Bee - Stick your Landing!

Beepster - Focus! and Stick your Landing...a bit of humor I found from another blog:

"I also love gymnastics. I think that gymnastics have it all over any other group for sheer athletic ability. Did you see the men on the still rings? I don't think they're quite human. And how about the way the gymnasts do that "look how high I can raise my arms" pose at the end of every routine. Even when they fall, they have to stand back up and do the pose. That's got to hurt. "I fell on my ass, but I can STILL raise my arms real high!" Ouch.

If you've been watching the Olympics, you've no doubt heard about how important it is to "stick your landing." That's when, after dismounting an apparatus, you land with both feet firmly planted on the mat. No hops, no steps, no touching your hands to the mat. (On a side note, why do they say an athlete has "dismounted" the mat after the floor routine? He's clearly still on the mat, but the big finish is called a "dismount." What's up with that?)

If you've been listening to the announcers, you know that failure to "stick your landing" amounts to doom. DOOM! A perfect routine will be ruined if you don't stick. If you believe the announcers, not sticking your landing is to a gymnast what the iceberg was to the Titanic.

That's a lot of pressure. I'm surprised people don't resort to more desperate measures. I think I'd take a hint from the beauty pageant contestants. Did you know they've been known to cover their bottoms with spray adhesive to make sure their swim suits don't ride up during the stroll across the stage? True! I think they've got a good idea. I think before the competition, I'd use some of that spray adhesive on the mat. Spray it all over the mat exactly where I planned on landing and BAM - stuck landing! Gold medal for me!

Of course, I don't know how they'd get me off the mat to go stand on the podium. But hey, every plan starts with some kinks to be worked out."

Quoted from: http://www.dontbeadumbass.com/archives/2004_08_01_archive.html

Can't help but chuckle!

Note: Photo is of Kerri Shrug - from memoriable moments in the Olympics:

"delivered the most dramatic moment of the 1996 Summer Olympics when she completed a vault (9.712) after spraining her ankle; the second vault assured the first all-around gold medal for a US Women's gymnastics team after poor vaulting by her teammates had put the medal in doubt; a poor performance by the Russian team on the beam had clinched the gold medal for the US but Strug was unaware when she made the second vault."