Gymnastics News #21 - Tumbling on to Tokyo

[VGThuy]

Just looking at the scores, since I can't watch right now, it looks like the U.S. won by 9 points again and it seems there were some mistakes counted from Team USA. It seems even without Simone, the U.S. could have won by like 4-5 points.

 

[Rukia]

Simone grabbed the beam and bounded out of bounds with both feet on the laid out double double on floor. Hurd was OOB on floor too. They still crushed everyone.

To be fair though everyone else counted a lot of mistakes.

 

[mjb52]

I admire the US's accomplishments, especially the truly incredible Simone, even though - following a longstanding tradition whose origin is now lost in the mists of time so that even I no longer totally remember how it started - I will always root for Russia in gymnastics and figure skating, but I wish that things would get more competitive at the top again. Would I feel differently if Russia was crushing everyone? Maybe. Probably. But they're not, and even if they were, I would totally get why other people found it a little frustrating. It reminds me of when skaters build up so huge a lead in the SP under the post-6.0 system that they basically can't lose even if they do badly in the long program. It's just not that fun.

 

[VGThuy]

I admire the US's accomplishments, especially the truly incredible Simone, even though - following a longstanding tradition whose origin is now lost in the mists of time so that even I no longer totally remember how it started - I will always root for Russia in gymnastics and figure skating, but I wish that things would get more competitive at the top again. Would I feel differently if Russia was crushing everyone? Maybe. Probably. But they're not, and even if they were, I would totally get why other people found it a little frustrating. It reminds me of when skaters build up so huge a lead in the SP under the post-6.0 system that they basically can't lose even if they do badly in the long program. It's just not that fun.

Agreed. I'd think the World titles and Olympic titles would mean a lot more with tough competition as well. It's like what a big deal the 2007, 2011, and 2012 wins were because they were not sure things. Same with 2003 and the 1996 Olympics. I do think something should be said that despite all the turmoil and scandals and sheer incompetence by USAG, the American women are still going very strong and feel the fire to be the best.

 

[Erin]

That race for the bronze was looking crazy and then everyone threw it away in the last rotation (except Canada and China, who did the opposite and threw it away in rotations 1 and 2, but came back in the last two rotations). Although knowing Brazil was going to bars, I should have known it would be impossible for them to hang on. Every team is going to have some heavy what-ifs out there. Aside from the US and their 9 point lead, although even they scored a few points lower than qualifications.

ETA on the topic of the US lead - even with her mistakes today, Simone is a big part of the reason the US has such a big lead on everyone else. I did the math for qualifying and assuming Ragan's scores would have come in somewhere around where McCusker's were, maybe a little higher on beam since Riley fell, if the US didn't have Simone, they would have only had a 3-4 point lead on everyone rather than a 9 point lead. Which is still a lead, but it's not the same insurmountable lead they have now. Simone won't be around forever and I don't think we'll see another gymnast as dominant as her in a while. So I don't expect this kind of undefeatable US team to always be the case. I also think that at some point, we will be seeing the impact of the Nassar scandal in lower numbers, etc. It just won't happen immediately.

 

[Rob]

AKA: They have been socialized to each other and worked out the pecking order.

They apparently bonded over food items like waffles, cinnamon buns, DONUTs, and other high calorie treats.

 

[VGThuy]

A good video recap:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2zjuPbntyI

 

[barbk]

Podium pic -- do coaches normally get medals in gymnastics? https://twitter.com/gymnastics/stat.../2018/Artistic-13335/en-us/default/Phase/Live

 

[Rukia]

Podium pic -- do coaches normally get medals in gymnastics? https://twitter.com/gymnastics/status/1057350530882813958/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc^tfw|twcamp^embeddedtimeline|twterm^profile:gymnastics&ref_url=http://gym.longinestiming.com/2018/Artistic-13335/en-us/default/Phase/Live

I've never seen that? But legit I would give Laurent a medal for just existing.

 

[barbk]

Simone Floor (Team Finals) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zGKcvAdeHs

 

[nickp]

AMAZING job to the Canadian Women's Gymnastic team on a world best team finish of 4th

 

[Rob]

The coach medals look a little different from the athlete medals so maybe they are participation medals from the Doha committee?

 

[bardtoob]

Simone Floor (Team Finals) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zGKcvAdeHs

Simone hugged a lot of gymnasts at the end of the routine, but was particularly warm to Mustafina; no need for a prerequisite high five like a stranger

 

[3T3T]

That’s was a very disappointing team final, I found it a bit boring. The outcome was clear from the beginning, the only question being how much would the USA win by. They weren’t quite flawless but still won by a countrymile. It would have been amazing to see Canada on the podium but they just missed out. Brazil had a disaster on the UB and threw away a very high placing, not sure they could have hung n to a podium spot.

Nice to see Mustafina back, I loved her bars work, so effortlessly stylish. I guess it’s 1/2 for the US in AA who will get bronze? Melnikova or Murakami possibly Dewael.

The Men’s team event was much more exciting.

 

[ilovepaydays]

The Men’s team event was much more exciting.

I think the men’s AA will be much more interesting than the women’s AA as well. We’ll see tomorrow!

 

[Braulio]

Kara Eaker was BEAUTIFUL on beam, I think that if she stays this consistent and Simone has a Rio re-visit on beam finals, Kara can win this, though there is Sanne Wevers but her Start Value is not up to Eaker or Biles . This is the us title to lose if something strange happens.

Simone was so-so, but I think given her health condition with that problem she has, she maybe slowed down and relaxed a bit today since the title wasn't on question, also she has to pace herself because of the all around and the 4 event finals she is in.

It's incredible that even with that mistake on floor she wins easily the title there and with that error on beam she can grab the bronze medal. She is that good. Though I really hope she can win a medal on the Uneven Bars, it looks very very posible!

And what the heck with those camera shots?? specially during floor exercise!? questionable cammera work it was like for some moments you had to turn down your head to watch it normally, strange shots indeed

 

[Loves_Shizuka]

The Men’s team event was much more exciting.

MAG has been more exciting than WAG for a while for me.

 

[AYS]

Kara Eaker was BEAUTIFUL on beam, I think that if she stays this consistent and Simone has a Rio re-visit on beam finals, Kara can win this, though there is Sanne Wevers but her Start Value is not up to Eaker or Biles . This is the us title to lose if something strange happens.

Simone was so-so, but I think given her health condition with that problem she has, she maybe slowed down and relaxed a bit today since the title wasn't on question, also she has to pace herself because of the all around and the 4 event finals she is in.

It's incredible that even with that mistake on floor she wins easily the title there and with that error on beam she can grab the bronze medal. She is that good. Though I really hope she can win a medal on the Uneven Bars, it looks very very posible!

And what the heck with those camera shots?? specially during floor exercise!? questionable cammera work it was like for some moments you had to turn down your head to watch it normally, strange shots indeed

It's ridiculous! As if the gymnasts aren't creating enough in their tumbling runs, they feel a need to go all MTV on us.

When you watch someone like Simone, the entertainment becomes how dominant can she be, how much can she win by, so I hope she's feeling ok and we see 4 clean routines in the AA.

 

[ilovepaydays]

We are two rotations into the men’s AA - Sam’s not kidding around so far, is he?

 

[pollyanna]

Nooooo! {{{Verniaiev}}} I kinda wanted him to win.

 

[mjb52]

Nooooo! {{{Verniaiev}}} I kinda wanted him to win.

NOOOO what happened?

 

[pollyanna]

NOOOO what happened?

Fell on his high bar dismount. Score 11.500.

 

[Rukia]

High bar is going to be a nail biter!

 

[Rob]

Oh my I can't watch!

 

[jeffisjeff]

Going into the 6th rotation! So nervous! Go Sam!

 

[Aceon6]

Not watching. Can’t take a chance on jinksing anyone.

 

[mjb52]

Is literally anyone watching? I feel like we're all biting our nails and waiting for someone else to tell us what happened but no one will because we're all too scared to watch!

 

[jeffisjeff]

I am at work, so not watching...

 

[Rukia]

I'm watching but I'm about to have a heart attack.

 

[Rukia]

Dalaloyan was in 1st and was clean on HB.