawers are so
wealthy.

Dean

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Date: Mon, 20 May 1996 23:52:54 -0700
From: ***@VCN.BC.CA
Subject: Mihai who????

Hi everyone,

After I wrote my last post (Re: Marinescu & Morceanu) I realize I was
not specific enough on mentioning my friend Mihai. So I'm here to
clearify the matter, in case you are curious. The Mihai I'm mentioning
is Mihai Apostol, he is on the Canadian Canoe and Kayak Team, he is the
stroke of the quad's and he will be competiting in the K-4 1000m at the
O-games. I wish both my friend and Mihai Bagiu the very best. Go! Mihai!
& Mihai!

your fellow gymner,
Thomas

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Date: Tue, 21 May 1996 11:00:53 +0100
From: ***@GL.RHBNC.AC.UK
Subject: Womens Euros

I worked at the training halls at the Womens Euros in Birmingham.

I suggest that if you get that chance to work at a comp such as this that you
doso. I had my favourite that I wanted to win before the competition, but
after
working there a couple of days I had changed my mind about many of them. For
instance I realy liked Pod until I met her in person. I wasn't sure about Bog
untilI met her, but I found to be extremely nice. And I thought the Russians
and Romanians would be very cold, but they are very approachable letting you
take photo's and singing autographs all the time...well whe they weren't
training anyway.


Sarah :)

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End of GYMN-L Digest - 20 May 1996 to 21 May 1996
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