Gymnast's Memoir Books

[RedBirdie]

YAAAAAAAAS! I had no idea it was on gymn-forum. When I read it 20 years ago, it's because someone managed to track down the original digest emails and shared them.

 

[QuietColours]

Wow. I'd forgotten how much Kerri really, really liked Bela. She was fully bought in

 

[Big_rock_show]

Wow. I'd forgotten how much Kerri really, really liked Bela. She was fully bought in

So was MLR

 

[Lisaelaine80]

She was about to win the Olympic beam gold medal if not for that fall, after what was an insane career trajectory that included her being replaced in an Olympic AA final by the eventual winner. So crazy. Her comeback in 1996 was amazing but I wish she would've been able to make more of it.

I was hoping she would tie with Miller for the gold.

 

[Denn]

She was about to win the Olympic beam gold medal if not for that fall

I don't agree with this. She had little balance checks on all of her backward landings and she also had to stick a dismount.

[..] Her comeback in 1996 was amazing but I wish she would've been able to make more of it.

But I do agree with this! (And I did then, too)

 

[RichardL]

I don't agree with this. She had little balance checks on all of her backward landings and she also had to stick a dismount.

But I do agree with this! (And I did then, too)

Those "checks" were all actually the choreography of her acro, she did them the same way when she earned the same 9.862 in optionals. But yes, the dismount!

 

[Matilda23]

Did Galieva compete after the Olympics? IIRC Khorkina mentioned one of her 96 Olympic teammates retired due to the twisties. I assumed it Kotchetkova but maybe it was Roza?

I wasn’t a fan of Galieva’s gymnastics, her many fast arm movements and back arching.

 

[Indy]

Did Galieva compete after the Olympics? IIRC Khorkina mentioned one of her 96 Olympic teammates retired due to the twisties. I assumed it Kotchetkova but maybe it was Roza?

I wasn’t a fan of Galieva’s gymnastics, her many fast arm movements and back arching.

She competed in the 1997 World University Games but I think that was it, at least on the international stage.

Her beam choreography is fully just arm swings and aggressive back arching. I feel like that wasn't uncommon in that era though. So much back arching!

 

[irichluck21]

I liked Galieva for her confident attitude on beam. The arm waving was a bit much, but I loved how aggressive she was doing it.

 

[RichardL]

I liked Galieva for her confident attitude on beam. The arm waving was a bit much, but I loved how aggressive she was doing it.

I often feel that if I arm-waved like Galieva throughout most of my daily life that I would achieve better results.

 

[rlayt]

I’ll have to try that. I’ll be arm-waving through the grocery store.

 

[phoenix7]

I Galievaed a taxi this morning, with satisfactory results

 

[Indy]

I Galievaed a taxi this morning, with satisfactory results

Did you waive your arms wildly to hail a taxi or were you forced to fake an injury in order for someone else to take your taxi?

 

[QuietColours]

Kerri's book is done! Should I start Chalked Up next weekend or after Worlds?

 

[crdubb17]

Kerri's book is done! Should I start Chalked Up next weekend or after Worlds?

Bless you! I tried to listen to Jen’s book last year and I don’t think I finished it. She came across as whiny, entitled, and kind of ignorant.

 

[IratePanda]

Kerri's book is done! Should I start Chalked Up next weekend or after Worlds?

Yes! If you have time before Worlds, that would be great. Thanks for all your hard work. These threads are great fun.

 

[KristyJ]

Bless you! I tried to listen to Jen’s book last year and I don’t think I finished it. She came across as whiny, entitled, and kind of ignorant.

I read it before a lot of what is currently known came to light. I am curious if I will see it differently upon a second reading.

It's been interesting what comes across as entitled to me and I've been asking myself about why all week. I read Gracie Gold's memoir right before I started on Strug's, and while I sympathize with Gracie a lot and my time in sport fell across the end of Strug's career and the beginning of Gracie's, I found it a lot harder to cope with Gracie's take on things. She seemed far more entitled to me even though I can also see where she is coming from. I keep wondering how much of the 90s mindset I really internalized and if there are pieces of good to it or if I am a little stuck in the past.

 

[crdubb17]

I read it before a lot of what is currently known came to light. I am curious if I will see it differently upon a second reading.

It's been interesting what comes across as entitled to me and I've been asking myself about why all week. I read Gracie Gold's memoir right before I started on Strug's, and while I sympathize with Gracie a lot and my time in sport fell across the end of Strug's career and the beginning of Gracie's, I found it a lot harder to cope with Gracie's take on things. She seemed far more entitled to me even though I can also see where she is coming from. I keep wondering how much of the 90s mindset I really internalized and if there are pieces of good to it or if I am a little stuck in the past.

I’ll be interested to hear your perspective. I expected I would be much more empathetic towards Jen as I was reading it in ‘24, but she was so annoying and messy. I don’t even remember much about it, I just remembered she seemed to lack awareness in how she came across, or she knew she was entitled but didn’t care because she felt it was her right to be that way? Idk she was always complaining and was just weird, especially with how she would describe her black teammate Angie Denkins.

Gracie’s book on the other hand, I appreciated how aware she was about how much of an asshole she had become through her journey. She hated herself and was miserable, and it reflected in how she came across to others. It felt like she eventually took accountability for her life. That’s honestly my favorite athlete memoir.