A CASE STUDY OF A BODY WEIGHT CONTROL PROGRAMME FOR ELITE CHINESE FEMALE GYMNASTS IN PREPARATION FOR THE 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES
With the new FIG Code of Points for men (2006) based on the philosophy of open ended difficulty score, point advantages have been given, again, to those who are in search for and willing to perform new elements. Each element in the Code of Points can be developed by changing its start and its final position, the start and the final grip with the apparatus, the body position during the element, by adding a flight phase or a rotation around the frontal, the longitudinal or the sagital axis. The Tkachev is quite an old release element (approximately 40 years old) on high bar. In line with the knowledge available to us today, we have been looking into the possibility of performing the Tkachev salto. Following series of biomechanical analysis with consideration of the gymnast's safety, we calculated that the Tkachev salto could be performed by those gymnasts who can perform the straight Tkachev with a high amplitude. Gymnast who will be able to perform the Tkachev salto at a major competition will enter the gymnastics history and have huge chances of wining the most prestigious competitions.