Thomas Questions Lakes’ Dedication to Gymnastics

Newhall gymnast Charlie Lakes, invited to work out under former world champion Kurt Thomas before this weekend’s U. S. Olympic Trials in Salt Lake City, had more than his technique criticized Thursday at Six Flags Magic Mountain.

Thomas, currently appearing in his Gymnastics America show at the Valencia amusement park, used a post-workout press conference to publicly chide Lakes for what Thomas characterized as a lack of dedication.

“You can’t be an Olympic champion and work out only one hour a day,” Thomas said. “Charlie is a tremendous gymnast with all the elements--strength, flexibility, flair and flash. But he’s also got an L. A. attitude.”

Thomas says he got to know all about Lakes’ attitude two years ago. Lakes and another Olympic hopeful, former UCLA gymnast Brian Ginsberg, moved into Thomas’ guest house in Scottsdale, Ariz., and put themselves under Thomas’ guidance.

“I told them I’d coach them under certain conditions, that they’d do what I ask of them six hours a day,” Thomas said. “But after four months, it got to be like pulling teeth, so I sent them home. But it wasn’t a bitterness thing.”

Lakes, a 1982 graduate of Monroe High, had been asked to appear with Thomas as a publicity stunt, using Gymnastics America equipment at the Showcase Theater. During the workout, the two exchanged pleasantries and Thomas gave Lakes pointers.

Afterward, Thomas’ remarks seemed to catch Lakes off guard. He smiled, fidgeted, then defended himself.

“I do a quality workout, even if it does take only an hour,” said Lakes, who is expected to qualify easily for the Olympic team. He described his four months with Thomas, saying “we trained so hard we threw up.”

When he got to Scottsdale, “I thought Kurt would say some magic words and make me a champion,” Lakes admitted. “I found out it was pure hard work.”

Lakes, who considers Thomas “the most creative gymnast in the country,” had been reluctant to see his former mentor. According to Thomas, “When we asked him to come out here, he said, ‘Will Kurt coach me again?’ ”

Thomas, who has ambitions to be a U. S. Olympic gymnastics coach, didn’t have anything good to say about the country’s gymnastics chances at Seoul. “We won’t even be close,” he said.

Gymnastics didn’t get as strong a boost as expected from the strong U. S. showing in the last Olympics, Thomas says, adding that current gymnasts have Lakes’ aversion to long, grueling workouts.

“They’re spoiled Americans,” Thomas said.

He pointed out that he trained seven hours a day at the height of his career, which ended on a sour note. Thomas was expected to do well in the 1980 Games in Moscow, but the U. S. boycott denied him the opportunity.

Lakes, however, says he isn’t consumed by visions of Olympic gold. Success to him is making the U. S. team. “Gymnastics is a hobby,” he said. “I don’t want to make it my life.”

Lakes, who will be 24 next week, has been serious about gymnastics for 11 years. His family moved to Saugus in 1979, but Lakes later transferred to Monroe because it had a gymnastics program. He also trained at the California Sun Gym in Chatsworth under Dan Connelly, Mitch Gaylord’s former coach and Lakes’ current mentor.

Connelly disputes Thomas’ assessment of Lakes’ work habits.

“Not everyone trains the way Kurt trains,” Connelly said. “I don’t think it’s fair for him to evaluate Charlie’s training effort and productivity based on Kurt’s standards. Back in the ‘70s, at the height of the Japanese domination of gymnastics, I watched a world champion named Kasamatsu train. He trained for an hour, if that. But he spent a great deal of time preparing mentally.”

Connelly also doesn’t think there is anything wrong with Lakes’ productivity. “He’s in the fine-tuning stage now,” Connelly said.

Lakes’ speciality is the high bar. He’s known for his proficiency in the Jaeger front flip. “I’ve been told my Jaeger is the highest in the world,” said Lakes, who soars about 20 feet straight up during the routine.

Lakes, an artist who writes science fiction and records his own songs, picked gymnastics as his sport because “it combines athletics with art.”

He was asked to picture in his mind how good he would have become had he stayed with Thomas in Scottsdale.

“Without reservation,” he said, “I’d be better.”