Gymnastics #24 - The Road to Paris

[Coco]

Pleasantly surprised with Jordan Chiles' efforts tonight. She seems a lot farther along than others, although I haven't obsessively gone over start values like in years past.

My favorite blogger, Spencer from the Balance Beam Situation, is battling colon cancer right now, so this olympic season is going to suck without him.

 

[TheresMaude]

The fact that Jordan and Suni came out looking so good tonight makes my team Simone, Shilese, Jade, Suni, and Jordan. Kayla, Skye (whom I adore) and Leanne are just not quite at the same level as those five IMO, who all REALLY know how to compete.

And so does Gabby. I still believe that great competitor is in there. Whether she can make a reappearance in time, I don’t know. I hope at least she can do well enough at the trials to feel good about herself.

Does anyone know why Suni didn’t compete bars? If her bar routine is solid (even if it’s not back to her brilliant best), that about seals a stunning team IMO. Simone and Shilese on all four. Jade on floor and vault. Suni on beam and bars. Jordan ready to fill in.

 

[HeatherC]

Suni on beam....

Simone on everything....

Shilese on bars....

It's too early for me to make the call on who should make up that US women's team (right now, I'd pick Simone, Shilese, Jordan, Jade, and Suni) but can I just say how WONDERFUL it is that we get to send FIVE women this year instead of four like the last Olympics?! I hated that so much.

 

[Karen-W]

The fact that Jordan and Suni came out looking so good tonight makes my team Simone, Shilese, Jade, Suni, and Jordan. Kayla, Skye (whom I adore) and Leanne are just not quite at the same level as those five IMO, who all REALLY know how to compete.

And so does Gabby. I still believe that great competitor is in there. Whether she can make a reappearance in time, I don’t know. I hope at least she can do well enough at the trials to feel good about herself.

Does anyone know why Suni didn’t compete bars? If her bar routine is solid (even if it’s not back to her brilliant best), that about seals a stunning team IMO. Simone and Shilese on all four. Jade on floor and vault. Suni on beam and bars. Jordan ready to fill in.

Apparently Suni's still coming back from her health issues and has found vault and bars to be the hardest to get back into top competitive shape. My understanding is that she can petition for a spot at Nationals as long as she doesn't post an all-around score ahead of time, so her coaching team has, strategically, chosen to scratch her on bars both here and last month in order to preserve her ability to petition for a spot at Nats.

I do agree with your basic analysis of the likely team but we'll have to see how everyone does in two weeks at Nats. Suni is still the biggest question mark of those five in my mind.

 

[Theatregirl1122]

Suni has competed bars in the last two years, but not floor. I wonder if they couldn’t have her do AA and wanted to put her on the 3 events where she has more to prove.

 

[Carolla5501]

Expect we will not see Gabby at nationals. I think if she was planning to go to nationals, she would have finished the competition last night. She obviously needs the competition experience practice imho.

 

[Karen-W]

Expect we will not see Gabby at nationals. I think if she was planning to go to nationals, she would have finished the competition last night. She obviously needs the competition experience practice imho.

We'll see. I do agree with the analysis that she's in competition with Suni for one of the spots. Gabby is qualified for Nats on beam, bars and vault and would need to petition for floor. It's not as if Suni has demonstrated she's ready on bars yet. Gabby's apparently got a great bars set that she did well with in podium training, she just has yet to put it together in competition. Last night wasn't a good look, WDing after the disastrous bars set.

 

[her grace]

The fact that Jordan and Suni came out looking so good tonight makes my team Simone, Shilese, Jade, Suni, and Jordan. Kayla, Skye (whom I adore) and Leanne are just not quite at the same level as those five IMO, who all REALLY know how to compete.

I don't think I'd put Jordan Chiles in the "REALLY know how to compete" group since she's counted more falls/big breaks at World/Olympic competition than any American gymnast in recent history. OTOH, looking at your group of five, she'd probably only compete on bars in team finals, and she has been quite solid there.

Based on how the gymnasts have done up to this point, I think you're building a team around Biles AA, Jones AA, and potentially Lee BB. Blakely is another big beam name, but she's messed up beam in qualifications at the last two worlds so if you're choosing between her and Lee, I'd take Lee as the more proven gymnast. Then you're left with needing two gymnasts total to compete in one open spot on VT, FX, and UB in team finals. Based on whose available, that looks like either a FX/VT gymnast and an UB gymnast or a VT gymnast and a UB/FX gymnast. Personally, I'd love to have Lincoln on the team as a FX gymnast and not have the vaulter (Carey/Roberson) do floor because of all the artistry deductions that they'd deserve. But I don't think Lincoln would fit in this configuration--it would only work if Lee had UB back. Pre-U.S. Classic, DiCello would best fit an UB/FX specialist role, but she managed to miss both of those events at Classic. I will be interested in seeing if that's a blip since she was so solid at Pan Ams and Winter Cup, or if she continues down an inconsistent path. If it's FX/VT as one team member, and UB as another, here's the other strong bars workers from U.S. Classic: Chiles and Trinity Thomas tied for third and Katelyn Jong was fifth on the event.

 

[Karen-W]

I was listening to a podcast from last night's event and the two commentators pointed out that Skye's had major consistency issues at pretty much every major international she's been sent to in the last few years. I think Jordan's bars work here could support being named to the team but that's also without Suni or Gabby showing what they're really capable of. Jade might get the artistry deductions but she's also not shown everything she's got, technically, on floor yet. I'll be interested to see what sort of upgrades she shows us in a couple of weeks.

 

[danafan]

Emma Malabuyo posted on her insta story that she is on her way to Uzbekistan for Asian Championships. She's not giving up that Olympic dream yet.

 

[danafan]

Simone’s Yuchenko Double Pike……there’s no way those hops were just an .8 deduction.

I want to know how she’s conditioning those Achilles.

If there is no fall, the maximum landing deduction may not exceed 0.8.

I didn't see this mentioned here but Wong performed a split jump full and a straddle jump full on floor. In the code they are in the same box marked with * which means they are considered the same element. This meant she had to count an A acro element as one of her counting value parts. Her coach is a brevet judge so this mistake was surprising. I'm curious how she will change her routine between now and championships/trials.

 

[ilovesalchows]

I am a little mystified at Gabby being the conversation at all. Based on BOW? She has shown nothing to indicate she is in the mix.

Sounds like Skye has a harder vault in the works. From the way Sam talked about it, I think it is the Amanar. If she can do it at Nationals that will help her, she has the most potential on bars and beam.

And I agree this comp has looked rough before. I assumed the NCAA gymnasts aren't there with the elite skills 100% yet, but I don't know what diCello's issue was as she sat out that season. Nerves? She needs to hit all her floor routines going forward because that would be her routine in finals and I could see her combining with Skye and Suni, as neither would go up on floor in finals.

And if Leanne gets more consistent, she is just a great table setter. I am a little shocked there isn't some teenage phenom coming up for the last two cycles. It is crazy this team is looking like all or most of the 2021 squad.

 

[skatfan]

Post classic interview with Suni:

https://olympics.com/en/news/suni-lee-building-confidence-faces-demons-for-myself-gymnastics-us-classic

 

[Coco]

I think people want to see Gabby in the mix, but even she seems more realistic. I do wonder if she'd be interested in an international event, like a post olympic world cup or something. If she had a 2nd vault...

So devastated for Konnor, torn Achilles

In other news, looks like Brenna Dowell got married. I learned this on Sabrina Vega's Instagram.

 

[Carolla5501]

So I have a question about Gabby. One of the excuses I saw on Facebook was that she was probably messed up because she got there so late due to flight delays. She was flying from Dallas and the weather was bad but they were a ton of other competitors coming from that same part of the country!


Did she just arrive later than most of them? sounded like she was trying to fly in Friday afternoon evening and the weather in the south east was bad but I’m finding it shocking that she’s the only one that seems to have been impacted (and then she did get a private jet to Hartford so it’s not like she had to slum through the airport )

 

[Karen-W]

So I have a question about Gabby. One of the excuses I saw on Facebook was that she was probably messed up because she got there so late due to flight delays. She was flying from Dallas and the weather was bad but they were a ton of other competitors coming from that same part of the country!


Did she just arrive later than most of them? sounded like she was trying to fly in Friday afternoon evening and the weather in the south east was bad but I’m finding it shocking that she’s the only one that seems to have been impacted (and then she did get a private jet to Hartford so it’s not like she had to slum through the airport )

No, apparently there were several women from the Dallas area who were impacted and missed the morning podium training session they were scheduled for. USA Gym got them podium training later in the day but it did impact more than just Gabby.

 

[Carolla5501]

No, apparently there were several women from the Dallas area who were impacted and missed the morning podium training session they were scheduled for. USA Gym got them podium training later in the day but it did impact more than just Gabby.

Interesting i wonder how many others got private jets

according to Gabby there were no commercial flights that could’ve gotten her there in time to make any training. So I was thinking she must’ve cut it very late.

 

[Karen-W]

Interesting i wonder how many others got private jets

according to Gabby there were no commercial flights that could’ve gotten her there in time to make any training. So I was thinking she must’ve cut it very late.

No idea. Info came from Nicole Langevin, who was a line judge for the HOPES competition earlier in the week, when she appeared on the GymCastics brief BTS podcast - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIebZg-EddE.

 

[bardtoob]

Shilese Jones still has beautiful lines.

 

[Frau Muller]

Just watching the Core Hydration event’s replay on Peacock. I can’t believe the relatively high age of most competitors here. There must be minimum limits on age now, just like skating. I recall nothing but teens with really lean (less bulky-muscular) looks in the past. That said, Simone Biles’ longevity (age 27) is amazing.

 

[Aceon6]

And if Leanne gets more consistent, she is just a great table setter. I am a little shocked there isn't some teenage phenom coming up for the last two cycles. It is crazy this team is looking like all or most of the 2021 squad.

Jocelyn was the anointed one. Unfortunately, her physical development has her behind the eight ball. There’s absolutely nothing she can do to change her genetics, nor should she want to, but her lines aren’t what international panels are rewarding. As for the other up and comers, I’m sensing that the main focus for many has been a full ride college scholarship with a good NIL deal, not the Olys.

 

[Theatregirl1122]

There’s also only been 3 years since the last Olys, instead of 4

 

[skatfan]

Konner was the one we thought would rise, but injuries have held her back. Jocelyn looks injured, Skye and Kaliyah look promising, but Skye has trouble at high stakes meets.

 

[Vash01]

Simone Biles at Core hydration classic

Simone Biles DOMINATES Core Hydration Classic in first meet of Olympic cycle | NBC Sports

Simone Biles opened the Olympic season with a statement victory at the 2024 Core Hydration Classic. #NBCSports #Gymnastics #SimoneBiles» Subscribe to the NBC...

www.youtube.com

 

[Vash01]

Just watching the Core Hydration event’s replay on Peacock. I can’t believe the relatively high age of most competitors here. There must be minimum limits on age now, just like skating. I recall nothing but teens with really lean (less bulky-muscular) looks in the past. That said, Simone Biles’ longevity (age 27) is amazing.

I don't want to jinx her but at age 27 she looks like the best of the current gymnasts, at least in the USA. That is amazing.

 

[Sylvia]

USA Gymnastics announces 2024 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships Qualifiers (May 30-June 2 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas):

USA Gymnastics announces 2024 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships Qualifiers • USA Gymnastics

Following the 2024 Core Hydration Classic in Hartford, USA Gymnastics on Monday announced the list of athletes qualified to compete at the 2024 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships May 30-June 2 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.

usagym.org

 

[ilovesalchows]

So Gabby did qualify for Nationals then.

I am excited to see the men as well! I have a creepy old lady crush on Curran Phillips.

 

[Theatregirl1122]

So Gabby did qualify for Nationals then.

I am excited to see the men as well! I have a creepy old lady crush on Curran Phillips.

Before this meet she’d qualified in 3 events and was hoping to get a high enough score to qualify for the AA.