Gymnastic news #22 - Tokyo or bust

[ilovepaydays]

Mikulak’s PH was insane. I’ve decided to take back all the snarky things I thought about him making the apparatus finals at last year’s Worlds.

Wiskus is literally having U.S. Nationals of his life.

 

[HeatherC]

Really impressed with Sam tonight. He added upgrades to his routines and still hit 6/6 making this one of the cleanest US Nats competitions he's ever had which is really good for him. Hope he can carry this momentum into Worlds this fall!

 

[vanillashake]

Senior men’s final just started. It’s not a good sign that Mikulak is already in first by more than a double Simone margin after the prelims.

Anyone else wondering if the men’s Olympic team should just be Mikulak, Moldauer, and just who else can best qualify and medal in apparatus finals? Cause in case something really weird happens, no way is a team medal happening anyway.

That is what I would do. There is no way they have a prayer of an Olympic team medal, not even a very small one like 2016, let alone a decent to good one like 2012. So just send Mikaluk, Moldauer, and a couple event specialists with a flyer shot of medals or atleast finals on events. Who cares how the team final line up breaks down, they arent competitive there anyway. When Sam is winning Nationals by a much bigger margin than Biles you know your depth sucks.

 

[bardtoob]

Nastia is always a fake nice nice when commentating so I am not surprised she said good shot which is likely BS as usual.

If Nastia does that then it seems more like a sport and less like an audition for Tom Who, Tatiana Whatever, and that girl that replaced the anorexic abuse glorifying "athlete representative".

 

[ilovepaydays]

Here’s who has been invited to the World Team Selection Camp next month. No Yoder or any of the Pan Am Games team. I wonder if it’s because they want to qualify through the World Cups and they can’t do that and this Worlds because the U.S. men haven’t qualified for Tokyo yet.

And...in case you’re interested ....GymCastic has this drinking game for Senior Women’s finals tonight. I’m not going to try this!

 

[annie720]

Really impressed with Sam tonight. He added upgrades to his routines and still hit 6/6 making this one of the cleanest US Nats competitions he's ever had which is really good for him. Hope he can carry this momentum into Worlds this fall!

Sam was great! I enjoyed watching the men's final, what little there was to see with all the breaks, long apres-routine close-ups of Sam and Yul, and way too much focusing on Simone. So much wasted time. Wish we could have seen more routines.

 

[Lucy25]

And Trinity Thomas got no play on NBC despite some amazing routines and finishing higher than Skinner.

That was my biggest complaint. I couldn’t believe she finished tied for 5th, and they never even mentioned her all night!

 

[Debbie S]

USA Gym CEO did a nice job in her interview with Andrea Joyce. She was a bit tight-lipped about what changes and steps forward the org will be making but this probably wasn't the best forum for that. I would hope that USAG will be transparent and communicate their plans in the near future.

I wonder what, if any, coverage or statements will be made by NBC and USFS leadership during skating events this season.

 

[HeatherC]

So bummed that they finally showed Trinity Thomas in the coverage and she didn't have a great FX performance. I'm glad they finally showed her though!

 

[ilovepaydays]

I’m starting to think it was a mistake for most of those that are doing the Pan Am Games and then Nationals right after.

Somewhat shallow observation: Hurd has the best looking leotard tonight. I don’t think it’s a “First State” club leotard, though.

 

[floridaice]

USA Gym CEO did a nice job in her interview with Andrea Joyce. She was a bit tight-lipped about what changes and steps forward the org will be making but this probably wasn't the best forum for that. I would hope that USAG will be transparent and communicate their plans in the near future.

I wonder what, if any, coverage or statements will be made by NBC and USFS leadership during skating events this season.

I was a little surprised that they showed Simone's interview. Still a little teary eyed over it -- just no words.

 

[HeatherC]

I was a little surprised that they showed Simone's interview. Still a little teary eyed over it -- just no words.

IIRC, they showed it on Friday night during the NBCSN coverage as well. She might be the strongest person I have ever seen to do what she does out in the arena while still dealing with her pain from the past. Amazing.

 

[ilovepaydays]

I will be SHOCKED if we ever see Laurie compete again. I just hope that she made (and saved) enough money as a pro.

I will admit to when Terry called Tom Forster the “new Marta”. Geezz.......

 

[Debbie S]

So Maggie Nichols isn't going to try for Tokyo?

 

[ilovepaydays]

Tanith White (or basically anyone else) needs to replace Andrea Joyce. And it needed to happen awhile ago.

 

[nickp]

Tim Daggett is the Joe Buck of gymnastics commentating

 

[HeatherC]

So Maggie Nichols isn't going to try for Tokyo?

I don't think she was ever truly planning for that at all. I follow her on Twitter and she has never said a thing about training elite ever again (I think she's pretty happy at OU).

 

[HeatherC]

We are not worthy of Simone's awesomeness. Talk about a turnaround from night one....she was INCREDIBLE tonight! That triple-double on FX was ridiculous and every single routine she did tonight was way better than she'd done earlier this weekend. US AA title #6 in the books and hopefully she can compete those new elements at Worlds and get them named after her. Congrats Simone!

 

[HeatherC]

Grace McCallum got the bronze medal!! What a comeback for her after a rough night one. Tonight was a way better night for almost everyone which was really fun to watch. Really happy for Simone, Suni, Grace, and Morgan for all having great nights!

 

[FiveRinger]

I had to work tonight and haven't had a chance to watch...it's recorded at home. I just saw the results. What happened to Riley McCusker? She finished all of the down in 16th place! ?

 

[Amy L]

I had to work tonight and haven't had a chance to watch...it's recorded at home. I just saw the results. What happened to Riley McCusker? She finished all of the down in 16th place! ?

Her coach pulled her out after two events, citing exhaustion/illness.

 

[FiveRinger]

Her coach pulled her out after two events, citing exhaustion/illness.

Thank you. I wonder what this means for her chances of making the world team

 

[skatfan]

I will be SHOCKED if we ever see Laurie compete again. I just hope that she made (and saved) enough money as a pro.

I will admit to when Terry called Tom Forster the “new Marta”. Geezz.......

I agree that it seems pretty unlikely given that she waited this long to come back. Because she decided to train in LA to be near entertainment jobs, it’s not like she decided to go all in.

 

[skatfan]

I’m starting to think it was a mistake for most of those that are doing the Pan Am Games and then Nationals right after.

All those althetes seemed completely exhausted for good reason - didn’t most or all of them also compete at the US Classic? They all got a pass to go to the training camp. At least McCallum and Hird redeemed themselves tonight.

 

[skatfan]

USA Gym CEO did a nice job in her interview with Andrea Joyce. She was a bit tight-lipped about what changes and steps forward the org will be making but this probably wasn't the best forum for that. I would hope that USAG will be transparent and communicate their plans in the near future.

Don’t count on much. The CEO did a minimally better job but it’s a low bar. Actions will speak louder than words.

 

[dramagrrl]

Thank you. I wonder what this means for her chances of making the world team

If she is back on form at selection camp, I don't think it'll make a difference. She had one of the best competitive seasons pre-Nationals of any of the women (aside from Simone, obviously) and was in the top three prior to her withdrawal even though she was obviously exhausted and not at her best.

 

[bardtoob]

I will admit to when Terry called Tom Forster the “new Marta”. Geezz.......

He looked liked the old Marta, sitting next to Tatiana whoever ... Perskaia

 

[bardtoob]

Nadia the movie part 9

Nadia the movie part 9

youtu.be

? According these coaches bios, Teodora and Sorin are still together ... And I never thought anything about this movie was accurate.

https://www.makeitrightgymnastics.net/mir-coaches

 

[Choupette]

As fantastic as Biles is, to me, the one thing she is missing the most since she won a world medal on bars is one memorable floor choreography. I'm not expecting her to dance with the subtlety of the Soviets in the 80s, but I've never been able to stand a single floor choreography from her. I can't remember any and I don't want to remember any. I enjoy the tumbling but in between, I kind of don't want to see.

I can't help but to think of it every time her coach Cécile Canqueteau appears on screen. The French team from the mid-90s had the best dance of that decade, thanks to Adriana Pop's genius. Canqueteau herself looked fierce even though at first glance, I would have thought she was more of an introvert.

 

[dramagrrl]

I agree with @Choupette. Simone's FX choreo over the years has been generic at best and embarrassing at worst. (Seriously, I cringe every time she does one of those stupid "Oh!" with hand-over-mouth gestures in her routines. )

….Then again, Jade Carey's "choreo" on floor makes Simone look like a dancer from the Bolshoi.