US Gymnastics Olympic Trials

[lilia78]

Did anyone else watch this evening? I'm Canadian so I don't follow a lot of US sports, but there was a show on Slice called "Gold Medal Families" and they featured Aly Raisman so I've been watching to see if she makes it. What are your thoughts on the girls? Who will make it? I was surprised to here that even though there is a competition that Marta(?) picks the team?! Is that how it's always been? If not why would they go to that kind of format? It's been fun to watch I really like Aly, Laurie and Simone.

 

[superme80]

Not yet. I am pulling for Simon Biles to take everything that is gold this year. That woman is amazing!

 

[Nettester]

I watched. I like Aly, Laurie, and Simone too. Not sure what's happening to Gabby, she seems so stoic. She never smiles. Many of the other girls have more spunk. It will be interesting to see what happens Sunday.

 

[lilia78]

I agree about Gabby, it's like she's just going through the motions but no real emotion.

 

[jdb in AZ]

I wish NBC wouldn't give the girls' mistakes quite so much coverage. When Gabby Douglas had a rough final routine, the camera followed her around instead of showing someone else's routine. Four years ago Gabby was always smiling. Her smile really lit up the room. Now she keeps changing coaches, like changing horses mid-stream. It's been said that the US women's gymnastics could field three teams of medal-contenders, and of course that makes the road to Rio that much tougher. Defending gold medalist Ali Raisman says it's a good night for her when she's "only" a point behind Simone. The girls are under so much pressure. I feel bad when someone messes up, or gets hurt.

 

[superme80]

I wish NBC wouldn't give the girls' mistakes quite so much coverage. When Gabby Douglas had a rough final routine, the camera followed her around instead of showing someone else's routine. Four years ago Gabby was always smiling. Her smile really lit up the room. Now she keeps changing coaches, like changing horses mid-stream. It's been said that the US women's gymnastics could field three teams of medal-contenders, and of course that makes the road to Rio that much tougher. Defending gold medalist Ali Raisman says it's a good night for her when she's "only" a point behind Simone. The girls are under so much pressure. I feel bad when someone messes up, or gets hurt.

That is huge reason I love watching European coverage of major international competitions. They may show the mistake once, then move on to another competitor. I feel they give much more fair coverage than American tv.

 

[winterwhite]

I agree about Gabby, it's like she's just going through the motions but no real emotion.

She will make the team in deference to her previous title unless she has some kind of catastrophic mistake. She knows it, too.

It's too bad, because others are much better than she is.

 

[poohfriend77]

She will make the team in deference to her previous title unless she has some kind of catastrophic mistake. She knows it, too.

It's too bad, because others are much better than she is.

That's what I thought too, but after last night, I'm not so sure. It does seem seem like her heart's not in it, or that the pressure is getting to her. (And how could it not?!?)

DD 11, who is a gymnast, is obsessed with Simone. She will tell anyone who will listen about how Simone invented a tumbling skill that's now called "the Biles." Nothing cooler than that in her eyes.

We love Aly and Laurie too! Laurie seems to be having fun, and that joy shines through in her performances. MyKayla had a great night too, and she hadn't really been on my radar before. And we're pulling for Madison for bars too.

 

[elphaba91]

There's no international feed so I'm anxiously awaiting for someone to put it up on YouTube and following blogs in the meantime. Simone, Aly and Laurie are locks and I hope all of them get a shot at the AA in QF.

I would add Madison Kocian as a lock too. Yes, she is going as a bars specialist but she has shown lately that she can also hold her own as an AA gymnast, so is a great built in alternate.

You can't swap out athletes after podium training and the US doesn't like to do it anyway (it's a pretty traumatic experience for the athlete) so unfortunately Ashton just isn't an option as she can't be a backup for other events, despite her bars score being the biggest contribution from the possible fifth athletes.

I think prior to P&Gs Gabby was a definite contender, but she has not proved her reliability in all 4 events, nor an extremely high ability in 1 event. She would only be used on bars in the TF, but her scores there really aren't high enough to justify her being taken just for that. Plus, if she does bars in QF then either Aly or Laurie doesn't get a shot at the AA. A lot of people think she will be taken for her marketability, but I think with Simone (the greatest gymnast of all time), Aly (with her chance at redemption after being short changed by the tiebreaker in London) and Laurie (the new kid with the spunky personality) that is plenty for the media to work with.

I'm actually rooting for MyKayla Skinner. I know some people don't like her personality, but I like that she's unashamed to admit how badly she wants it and seems willing to work hard for it (she was actually eligible for the 2012 games and has kept working the entire quad). Based on averages for the last 3 days of competition, having her on the team gives the second highest possible score (just behind having Ashton), but allows for more cushioning in case of injuries. Plus, unlike Gabby, MyKayla stands a shot at an EF medal for vault.

Basically, I'm hoping that the team will be Biles, Raisman, Hernandez, Kocian and Skinner. Not long until we know!

 

[murmer]

I am in San Jose watching it all live. Simone is amazing and gabby kept herself apart 4 years ago too. But gabby has the 3rd best bars score behind Madison and Ashton (and with a fall on beam Ashton is not making the team). Aly hit an amanar so she was on the team for sure. Marta loves amanars. I think the team will be Simone, Aly, Laurie, gabby and Madison which ensures aa gold, floor gold, a vault medal, one or two bars finals spots, beam finals for at least Simone and floor finals for Simone and Aly. And Marta is all about getting the most berths (medal chances) as possible. Of course there is one more night and anything can happen but I think she knew the team long before trials started and this is just a formality.

 

[AC7179]

Here's the thing, though.

Gabby is getting worse. She's uninspired and didn't even fight to stay on the beam. That would incredibly concern me if I wanted to use her in a 3 up, 3 count scenario. I wouldn't count on her on beam at all, floor was bad yesterday, and vault is average. So if the only place she is valueable in team finals is bars, why NOT take Ashton instead of Gabby? I feel like if Gabby is on bars and things start to go wrong, she won't fight through it. I never know if she will hit cold or fall three times.

 

[bcla]

I'm taking the train today, and there was a reasonably long stop in San Jose. I saw the arena (across the street from
The train station), but the only thing I saw about the trials was one banner near one of the corners.

 

[elphaba91]

However, if you take 2 bars specialists then you can't have a third person compete AA in QF - unless of course Gabby gets to do AA instead of Aly or Laurie, which seems terribly unfair.

On the other hand, if you don't take 2 then Simone has to compete all 4 events in TF, which is pretty rough on her. Although Gabby did do it in London.

Skinner would also likely make the vault finals and is probably a better chance at a medal than Gabby is at a bars medal, although either field will be tough.

 

[AC7179]

Skinner and Kocian together are another option. I wouldn't take Gabby but Marta seems like she's tell on board.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Skinner and Kocian together are another option. I wouldn't take Gabby but Marta seems like she's tell on board.

Marta looked pretty disappointed/disgusted with Gabby's 7th place finish place last night. Gabby will really have to do well tomorrow night or Marta will have to exclude her from the team. It wouldn't be fair to the other girls like Skinner and Kocian to take Gabby instead of them.

 

[AC7179]

Marta is SAYING she still wants Douglas but I'm not sure what she's thinking there.

 

[JaneBanks]

Marta knows that Gabby peaks late. Nobody would have guessed that Gabby would have won all around gold in 2012. Even at Olympic trials. Everyone thought it would be between Jordyn (who didn't even make all around finals) and Vika Komova of Russia. Then Gabby came along right on time...

 

[winterwhite]

Marta knows that Gabby peaks late. Nobody would have guessed that Gabby would have won all around gold in 2012. Even at Olympic trials. Everyone thought it would be between Jordyn (who didn't even make all around finals) and Vika Komova of Russia. Then Gabby came along right on time...

1. It's unfair to other gymnasts who do perform consistently to take someone who might "peak late" who is performing completely lackluster - and who was completely lackluster in the event finals in 2012, too.

2. She's been making major errors in every competition this year, including almost dumping off the beam at Classic and P&G, and actually tanking it last night.

It looks to me like she was trading on her title to get on another team and her performance has just been meh.

I haven't been following that hard until this year as Aly Raisman is local so I see her on the news fairly often, but I watched the lead up events and Gabby doesn't have it.

 

[low-key]

A little bit off subject, I really dont watch the Olympics anymore but when I was a kid I just loved them and was introduced to womens gymnastic when little Olga Korbut took over the world, anyone remember her, I know in an interview they asked her what she likes about USA and she said Ketchup, she was sent like over a million bottles of Ketchup by the American people

 

[CPanther95]

A little bit off subject, I really dont watch the Olympics anymore but when I was a kid I just loved them and was introduced to womens gymnastic when little Olga Korbut took over the world, anyone remember her, I know in an interview they asked her what she likes about USA and she said Ketchup, she was sent like over a million bottles of Ketchup by the American people

Every man around our age remembers her. She made quite an impact.

If she hadn't eased us into unashamedly watching women's gymnastics, our collective hearts would have exploded when they were later exposed to Nadia Comaneci.