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So, you think you know all about gymnastics?
You've seen it all? Been everywhere and bought the T-shirt?
Forget it. The ika tournament was eye opening
in more than one respect. And that includes the coaches.
For example, take Craig. What????? You don't know Craig????
The one and only Craig??? Ok, so neither did we, but at
least we know now that the days of the uniform crew cut
that corresponds to FIG norms seem to be over (thank God!).
Mothers - lock up your daughter and save your sons, here
comes Craig! Yeah, gymnastics is cool, man!
The door to the gym opens and all of a
sudden the depressing grey disappears. Casual spectators
immediately start humming everyone's favourite Afroman hit
and all eyes were on the Canadian, who was talking to his
students Melanie Tham and Terri Gibson intensively. He wore
more gold around his neck than Svetlana Khorkina has won
in her entire life. "Gymnastics could do with more
Craigs," his caching colleague admitted after his third
beer and, oh yeah, gymnastics is cool, man!
But Craig was not only an expert on cool
gymnastics. He also captured the imagination on the dance
floor of the local disco, to which the coaches went in the
evening. To the delight of the ika team. His
evening dancing duties may have put a stop to a full breakfast
(nothing but a glass of orange juice, but then, Sabina Cojocar
didn't have a lot more either), but never to his being in
the gym at eight in the morning to coach his athletes. They
got the day off on the final day and preferred shopping
to watching the finals. "That's sick, you fly half
way through the world and let them go shopping," a
fellow coach said, shaking his head. - "Oh come on,
we worked hard and they did a good job. I won't force them
to go, they haven't seen anything of Slovenia yet,"
Craig replied. Yeah, not only gymnastics is cool, man!
Consequently, Craig was handed a special award at the banquet.
One that had been prepared quickly (by request of the female
members of the ika staff) - "Most Popular
Coach of the Competition". He accepted it to loud cheers
from all the ika mice. Here comes Craig! Yeah,
gymnastics is just cool, man!
..... .....
nbb
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