I just got a note from Jordan Jovtchev. He is still training and plans to compete at this year's world championships. I'm planning on visiting him in Bulgaria sometime before the competition. And I might go there with him, in case he needs a drinking buddy... At the age of 36, it's amazing that he is still competing in one of the most physically demanding of all sports. And he has been training mostly without a coach for the last decade. I have had a chance to meet several of his past teammates and the one thing they consistently say about Jordan is how incredibly focused he was during training. The coaches didn't need to discipline him at all, because he was already his own harshest critic. Several of them said they tried to keep training solo, but couldn't do it. And another remarkable thing about Jordan is that he travels almost non-stop. Unlike athletes from China, and to a lesser extent the US, he has to compete for a living and do exhibitions to make ends meet. As a result, his training schedule is frequently interrupted. He is also now the president of the Bulgarian gymnastics federation. He's a busy guy, so it's amazing he has any room left for training.
I will post more as I hear from him.

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