Gymnastic news #22 - Tokyo or bust

[starrynight]

Well I am not an athlete but I get it. It’s criminal and it is horrible.

I just remember reading so much on here years back about the Karolyis being idolised and why couldn't USA figure skating have a ranch and take inspiration from them.

And the way that some fans of Tutberidze I think really take pleasure in the way the girls are disciplined. Just watch the way that some of those people reject any of the Russian girls the moment they show any independence and stop being little obedient dolls.

I think there's a certain type of fan of sports like gymnastics and figure skating that have a big appetite for tough training and obedience in girls. It's weird.

And I just hate the gender imbalance in skating. The whole womens program is built around a machine of discipline and obedience and short careers ... and then men is a completely different story of Nathan Chen with his skate board and university and Yuzuru the ninja with a really long career.

 

[barbk]

British Gymnastics faces group-claim lawsuit from 17 alleging abuse

Jennifer Pinches, who competed for Team GB at the 2012 Olympics, is spearheading the action and said ‘British Gymnastics prioritise podiums over people’

www.theguardian.com

On Wednesday the sport’s governing body received a letter before action detailing claims of young gymnasts – three of whom competed for Team GB - being punched, kicked, slapped or held by the ears by coaches as an “act of humiliation” when they did not perform moves correctly.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/feb/25/john-geddert-death-usa-gymnastics-twistars
The letter also alleges that there was a “culture of bodyshaming” perpetuated by British Gymnastics, with teenage gymnasts required to “starve themselves” to hit target weights and being given “punishment conditioning” or having to wear a “fat suit” if they failed to do so.

Fat suits? punishment conditioning? WTH is wrong with people?

 

[ilovepaydays]

Watching the men’s Winter Cup on NBCSN. I’m either seeing promise (Bock, Moldauer, Loos, Juda), BLAH, or people that are just done (Whittenburg, Kimble).

Honestly, the U.S. men should just pick Mikulak (assuming he’s ok), Moldauer, Bock, Loos, Bower (or Wiskus), and Juda and just have them fight for the team event spots. And really just focus on making as many event finals as possible - cause the team medal likely ain’t happening, anyway.

 

[Judy]

I just remember reading so much on here years back about the Karolyis being idolised and why couldn't USA figure skating have a ranch and take inspiration from them.

And the way that some fans of Tutberidze I think really take pleasure in the way the girls are disciplined. Just watch the way that some of those people reject any of the Russian girls the moment they show any independence and stop being little obedient dolls.

I think there's a certain type of fan of sports like gymnastics and figure skating that have a big appetite for tough training and obedience in girls. It's weird.

And I just hate the gender imbalance in skating. The whole womens program is built around a machine of discipline and obedience and short careers ... and then men is a completely different story of Nathan Chen with his skate board and university and Yuzuru the ninja with a really long career.

I never liked Bela Károlyi but I was a casual viewer at best. The young ages bothered me too.

 

[annie720]

Watching the men’s Winter Cup on NBCSN. I’m either seeing promise (Bock, Moldauer, Loos, Juda), BLAH, or people that are just done (Whittenburg, Kimble).

Honestly, the U.S. men should just pick Mikulak (assuming he’s ok), Moldauer, Bock, Loos, Bower (or Wiskus), and Juda and just have them fight for the team event spots. And really just focus on making as many event finals as possible - cause the team medal likely ain’t happening, anyway.

Agree it was rather sad, and it was also sad to hear the stories about difficulties in finding places to train. That and the lack of competition opportunities have really hurt. I would have liked to have seen Sam. Meanwhile congrats to Bock!

 

[mattiecat13]

Watching the men’s Winter Cup on NBCSN. I’m either seeing promise (Bock, Moldauer, Loos, Juda), BLAH, or people that are just done (Whittenburg, Kimble).

Honestly, the U.S. men should just pick Mikulak (assuming he’s ok), Moldauer, Bock, Loos, Bower (or Wiskus), and Juda and just have them fight for the team event spots. And really just focus on making as many event finals as possible - cause the team medal likely ain’t happening, anyway.

Leave Sam home. He’s been to two Olympics and how many World championships and has rarely performed up to his capabilities. Give one of the younger guys a chance to get Olympic experience for the next quadrennial.

 

[ilovepaydays]

Leave Sam home. He’s been to two Olympics and how many World championships and has rarely performed up to his capabilities. Give one of the younger guys a chance to get Olympic experience for the next quadrennial.

I think it would have helped Sam to have done at least a few events here last night. But I think he’s been injured?

It wouldn’t bother me if Sam didn’t make the team and we have Bower and Wiskus (with who I already said above). Make this a build up to 2024.
———————

Watching the women’s competition - I’m really impressed with Riley and Jade so far.

 

[nickp]

The end to Kratzer's floor routine is cool!

 

[Aceon6]

Everyone so far has looked healthy and fit. What a joy!

 

[ilovepaydays]

Everyone so far has looked healthy and fit. What a joy!

I know. It’s amazing how good your gymnastics gets when you’re no longer coached by someone that drove you to getting rhabdo.

WAIT. Kim Zmeskal is coaching here? I thought she was suspended? But Tim Daggett keeps flattering about her and I guess all is cool.

 

[Debbie S]

WAIT. Kim Zmeskal is coaching here? I thought she was suspended? But Tim Daggett keeps flattering about her and I guess all is cool.

Yeah, that was .

I know Jade has qualified for the Olys individually, so won't be part of the 4-person team event. But is she the 5th person that USAG will name or is she in addition? So there will be 6 U.S. gymnasts in Tokyo?

 

[Rukia]

Jordan Chiles has really impressed me today wow. I think switching to WCC has been phenomenal for her.

 

[danafan]

Yeah, that was .

I know Jade has qualified for the Olys individually, so won't be part of the 4-person team event. But is she the 5th person that USAG will name or is she in addition? So there will be 6 U.S. gymnasts in Tokyo?

There should be 6. Carey has clinched a nominative spot (via the World Cup Apparatus series but it's not official yet). The World Cup AA series was cancelled so the spots were allocated based on team ranking, so the USA has been confirmed that spot. So 6 spots.

 

[Karina1974]

Anyone notice they never showed any standings for the women? Who actually won the competition???

 

[annie720]

Anyone notice they never showed any standings for the women? Who actually won the competition???

Chiles

 

[danafan]

The competition isn't actually over. Some of the seniors are competing with the juniors tomorrow so the standings are not final.

 

[Aceon6]

WAIT. Kim Zmeskal is coaching here? I thought she was suspended? But Tim Daggett keeps flattering about her and I guess all is cool.

I think she took everything to heart and updated her methods. She was the youngest of the “old school” coaches, so might have been most open to change and to listening to her athletes. She did take the Positive Coaching Alliance classes, so yes, all might be good now if not forgotten.

 

[centerstage01]

I’m so happy to see so many women of color competing in Winter Cup. The future is very bright.

 

[Erin]

I think it would have helped Sam to have done at least a few events here last night. But I think he’s been injured?

I heard Sam being out had something to do with his fiancé having CV19. I thought that was a while ago, but maybe the lost training time while he was in quarantine put him too far behind. ETA - from his twitter, it looks like she got sick in mid-December and he was quarantined through the middle of January. He says on Jan 24 that it was his first week back at USOPTC.

WAIT. Kim Zmeskal is coaching here? I thought she was suspended? But Tim Daggett keeps flattering about her and I guess all is cool.

Kim has never been suspended - I think the most that has happened was that USAG opened an investigation of her based on the social media posts in the summer. Based on the timeline of other investigations, we might see some consequences four years from now?

Emma would have been better off sticking to the original plan to go to UCLA this year.

 

[snoopyskater]

I’m so happy to see so many women of color competing in Winter Cup. The future is very bright.

I agree. Was it just me or was the whole World Champions Center of color? Very cute.

 

[canbelto]

I just remember reading so much on here years back about the Karolyis being idolised and why couldn't USA figure skating have a ranch and take inspiration from them.

And the way that some fans of Tutberidze I think really take pleasure in the way the girls are disciplined. Just watch the way that some of those people reject any of the Russian girls the moment they show any independence and stop being little obedient dolls.

I think there's a certain type of fan of sports like gymnastics and figure skating that have a big appetite for tough training and obedience in girls. It's weird.

And I just hate the gender imbalance in skating. The whole womens program is built around a machine of discipline and obedience and short careers ... and then men is a completely different story of Nathan Chen with his skate board and university and Yuzuru the ninja with a really long career.

I agree. I'm always astonished at how many people on YT comment under all those videos of Eteri berating girls in practice how much they love her coaching. And how the girls crying mean they're "bratty." There was a similar thing with Marta -- the reporters would always say "Marta hates criers" as if that were something to admire. I don't get it at all.

 

[tony]

I agree. I'm always astonished at how many people on YT comment under all those videos of Eteri berating girls in practice how much they love her coaching. And how the girls crying mean they're "bratty." There was a similar thing with Marta -- the reporters would always say "Marta hates criers" as if that were something to admire. I don't get it at all.

(Quoting you but not directly at you completely) Can anyone link to all of these instances of Eteri that have caused the framework that is constantly spewed all over FSU? I know this isn't the thread, but since she found her way into yet another discussion, I guess why not at this point..

Not all coaching methods work for everyone. Being too lenient and/or too relaxed doesn't work for some people in all facets of life, far beyond the skating rink. Being stern and serious and direct is sometimes the motivation that people need. Plushenko pulled two of Eteri's top skaters away from her, and almost all of them that have retired or left have said complimentary things about her. Half of this board was mind-reading the Medvedeva move and she ended up back with Eteri. Skaters that are now adults by any definition you want to pull are either working with Eteri in some capacity, returning to her, or even speaking about how she made them strong.

With, to my knowledge, zero proof of any wrong-doing, I just don't get it. I get that other instances in sports have made people try to be more aware, but the assumptions seem to be all over the place- yet no one likes when I point it out or ask for some substance behind any of it.

Regarding nutrition - athletes are typically on very healthy and what many of you would call strict diets, but they aren't lacking essentials. This doesn't mean they are starving, it just means they are being conscious of what they eat. And frankly, if some of you want the 'adults' babying and making all the decisions in everything else for the young athletes, then I don't see why the nutrition component of it shouldn't be included.

 

[canbelto]

This video made me cringe:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZNz_sjH-DQ

 

[HeatherC]

Jordan Chiles looked fantastic! I was fangirling her for the entire competition and it was SO nice to see how happy most of these girls looked while they were competing today. They looked serious when they had to be but overall I felt like they were healthier and happier which made my heart happy. I thought Riley looked great too (I think her beam errors were a total fluke from not having competed in a while), Konner McClain looked so CALM for this being her first ever senior competition, Jade looked so much better on bars and beam, and I LOVED seeing Laurie back competing again (her FX is gonna be so much fun once she gets more mileage and a last tumbling run in it). Overall I thought it was a pretty great competition and I think US Classic and US Nats are gonna be crazy with trying to narrow all this talent down to a four person team (and the two extra athletes).

 

[Aceon6]

After seeing this, they could charge $$$ for US Classic and I’d pay to stream it. I love watching happy and determined athletes. I don’t know if it’s the Simone effect or not, but all of the returning seniors looked like they want to be there. And CarCusker are a hoot!

 

[Doggygirl]

Does anyone know if the Winter Cup is available On-Demand anywhere? My DVR is acting up....

I've seen a lot of the individual performances on Youtube, but I'm wondering about a recording of the whole event... with or without commentary. Thanks in advance if anyone knows of a source!

 

[Aceon6]

Does anyone know if the Winter Cup is available On-Demand anywhere? My DVR is acting up....

I've seen a lot of the individual performances on Youtube, but I'm wondering about a recording of the whole event... with or without commentary. Thanks in advance if anyone knows of a source!

NBCSports.com has it.

 

[HeatherC]

They've also been reairing the Winter Cup (both the ladies and men's competitions) along with the Nastia Luikin Cup on The Olympic Channel this weekend so I would check their schedule as well if you have that channel.

 

[Doggygirl]

NBCSports.com has it.

Thanks!

 

[Doggygirl]

They've also been reairing the Winter Cup (both the ladies and men's competitions) along with the Nastia Luikin Cup on The Olympic Channel this weekend so I would check their schedule as well if you have that channel.

Thanks! I'll take a look and see if I can catch it when it re-airs. Da*# DVR!