Gymnastics - Women's All-Around part 2

[Cachoo]

Apologies I know this is about the AA but I just watched Maroney again and I love her delight and huge smile as she comes running off after her vault. She was all business and then she was a delighted kid. Loved it.

[LuckyCharm]

They didnt make more than one Olympics, I thought.

I think the point she was making wasn't about making 2 Olympics, but about older gymnast being capable of beating out younger ones to make the team. The gymnasts mentioned made their first Olympic team at around the age these ladies will be if/when they try to make their second.

[snoopy]

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

Lol. When they started that bit I was rolling my eyes but I was sucked in and was all teary by the end. And all the ladies look fabulous now.

[suep1963]

I had forgotten all about Amanda Borden and that lovely smile of hers--she looks like a friend of mine.

[A.H.Black]

If we remember Shannon Miller in 1992 - she was pretty new and sort of burst onto the scene. She stayed in and was great again in 1996. This could be the way it goes for Gabby. The ages aren't exactly the same but I think the principle could still work.

[b-man]

I see they have announced a Kellogg's post olympic tour for the fall, 40 citys. All 5 of the FAB 5 plus Price and Finnegan, plus Liukin, Sacramone, Bross and some others. No foreign gymnasts unfortunately. Also some male gymnasts including some from the Olympic team.

[Allskate]

If we remember Shannon Miller in 1992 - she was pretty new and sort of burst onto the scene. She stayed in and was great again in 1996. This could be the way it goes for Gabby. The ages aren't exactly the same but I think the principle could still work.

Shannon had already been to the World Championships when she went to the Olympics in 1992. She lost -- I won't start a wuzrobbed battle - the 1992 AA gold medal by the slimmest of margins. If she had won the gold, I'm not sure she would have stayed in for 1996, especially after winning the world titles and then being injured.

Also, I think it's going to be harder for Gabby because she's going to have a lot of opportunities to do other things and it may not be fun for her mother to move to a place where she is away from the rest of her family and knows almost nobody.

[FSfan107]

Shannon had already been to the World Championships when she went to the Olympics in 1992. She lost -- I won't start a wuzrobbed battle - the 1992 AA gold medal by the slimmest of margins. If she had won the gold, I'm not sure she would have stayed in for 1996, especially after winning the world titles and then being injured.

Also, I think it's going to be harder for Gabby because she's going to have a lot of opportunities to do other things and it may not be fun for her mother to move to a place where she is away from the rest of her family and knows almost nobody.

So had Gabby, if you were implying that she hadn't been to a Worlds. She was on the 2011 World Teams. I agree she is going to have a ton of opportunities and we'll see where she goes with it. I'm hopeful though she might continue a few more years.

[jlai]

I think the point she was making wasn't about making 2 Olympics, but about older gymnast being capable of beating out younger ones to make the team. The gymnasts mentioned made their first Olympic team at around the age these ladies will be if/when they try to make their second.

Speaking just from post-Cop era, there were older US women who made the O team but they were either vault specialists or late bloomers who only competed at the world / Olympic level briefly. In short they didn't beat up their body year after year trying to be the best of the world. The one that had a longer record at highest level was Memmel, and even she made just one Olympics and she had numerous injuries.

I think post-cop gymnastics is harder on women's bodies and there is no way US women can train that crazily to achieve this level of excellence without being more beat up than others if they keep doing this year after year

[Allskate]

So had Gabby, if you were implying that she hadn't been to a Worlds. She was on the 2011 World Teams. I agree she is going to have a ton of opportunities and we'll see where she goes with it. I'm hopeful though she might continue a few more years.

I think you're missing my point. My point is that Shannon had already experienced Worlds before her first Olympics, so if she had won gold at the Olympics, it's not like she would have thought that there were events she hadn't experienced yet. More importantly, if she had won the gold at the 1992 Olympics, then she would have been in a similar position as Gabby is now. But, she didn't. So, she had a totally different incentive to go for another Olympics. She still wanted that Olympic AA gold. Gabby is in a very different situation.

[bek]

Douglas, Raisman, and Wieber will probably never be better than they are today. If they want to stay in and will be satisfied with what are most probably lesser results and specialist-type positions, great. If they'd rather retire and do show gymnastics or whatever, that's a great decision, too.

I actualliy agree about Raisman and Wieber. But I don't agree about Douglas that girl is insanely talented. I think USAG realliy needs Ross/Douglas to stay in for bars too. Asf or Maroney amazing vaulter but I can't help wonder how much her body will take it?????

[FSfan107]

I think you're missing my point. My point is that Shannon had already experienced Worlds before her first Olympics, so if she had won gold at the Olympics, it's not like she would have thought that there were events she hadn't experienced yet. More importantly, if she had won the gold at the 1992 Olympics, then she would have been in a similar position as Gabby is now. But, she didn't. So, she had a totally different incentive to go for another Olympics. She still wanted that Olympic AA gold. Gabby is in a very different situation.

Yeah I missed your point first, sorry for the misunderstanding. I get what you're saying now, makes perfect sense.

[elka_sk8]

Me too.

And I want Vika to become the Uchimura of WAG this next quad.

Yes! I was really happy that Gabby did so well, but I just love Komova's gymnastics. I thought she showed a lot of fight this time, nailing her other events after the mistake on vault. It was a bit heartbreaking at the end watching Komova and Mustafina looking up at the scoreboard pleadingly, and since I was watching tape delay I already knew she would fall short. Hope she can win an event final!

[Karpenko]

Yes me too, I want Komova to have a gold medal at this Olympics. Her gymnastics deserves one and she has been performing well. Id prefer Mustafina or Beth to win On bars, but beam is Komova all the way. I love her toe point on beam especially.

[BigB08822]

There are two things I noticed last night and I was curious if anyone else did. Sorry if this was discussed but I completely avoided the internet until the AA final was done to avoid spoilers. Which leads me to:

1) Did NBC spoil the gymnastics results during a commercial for the Today show (or whatever morning show they have)? They mentioned the "epic race" between Lochte and Phelps and then the AA final and then said they would have Lochte and Douglas in the studio the next morning for interviews. This threw up a huge red flag for me. I knew Lochte was done racing that night so I figured he would be in to interview win or lose but I seriously doubt they would have booked Douglas and put out a commercial if she didn't win. What if Raisman had won? They would have had Douglas on instead? I saw that and kind of figured she won. It wasn't a sure enough thing to ruin it because I was still nervous as hell but come on NBC!!!

2) The other thing is that Al Trautwig is an idiot and no one corrects him. Did anyone hear him mention that the last time RUSSIA won the AA was in 1992!? Russia's first Olympics as a country was 1996, first of all. The Unified Team was competing in 1992. Furthermore, Gutsu was Ukranian!

[caseyedwards]

There are two things I noticed last night and I was curious if anyone else did. Sorry if this was discussed but I completely avoided the internet until the AA final was done to avoid spoilers. Which leads me to:

1) Did NBC spoil the gymnastics results during a commercial for the Today show (or whatever morning show they have)? They mentioned the "epic race" between Lochte

2) The other thing is that Al Trautwig is an idiot and no one corrects him. Did anyone hear him mention that the last time RUSSIA won the AA was in 1992!? Russia's first Olympics as a country was 1996, first of all. The Unified Team was competing in 1992. Furthermore, Gutsu was Ukranian!

The second was definitely discussed! Calling the 1992 team the "russian" team and calling Gutsu a Russian. It was a Ukrainians and a Belarusian and a woman who would go to compete for Uzbekistan and then Germany! How many Russians were even a part of that 1992 team?

[Cloudy_Gumdrops]

The other thing is that Al Trautwig is an idiot and no one corrects him. Did anyone hear him mention that the last time RUSSIA won the AA was in 1992!? Russia's first Olympics as a country was 1996, first of all. The Unified Team was competing in 1992. Furthermore, Gutsu was Ukranian!

Doesn't surprise me. It's the rare commenator who bothers to realize that not every person from a former Soviet country is Russian.

[centerstage01]

I was more impressed by Mustafina on vault and bars and Komova on beam and floor. Didn't like Grishina at all. And as NBC didn't deign to really show anyone else, I have no idea if I like them or not.

[Cloudy_Gumdrops]

I was more impressed by Mustafina on vault and bars and Komova on beam and floor. Didn't like Grishina at all. And as NBC didn't deign to really show anyone else, I have no idea if I like them or not.

Ksenia Afanasyeva can be amazing on floor. Her floor is the best FX routine of the entire quad imo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkyZFma8e_A

[BigB08822]

Grishina wasn't in the AA, are you talking about the Team Event?