Gymnastic news #22 - Tokyo or bust

[clairecloutier]

Interesting article on Annia Hatch, Cuban --> American gymnast who won silver on vault at 2004 Olympics:
https://ph.news.yahoo.com/how-to-raise-an-olympian-annia-hatch-212717934.html

Thanks for this article! Hatch was my favorite from the 2004 Athens team--always enjoyed watching her. It's interesting to learn more about her past and experiences in Cuba.

 

[millyskate]

@floskate Absolutely. There’s an interview of Laurent by Nick Ruddock on YouTube and it has red flags all over for me.

 

[FiveRinger]

@floskate Absolutely. There’s an interview of Laurent by Nick Ruddock on YouTube and it has red flags all over for me.

Do you have a link? I'd love to see it

 

[millyskate]

It’s here:

EP001 | Nick Ruddock & Laurent Landi | RAISE YOUR STANDARDS

Laurent Landi is the current coach to US Gymnastics sensation Simone Biles, and former coach to Olympic Gold Medalist Madison Kocian. In this interview, Laur...

m.youtube.com

 

[skatfan]

It’s here:

EP001 | Nick Ruddock & Laurent Landi | RAISE YOUR STANDARDS

Laurent Landi is the current coach to US Gymnastics sensation Simone Biles, and former coach to Olympic Gold Medalist Madison Kocian. In this interview, Laur...

m.youtube.com

It drives me nuts that Laurent is "the coach" when he coaches with his wife, Cecile, who was the Olympian, not him.

 

[Coco]

Early on, when Simone was starting her come back she did an interview where she was talking about her first day on the equipment or something like that and Laurent was having her do vaults that she didn't feel ready to do, and she was quoting him as saying in response to her telling him she wasn't ready as saying, "we're doing them." And it was just so weird because this interview was being done at the same time she was talking about the abuse and the toxic culture in the past. I just thought this doesn't sound very different.

Obviously there is a difference, but it still sounds like a gymnast being pushed to do things they don't feel ready for.

I know Miss Val from UCLA is not perfect, but she talks a lot about not motivating the gymnast through fear. She says all the former elites and a lot of gymnasts that end up at UCLA they have no confidence because fear was the only thing that got them to do some of their bigger skills. So her challenge was always showing them they were physically capable and getting them comfortable enough so that they could do them without fear as a motivator.

 

[honey]

Gymcastic reporting that there was a “false positive” today, with a subsequent negative test. Speculation is that it was Jordan as she was apparently absent at training today.

https://twitter.com/gymcastic/status/1416470725246939136?s=21

This is going to be such a roller coaster for every athlete.

 

[skatfan]

Portland T V News story on Mama Chiles. Includes a victim's perspective:

Olympian Jordan Chiles’ mother to enter federal prison

The same day Jordan Chiles is expected to compete for Olympic team gold, Gina Chiles is supposed to report to federal prison.

www.koin.com

 

[FiveRinger]

Oksana Chusovitina Flag Bearer for Uzbekistan
They couldn't have made a better choice!

 

[FiveRinger]

Nadia....45 Years Later

This was in my Twitter feed

 

[Doggygirl]

Spent some time this weekend watching the Simone Facebook Watch series and also the most recent episode of Golden. I know we all react to what we see based on some combo of our own experiences and beliefs. So take my reactions with a huge grain of salt from one who was raised in sport by a rabid stage mom:

Simone: I wasn’t enthusiastic about even watching this series, not because of Simone herself, but because I feel over-saturated with the media gushing over Simone. But I’m glad I watched this. I especially gained a ton of respect for Simone’s parents and the way they seem to have supported Simone’s dream rather than pushing Simone to achieve theirs.

Konnor: All the negative red flags over her stage parents. I am so sad for her and hope she doesn’t fall into the dark pit they are setting up for her as she continues moving through her teen years. The mother discussions around abuse and the coach choice were beyond frightening to me.

Skinner‘s mom: I’ll pay her to put down the eye shadow! She also gives me a stage mom creep factor but it seems Mykayla has survived that…. (I am in the minority here - I like Mykayla and hope she kicks ass in Tokyo)

 

[mjb52]

I watched a video with Simone from a series on "debunking myths about..." for gymnastics. She just seems like a very down-to-earth person, for having achieved so much at such a young age.

 

[BittyBug]

I absolutely Simone. She is so unassuming for someone so accomplished. The part about not having enough food to eat as a child though.

Konnor McClain definitely has the "it" factor and I hope she can overcome her nerves.

 

[Hedwig]

Member of US gymnastics team tests positive

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/olympics/member-u-s-women-s-gymnastics-team-tests-positive-covid-n1274334

www.fsuniverse.net

Apparently it is an alternate

 

[skatfan]

Al Fong says it is Kara Eaker who has been vaccinated.

 

[floskate]

Wong also isolating as they were roommates and of course there is considerable confusion over the vaccine status of Wong. This is really very worrying.

 

[OlieRow]

Why why why would USAG name extra alternates (a replacement team) because of COVID but then not have the 2 groups separate from each other?!

Wong also isolating as they were roommates and of course there is considerable confusion over the vaccine status of Wong. This is really very worrying.

Oh there's no confusion! She's was pretty clear her scientist parents didn't want her vaccinated. If she's rooming with Eaker who is now positive and she's unvaccinated, does that rule her out? While her vaccinated teammates are still ok to continue? I hope she and her family don't regret their choice. I seriously hope that this doesn't jeopardize the Olympics for her teammates.

 

[Doggygirl]

Vogue Magazine tweeted that the whole US WAG team is in isolation!!??!! https://twitter.com/voguemagazine/status/1417142212182384642

 

[VGThuy]

Vogue Magazine tweeted that the whole US WAG team is in isolation!!??!! https://twitter.com/voguemagazine/status/1417142212182384642

The article the tweet links to doesn’t say the whole team is isolated, just the two alternates as previously reported. So I don’t know what’s right.

 

[Aceon6]

As I read this, I’m reminded of the official info from the first wave when it was estimated that 10-20 people would have the crud for everyone confirmed to have it via testing. With the Os testing everyone multiple times, I don‘t see this as unexpected.

 

[Doggygirl]

The article the tweet links to doesn’t say the whole team is isolated, just the two alternates as previously reported. So I don’t know what’s right.

I hope it's just the two... (well, wish it were none but you know what I mean!)

 

[danafan]

I really don't trust main stream media reporting of gymnastics. Already for these Olympics there was an article with a headline that read: "Russia's Dalaloyan out of gymnastics event with injury" - but the article itself indicated he was just out of AA contention as he can't do 6 events after his injury. I saw a headline on twitter saying "Japan's Kohei Uchimura looks to defend Olympic men's all around gymnastics gold on home soil" even though he's only competing high bar.

 

[skatfan]

Vogue Magazine tweeted that the whole US WAG team is in isolation!!??!! https://twitter.com/voguemagazine/status/1417142212182384642

I was briefly fooled until I read the article. Not true (yet?)

 

[Doggygirl]

I was briefly fooled until I read the article. Not true (yet?)

I wonder. I'm hoping somebody at Vogue just over-reached.

 

[Doggygirl]

This USA Today article seems to debunk the Vogue comments. Article is linked in the tweet. https://twitter.com/GymCastic/status/1417469908368166912

 

[Hedwig]

In this article it says that the whole team was vaccinated. That would make an infection from Kara to the rest more unlikely. Probably she already has a low virus load because of her vaccination status and the rest is more secure against catching it.
it can still happen, of course, but much better chances than if they were all not vaccinated.

would there be a chance to send an alternate team if they get traced out before Sunday? Or do the athletes have to be there before a certain day for protocol reasons? Otherwise the US is strong enough to field a second team, I am sure.

 

[Aaron MB Fan]

In this article it says that the whole team was vaccinated. That would make an infection from Kara to the rest more unlikely. Probably she already has a low ***** load because of her vaccination status and the rest is more secure against catching it.
it can still happen, of course, but much better chances than if they were all not vaccinated.

would there be a chance to send an alternate team if they get traced out before Sunday? Or do the athletes have to be there before a certain day for protocol reasons? Otherwise the US is strong enough to field a second team, I am sure.

I believe it is unfortunately too late to send out an alternate team not already now in Japan. I had asked a similar question to a friend of mine in Tokyo about if we could send other non-traveling alternates still and he said the deadline has passed

 

[ilovepaydays]

Latest episode of All Around is now out

So…..they showed clips Morgan at the U.S. Classic & Nationals and then just that aftermath of her and Slava’s emotions.

Dang, that was a lot of elbow surgeries for Morgan.

On another note, Novosibirsk looks like a very pretty city in Russia. Among what’s on my travel “bucket list”, I want to take a trip and explore Russia, especially outside Moscow & St. Petersburg. I guess from looking at a map, it would have to be two trips now.

So…..Chen Yile didn’t make it to the Olympic team?

 

[FiveRinger]

Quick question: I just looked at the schedule for the Women's Event Finals. Is there a reason they took them out of Olympic order? Why are the women doing the floor final before the beam final? That's curious.

 

[Coco]

It's the same order that was used in Beijing. No one understands why, though.