178: Eythora Thorsdottir and Coach Patrick Kiens

Patrick Kiens and Eythora Thorsdottir at the European Youth Olympic Festival in 2013 where she won silver on beam.

This week the girl who's name we have been mispronouncing for years, the magical ethnically Icelandic sprite from the Netherlands, her Dutch majesty, the crown jewel of Holland who makes fans cry with her performance art known as gymnastics, Eythora Thorsdottir is here! (It's pronounced AYE-tora Thor-s-DOT-er by the way.) The Ljubljana World Cup beam champion and her coach, Patrick Kiens, who's musical theater background and genius strategy got Eythora to beam finals in her first world championship talk about:

Eythora:

• What kind of attention the Dutch team has received since returning from Glasgow as a Rio qualified team!
• Her future career plans in the performing arts and if college gymnastics in the United States is a possibility.
• Did she notice the positive response from fans during her coming out party at European Youth Olympic Festival?
• Upgrades, Rio plans and her unique style and routine construction on beam.
• On being compared to Princess Catherine Lyons.
• Does it surprise her that fans cry during her performances?
• Training with and learning from the American team, especially Simone (who she adorably calls See-mo-nah)
• Was she surprised to make it to the World Beam final in Glasgow?
• The advice her coach, Patrick, gave her after her beam final fall.
• What she has learned from both the positive and negative experience in the sport so far.

Patrick:

• Why one size does not fit: how the Dutch program has changed, why that change was necessary with a small population and how Holland's strategy proves that the code is for everyone.
• Lack of depth and limited gymnasts, "Everyone can stretch their knees but not everyone can do a double layout"
• Personal taste vs. artistry
• Why Simon Bile's Amanar is artistic
• The arm swing rule at Worlds, was it enforced?
• Acting classes, smart routine construction and ballet on the beam
• We debate -- can bars be artistic?!
• How college style artistry can be applied to elite gymnastics.
• Backstage shenanigan tories from his glory days on the stage.

Follow Eythora on Instagram

Here is a link to the Dutch gymnastics scandal that changed the system in the Netherlands. Much like the 2000 US women's Olympic team, their experiences changed the system and ousted a coach.

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• 168: Shannon Miller, Belarusgate, NED vs GB
• 148: Shannon Miller
• Episode 9: Chellsie Memmel, Swiss Cup & FIG Presidential Proposals
• Episode 12: Miss Val Part 2
• Episode 11: Miss Val
• Episode 15: Joan Ryan Author of Little Girls in Pretty Boxes
• Episode 17: Growing Up In The Soviet Gymnastics System And Training At Round Lake
• Episode 22: Beth Tweddle
• Episode 28: Kristen Maloney
• Episode 31: Elise Ray
• Episode 33: Simone Biles & Her Coaches
• Episode 48: Kyla Ross
• 61: Katelyn Ohashi Clears The Air
• 77: Aly Raisman
• 81: Jenny Hansen
• 99: Princess Catherine Lyons and Coach Rochelle Douglas
• 101: Olivia Vivian
• 137: Lady Lisa Mason

Watch this week's playlist filled with videos of baby Eythora to elegent teenage Eythora and young, hot Patrick in the background on YouTube here