Olympic Journal: Training in London Begins

Felix Aronovich is a Penn State gymnast competing for Israel in the upcoming Summer Olympics and in his second Big ten Olympic Journal entry he details his taring reguimen, among other things. Go back and read his first entry, then read his latest update in the post below.

Here's what Aronovich sent us on Tuesday morning.

A rising senior at Penn State, gymnast Felix Aronovich is competing for Israel?s in these 2012 London Olympics. Aronovich is sending back updates from London to BTN.com. Read all of our Olympic journals.

"Our training regime increased almost twice in the last two weeks since my previous post. Three times a week, the days in which we did routines we did twice the amount of routines we do in a competition. The purpose of this was to get us fatigued so when we compete and do only one routine per event it would be much easier and the focus will be on making it perfect instead of fighting through it.  We also had a new coach that joining us for this last week of practices.

"He was the Soviet Union?s team coach on floor and vault. He's a real professional and well known coach in the gymnastics world who we train with about three times a year. It?s always good changing the atmosphere in the gym, especially when you have been doing so many workouts under this pressure with the same coach. A new set of eyes and opinion is always welcome and refreshing. On our last day before we left to London, we had a simulated competition. It went pretty well. If the Olympic meet goes this well, I will be pleased.

This is from my last training session in Israel.

Photo from Felix Aronovich

"Also recently, I turned 24. We had a really small gathering with some close friends. Going out or throwing a huge party is out of the question before something as big as the Olympics. Besides, I find myself doing almost nothing but train. I barely find the time to go to the beach or leave the house. The Olympics, I found, have really made me lazy outside the gym. But oh well, there will be plenty of time for all of that after the Games.

"We arrived in London yesterday. Took us two hours to get from the airport to the Olympic Village, and that is without any car traffic. It can give you a small taste of this 'festival'? of people that is all over the city. Tons and tons of people touring the city, museums and parks. And for now, the weather is amazing. I can only imagine how crazy things will get in a week when the games are going on. The energy here is great – there's a really good vibe.

"The Olympic Village is nice and compact. Much smaller from the previous one in Beijing, or so I?ve been told by some Olympic veterans. Everything is within walking distance and the view from my apartment is amazing. The dining hall is massive and seats several thousand people. It has different foods, from Asian to African to English and, of course, McDonald?s. And yes, it?s all you can 24/7.

"The training hall is a 20-minute bus ride from the village, and that hall actually fits two regular gyms under one roof. It's much more convenient since you don't have to wait in line very long for any piece of equipment. The people we train within our time slots at the hall are the same ones that we are going to be competing in our subdivision.

This is the gym in London where we train.

Photo by Felix Aronovich

"People keep asking me if I'm nervous or excited, but inside the gym it feels just like any other world championship. It feels natural and almost like home. The big difference? In the Olympic Village – mainly in the dining hall – you feel like you?re part of the Games.  There's a buzz around us. I'm proud to be representing Israel and Penn State, especially with what's going on back home in State College."

Editor's note: You can read more about Aronovich at GoPSUsports.com including his full bio. Also, find all of his journal entries during the Summer Olympics on his BTN.com archive page.