Podium at NCAA Gymnastics Gives Event Championship Feel
Tuesday, April 20, 2010 | Gymnastics
By Eugenio Torrens
Elevated three feet in the air, competing on podium makes gymnasts feel sky high.
The NCAA Championships in Gainesville, Fla., mark the second time this season UF will compete on podium, meaning all the apparatuses are raised from floor level — in this case, a three-foot raise.
“It makes it feel a bit more special,” said senior Amanda Castillo about competing on podium. “It makes it feel you are in the championship. This is the big show.”
This is the second appearance of the season on this particular podium for the gymnasts from the Southeastern Conference, as it was used at the league championships held March 27 in Jacksonville. The gymnasts know this surface requires some minor adjustments to their routines.
| History of the Podium at the NCAA Gymnastics Championships |
| The first appearance of a podium came at the 2004 NCAA Championships in Los Angeles, Calif. This is the fourth time a podium will be used at a NCAA Gymnastics Championship as this podium staged the 2005 (in Auburn, Ala.) and 2008 (in Athens, Ga.) national events. |
Floor exercise will be a bit bouncier and gymnasts pointed out how some would alter their starting runs for vault.
“It's gonna throw you into the vault,” Castillo said.
Running on the podium moves the gymnasts ahead faster on their vault approach, which if unaccounted for can put the athletes closer to the vault. Gymnasts will adjust by backing up the start of their runs.
“It feels like you're running on air,” Marissa King said.
One thing is clear: podium certainly puts a spring in the gymnasts' step.
“It is such a wonderful feel for the athletes to be up on top and all eyes are on them,” UF coach Rhonda Faehn said. “When it's down on the floor, it's very easy to get cluttered and there's too much going on. This is great because it really puts the athlete in the spotlight.
“The greatest competitions are always held on a podium: the Olympic Games, the World Championships, the U.S. Championships, our SEC Championships,” Faehn said. “It really puts it on another level.”
