Here is footage of her full double full – which I think is her first jump for finals tonight:

I remember watching Ashley compete as a gymnast during her years at Apex – and can only imagine how proud all her coaches from gymnastics are of her tonight (the rest of the coaches and gymnasts in the state are proud of you too, Ashley)!  I am sure all those basics, twisting and flipping drills, trampoline time, conditioning and lessons she learned from her days in the gym contributed to her quick rise to the top in US Freestyle skiing.

GO ASHLEY!  Another example of the great things gymnastics can prepare you for.

It truly speaks to the core of my soul as a Mom and a coach. Even though so many of the athletes I coached through the years are all grown up, the memories I have of them as little kids are so precious!

Now where is that box of tissues when I need them?

According to The Australian,

Bright was training in the half-pipe at Aspen, Colorado, yesterday to prepare for this weekend’s Winter X Games, when she missed the landing on one of her standard tricks, a switchback 720 (double spin), and struck the back of her head on the ice floor of the bowl.

She was taken to Aspen Valley Hospital for precautionary scans which cleared her of any serious injury, but she has withdrawn from the X Games, which was to have been her last competition before the Olympics.

Bright played down the mishap as “a bit of a fall” and said it would not affect her preparation for the Winter Olympics.

Let’s hope she has a speedy recovery with no long term effects from that fall and can show off her crazy new skill, the “double cork” in Vancouver later this month.

Here is a great documentary piece on Torah Bright for Roxy where she talks about riding the “White Wave”, her hopes, dreams and her worst snowboarding injury.

One of the benefits of yoga according to Sasha is injury prevention thanks to the additional core strength and increased flexibility she has gotten from yoga training. She says she does yoga 4-5 days a week whether she is traveling or not.

If you are interested in incorporating yoga in your conditioning program or just giving it a try, check out any of these DVDs for a start:

• The Athlete’s Guide to Yoga: An Integrated Approach to Strength, Flexibility, and Focus
• The Athlete’s Pocket Guide to Yoga: 50 Routines for Flexibility, Balance, and Focus
• Yoga For Families: Connect With Your Kids

What’s your workout plan for today?

Personally, my favorite exercise in there is the medicine ball toss she is doing with her trainer while lying on her side. That exercise engages so many of the lesser used, but very important core muscles that Lindsey needs for making split second lateral adjustments as she is racing down the slopes. The other exercise that she has in her workout that looks so hard but perfect for her sport is the skier squats she is doing on the large balance ball towards the end.

It is always fun to get a behind the scenes look at our favorite athletes! Thanks to Lindsey and Under Armour for sharing this with all of us.

Click on the image to get the printable version of the word search or go to Printables4Kids.com for even more sports printable activities for kids of all ages. And if you are looking for Team USA gear to wear in support of your favorite winter olympic athletes, click here for a great selection of Winter Olympics gear.

The 2010 Winter Games are right around the corner, and if the media has their way, US Skier Lindsey Vonn will be a household name by the time the Opening Ceremonies are under way. Lindsey is entering her third Olympic Games at age 25, her last two appearances didn’t yield her anything except experience – and plenty of it. With a legitimate shot at gold in all five women’s Alpine events: downhill, super-G, slalom, GS and super combined (one downhill run and one slalom run), Lindsey is being touted by the media as skiing’s answer to Michael Phelps. Pressure, much?

In reading a recent AP article, Lindsey discusses the weight she bears as an ambassador of her sport – and the pressure that comes with success in the World Cup circuit in a pre-Olympic year. She is quick to remind people that she has not yet won an Olympic medal so any medal, any color would be an accomplishment in her eyes, not to mention the role that Mother Nature can play in the world of ski racing:

“Having not won a medal, I would be really happy with just one bronze. I’m going to go out there and try to win gold, but, you know, there’s a lot of things that can happen in ski racing,” Vonn said when the women’s World Cup circuit made its lone U.S. stop in Aspen late last month. “I mean, I can get a big gust of wind, and my downhill race is over.”

Let’s hope that Lindsey continues handle the balance between training and promotion of the sport she loves so much in the weeks leading up to the games. Good Luck Lindsey!

Show your support for you favorite athletes with Vancouver 2010 Olympics Gear!

• The US Women’s Ice Hockey team has been named and two of its team members are gearing up for their 4th Olympic Games! They will be a nice balance to the youth of 20 year old Hilary Knight – the youngest member of the team.
• Lindsey Vonn Continues to Shine Ahead of the Olympics
• 33 year old Kristina Groves Speeds Toward Olympic Immortality
• Sarah Hughes to be inducted into the the US Figure Skating Hall of Fame
• 5 Questions with World Champion Noelle Pikus-Pace
• Sasha Cohen at Rockefeller Center (video and update)
• Olympic Skier Michelle Roark Invents a Scent for Champions

Stay warm!

Seventeen year old Rachael Flatt, the 2008 World Junior Champion and 2008 US Championships silver medalist, has her sights squarely set on the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. After a short holiday in Hawaii this summer, Rachael is headed back to the ice, working with her mentor Dorothy Hamill, training and getting ready to make her mark on the world. LifeSkate.com spent a few minutes with Rachael earlier this summer and asked her about summer, her plans for the future and getting ready for the Olympics.

And like most 17-year olds, Rachel is now back in school – juggling class work and training – and as a high school senior, college applications. The Olympic hopeful has mastered the secret strategy for successful student-athletes – time management! Her typical day is spent between public high school (and AP classes none the less), training on and off-ice, prepping for SATs and college applications and trying to keep the balance!

The Olympic trials for ice skating will be held in conjunction withe US Nationals to be held January 14-24, 2010 in Spokane, Washington. This will allow approximately four weeks of training for the team prior to the Olympic games.

On the subject of the games, check out the gorgeous Vancouver 2010 Olympics Gear that has just been released!

Photo: USOC Athlete Portraits/Getty Images

Even though Sasha has not competed since 2006, she has stayed fit and has been skating as part of the Smuckers Stars on Ice Tour. Not surprising, she has been one of the tours’ most popular skaters thanks to her amazing flexibility, dynamic performances and her already established fan base.

According to her site:

It’s a good possibility that Sasha’s first competitive skate will be at Skate America, which is November 13-15 at Lake Placid, N.Y. U.S. Figure Skating executive director David Raith said Friday it’s a “logical assumption” she will be at Lake Placid.

Grand Prix assignments will be made May 30. Because Sasha didn’t compete in last year’s Grand Prix series, she is not automatically eligible for this season’s events and has to be invited by the individual organizers. “She’s not automatic. But I think when her name shows up on the list, she’ll be one of the first chosen,” Raith said.

Skate America has the first rights to Sasha. Raith said he also thinks one of the earlier events — Trophee Eric Bompard in Paris, the Rostelecom Cup in Moscow or Cup of China in Beijing — will have interest.

Sasha is definitely one of my favorite figure skaters of all time. What do you think – can she make the comeback? I think she can, but time will tell!