Gymnastics - Women's All-Around part 2

[Loves_Shizuka]

I have this feeling that Vika and Gabby - and to a lesser extent, Aliya - haven't even peaked in terms of their ability (they way Gabby peaked competitively for London was ) and so I hope they're both in it for a few more years at least.

Still, Gabby might think differently in about a months time. Life is about to get crazy for her I'm sure.

[AragornElessar]

Excellent news about Gabby and Aliya. I just hope they can get through to Rio w/out any major, major injuries. I'm not naive enough to think something won't happen, but I can hope it's nothing big. Like a blown knee.

Plus, I think it would be great for the young up and comers to have these two around if they can pull it off.

One of the Today Show commentators asked McKayla if they should start calling the Amanar the "Maroney" and she said that she thinks she should do her own vault so they can name it after her. Which makes me hope she'll stay and try and do just that and improve as an AA Gymnast.

Good on McKayla for answering such a stupid question w/such a great answer. I also hope she can stick around and pull that off.

[caseyedwards]

Amanar is an Amanar for a reason. Let Maroney do her own vault. That was a stupid question and her answer was good. Rename it for the American! Americans are better!!

I seriously doubt if Gabby ever competes again and certainly not to Rio!! Same thing for Komova and Mustafina. Or it is just a higher level Bross/Sloan situation. Remember them?

[gingercrush]

Of course WOGA have Katelyn Ohashi. Who is brilliant on three events as Liukin and Bross were (Bross prior to injury) I just hope she can sort that vault out or compete as a three event specialist. Because her beam is already at a level where it could beat any senior. And her Uneven Bars are close behind.

And I'm excited to see Finnegan blossom as a senior gymnast as well. Iordache deserves redemption. What she put out at the Olympics is not a gymnast she really is. Bulimar is brilliant and I actually think with another coach her Uneven Bars could get above 14.500 which is where all three Romania UB routines need to be. Grishina also deserves redemption. She is way below her peak imo so she should be internet. Oh and Yao Jinnan. She certainly deserves redemption. I hope she continues to compete.

[VALuvsMKwan]

Um, our Double A baseball team is called the - what else - Flying Squirrels! Hope they can afford to have Gabby make an appearance for the team. After all, we're just a couple of hours from her hometown of Virginia Beach.

[Prancer]

Amanar is an Amanar for a reason. Let Maroney do her own vault. That was a stupid question and her answer was good. Rename it for the American! Americans are better!!

Indeed. What will they do next--rename the Beillman? Rename the Natalia spin?

[BigB08822]

I don't see Aly Raisman competing in college anymore. She is the team captain of the gold medal winning Olympic team. There is too much money to be made, even if she isn't the shining star like Douglas will be. I bet she takes the money. Unless you all just meant go to college as in not compete and attend.

[poths]

I don't see Aly Raisman competing in college anymore. She is the team captain of the gold medal winning Olympic team. There is too much money to be made, even if she isn't the shining star like Douglas will be. I bet she takes the money. Unless you all just meant go to college as in not compete and attend.

She has already gone pro well before the games, so no college Gym for her.

[poths]

Word from the Russian press is that Mustafina will likely continue as well.

She could specialise in bars by Rio and defend the title that she's going to win in a couple of days

Add me to the list of people who think Maroney can develop a lot as an AAer.

Ross too. I have a feeling Wieber's body type and growth spurts might mean the end of elite for her after next year.

I don't know what I've watched more, Maroneys TF vault or Komova's FX.

Shout out to Rebecca Tunney, her floor and bars in the AA were awesome. If she gets a beam set, she could easily be GBs first AA world medalist.

[Choupette]

I have been trying to remember when was the last time there was an AA Olympic medalist who had not won any individual world medal prior, and I can't think of any since the 1984 Olympics (which are of course marked with an asterisk).

This really shows how fast Douglas has been improving.

[Allskate]

I'd love to see Maroney stick around. I love her on both floor and vault.
But, I think it's far too soon to know what these girls will be doing in four years. Even if they still want to pursue Olympic gymnastics, injuries and growth can have an impact and there may be other gymnasts who simply are better than them.

And speaking of Maroney (and crying girls), here's Stephen Colbert commentating on the gymnastics and reenacting Maroney's vault:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment...tory?track=rss

[Theatregirl1122]

I don't see Aly Raisman competing in college anymore. She is the team captain of the gold medal winning Olympic team. There is too much money to be made, even if she isn't the shining star like Douglas will be. I bet she takes the money. Unless you all just meant go to college as in not compete and attend.

She's already Pro. I just meant attend college.

[jlai]

I don't see any American Olympian gymast making the 2016 Olympic team. It has been a new squad every time for the last two three Olympics. The training regimen is too hard and the body can only take that much; and you still need to beat out the new generation of Douglas, Wieber wannabes by 2016.

[Karpenko]

I think with this group it is definitely possible. There is outstanding talent coming up like always, but what hurt the core group of Olympians last time was retiring early then coming back, and also age. This group is young and talented enough, I think gymnasts like Gabby, Maroney, and Ross are still fully capable of learning new skills on events and developing their gymnastics in lots of ways. Post Olympic worlds this time around will feel more like 1989 than 2009 I think.

I'm hoping that since the country is so in love with the gymnasts and our girls right now, since we are on top there are some outside choreographers that will offer to help out and bring out some new ideas. There's gotta be another Nancy Roach or Adriana Pop out there that can inject some life back into the floor routines.

[Lara]

Two of the Mag 7 did come back, and Shannon was a possibility were it not for her vault injury at Trials. Granted that was a very weak quad for the US which hopefully won't be repeated this time. It depends how much talent there ends up being by 2016, but I think it's possible for at least one.

[Choupette]

What about Sacramone, Bhardwaj, Hacht? They were no longer teenagers by the time they went to the Olympics. Maroney and Douglas will be only 20. Not that I'm convinced they will be there, but it is possible.

[iloveemoticons]

I'd love to see Maroney stick around. I love her on both floor and vault.

Yeah, I really hope she sticks around and works on AA. Her floor could be spectacular...she does the most amazing 3.5 twist on floor ever. Her beam is decent. Bars is not her strong point, but she's able to do huge releases. And in general she has great form.

[Matryeshka]

OMG,on this 1996 retrospect...I'm on pins and needles. I can't stand it. Can Kerri Strug do it or not?

[jlai]

What about Sacramone, Bhardwaj, Hacht? They were no longer teenagers by the time they went to the Olympics. Maroney and Douglas will be only 20. Not that I'm convinced they will be there, but it is possible.

They didnt make more than one Olympics, I thought.

[Choupette]

They didnt make more than one Olympics, I thought.

No, but their body didn't care about that.