Gymnastics News #21 - Tumbling on to Tokyo

[Allskate]

NBC knew that Simone had an insane crush on Zach Efron and he had been watching her and the rest of the Final Five compete in Rio. They asked him to fly into Rio to meet the team which he immediately agreed to. Hoda Kotb had them in a holding room and when he walked in, they all freaked. He was going to be working out and hanging out with them. Bob Costas interviewed Simone and Aly last evening. Lots of discussion about eating fries, cupcakes, pizza and burgers(sound familiar for our source focus athletes?). They also discussed whether or not either or both of them would return for the Tokyo Olympics. Both of them are such good kids!

They seemed really punchy. I hope Aly has had some more food and sleep by now. I'm not sure Bob Costas knew quite what to do. One of the interesting things in that interview is that Aly said that floor used to be her worst apparatus when she was younger.

 

[Xela M]

Gymnastics chief Bruno Gandi thought Aly deserved to beat Biles on floor.

As a totally lay observer, I thought so too!

 

[yurokis40]

Biles also had a couple of iffy landings on her tumbling passes, but when the Judges have a favorite there is nothing you can do.

 

[skatingfan5]

Gymnastics chief Bruno Gandi thought Aly deserved to beat Biles on floor.

Did he explain how -- or was that just his preference? Simone's D score was 6.9 vs. Aly's 6.6; even if Aly were given a slightly higher score for execution (was given one 0.166 lower than Simone) , it wouldn't have overcome that difference. I found Aly's more enjoyable myself, but that was mainly because I liked her music better.

 

[Cachoo]

As a totally lay observer, I thought so too!

I have to say I'm impressed with the way Aly sticks her landings. I think I was most excited for the British girl. Actually I was most excited for those who had not medaled in the team competition. This idea of losing another gymnast and having four okay gymnasts who can do it all instead of specialists who are wonderfully creative (like Sanne) is troubling. I wish there was a path for true specialists to be included too.

 

[Xela M]

I have to say I'm impressed with the way Aly sticks her landings. I think I was most excited for the British girl. Actually I was most excited for those who had not medaled in the team competition. This idea of losing another gymnast and having four okay gymnasts who can do it all instead of specialists who are wonderfully creative (like Sanne) is troubling. I wish there was a path for true specialists to be included too.

I can't actually see the US losing that team Gold ever with this crazy new system because they are the only team who have gymnasts who are consistently good on everything. I can't see another nation matching that.

 

[Rukia]

Apparently Bruno doesn't see Aly's form issues? Simone lacks those. Landings aren't everything.

 

[Allskate]

Did he explain how -- or was that just his preference?

He said that he preferred Aly's more "artistic" style:

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/gymnas...DZ3ExBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDRkZVSTNDMV8xBHNlYwNzcg--

 

[Vash01]

I can't actually see the US losing that team Gold ever with this crazy new system because they are the only team who have gymnasts who are consistently good on everything. I can't see another nation matching that.

That's what people thought of the USSR (and later Russia).

Once Marta retires (she already has, since gymnastics are over in Rio), anything can happen. The system she set up will carry on for 1 or 2 more Olympics but over time things change.

 

[Cachoo]

I can't actually see the US losing that team Gold ever with this crazy new system because they are the only team who have gymnasts who are consistently good on everything. I can't see another nation matching that.

So we have less opportunity for gymnasts with the same result. I truly would like to see a specialists competiton alongside a team competition not based on team qualifying. Team members could qualify to be among the specialists. I'm not sure how you would do all of that. How much was that gold medal worth to gymnastics in Holland? Will little girls say "I want to be like Sanne?" I think so. It helps if each country has their own hero. We started with Olga and Nadia but then found Mary Lou and I think that was important.

 

[aftershocks]

Simone Biles has a pretty incredible ability to stick landings too. And, as @skatingfan5 points out, Simone's floor routine had greater difficulty. Aly's landings were practically perfect, and Simone had a couple of very slight hops but they both overall had great execution. Judges take off requisite tenths of points for slight hops on landings. The difference in their scoring is obviously due to the difference in difficulty of their elements. I thought the scoring would be even closer between the two, but then I'm not an expert on gymnastics scoring.

To be honest, I haven't been following the sport that closely over the past ten years. I watch a little here and there, so I am fairly new to seeing and hearing a lot about Simone over the past couple of years and more-so in recent months. I was curious about what all the hype could be about. And then when I watched her performances, my jaw dropped. She's amazing.

You guys who have a beef with gymnasts' routines, and 'troubling' gymnastics trends, and/or gymnasts' sizes/ body shapes, what you gonna do about it? I mean if you are long time fans and have been following the sport closely, aren't you able to understand why and how the current environment exists? The sport has clearly trended more and more to greater difficulty, more back-breaking tumbling passes, and an emphasis on strength and power. Simone Biles is an incredible athlete with amazing gifts. She maximizes her potential with the body she was born with. As do other athletes in every sport. Plus they all have to find ways to excel under the scoring system that exists in their sport.

 

[VGThuy]

Well, Grandi is responsible for creating the unartistic mess we are seeing in gymnastics, so I take his opinion on gymnastics with a grain of salt.

 

[Erin]

This idea of losing another gymnast and having four okay gymnasts who can do it all instead of specialists who are wonderfully creative (like Sanne) is troubling. I wish there was a path for true specialists to be included too.

Specialists can still compete and may even have more of a chance to do so because there are specific spots allocated for them whereas now it just depends on whether they are picked by their team are not and some (like Martha) are unwilling to take a chance on a specialist who doesn't do all events. The difference is that the specialists won't be able to compete for the team medals. Someone like Ashton Locklear may have been more likely to make it to Rio under that system.

I don't like the smaller teams either and feel like there is a better way to get more specialists to the Olympics (like having six person teams might make a Martha more likely to give a specialist a shot). But I don't think this change will reduce the number of specialists like Wevers.

 

[bardtoob]

Gymnastics chief Bruno Gandi thought Aly deserved to beat Biles on floor.

Bruno Gandi just deserves a beating.

 

[Vash01]

Well, Grandi is responsible for creating the unartistic mess we are seeing in gymnastics, so I take his opinion on gymnastics with a grain of salt.

I always thought of gymnastics as more athletic and less artistic, so I am fine with the progress made by the sport. I enjoyed the old routines and it doesn't mean I can't enjoy the current ones. I am always amazed by what the gymnasts can do, regardless of whether or not there is any artistry involved. I don't understand gymnastics the way I do figure skating, so may be there are experts out there that find the progress made by this sport troubling or even unacceptable.

Between Simone and Aly, they were both fantastic. I was very familiar with Aly's music, and I didn't know Simone's music at all, but I didn't feel that Aly was more artistic. May be that's what you are complaining about. Simone was still the stronger athlete and deserved the higher score, despite Aly's amazing landings. Afterall, gymnastics - like figure skating- is a Sport.

 

[VGThuy]

Well it's not like nothing athletically was being done back in the "old" days either. Some argue that some things have regressed athletically since Grandi's (and Nellie Kim's) changes over the years.

 

[floskate]

Grandi thinks Raisman's an artist???? This says everything you need to know about the man.

 

[tuffcaco]

I can't believe we've gotten to the point where people are arguing for Aly because of artistry!

I remember when she started out around 2010 and it was hard to root for her because she seemed so stiff and had terrible form, but I have to admit she has really grown on me over the years. She's far from a classically perfect gymnast but she's improved a lot, even after being very successful in 2012. The difference from 2010 to now is night and day. I couldn't help but root for her. And her floor routine seemed more engaging than Simone's to me as well. But Simone still deserved the win!

I don't like how gymnastics scores execution as a completely separate score from difficulty. Maybe they should take a look at the figure skating COP with GOEs per skill. It seems like it would be a better way to arrive at a score.

 

[Vash01]

Well it's not like nothing athletically was being done back in the "old" days either. Some argue that some things have regressed athletically since Grandi's (and Nellie Kim's) changes over the years.

Really? So Simone Biles is not as athletic as e.g. Nadia? I have not read anything this ridiculous in a while. I don't know who Grandi and Nellie are, but it sounds like they will be blamed for any changes made to the sport.

My only complaint about current gymnastics has to do with NBC's awful coverage.

 

[VGThuy]

Really? So Simone Biles is not as athletic as e.g. Nadia? I have not read anything this ridiculous in a while. I don't know who Grandi and Nellie are, but it sounds like they will be blamed for any changes made to the sport.

My only complaint about current gymnastics has to do with NBC's awful coverage.

You do know Simone isn't the only gymnast competing right now and that floor/vault aren't the only apparatuses, right? I think before you make a judgment, why don't you check out old performances of "tricksters" of the past who really challenged the technical side of the sport and did tumbling passes not too dissimilar to what we see from the majority of gymnasts now and who invented moves that gymnasts are now currently doing, including Simone. Granted, that's not really fair either since that would be selectively picking the trendsetters of the past and comparing them to the general gymnastics pool of today, and of course, Simone is a wunderkind because she's putting many difficult moves (two H level passes and one G on FX, for example) together in one package while having to do required leaps/pirouettes, but then the choreography itself is a lot easier than what it was before as well.

As for whether Grandi and Kim are actually to blame for any changes to be made, I think many gym fans can attribute the changes that they implemented and have actively advocated for (and other officials like Jackie Fie who helped codify leaps and dance elements) to directly creating what some see as a gym-by-the-numbers.

 

[Xela M]

This is a very important question for all you gymnastics experts...

Do the girls on these gym teams really get on as well as they are meant to show on camera? Or do some of them secretly (or not?) hate each other's guts?

Who are the biggest ? I know Douglas gets the most stick on the US team, but I'm not sure if it's to do with her personality or her recent form. Are all the girls really ok with the tiny, unaesthetic Biles being the pre-determined winner of everything?

Are all these girls PC-ed to perfection or are there some more rebellious personalities? (This goes for all teams - not just US)

What's the ?

 

[VGThuy]

"Tiny, unaesthetic Biles"? If you're talking about looks, then why don't you just call her ugly? I mean if you're talking about gymnastics, then I bet they are in awe of her athleticism and considering what they're putting out there, if they don't like Biles winning everything with her style, then those in glass houses...

 

[Xela M]

"Tiny, unaesthetic Biles"? If you're talking about looks, then why don't you just call her ugly? I mean if you're talking about gymnastics, then I bet they are in awe of her athleticism and considering what they're putting out there, if they don't like Biles winning everything with her style, then those in glass houses...

She's not just physically unattractive, her style of gymnastics is ugly

 

[Rukia]

She's not just physically unattractive, her style of gymnastics is ugly

You need to add the qualifier "to me"

 

[Xela M]

You need to add the qualifier "to me"

Maybe you should edit my posts for me to make the wording to your taste

 

[allezfred]

She's not just physically unattractive, her style of gymnastics is ugly

I get not liking her style of gymnastics, but physically unattractive? Really?

 

[Vash01]

She's not just physically unattractive, her style of gymnastics is ugly

Is her skin color a problem for you or just her body shape, including her height?

 

[Xela M]

I get not liking her style of gymnastics, but physically unattractive? Really?

I was responding the the poster who said I should just call her "ugly", but very short-legged muscly gymnasts are not my cup of tea at all and that doesn't just go for Biles. It's across teams.

 

[Xela M]

Is her skin color a problem for you or just her body shape, including her height?

Really? So if I think she's unattractive I'm racist?

 

[Garden Kitty]

They seemed really punchy. I hope Aly has had some more food and sleep by now. I'm not sure Bob Costas knew quite what to do. One of the interesting things in that interview is that Aly said that floor used to be her worst apparatus when she was younger.

Well we know they got some french fries and chocolate ice cream.