Gymnastics News #21 - Tumbling on to Tokyo

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This article sheds light on the ongoing problems within USA Gymnastic's culture, especially around team selections.

It also adds some insight into the team selection shenanigans in 2000 and Bela's role in excluding Vanessa Atler. I think this confirms what a lot of people thought went on in 2000, but it's still very sad to read about it.
 
bardtoob said:
No, I only mean who the hell would want to inherit that! She would have had to have answered questions about it in a public way regardless of any past involvement.
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It's been clear that USAG was a dumpster fire for a long time and anyone taking that job on would know that. There are plenty of other things that whoever takes that job would have to "answer for in a public way regardless of past involvement" and inheriting "that" is just a drop in the bucket. As for the specific Steve Penny arrest, anyone that has been paying attention isn't surprised he has been arrested - the reaction is more like "finally!" And what he has (again allegedly) done in these charges is also nothing new - Jordyn Wieber raised the issue of missing medical records back in the spring and Rhonda Faehn testified in the Senate hearings in June that Amy White moved medical records from the Karolyi ranch to Indianapolis under Steve Penny's orders.
 
I remember watching t.v. coverage of the trials and selection drama in 2000. I had the distinct impression as an outsider that Bela "had it in" for Atler. I had/have no idea why but guessed it might have something to do with her not always agreeing with him and not being a complete quidnunc.

Really sad, I recall feeling very badly for her. At least she got the Reese's commercial.

I think there should be no subjectivity because you will always get politics where it can be done without being too obvious. You could have the results stand and then have a final review cut off right before leaving for the Olys in the event someone was injured between the trials and the event.
 
Erin said:
It's been clear that USAG was a dumpster fire for a long time and anyone taking that job on would know that.
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Personally, I think it is a new low when Walker, Texas Rangers arrests the former head of the presumed prissy sport of Gymnastics for destruction of evidence (probably the medical charts) so authorities can not tell who has not come forward but was a victim . . . but, yeah, it has been a $#!+ show since as far back as when Bono was at her Washington Office Tweeting about personalizing the shoes she already paid Nike for to the benefit of Nike Shareholders, not realizing that Nike would eventually be in the same position as her political donors were in when she was in the House of Representatives.
 
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Winnipeg said:
I remember watching t.v. coverage of the trials and selection drama in 2000. I had the distinct impression as an outsider that Bela "had it in" for Atler. I had/have no idea why but guessed it might have something to do with her not always agreeing with him and not being a complete quidnunc.

Really sad, I recall feeling very badly for her. At least she got the Reese's commercial.

I think there should be no subjectivity because you will always get politics where it can be done without being too obvious. You could have the results stand and then have a final review cut off right before leaving for the Olys in the event someone was injured between the trials and the event.
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I remember that the camps were new, and I used to check this defunct message board where Atler would post anonymously. What I learned from the message board was the form of Miller, Dawes, and Chow was strikingly better form than the other gymnasts except Ray, but the younger gymnasts has better content and Miller was the most behind. I also do member that Atler never felt liked or favored despite being capable, and thought she wilted under the negative reinforcement given at the camp when she could have been amazing with some positive reinforcement . . . and this is where THE WHOLE PROBLEM WAS!
 
Winnipeg said:
I doubt it but what about outside? Just seems really odd
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Yes. When I lived in Egypt women wore black onesies in the water...long sleeves & legs. Similar to wet suits but a bit loose and softer fabric (cotton-Lycra mix, not rubber). That was 15 years ago.
 
snoopyskater said:
Simone is the one who has the least to worry about - she knows she is going to blow everyone else away at worlds.
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Plus she has already accomplished the rare achievement of going to the Olympics and winning medals. Whatever happens between now and Tokyo is really icing on the cake for her. So it doesn’t surprise me at all that she seems so much happier in competitions - even if she makes a major mistake.
 
Simone knows that she has the power... The power to decide where, how and with whom she trains. The power to walk away if things go pear shaped. The power to compete on her terms. The power to be heard. Were I in Simone’s shoes, I’d giggle myself to sleep every night or keep pinching myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.
 
Biles never won a bars medal. IIRC she was 4th once, I don't think she made the final the last few times she went to worlds. Just a medal for her would be great.

In any case, with this sort of level of difficulty, gymnastics is very unpredictable.
 
Wow that is an amazing routine. I think I saw one tiny leg separation (a little hard to tell from the side) and one somewhat awkward foot position in an incredibly difficult skill, but apart from that, it was stunning.
 
Does anyone know what Komova is up to if she's not on the worlds roster? Injured? Not ready? Seeking a nominative spot through World cup? I am sure she'd want a spot on the team, but I feel like she'd have a better chance at a gold and not getting injured if she just did bars/beam for the next 2 years.
 
@Rob, it’s a bit of a mystery re Komova. She seems to have been snubbed by Valentina Rodionenko. Valentina made some comments leading up to Euros about Komova not being selected because of a back injury and then Komova denied the back injury (although earlier in the year I thought that’s why she didn’t have inbars back yet). Then she wasn’t selected again for the world team, word was she left Round Lake and had basically retired. But then a week or two after that a video showed up of her training bars. So the short version is that she may or may not be injured, may or may not be retired, but is almost definitely on the outs with Valentina. The last one is probably the biggest issue.
 
Rob said:
Wow that is an amazing routine. I think I saw one tiny leg separation (a little hard to tell from the side) and one somewhat awkward foot position in an incredibly difficult skill, but apart from that, it was stunning.
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I counted 3 leg separations (if picky) and figure that the D score advantage makes up for it, but I don't know this sport that well, given that I also expect Simone to only get 9.0ish E score.
 
I'm glad Smith is the alternate. I only saw her beam and vault during practice, but that was a scary vault. I thought she was going to Paul Hamm her way off the podium.
 
Rukia said:
I'm glad Smith is the alternate. I only saw her beam and vault during practice, but that was a scary vault. I thought she was going to Paul Hamm her way off the podium.
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Hmmm . . . What would it look like if Smith landed on Nelli Kim?
 
Live Scoring

It looks like, among other things, Sam Mikulak is likely to make the pommel horse final.

What. Is. Happening.

As of right now, Sam is 2nd in AA, 7th on FX, 3rd on PH, 8th on Rings, 4th on PB, and 2nd on HB.

I hope Yul holds on and makes the floor final. He is currently 5th on FX and 11th in AA.
 
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Sam Mikulak had the competition of his life! starting very strong with vault, p-bars and high bar where he posted a highest score ahead of 2012 olympic champ and multiple world champion Epke Zonderland! he gave a couple of tenths away with a small hop on the landing, same case with P-Bars where he took a jump forward so those where like 3-6 tenths away that if he stuck those landings he would probably be in 1st ahead of Nikita Nagorniy

His pommel horse was impressive indeed, the US needed his score big because all three previous scores where very low, it's frustrating how the USA is yet unable to solve the huge problem pommel horse has been for their chances for like 10-15 years to date.

I really hope Samuel can keep it up this momentum and have a big confidence boost with that Pommel Horse performance, the guy deserves some world medal just for staying this long and anchoring the US team that otherwise would be in bit of a danger without him right now.

Russia leading the team standings clear ahead of Japan by 5 points, the russians are very solid overall and have no significant weak apparatus so for me it will be a clear battle between them and Japan for the title.
 
The 9th of 10 subdivisions has just ended. Considering the number of gymnasts, this is actually going suprisingly fast!

So.....Great Britain is in 4th place so far in Team Prelims....behind the U.S.

Last subdivision is coming up: China 🇨🇳 Brazil 🇧🇷 Hungary 🇭🇺 Argentina 🇦🇷 Hong Kong 🇭🇰 Portugal 🇵🇹
 
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