Gymnastics #24 - The Road to Paris

[canbelto]

If we just got rid of wolf turns, gymnastics would look so much prettier. (And why are they called wolf turns anyway?)

Single wolf turns are not bad. Ludmila Tourischeva used to do them. The issue is most girls nowadays want to do triple wolf turns and that's what leads to the arm flailing and hunched shoulders.

Skye and Vladislava Urazova are one of the few that make them look not fugly. Like I love Suni but her wolf turns always look like she's constipated.

 

[peibeck]

Just watched the first night of the men's event and I have zero clue how they will pick a team. Talk about these guys being wildly inconsistent across a multitude of events. I can't abide Malone (once he opens his mouth), but he obviously deserves the lead for putting together the best string of six events on Friday.

The women, except Biles, also seemed to have at least one of their four routines with some weird issue too. I kind of felt like Jade was everyone's favorite punching bag going into Tokyo, but who redeemed herself with strong results there. But I found her really sloppy last night and a bit overscored, especially on uneven bars.

 

[ilovesalchows]

Let us not forget the ultimate big meet choke, Jade in vault finals in Tokyo.

 

[Coco]

If ever any gymnasts deserved mulligans or just for misses to not be held against them, it would be every US woman who had a miss in Tokyo. The coaches and national training staff did them a massive disservice sending them into a meet where they barely had a prayer of breaking 8.0 E scores outside of vault, and in one case, getting a CR. That plus Simone's withdrawal was A LOT to process.

 

[Karen-W]

Let us not forget the ultimate big meet choke, Jade in vault finals in Tokyo.

She got her redemption in FX so all has been forgiven.

 

[her grace]

If we just got rid of wolf turns, gymnastics would look so much prettier. (And why are they called wolf turns anyway?)

The shape of the turn is in the same/similar position as the wolf jump in gymnastics.

 

[Karen-W]

If ever any gymnasts deserved mulligans or just for misses to not be held against them, it would be every US woman who had a miss in Tokyo. The coaches and national training staff did them a massive disservice sending them into a meet where they barely had a prayer of breaking 8.0 E scores outside of vault, and in one case, getting a CR. That plus Simone's withdrawal was A LOT to process.

The whole composition of the Tokyo team with only 4 on the team itself plus the 2 individual qualifiers was just such a cluster imposed upon everyone by FIG and was only compounded by Tom Forster and the selection committee basically relying on Simone to carry them to gold.

 

[kwanfan1818]

I haven't been paying detailed attention to gymnastics for years -- Caslavska and Tourischeva are still my favorites -- but it's been fun watching now and liking or not liking gymnasts based based on the way they move and their sense of rhythm, even without music, mostly without caring who is on the team* or what they score or how they ultimately rank.

*I really love watching Shilese Jones, and I hope they accept her petition, things not being guaranteed until they are finalized.

 

[canbelto]

Also, the domestic judges did no favors in 2021. Jordan, Grace and Jade all got dinged for form breaks in beam and bars and they weren't dinged domestically.

 

[Carolla5501]

Let us not forget the ultimate big meet choke, Jade in vault finals in Tokyo.

I’m not sure you can call tripping a choke and since the next day she went on to win a gold medal I’m giving her the benefit of the doubt.

 

[museksk8r]

Let us not forget the ultimate big meet choke, Jade in vault finals in Tokyo.

Let us also not forget that she is only second to Biles as the most internationally decorated woman the US currently has.

 

[museksk8r]

I haven't been paying detailed attention to gymnastics for years -- Caslavska and Tourischeva are still my favorites -- but it's been fun watching now and liking or not liking gymnasts based based on the way they move and their sense of rhythm, even without music, mostly without caring who is on the team* or what they score or how they ultimately rank.

*I really love watching Shilese Jones, and I hope they accept her petition, things not being guaranteed until they are finalized.

I would be totally shocked if Shilese’s petition is denied since she has been an all around world medalist (silver in ‘22 and bronze in ‘23) as well as bars world medalist (‘22 silver and ‘23 bronze) the last 2 consecutive seasons. As long as she can prove her readiness, they would be absolutely insane to reject her!

 

[canbelto]

Shilese has a torn labrum. In the NBA that's a season-ending injury.

 

[kwanfan1818]

As long as she can prove her readiness, they would be absolutely insane to reject her!

Do they check readiness before granting a petition for a competition that's a month away? Or do they grant it now/soon? (I have no idea.)

 

[Carolla5501]

Do they check readiness before granting a petition for a competition that's a month away? Or do they grant it now/soon? (I have no idea.)

So when this first came up, I found the conditions for petitioning to trials. She would seem to meet the criteria to petition, and they would probably be granting it from the way I read it at the conclusion of the event. It said you have to turn in your petition before the conclusion of nationals to be considered to go to trials.


, but if it’s a torn labrum, I would assume they would have to have some assurances before they put her on the team. I don’t think you can petition to the team. Didn’t she get knocked out by injury last time?

 

[Coco]

There must be a second injury, as labrum tears don't typically hurt, unless there are additional cartilage tears and bones are touching. They just cause a lot of instability in the joint which puts stress on everything.

Three years ago, Shilese was undone by bad decisions by her coaches, really poor routine composition and was basically shutout by the National Coordinator. Adding to her difficulties, her dad was dying during the summer of 2021.

 

[Carolla5501]

Do we have source for this report of the torn labrum?

There must be a second injury, as labrum tears don't typically hurt, unless there are additional cartilage tears and bones are touching. They just cause a lot of instability in the joint which puts stress on everything.

Three years ago, Shilese was undone by bad decisions by her coaches, really poor routine composition and was basically shutout by the National Coordinator. Adding to her difficulties, her dad was dying during the summer of 2021.

Of course, the truth is, it might have been discovered because compensating for it was causing the pain.


I’m watching the YouTube replay because they show so many more gymnast. Wish I’d gone, but it just wasn’t in the cards this year.

 

[Karen-W]

Oh, goodness, I do hope the reports of it being a torn labrum aren't true. That would be just terrible if true - and probably keep her out of Trials and off the team.

ETA - it sounds like she tore it back in 2022 and has been managing through the injury - it flared up at Core Hydration Classic. So, old injury and something she's been attempting to push through until after the Olympics.

Gymnast Shilese Jones withdraws from US championships with shoulder injury

Shilese Jones, an all-around medalist at last two world championships, will miss nationals with a shoulder injury and petition to the Olympic trials.

sports.yahoo.com

 

[ilovesalchows]

That was not nice of me to bring up Jade’s vault incident. However, I was just pointing out that all the comments about Skye not delivering on a world stage are in the same vein.

The point is likely moot, as they will choose whichever 5 are hitting at trials.

 

[Theatregirl1122]

I think that Shilese probably pulled out with some under the table understanding that her petition would be accepted. I think there’s no way it isn’t.

The commentators said she pulled out to be cautious but she would have been able to compete if it was trials or olys. I don’t think she would have done that if she thought she might not get a shot.

 

[Karen-W]

Okay, so we're here for the Men tonight!

 

[ilovesalchows]

Juda big vault score

 

[canbelto]

Do we have source for this report of the torn labrum?

She's very open about it:

Gymnast Shilese Jones withdraws from US championships with shoulder injury

Shilese Jones, an all-around medalist at last two world championships, will miss nationals with a shoulder injury and petition to the Olympic trials.

www.usatoday.com

 

[Karen-W]

Another rough FX for Asher Hong. Good rings for Shane Wiskus. Great vault for Fred Richard!

 

[ilovepaydays]

Sending good thoughts to Asher Hong. He REALLY needs a good competition tonight.

SIGH……Hong’s floor wasn’t a good start.

 

[canbelto]

Brody Malone is like a yearbook kind of handsome, to quote Holden Caulfield.

 

[Karen-W]

Brody Malone is like a yearbook kind of handsome, to quote Holden Caulfield.

He really is. He gives off strong "hot jock frat guy" vibes - somewhere like Vanderbilt or Duke.

 

[canbelto]

Yul has such lovely forms

 

[Rukia]

y'all really will be impressed by any basic white dude

Yul has improved his high bar so much this year

 

[ilovesalchows]

Yul is just so elegant. Two HB hits, huge for him!