Liang Qiao

AWARD WINNING GYMNAST AND COACH
COACH OF 2007 WOMEN'S GYMNASTICS CHAMPION TEAM AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS


CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

- U.S. National Team Coach
- 2007 U.S. Senior Elite Coach of the Year
- Head Coach of 2007 World Championship U.S. Champion Team
- Coach of Shawn Johnson 2007 American Cup AA Champion
- Coach for 2007 Pam American Games U.S. Sr. Champion Team
- Head Coach of 2006 Pan American Games U.S. Jr. Champion Team
- Head Coach of 2006 Pacific Alliance U.S. Jr. Champion Team


BACKGROUND

Liang Chow was born and raised in China and competed for the Chinese National gymnastics team.
He earned a bronze medal for China at the 1989 World Championships. As a co-captain of the Chinese National Gymnastics Team, he led his country to 36 international gold medals over his athletic career.

In 1992, he accepted a full-ride scholarship to study English in Iowa, and moved to the United States.

Coaches as a husband and wife team with Liwen Zhaung; The couple met in the late 1980s when they were both gymnasts on the Chinese National Team. Natives of Beijing, the host city for the 2008 Olympics, their passion for gymnastics led them to Iowa and to coach Olympic hopeful Shawn Johnson.

Liang Qiao (Chow) and wife Liwen Zhaung own and operate Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute in West Des Moines, Iowa, training center of future Olympians.

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Olympic Gymnastics 2012: Key Coaches for USA, Liang Chow

8.1.12

USA womens gymnastics coach Liang Chow during the all around finals during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games (US Presswire)

Liang Chow, Coach of 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist Shawn Johnson, and 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist Gabby Douglas, named a key coach for USA Gymnastics at 2012 Olympics

Bleacher Report

The United States has quality coaches and colorful characters looking after both its men’s and women’s gymnastics programs at the 2012 London Olympics.

While the men are looking to rebound following their disappointing loss on Monday, the Fab Five excelled on Day 4 by taking home gold in their team final.

Technique is of paramount importance in gymnastics, and expert advice is need to teach the correct form and help the athletes get into the right mindset to properly execute.

Here are the men and women behind the scenes for Team USA’s gymnasts.

Liang Chow, Gabby Douglas’ Coach

Shawn Johnson was the other member of the United States women’s gymnastics team who made a name for herself in Beijing. She has retired due to a knee injury, but Liang Chow, her coach in 2008, is in London.

Johnson was 16 years old when she walked away from the last Olympics with four medals, and now Chow will try and coach Gabby Douglas, also 16, to similar success.

Douglas is one of the American’s stars in this Olympics. She has already won a team gold, but the teenager will need her coach to help keep her focused and on even keel for individual success.

Johnson showed maturity far beyond her age in Beijing, and with Chow’s guidance, Douglas will likely do the same. (read more)

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Gabrielle Douglas Clinches Spot on Olympic Gymnastics Team

7.2.12

U.S. gymnast Gabrielle Douglas finishes her floor exercise at the U.S. Olympic gymnastics trials in San Jose, California June 29, 2012. The prospect of a U.S. one-two in the Olympic Games women's all-around competition gained fresh momentum after Douglas upset favorite Jordyn Wieber on the final day of the American gymnastics trials. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

Gabrielle Douglas wins top spot at U.S. Olympic Trials; clinches spot on 2012 Olympic Gymnastics Team

ESPN.com

Long called an underdog, Gabby Douglas likes her new label a whole lot more: Olympian.

The 16-year-old with the spectacular uneven bars routine and personality to spare beat Jordyn Wieber for the first time Sunday night, winning the Olympic trials and the lone guaranteed spot for the London Games.

“Everyone was telling me you have this great potential and you can be on top,” Douglas said. “I didn’t believe that, but everyone was just telling me to believe in myself. I did and I’m kind of up on top and it’s amazing.”

The only thing more amazing would be to end up on top in London, the rest of her teammates beside her.

Led by the 1-2 punch of Douglas and Wieber, this will be the strongest team the Americans have had since 1996, one that will be not just favored but expected to bring home only the second Olympic team gold. McKayla Maroney and Aly Raisman, who were with Douglas and Wieber on the U.S. team that won the title at last fall’s world championships, also made the team, as did Kyla Ross.

Maroney is the world vault champion. Ross, not old enough to be on last year’s world team, is a two-time U.S. champion.

“I guarantee one thing: The truth is going to come out on the Olympic Games,” said Bela Karolyi, whose wife, Martha, is the national team coordinator. “And the truth is that we are solidly the first place team. There’s no question about that.” (read more)

Comments (0) | Permalink | Posted in: Gabrielle Douglas, Gymnastics, Liang Qiao, Press |

Douglas, Wieber Raise Bar for U.S. Gymnastics

6.11.12

Gabby Douglas, left, finished in 2nd place behind Jordyn Wieber at the 2012 Visa National Championships (Stew Milne, US Presswire)

By Mark Emmert, Des Moines Register (USA Today London 2012 feature)

Jordyn Wieber, 1st, Gabrielle Douglas, 2nd, at 2012 Visa National Championships

Four years ago, it was Shawn and Nastia fighting for U.S. gymnastics pre-eminence heading into the Olympic Games.

This time, it looks to be Gabby and Jordyn jostling for the top spot on the podium and the most coveted medal in their sport.

Jordyn Wieber got the better of Gabby Douglas on Sunday, defending her national championship by two-tenths of a point. Douglas, who trains at Chow’s Gymnastics in West Des Moines, opened the door early for her more seasoned rival by falling off the balance beam.

“We push each other to do better and greater things, like sticking every pass on the floor routine, and sticking a double pike even though you’ve never stuck a double pike before. It pushes us to do awesome and greater and beautiful gymnastics,” Douglas said after recovering from her beam misstep to complete three strong routines and earn the silver medal before 9,793 fans at Chaifetz Arena and a national TV audience.

“We’re really friendly, and I feel like we’re all sisters off the floor. But when we’re on the floor, it’s rivalry, it’s competitors. It’s, ‘This is my time to shine and I’m coming for you.’ You know, that mentality on the floor.” (read more)

Comments (0) | Permalink | Posted in: Gabrielle Douglas, Gymnastics, Liang Qiao, Press, Shawn Johnson |

Gabby Douglas Inspires her Mom, Wows the Crowd

6.10.12

Gabrielle Douglas competes on the floor exercise during day one of the 2012 Visa Championships in St. Louis. (Stew Milne, US Presswire)

Indy Star

Gabby Douglas gets all the reassurance she needs when she glances up at Section 118 of Chaifetz Arena.

There, she can lock eyes with her mother, Natalie Hawkins, flash matching smiles and move confidently to the next event at the U.S. national gymnastics championships.

That’s how it played out Friday in the first round for the 16-year-old gymnast, who lives and trains in West Des Moines.

“Beam and vault were my hardest events to get through,” said Hawkins, sporting a red shirt with the words “Mom 1” after Douglas finished Friday’s session tied for the top all-around score of 60.650.

“I saw the look in her eyes before she went on vault, she looked up at me while she was walking to go warm up. I smiled and gave her a thumbs-up. She smiled back at me. And so I said, ‘OK, I have the warm and fuzzys.’ ”

Douglas responded with a 15.350 score on her vault, the most telling result of a night that saw her finish in the top six for all four disciplines.
(read more)

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Gymnast Shawn Johnson Ends Comeback, Retires

6.3.12

Shawn Johnson of the US celebrates after winning a silver medal on bars at 2011 Pan Am Games (Dennis Grombkowski, Getty Images S. America)

Nancy Armour, Associated Press

The knee injury that sparked Shawn Johnson’s comeback put an end to it, too.

The Olympic gold medalist announced her retirement from competitive gymnastics Sunday, four days before the start of the U.S. championships. She has had repeated setbacks with her left knee, seriously damaged in a January 2010 ski accident, and she feared she was putting her long-term health at risk by continuing with her attempts to make a second Olympic team.

“It just little by little gets worse and worse,” Johnson told The Associated Press. “My body is to the point where I need time to rest and retire so I can be healthy for the rest of my life. It’s hard to wrap my mind around. Gymnastics has been my entire life, and now it’s no more.”

The decision did not come easily.

After winning four medals at the 2008 Games — only Michael Phelps, Natalie Coughlin and Nastia Liukin left Beijing with more — Johnson took the next two years off. She won “Dancing with the Stars” and, with her bubbly personality and girl-next-door looks, became a bona fide celebrity. She left the door open to a return for a London, but it wasn’t until the ski accident that she realized she still wanted to compete. Her first stop after the doctor’s office was her gym, where she and coach Liang Chow began plotting out her comeback. (read more)

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