Gymnastics News #15
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BigB08822
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I must have missed it, but did Maroney retire?
Shame her career was basically derailed by a freak fall for an exhibition performance.
Are you referring to when she broke her leg during an exhibition after the Olympics? The same exhibition that Aly broke her leg/foot on moments before/after?
If so, that did not derail her. She came back after that and won another World title on vault and even competed AA in qualifications at Worlds. She seems to have discovered some kind of health issue (adrenal fatigue) that gives her fits of fatigue or something although no one really knows for sure. I think it is safe to say she wont be back but never say never in this sport.
Karpenko
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I must have missed it, but did Maroney retire?
Shame her career was basically derailed by a freak fall for an exhibition performance.
From gymnastics, yes.
(Just look at her Twitter, she effing hates gymnastics now and will never mention it again
she's more into her boobs than anything 
I think she's too injured to resume Olympic level training again, she seems a little bitter and lost)From being unimpressed with everything - never.
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For all those lamenting Kocian's now supposed lock for the Olympics due to her worlds gold, three words: Vise and Memmel. Marta has certainly had no qualms leaving world event champions home before.
Don't get me wrong, I think Kocian will make the team, but a lot can happen between now and selection time.
Don't get me wrong, I think Kocian will make the team, but a lot can happen between now and selection time.
OnyxRose81
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From gymnastics, yes.
(Just look at her Twitter, she effing hates gymnastics now and will never mention it again
From being unimpressed with everything - never.
There's still some delusional people who think Maroney is coming back. She's never coming back. I do hope that she finds something that will make her happy, because she does not seem to be.
kwanoverrated
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I agree she is no lock. I see her as 60%. I see Aly as 60%. Those are the two vurnerable ones and the ones everyone will be targetting. Even Nichols isnt a total lock IMO but quite likely to make it. Biles is a total lock barring injury, and Douglas is close to it.
I wont be surprised if the 2015 worlds team is the Olympic team though (minus Dowell obviously). For the men I am almost 100% sure the team will be Sam, Jake Dalton, Danell, Donnell, and Alex Naddour barring injuries (knock on wood after this year). The team really missed Sam and Jake this year and with them added they can be a really good team with potential to medal. Those 5 are clearly the best team.
I had to stop following her on twitter because it seemed all she did was post selfies (same with Sasha Cohen, actually). She does seem more into her looks than much else(Just look at her Twitter, she effing hates gymnastics now and will never mention it again
From being unimpressed with everything - never.
I think even Nichols is as close as Aly and Kocian to having their spot vulnerable. She got through this year on consistency and her feat at worlds in the team final was amazing going 4/4. That will count a lot to Marta. I still think that if Maggie didn't have an amanar this year, she would not have gone to worlds because she was still pretty mediocre on her other three events even if she hit.
The biggest deficiency on the world team this year were decent beam workers which is bizarre given how beam has been a strong event traditionally... If Kyla (which is a big if at this point) can get back together next year, get consistent, and upgrade enough, she will be going to Rio over Kocian who can only contribute to bars.
VGThuy
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I asked this before, but nobody really answered. Who are the up-and-coming 16 year-olds who may play spoiler and take spots from the established seniors a la Kyla? Is there someone as good or nearly as good as Kocian on bars but better than she is on beam and more useful on the other events? If someone like that exists, then I think she's taking Kocian's spot. It was really sad but very understandable when Sabrina Vega was the only one out of the competing 2011 Worlds Team members to not make the Olympic Team (not even as an alternate as Coach Teodora kept marketing her as).
Fridge_Break
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I think the only 2 coming up to seniors that have a shot are Lauren Hernandez or Jazmyn Foberg.
kwanoverrated
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I mean in 2012 I felt way more sorry for Bross than Vega personally. Vega I can see being dissapointed, but she only made 2011 worlds due to about 3 or more huge injuries, and even then I would have put Shawn Johnson on the team over her I think. She can be happy she atleast got to go to a worlds which for a gymnast of her level of this era of U.S gymnastics is a great feat. Bross not making it when she had been the star of U.S gymnastics mid quad, and not even really coming close, was pretty crushing. Especialy since it was probably due to that one fateful day at Nationals the year before.
I think a rejuvenated Ross is the closest to the gymnast you describe. Hernandez is a strong AA gymnast with no stand out event. Flatley is pretty much just beam as a big contributor. Foberg I havent seen much of, so it might be her, not sure. I think Marta will take Kocian for sure, unless there is someone really strong on both bars/beam and who also does AA as you describe. Having already proven herself will give her a big leg up on all others, so it will have to be someone who potentially contributes significantly more.
kwanoverrated
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I think hitting 4 for 4 in team finals, when being the only one to be used on 4 events that day (including even Biles) will make her hard to keep off the Olympic team in Marta's eyes. Also at worlds she showed she scores big on both vault and floor now, and is a reigning world floor medalist in addition to having her Amanar which she is still cleaning up and making better. Her bars and beam are easily team final useable. Right now she has more than enough to make the team IMO, unless the juniors coming in are flooded with talent and prove super consistent.
Marta wont displace a veteran who has proven themselves under the highest pressure unless the unproven younger gymnast offers something potentially significantly more.
Ross made the 2012 team since she fit what they needed way better than Sacramone, proved she was now way better than Bross and Liukin who had not even competed at the last worlds anyway, etc...
VGThuy
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I never got into Bross to be honest. WOGA Nastia-fied her (and I love Nastia) and she didn't seem to have any sort of identity. I just found her to be a bit washed out gymnastically-speaking.
Erin
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I'd throw Norah Flatley in the mix too. She's been injured this year so she had been a bit forgotten but bars and beam were always her best events and she's coached by Chow who has typically been good at pacing his athletes. I wouldn't put it past her to get people talking in early 2016 a la Douglas in 2012.
semillon27
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While she's not an upcoming junior, I'm also going to keep my eye on Rachel Gowey. She's also with Chow, and she had a 6.5 bar set at nationals on Day 1. (On Day 2 she missed a connection.) She's also good on beam. If she gets the upgraded bar routine consistent over the next year, she could be a dark horse to make the team as a bars/beam specialist, IMO.
Braulio
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And gold medal on the most hot team!!
FiveRinger
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What are the chances of John Orozco making the team, if he is able to come back from injury? He would be my sentimental favorite. I would love for him to have an opportunity to redeem himself from 2012.
kwanoverrated
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The problem is whose spot would he take. Sam and Donnell are pretty obviously locks so lets look at the others:
Naddour- the team badly needs him for pommels. If he somehow is knocked out it would be by someone else phenomenal on pommels who also is a good AA gymnast. John is not nearly great enough on pommels to ever be this guy.
Leyva- His best events and John's are the same. However Leyva has proven himself for the U.S so many times, everyone knows he peaks at worlds/Olympics, not Nationals. Even if John outscores him on parallel bars/high bar at Nationals or Trials I think Leyva would still get the benefit with his numerous world gold/silver on those events, and that he has proven himself for the U.S so many times.
Dalton- He is obviously needed and worlds prove that. His best events are events John doesnt even do anymore so they obviously wouldnt be competing for the same spot anyway.
Looking at it his best shot would be taking Leyva's spot and I cant see him doing that at all. i think he would need an injury to make the team, which after this year is very possible.
Braulio
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Oh no please! the team has enough head cases with Whittenburg already, so having TWO! is a no-no. Yes Orozco can help the team in pommel horse but he can be SOOOO bad if he has not a good day! so I cant see (and wont like) an Orozoco-Witthenburg on the same team, just one of them.
I dont get why USA gymnastics doesnt do something more to get this pommel horse nightmare a solution? since 2008 they have had this and 8 years later (counting Rio) it will be most probably the apparatus that will prevent them from getting even a silver medal chance or just securing the bronze that will be highly contested between them and the brit guys IMO
Coco
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pommel horse is hard.
kwanoverrated
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If the U.S took both Naddour and Yoder that would potentially be a very good pommel line up with Sam as the 3rd guy. The problem is can they afford to do that. They would now either have to leave Dalton off the team or have only 2 true AA gymnasts leaving one of Leyva or Whittenburg off. Naddour is a decent AA gymnast. Yoder would pretty much just be there to do pommels. Would it be worth having both of them in sacrificing on other events. Also Yoder is inexperienced, would he handle the pressure.
Come to think of it John's best chance might be to take Whittenburg's spot, not Leyva's. That also will be super hard. He will have to do something incredible to make the team IMO.
Come to think of it John's best chance might be to take Whittenburg's spot, not Leyva's. That also will be super hard. He will have to do something incredible to make the team IMO.
kwanoverrated
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I agree. I actually disliked her gymnastics and found her incredibly boring. However it is still hard to not feel bad for someone who was the star of U.S gymnastics in 2009 and 2010 (well 2010 anyway), was touted as the big hope for 2012, had this big injury in 2011, and doesnt even make the team which she was thought to be a lock for only a year or two earlier. Also after surely being kept off the 2008 team by the age rule, years of injuries and surgeries, and what does she have to show for it? 6 world medals which is a great feat, but no world title (the team missed gold in 2010, she blew the AA gold with her fall in 09, narrowly lost beam in 2010, etc...) and no Olympics. Also having Nastia come back, Valeri almost ignoring her in 2012, the whole thing it was just hard to not feel sorry for her.
Erin
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I'm curious as to why people call Whittenburg a lock when he is such a head case? He made critical mistakes on two events in Team Finals, it seems weird that everyone is so sure he is on the team.
kwanoverrated
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Yeah but he was put on almost every event for the team. I just dont see them leaving off someone who can do so many events potentially in team finals.
Maybe Orozco could knock him off if he has a great Nationals and kills rings, p-bars, high bars, and proves capable on pommels.
Braulio
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If Orozco works his butt to become a specialist in Pommel Horse, Parallel Bars and Rings I can see him overtaking Whittenburg, but still I would be very doubtful of John's head as he usually bombs when it counts
Donnell at least made event finals where he placed decently and got a medal in vault
Donnell at least made event finals where he placed decently and got a medal in vault
haribobo
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The US has to wait for Danell and/or Jake and/or Ruggeri to retire before we can start fielding a strong pommel team- but they are better when Sam is around. We have this blessing/curse situation where these specialists on FX/VT and HB/PB are too good not to take (or Wynn with Rings), but then they can't do pommel and if they ain't got it by now, its not going to happen. Should be interesting to see how the men's field looks after the Olympics. I'm keeping an eye on Donothan Bailey, CJ Maestas, Akash Modi, Alec Yoder, and Eddie Penev...
Karpenko
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I'm so glad that Paul Hamm isn't really talked about anymore. Or Blaine Wilson.
I'd really like Dalton to make it, and Orozco needs to work on PH more than any event to really have a shot.
I'd really like Dalton to make it, and Orozco needs to work on PH more than any event to really have a shot.
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That's the problem here. I will be honest and say I don't like her attitude either But her type of gymnastics deserves to be rewarded. And if you don't people won't put the work into developing that type of line.
And for those who says Biles cannot point her feet. Well there are people who don't have the power do Biles' kind of skills. If Biles gets rewarded for what she does others should for what they do.
VGThuy
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Biles' form and execution coupled with the sheer power and amplitude on her skills is what puts her over-the-top. She doesn't have the classic Russian look and she could work on toe point, but you can't deny her technique on those big skills is great and she does most of her skills in a way that should be taught. It's not like she just chucks skills with all her power and hopes for the best. Her gymnastics is grounded in excellent technique. Then there's the fact she actually performs her routines and even if you don't like her beam or FX choreography, at least she has choreography and moves with some fluidity compared to most of her competitors.
angelflies
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Komova was clearly robbed of the 2011 world AA title. It isnt even a debate. If she made the mistakes she had on beam and floor and Wieber had hit bars it would be right Wieber winning, but with Wieber also messing up on bars it was clear Komova should have won.
The 2012 Olympic AA is more debateable. You can make a case either way on that. However Douglas got clearly generous scores on both bars and beam. Komova's scores were tight for what she did all day long, except on vault where if anything she was a bit held up. Douglas should have won by less than a tenth overall, if at all.
Tieing Kocian on bars at worlds just shows the advantage Americans have in gymnastics scoring over everyone else these days. Anyone who questioned it before shouldnt now. There should have been about .5 gap in their E scores when Kocian has major problems with her feet and keeping her legs together throughout the routine.
All that said Komova has no shot at challenging Biles in the AA in 2016, and wouldnt even if the judging were fair. Biles is just too good right now, and Komova would never come close to her on vault (even with her own Amanar which doesnt compare) or floor, and any bars advantage wouldnt even come close to making up her huge deficit combined on the other two events. She would do well to get on the podium if she does AA right now.
The 2012 Olympic AA is more debateable. You can make a case either way on that. However Douglas got clearly generous scores on both bars and beam. Komova's scores were tight for what she did all day long, except on vault where if anything she was a bit held up. Douglas should have won by less than a tenth overall, if at all.
Tieing Kocian on bars at worlds just shows the advantage Americans have in gymnastics scoring over everyone else these days. Anyone who questioned it before shouldnt now. There should have been about .5 gap in their E scores when Kocian has major problems with her feet and keeping her legs together throughout the routine.
All that said Komova has no shot at challenging Biles in the AA in 2016, and wouldnt even if the judging were fair. Biles is just too good right now, and Komova would never come close to her on vault (even with her own Amanar which doesnt compare) or floor, and any bars advantage wouldnt even come close to making up her huge deficit combined on the other two events. She would do well to get on the podium if she does AA right now.
