Gymnastics #24 - The Road to Paris

[Carolla5501]

I have to admit that even for someone with no knowledge Jade's "dance" was kind of missing so it's probably pretty easy for the judges to "mark down" I don't feel like she's "selling" it to the judges. (And as Jason has taught us "selling it" gets you points )

 

[nickp]

After this weekend my Paris five: Simone Biles Kayla DiCello Shilese Jones Skye Blakely and Suni Lee

 

[Rob]

After this weekend my Paris five: Simone Biles Kayla DiCello Shilese Jones Skye Blakely and Suni Lee

Same. Jade really needs to show those FX upgrades to take Kayla’s spot.

 

[mattiecat13]

Jade appears to fill the gaps in that team but really needs to show significant upgrades at trials to separate herself from Jordan and Kayla.

Jade might add a few tenths of tumbling difficulty to her floor routine, but she is still losing a lot due to lack of expression. She barely moves on the dance stuff. Simone, Shilese, Skye, Suni, Kayla.

I can hardly bear to watch Jade sleepwalk through her routines. And I’m thinking she will get dinged on her lack of expression much more from international judges than USA judges.

 

[Flip Jump]

My brain refuses to entertain the possibility that Fuzzy Benas is the name of a person.

His given name is Aydon Benas.

The last question in this Q & A gives the story on the name Fuzzy.

Call it a Comeback - Oklahoma’s Fuzzy Benas is back, and better than ever

"When I couldn’t do gymnastics, I was thinking about how it felt, and how I could make everything better"

www.insidegymnastics.com

In summary, when his parents were getting a sonogram to see his gender before he was born, it was too fuzzy for the technician to see and then the name Fuzzy came to be.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

she has a chance to be the fifth member,

Hmmm I think she’s the solid fourth member

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Same. Jade really needs to show those FX upgrades to take Kayla’s spot.

Lol what are you talking about? Kayla once again showed her inconsistency which in my opinion is about 90% of the time. Kayla to me has about zero chance of making the team.

Jade will only be needed of course on vault and floor and that’s where she has her points. I can’t see where they’re going to put Kayla anywhere. If you’re gonna take a risk on someone I think should be on Skye even though is inconsistent internationally.

 

[Theatregirl1122]

His given name is Aydon Benas.

The last question in this Q & A gives the story on the name Fuzzy.

Call it a Comeback - Oklahoma’s Fuzzy Benas is back, and better than ever

"When I couldn’t do gymnastics, I was thinking about how it felt, and how I could make everything better"

www.insidegymnastics.com

In summary, when his parents were getting a sonogram to see his gender before he was born, it was too fuzzy for the technician to see and then the name Fuzzy came to be.

Ashley Wagner's predictions are finally coming true! The sonograms are competing!

 

[Carolla5501]

I could happily do without Sam's commentary at the Olympics. She is a non-stop talking jinx machine.

Jade might add a few tenths of tumbling difficulty to her floor routine, but she is still losing a lot due to lack of expression. She barely moves on the dance stuff. Simone, Shilese, Skye, Suni, Kayla.

Based on almost all their announcers I have concluded that NBC pays by the word

 

[just tuned in]

Based on almost all their announcers I have concluded that NBC pays by the word

I normally don't mute broadcasts, but for the women, I absolutely did. Sam was good when she first started in the booth, but has since lapsed into brainless chatter. Ugh.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

I normally don't mute broadcasts, but for the women, I absolutely did. Sam was good when she first started in the booth, but has since lapsed into brainless chatter. Ugh.

For some reason, Nastia was not given a contract when new Producer came in, and I quite enjoyed her. And Tim was cut back to only the men’s broadcast.

 

[Karen-W]

I'm really not understanding the rationale for taking both Kayla and Skye. I get that you want to have 4 gymnasts that can cover any empty holes should one of the main AAers (Simone & Shilese) go down but you get that with 1 of them plus a Suni/Jade combination. Qualifying is a 4 up/3 count scenario and while you certainly don't want to have to use a score from either Suni in VT/FX or Jade in BB/UB, it seems to me the bigger risk is in relying on both Kayla & Skye to handle the pressure and hit it when that kind of pressure is put on them should they be put in a position where their score is absolutely going to matter.

Skye did herself a lot of good this weekend and Kayla hurt herself (especially with that fall on the UB - Jade actually has a higher average score on UB due to that error from Kayla). I think, at this point, it's really on Jade to bring the upgrades to her FX that will push her score higher than what Kayla earned. What sort of upgrades can Kayla bring to either FX or VT that would keep her, as of now, marginally ahead of Jade overall?

 

[Rukia]

Jade is the one who's going to have to push the upgrades. I'm eh on Kayla right now and think she'll have to really bring it at trials to make the team. Jordan actually made a much better case for herself on night 2 with that floor and vault score, plus she has good bars and ok beam.

 

[canbelto]

I know this is a loaded topic but Skye has the kind of look and lines international judges favor. She reminds me of Gabby Douglas in that way, down to the inconsistency and awesome standing full on beam.

 

[Allskate]

I'm really not understanding the rationale for taking both Kayla and Skye. I get that you want to have 4 gymnasts that can cover any empty holes should one of the main AAers (Simone & Shilese) go down but you get that with 1 of them plus a Suni/Jade combination.

First, as I've already admitted, logic and data aren't necessarily the only driving factors for my choices at this point, especially since we haven't seen them at Olympic Trials yet. So, personal bias enters into it and I like both Skye and Kayla (and will feel really bad for Kayla if she once again just misses the team). There is talk about Jade and others uprgrading, but we have to see if they actually do it and do it successfully. We need to see how they're doing closer to the Olympics.

Second, Kayla was doing very well up until her seventh routine this weekend and it was her only real miss (though on a key event). In general, I thought she looked very good. So, I want to see what happens with her at trials.

Third, I do see the need for multiple AAers. We don't know what will happen with Simone. Even assuming she doesn't experience the twisties again, there's always a risk of injury early in the event. We just have to look to Worlds and realize that a very last- minute injury can happen. And what if Shilese aggravates her shoulder injury early in the event, too? IMO, these kinds of injuries are the biggest threat to the United States women not winning gold. I can see the argument for planning for that eventuality over trying to squeeze out another few tenths of a point from using specialists in addition to Suni (who still managed to finish pretty high in the overall standings this weekend). But, I may change my mind after Olympic trials and when we get more info.

 

[Allskate]

Nice opinion piece about Simone and Suni this weekend:

Simone Biles' greatest move had nothing to do with winning her ninth US title | Opinion

Simone Biles won her ninth US title, extending her own record. She also took time to lend a hand to Suni Lee.

www.yahoo.com

I like it when we see athletes supporting other athletes. I like seeing it skating, and I like seeing it gymnastics.

 

[Coco]

Kayla had a bit of a miss on both 7th (UB) and 8th (Beam) routines:

2024 Nationals Live Blog – Senior Women Day 2

Visit the post for more.

balancebeamsituation.com

DiCello – UB – stalder full to maloney to hindorff, too close and falls, couldn’t get her grips over – resumes with piked jaeger – Church, too close and has to add an extra swing – pak – van leeuwen – FTDT, stuck. Big advantage to Blakely now in the race for 2nd, and a big(ger) highest-scoring-team opening for Chiles if she can hit bars for 14.5 again in the next rotation. 12.600

DiCello – BB – hits wolf triple – bhs loso loso, large break, keeps it on, a couple leg up wobbles, nice save – switch to switch 1/2 to bhs, hit – aerial, leans into attempted connection to split straddle, a bit off on straddle – side aerial, hit – 2.5 dismount, lunge forward. Olympic team place to her for taking out that split full. We love to see it. But that big break ont he series will be an issue for the score.

Bars is arguably the most critical event for Kayla because there are several people who can bring in a big score on FX. Also, she had 2 misses on UB, the fall, then the extra swing. That's a killer for the 3 up 3 count format.

 

[Karen-W]

Jade is the one who's going to have to push the upgrades. I'm eh on Kayla right now and think she'll have to really bring it at trials to make the team. Jordan actually made a much better case for herself on night 2 with that floor and vault score, plus she has good bars and ok beam.

Yes and no. I do agree that she's a stronger AAer than Jade but there are very few scenarios where her VT or FX scores are going to be used except in qualifying.

I think there are a couple of competitions going on for the composition of the team.

1) Strong 3rd AAer - Skye, Kayla, Jordan
2) Strong BB/UB - Suni - Skye, Jordan and Kayla all have scores that can easily be used here should a 3rd strong score be needed and unless Suni upgrades that UB she's actually not the 3rd best on the team.
3) Strong VT/FX - Jade - Skye, Jordan and Kayla also have scores that can be used here should a 3rd strong score be needed and Jade needs upgrades, especially on FX to be among the top 3.

If at Trials both Suni and Jade finish top 3 in BB/UB and VT/FX respectively then I think both of them will be on the team and it's just a matter of taking the best AAer between Skye, Kayla & Jordan. If, on the other hand, either Suni or Jade falter then the math gets a bit trickier because you have to ask whether the benefit they bring on their strongest event outweighs the benefit of having a 4th AAer (which would mean taking two of Skye, Kayla or Jordan) and then figuring out which one of those is the best fit. The points Jordan brings to the table in any of those scenarios don't really boost the team's overall score, so I actually think she's the least likely choice at this time. Trials could change all that though.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

at Trials both Suni and Jade finish top 3 in BB/UB and VT/FX respectively then I think both of them will be on the team and it's just a matter of taking the best AAer between Skye, Kayla & Jordan.

That’s my opinion as well

 

[Allskate]

Yes and no. I do agree that she's a stronger AAer than Jade but there are very few scenarios where her VT or FX scores are going to be used except in qualifying.

If, on the other hand, either Suni or Jade falter then the math gets a bit trickier because you have to ask whether the benefit they bring on their strongest event outweighs the benefit of having a 4th AAer (which would mean taking two of Skye, Kayla or Jordan) and then figuring out which one of those is the best fit.

I think the upgrades (and doing them well) are important for Jade. That's because it affects the calculation when determining, as you say, whether the benefit she brings on her strongest events outweighs the benefit of having a 4th AAer. IMO, it's important for Suni, too, but not quite as important if she continues to have higher AA scores than Jade. It may be that the selection committee goes with one specialist. I do see the argument for having a Jade/Suni combination and I won't think it's necessarily wrong depending on what happens at trials and other info. I just can also see there being a valid argument for potentially not including both of them.

 

[Karen-W]

I think the upgrades (and doing them well) are important for Jade. That's because it affects the calculation when determining, as you say, whether the benefit she brings on her strongest events outweighs the benefit of having a 4th AAer. IMO, it's important for Suni, too, but not quite as important if she continues to have higher AA scores than Jade. It may be that the selection committee goes with one specialist.

Yes, I agree with this. Suni's place is a little more secure than Jade simply because she does have higher AA scores but unless something happens during qualifying her scores in VT & FX aren't going to be used. We saw what happened in 2021 when you took a bunch of decent AAers + Simone & Suni - we wound up with silver because while they were all decent AAers none of them gave the team a big enough bump in any one or two events to overcome the deficit once Simone was out.

 

[Rukia]

Yes and no. I do agree that she's a stronger AAer than Jade but there are very few scenarios where her VT or FX scores are going to be used except in qualifying.

I'm just saying that Jade is much more dependent on upgrades. They already know Jordan's layout.

lol the only people I'm 100% on are Shi and Simone (provided Shi isn't trying to hide a much worse injury than it seems) the rest is me just spitballing based 25% on numbers and 75% on vibes

 

[museksk8r]

Yes, I agree with this. Suni's place is a little more secure than Jade simply because she does have higher AA scores but unless something happens during qualifying her scores in VT & FX aren't going to be used. We saw what happened in 2021 when you took a bunch of decent AAers + Simone & Suni - we wound up with silver because while they were all decent AAers none of them gave the team a big enough bump in any one or two events to overcome the deficit once Simone was out.

I still recall how much of a boss Jade was at the last Olympics during qualification. The most publicly maligned gymnast, a la Aly Raisman, goes first time out in Olympic competition and has the mental fortitude to qualify as the 3rd best American behind Biles and Lee and then replaces Simone as the 2nd US gymnast in the all-around. It was the first time she had ever competed in the AA at an Olympics or Worlds. Incredible! Carey also beat Chiles, Blakely, and Wong to qualify to the all-around at 2022 Worlds.

 

[Allskate]

I still recall how much of a boss Jade was at the last Olympics during qualification. The most publicly maligned gymnast, a la Aly Raisman, goes first time out in Olympic competition and has the mental fortitude to qualify as the 3rd best American behind Biles and Lee and then replaces Simone as the 2nd US gymnast in the all-around. Incredible!

I wouldn't go so far as to say that she was the most publicly-maligned gymnast. (I actually think that Simone was, and I think most of the public didn't know or care much about Jade.) But, Jade did do great in qualifying. Not as great afterwards, including her most important event - vault finals. We can pick and choose moments in time for all the gymnasts.

 

[museksk8r]

I wouldn't go so far as to say that she was the most publicly-maligned gymnast. (I actually think that Simone was, and I think most of the public didn't know or care much about Jade.) But, Jade did do great in qualifying. Not as great afterwards, including her most important event - vault finals. We can pick and choose moments in time for all the gymnasts.

I meant going into the Games, Carey was receiving a lot of backlash over how she qualified to the Olympics by competing as an individual through the apparatus World Cup series. She has always been trashed for a perceived lack of artistry as well. Biles was vilified for prioritizing her physical and mental health. I just don’t get it! Both of these women have represented the US in amazing fashion on too many occasions to count.

 

[Hedwig]

When are the trials?

I have no real favourites apart from Suni, I guess.
I hate Leanne‘s hair scrunchies so much that I do not want her on the team (let me be shallow ) and am exited about the younger generation coming up. Somehow all of Carey, Wong, Chiles leave me sort of cold? I do not even know why.

 

[Karen-W]

When are the trials?

June 27-30

 

[her grace]

I think Suni’s in regardless for her amazing beam. 6.7 D score, c’mon!

Chiles has looked pretty good on bars throughout, so I could see her being chosen for that event, especially if Jones is still questionable.

If TPTB are worried about a repeat Biles twisties Olympics, then they should take Carey and Blakely to bring in the big vault scores.

Also, on a non-Olympic team note, Simone Rose was fun to watch with good form and presence.

 

[Carolla5501]

Nice opinion piece about Simone and Suni this weekend:

Simone Biles' greatest move had nothing to do with winning her ninth US title | Opinion

Simone Biles won her ninth US title, extending her own record. She also took time to lend a hand to Suni Lee.

www.yahoo.com

I like it when we see athletes supporting other athletes. I like seeing it skating, and I like seeing it gymnastics.

I heard them asking Simone about this at her presser last night. I was incredibly impressed.

 

[peibeck]

I think other than Simone for the women and Brody for the men, picking teams is just shooting craps. We'll really have to see who ups their difficulty AND can keep their head on straight at trials, where the pressure will be 100x worse on just about everyone but those two.

Obviously I'd think Shilese is in to, but I still want to see how she performs and how she's recovering from her injury at trials. ?‍