Gymnastics News #21 - Tumbling on to Tokyo

[SpeedySucks]

I must have fast forwarded past that point. God, Al is phoning it in even more than ever. I'm not sure why NBC insists on keeping him in this position. Viewers hate him, he clearly hates it too.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zMw3VV8gtKM

He did the same thing at 2015 Nationals and the look on Nastia's face was priceless. After that broadcast ended, they left the mic on, and Nastia wrote her name on a notecard in capital letters, gave it to Al, and said "IT'S NASTIA!" Clearly she hates him too.

 

[rhapsody]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zMw3VV8gtKM

He did the same thing at 2015 Nationals and the look on Nastia's face was priceless. After that broadcast ended, they left the mic on, and Nastia wrote her name on a notecard in capital letters, gave it to Al, and said "IT'S NASTIA!" Clearly she hates him too.

He also forgot Tim's name during another broadcast... may have been the 2016 American Cup.

 

[ilovepaydays]

I DVR'd the men's competition from last night - watched it this evening.

I understand that Whittenburg is focusing on his strengths, but I think he is a tad too uncomfortable to watch on vault.

I think Sam Mikulak is done - I don't think he is great enough on particular events and he hasn't proven himself as a consistent AAer like I think Yul Moldauer Akash Modi will.

I'm not sure that being an event specialist will work unless you are great on 3 events.

 

[Willin]

@ilovepaydays
I agree about Sam Mikulak. As much as I love the older gymnasts (Whittenburg, Mikulak, etc.), I feel like what I'm seeing of the younger gymnasts is just so much more promising. Also, the older men just haven't been that consistent, so I think the group choosing the team will find it better to build up a new men's team as opposed to giving the benefit of the doubt to the old favorites.

 

[ilovepaydays]

Whittenburg on high bar

I love Modi's Stanford Engineering kit.

I thought Marvin Kimble had such promise. Al and Tim made his departure from the OTC sound like a clusterfcuk.

 

[Erin]

The thing about Mikulak for this year at least is that the US can send 6 athletes total but only 3 on each event. The US is really weak on high bar this year - Mikulak came second last night even with the .5 deduction for the extra mat. So I can definitely see him being selected to the world team this year just for high bar because the format leaves an open spot and I just don't know who else would be put up on high bar. Next year with a different format he might be less useful although the US might still be looking to fill a team final hole on high bar but they would need Sam to be able to do more than just high bar to justify putting him on a team.

And this ends my short time pretending I know something about men's gymnastics.

 

[SpeedySucks]

I think Sam will continue to stay relevant for the next few years due to high bar. The U.S. men as a whole are very weak there right now. Assuming Sam gets back to full strength on rings and p-bars, I don't think he'll have any trouble making the 2018 World team. He can easily be used on pommel horse, rings, p-bars, and high bar in the team final.

 

[FiveRinger]

I DVR'd the men's competition from last night - watched it this evening.

I understand that Whittenburg is focusing on his strengths, but I think he is a tad too uncomfortable to watch on vault.

I think Sam Mikulak is done - I don't think he is great enough on particular events and he hasn't proven himself as a consistent AAer like I think Yul Moldauer Akash Modi will.

I'm not sure that being an event specialist will work unless you are great on 3 events.

I watched part of the competition on YouTube this morning before coming to work tonight. Whittenburg would be a fabulous vaulter if he could learn to harness and control all of that power that he has. That has been a consistent problem for him in the past.

 

[honey]

Ashley Wagner and Adam Rippon in the stands watching tonight!

 

[tylersf]

Was it my imagination, but did the judges underscore Shchennikova and overscore Ragan Smith? It felt as if the judges wanted to punish Shchennikova for winning the US Classic last month.

 

[jeffisjeff]

All I know is that Shchennikova had really ugly feet on beam!

 

[Aceon6]

What's the US TV schedule for ladies? My DVR is messed up and I'm seeing everything labeled Day 2.

 

[Willin]

@Aceon6 They're going tomorrow evening. Everything is labeled "Day 2" because it's the second day of competition for the discipline. (The men tonight, the ladies tomorrow)

 

[Aceon6]

Thanks @Willin Crazy TiVo is showing all week as day 2

 

[FiveRinger]

@Aceon6, if your DVR gives you problems, you can catch both full days of competition on YouTube. USA Gymnastics has a channel with the entire competition.

 

[ilovepaydays]

Men's finals are on live right now on NBCSN.

Yul Moldauer has some Level 4 bangs. I'm giving him a +2.50 GOE. It's insane how easy Yul makes his tumbling on floor look, especially considering he isn't built to be the power gymnast that Whittenburg is.

If there was going to be a team competition at Worlds, I would definitely include someone like Allan Bower because he has been so clean and consistent so far. But I'm not sure if USGym will think he has a good chance as a AAer or event finalist this year.

Glad that Akash Modi improved on his pommel horse tonight.

 

[ilovepaydays]

My picks for the U.S. Men's World Team:

1) Moldauer - AA
2) Bower - AA
3) Mikulak - HB
4) Modi - PB
5) Naddour - PH
6) Either Whittenburg - Rings, Vault OR Penev - FX, Vault

 

[SpeedySucks]

My picks for the U.S. Men's World Team:

1) Moldauer - AA
2) Bower - AA
3) Mikulak - HB
4) Modi - PB
5) Naddour - PH
6) Either Whittenburg - Rings, Vault OR Penev - FX, Vault

I think they're only going to take one AAer, which sucks for Bower as I think he will end up as an alternate. Here's what I think they'll do:

Moldauer - AA
Mikulak - PH, HB
Naddour - PH, RG
Whittenburg - RG, VT, PB
Penev - FX, VT
Modi - PB, HB

Either Modi or Whittenburg would do FX as well.

If they do take Bower as an AAer, then I think Penev goes for FX, Naddour for PH, Whittenburg for RG, VT, PB, and Mikulak for HB.

 

[Erin]

I think they're only going to take one AAer, which sucks for Bower as I think he will end up as an alternate.

I think so too, as their #2 criteria is the ability to win individual medals and Bower doesn't have a standout event unfortunately, nor do I see him being an AA contender. Even in a team year, I have a hard time seeing what event you would put him up in for a team final, although I agree that his consistency is something the rest of the men could really learn from.

 

[SpeedySucks]

The men's World team has been announced:

Moldauer
Mikulak
Naddour
Whittenburg
Penev
Kimble

Alternates are Bower, Modi, and VanWicklen.

I'm a little surprised they took Kimble, but he did win HB and could also do PH or PB as well.

 

[just tuned in]

USA once again chooses proven f**k-ups. I cannot WAIT for Mikulak to go away.

 

[haribobo]

The world team is pretty well based on nationals honestly. After night one I had Colin and Akash on the team but they faded....

 

[ilovepaydays]

Ugh. I understand that Modi and Bower aren't likely to win any individual medals. But now is the time to learn how to handle high pressured international events.

The reason why the U.S. hasn't won a team Olympic medal since 2008 is because they choked in the final.

I really surprised they selected Kimble. Tim Daggett kinda made it sound like he was a hot mess when he had to leave the OTC.

 

[Willin]

I mean, I get the goal is to win individual medals, especially since there's no team competition, but I'd much rather see the future (including Modi & Bower) have a go this early in the next Olympic cycle. Either would have also worked as a second AA'er as well. I thought you could qualify two men to the AA final if they'd finished well enough, so I don't know why they didn't try? Not to mention, if Tim Daggett is correct, Bower is very consistent - something many of the US men on the team are lacking.

Agree that I was surprised they kept Kimble - the way Tim Daggett talked about him, it seemed like powerful people as USA Gymnastics didn't like him.

 

[tylersf]

The 2017 Worlds is going to be AA and Individual Medals, so they chose people who could medal rather than consistent AAs who could contribute to team scores.

Moldauer - If he stays healthy and keeps improving, he is the big hope for Tokyo.
Mikulak - He's had a great run for a long time having made both the 2012 and 2016 teams. Many of his former teammates have retired. Time will tell to see if he has a future for Tokyo.
Naddour - I admire his ambition to become the best Pommels worker in the world. I hope he makes it.
Whittenburg - He is sooo talented. I want to see him maximize it in the next quad.
Penev - He looks good in floor and vault right now. Hope he does well.
Kimble - He's done well in the past, he's had a bad year, but this is his big chance to prove himself.

I think the alternates are really the future of the men's team, they are being saved for Tokyo.

The men's World team has been announced:

Moldauer
Mikulak
Naddour
Whittenburg
Penev
Kimble

Alternates are Bower, Modi, and VanWicklen.

I'm a little surprised they took Kimble, but he did win HB and could also do PH or PB as well.

 

[rhapsody]

The single greatest thing to ever happen at a US Nationals: https://twitter.com/thegymterdotnet/status/899430275964338176



She accidentally Okino-ed her way to an effing silver medal over Riley.

 

[Erin]

I thought Trinity Thomas looked good across all events. Her DTY looked so easy I thought it was a full and had to go back and check multiple times and make sure it was really a double.

So I have to correct myself, I feel like an idiot that I was right the first time and it was a full. I just couldn't believe that an vaulter of this caliber was doing a full and those livestream podium training videos were so small that I convinced myself on multiple replays that it had to be a double. Too bad because if she had done a double, she could have easily beat Chiles and McCusker.

The single greatest thing to ever happen at a US Nationals: https://twitter.com/thegymterdotnet/status/899430275964338176



She accidentally Okino-ed her way to an effing silver medal over Riley.

That, on the other hand, is freaking awesome. I'm traveling in Europe and haven't watched anything else yet, but wow.

 

[Karina1974]

The single greatest thing to ever happen at a US Nationals: https://twitter.com/thegymterdotnet/status/899430275964338176



She accidentally Okino-ed her way to an effing silver medal over Riley.

That move is getting to be so overused.

 

[ilovepaydays]

That move is getting to be so overused.

Isn't the real problem with that move is that it's so ugly most of the time? Even when Simone Biles did it, I was like because it showcased how short her legs were.

I don't care if a move is overused if it's attractive to look at. I don't know what grade skill "the Okino" is considered now, but it got attention at the time because it was so hard and pretty.

 

[Aceon6]

To my mostly untrained eye, there was a lot of ugly gymnastics emphasizing start value over execution. The wolf turn needs to go and there needs to be a bigger deduction for cowboying on a dismount. I did like Trinity Thomas' lines and a good bit of what McCuskar and Smith are doing was worth watching. It will be very interesting to see what those 3 look like by this time next year.