Gymnastics Thread: Because We Gays Need It To Complete Our Sports Holy Trinity

[Above the Title]

I know, I posted it for you (and a few others who similarly defended her). The timing was just too perfect.

[Culturegeek]

Heh. I actually wasn't sure if you remembered (and meant to write Culturegeek instead of Culturish ). I'm rather touched, actually. Though I thought I was the only one who liked her.

[Above the Title]

Oh, I don't like her. I posted it strictly for you!

In other news, I am in LA this week so I'll miss the live feeds and televised feed of Nationals. I'll DVR, of course. But I won't be able to weigh in till I get back. Biles will win by three points, I am sure.

[Above the Title]

OMG, I caught up on Nationals. Did anyone else watch? Stats!

--As was oft-mentioned, Biles is now the first Triple Crown since Kim Zmeskal in 1990-1991-1992.
--If any or any combo of Kyla/Gabby/Aly make the team next year, they will be the first repeat Olympian from the US women's gymnastics team since Dominique Dawes and Amy Chow in 2000.
--If Gabby makes it back, she will be the first AA champion to compete in another Games since Nadia Comaneci in 1980. Comaneci won the silver there, so if Gabby medals again, the stat is the same.
--Not a stat but holy effing shit is the field STACKED. Barring something truly catastrophic, Biles is on the team and far and away the frontrunner to win AA, vault, floor, and maybe also beam. Let's lock her in. So for the other two spots, from the seniors, we have Maggie Nichols, Aly, Bailie Key, Gabby (our top five from both Nationals and Classics, in a slightly different order) and let's throw in Laurie Hernandez, Jazmyn Foberg, and Ragan Smith from the juniors, who will all be age-eligible next year. Hernandez I think may be a true superstar and I suspect she will lock in a slot. That's not even accounting for Kyla, Madison Kocian (we might need a bars specialist), Ashton Locklear (same), Mykayla Skinner, Alyssa Baumann (one of the best beam routines in the world), Norah Flatley (who is injured and a junior this year but is also maybe the best beamer in the world)...oh my!

[NUguy514]

You don't think Kyla is a lock, too? I didn't see nationals, so I don't know what her form is like. She's medaled in the last two World Championships, though, right?

[Above the Title]

The only lockity lock beyond all locks ever is Biles. Kyla would need massive improvements at this point, I think. She finished 10th in the AA at Nationals (behind those top five, plus Kocian, Baumann, Skinner, and Nia Dennis). She has a couple of issues. The first is that she fell both days on her bars dismount, and if Kyla Ross is on your Olympic team, Kyla Ross is performing in team finals on bars. If she is not consistent on one of her two best events, I think she ruins her chances. It helps her case tremendously that bars and beam are where we theoretically need people (and I say theoretically because I think the Olympics will be a cakewalk). The other is that her strategy has always been to not have the most difficult skills but to perform consistently and error-free. Her start values are getting less and less competitive, but her consistency is also going downhill. Now, Kyla Ross is a beast so I am in no way counting her out. She has a fantastic reputation, tons of international medals and experience, and Marta loves her. But if she were picking the team tomorrow, I think Kyla is on the outside looking in, which a year ago seemed unfathomable. A sign for where she is in her training will be if she makes the Worlds team. Worlds aren't until October so the girls have two training camps before them. I am inclined to say the top five are locks for the Worlds team (the juniors are all still age-ineligible, of course) with the last spot between Kyla, Kocian (more accountable than Locklear if she needed to go up on more than just bars due to injury), and Baumann. Sending Skinner is likely superfluous. My hunch is that Marta is going to send Kocian or Baumann to give them a little bit more experience heading towards Rio. She could also just take a team of five and have all five fight for the two AA spots which would be what she did two years ago.

[NUguy514]

Innnnteresting. I didn't realize Kyla had suddenly become inconsistent.

[Above the Title]

She grew. A lot. It could totally be growing pains and once she gets used to it, she's back to her regular Kyla.

[Above the Title]

Kyla announced she won't be attending the Worlds selection camp. She did not announce an injury, so it sounds like they kind of saw the writing on the wall that she was only really in contention for an alternate spot this season and they wisely decided to rest her nagging injuries in preparation for next year. The official team will be announced on Thursday.

And speaking of the team, the nominative roster (which is just a list of "prelim selections" from Marta that means absolutely nothing because they have another camp right now where the actual team will be selected, and she can choose from anyone who attends the camp regardless of whether they are on the nominative roster) is comprised of Biles, Douglas, Raisman, Nichols, Skinner (!) and Dowell (!!!!!!). So no Key, which sucks. And Dowell chronically makes the team and then is downgraded to alternate when she sucks in the on-site practices. I still think it's going to be Biles, Douglas, Raisman, Nichols, Key, and Kocian. We shall see!

[Above the Title]

Shockers from qualifications at Worlds:

1 - Romania had an epic meltdown and did not automatically qualify to Rio! They did qualify for the test event, where the top four teams will make the Olympics, so they can still make it. But this is the first time since 1972 that the Romanians have not qualified, and it's the first time since 1976 that they have not medaled in a World or Olympic final.

2 - Simone finished about four points ahead of the second place qualifier, Giulia Steinbgruber from Switzerland (yay for new countries!). That margin is more than Steingruber's margin with anyone else in the top 40.

3 - Aly Raisman melted down and did not make any event finals. She finished 6th in the AA (even with a meltdown!) but Douglas finished third, so she will be the other American in the AA finals.

4 - For the second year in a row, Simone qualified in first for team, AA, and three events (V, BB, FX). She did not qualify to bars this time, but only because two Americans finished in front of her. She is unreal!