Nastia Liukin as a LEVEL 6

[BlairBob]

Can't seem to view them right now for some reason.

Honestly, I think it was my former gym's head coach opinion that he would prefer to train his girls with an elite route never bothering with compulsory, perhaps competing level 7. Training compulsory routines just eats so much time per training year. However, many parents very much want to see their child compete to either be a star or for the experience. I think his latest plan is that the Homeschool program is really the path to being Elite or Collegiate in his gym. However, the competition route is still open though I think there was a clause they would have to sit out their first year of making L4 to only watch meets, possibly 2-3 years preferably so they could just compete out of them. Then again, kids and parents love those medals and this is America.

Gymdog, I would say that cast HS and freehip HS are still fairly rare in L6. In fact, scores are more difficult in 6 than 7 often! Even the girls that are on the podium, at States, not just Zones, rarely hit 45 on either or was it 30. Same goes for 7's.

[Ingymmom]

Gracefulone, I agree her scores had to be up there, I would love to know what they were as well. If just to see how the scoring compared today. These days the scoring seems higher then it did even a few years ago. I wonder if it is because gymnasts are better technically or because the system has become more leniant.

Bog, I learn something new here everyday as well . I always love hearing and learning about the system in Canada (and everywhere for that matter), it is one of the coolest things about the CB to me.

Nastia really did do a very lovely job here. She certainly would have stood out to me all around. I loved seeing these routines, and how they have changed over the years - I think its great that we have the same bar routine today. Thank goodness they removed the cartwheel from the beam routine & the aerial cartwheel from the floor LOL. I do think that our routines now are a bit more jerky, less balletic - if that makes sense, and I really enjoyed the dance in the older routines.

I imagine that Level 4 was not usual or perhaps not even available at that time?? (I am not certain when it became a competition level), regardless I am glad that the majority (as far as I know) did compete in the compulsories (L5 & 6). I also know of many girls today that competed unsuccessfully (by todays standards) at those levels & are still around to laugh about it - quite successfully as L10's - today. I think that there is a happy medium to training compulsories while still training on an elite track & if parents can be patient (I agree it is, and should not be, all about the winning) and deal with it for a couple of years the girls would actually remain in the sport longer. So many don't even make it past L5 these days because this is their 4th or 5th year competing (and they are still L5's) and they are just done. Too many gyms spend ridiculous amounts of time perfecting compuls. floor routines, and not enough time training on bars. Gym programs need at least equal quality bar time.

[gymgymgymnast08]

She was so elegant even back then. I think thats the first compulsary routine I've seen that you actually want to watch!

[Juni]

WOW...that was the best level 6 bars routine I have ever seen...and I've seen a lot of them.
Everything else was very good too.

[gymgramma]

OK what's the secret to getting the video to play? I can't get any of the videos on that link to play

[Shawn]

I couldn't get them to work through my Firefox browser. I had to go through Internet Explorer to get them to play.