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

[NUguy514]

(10-27-2015 05:54 AM)Above the Title Wrote:  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.

Where's the shock emoji when you need it? Daaaaaaaamn.

[Dr.ciski77]

Wow...

[misplaced validity]

Are these championships airing on anything other than the brief showings on NBC this weekend?

[Above the Title]

They are on Universal Sports, if you have that. USA Gymnastics has been livestreaming everything for free but of course it's just the raw feed with no commentary.

[Above the Title]

Eeeeeeee! No spoilers. but can't wait for you guys to see the team finalsssssssssssssssssssss.

[Above the Title]

Anyone watching Universal Sports coverage? Here is your guide to the controversies and predictions for the upcoming events:

--Belarus approached two US elite gymnasts who are lowest tier elite here and have never represented the US internationally and asked them to represent Belarus at the Worlds. This is significant because the Belarussian government had to agree to expedite citizenship for the two girls, and the IOC could not file a grievance because the girls have never represented the US internationally (meaning they don't need to have a mandatory two year waiting period before switching nationalities). This has been extremely controversial because both girls are trained in the US and have no familial ties to the country. Unlike the Americans who compete for Jamaica, who are of Jamaican heritage and also take it upon themselves to have training camps in Jamaica in order to essentially create an elite gymnastics program in an up-and-coming nation, the two girls now competing for Belarus are continuing to train with their American coaches in their American gym. What is even crazier is that their acceptance onto the Belarussian team bumped off the native Belarussian gymnasts...and the prediction is that they are being used as a pawn by the Belarussian government to compete well enough to guarantee Belarus one spot in the Olympic All-Around, and then they will turn around and give the competition go-ahead to one of their native gymnasts. So they are basically using these 15 year olds to help their country qualify for one spot, and then they're not going to let them actually compete in that spot in Rio.

--I am trying not to be spoiled about the overall results of the women's AA, which is today and which we know Simone will win by a good 2-3 points. Silver and bronze should be between Gabby Douglas, Larisa Iordache, Giulia Steingruber, and Ellie Black. I like all of them. Steingruber is from Switzerland and Black is Canadian, and either medaling would be the first Worlds AA medal for their respective countries. (Canada does have some bars and floor Worlds medals from their wonderful Beth Tweddle, now retired.) I love seeing new countries come in, and of course would love for Gabby to continue the comeback like this, or for Iordache to have redemption after Romania was so devastated.

--Simone's inevitable threepeat will be the first EVER in gymnastics. Khorkina won three, but not in a row. She will also break the American record for most ever World medals with the AA today, and will probably grab three others (maybe all gold) in the event finals. GOAT.

--Any medals by Gabby, Maggie Nichols and/or Madison Kocian (who is in the event finals on bars) helps them in their case to make the Rio team. Other than Simone, who is a lock, it will be a fight to the death. We have literally ONE DOZEN gymnasts who could be on the medal and win medals. The US team will win Rio by probably 7 points.

--The US men's team was really depleted by the last minute injury to National Champion Sam Mikulak, but also by USAG's petty belief that the team didn't need Jake Dalton. Now, I agree that it was probably better for him to miss this event and get surgery as early as possible because we need him for Rio, but they spit in his face by making a statement following his petition that the team doesn't need him anyway. Tell that to your scores on vault and floor yesterday. All things considered, that was about as well as they could do. Pommel horse is now a decade-long problem, and they have nobody to blame but the system for not getting on top of it sooner. Barring career-ending injuries, my prediction for their Rio team is Mikulak, Danell Leyva, Dalton, Alex Naddour, and Donnell Whittenburg.

--Great Britain is just amazing on both fronts, and they have done a magnificent job of growing a program that has gained popularity as they got some superstars in the form of Beth Tweddle and the 2012 London men's team. Big Four no more on the ladies side!

[Above the Title]

(10-27-2015 01:22 PM)Dr.ciski77 Wrote:  Wow...

Want to take back my "Worlds" qualification in my previous write up. It is the first time they have not automatically qualified since 1972 (I do still think they will eventually qualify, just the long way around) but they have not medaled as a team at Worlds in recent years. They have been in fourth though. This is a huge embarrassment for them.

[Above the Title]

STATS STATS AND MORE STATS (as I talk to myself):

--Simone is now the most decorated American gymnast of all time, jumping ahead of Sacramone and Miller. #goat
--Simone is now the ONLY gymnast to ever win three consecutive AA World Championships titles, and only the second to win three total (Khorkina). #goat
--Simone is now the owner of more World golds than any other female gymnast, overtaking Latynina, Khorkina, and Gogean. And this is taking into account that those women competed for two and three QUADS, while this is only Simone's third year as a senior elite. #goat
--Gabby is the first Olympic Champion to medal at a returning Worlds since Yelena Davydova in 1981! Should she go to Rio, she would be the first AA Olympic Champion to return to the Olympics since Nadia in 1980.
--This is the only time there has EVER been a four-way tie for any medal, let alone a title.
--Manrique Larduet is the first-ever Cuban gymnast to medal in an AA. Yay!
--GBR women's team medaled for the first time ever in a World or Olympic competition.

[NUguy514]

I just watched Gabby's and Simone's AA routines, and I was surprised to see how much Gabby has grown. I know Simone is very, very short, but Gabby has to have grown at least five inches since London. She's also more muscular than she was in London, but I guess that's not surprising. Is she still capable of doing the Amanar vault? She only did a double-twisting Yurchenko, so maybe she can't quite do the extra half-twist anymore?

I sort of assumed that Simone was the frontrunner for the vault gold in Rio, but maybe I'm wrong about that? It seems like she's got beam and floor on lockdown.

[misplaced validity]

(11-08-2015 10:40 AM)NUguy514 Wrote:  I just watched Gabby's and Simone's AA routines, and I was surprised to see how much Gabby has grown. I know Simone is very, very short, but Gabby has to have grown at least five inches since London. She's also more muscular than she was in London, but I guess that's not surprising. Is she still capable of doing the Amanar vault? She only did a double-twisting Yurchenko, so maybe she can't quite do the extra half-twist anymore?

Gabby only just started training again within the past year or something. She hasn't gotten back to full difficulty. I'd imagine she will be doing a more difficult vault by Rio.

Quote:I sort of assumed that Simone was the frontrunner for the vault gold in Rio, but maybe I'm wrong about that?

She's the heavy favorite. Why would you doubt yourself on that?