2023 US Xfinity Nationals (Event Info and Qualified athletes)

[JaJa]

Obviously I’m not an elite gymnast and Olympic gold medalist, but even without those pressures and aspirations, I know from bitter experience that I made my own health situation deteriorate very much by believing that pushing through and accomplishing high level goals (in another field) would be worth it. It fulfilled me in some respects, but now in my thirties I do have regrets.

People are different though and what is the correct choice for one person is not the correct choice for another. Suni is an elite gymnast and an Olympian which just puts her in a different category from most of us. Her choices were different and will likely continue to be.

 

[jenifer9]

My point is that her choices are, actually, likely to be the same as many young people with health issues. She is (of course!) physically very, very different (as an elite athlete), but it takes mental strength and endurance to excel at a high level in other fields too - I and others I know in similar situations have all made similar decisions to push on and push ourselves by putting accomplishment and achievement first. That is a very common choice to make if you have the potential to achieve a lot. It is very hard to step back and let go, and very hard to accept that you might be harming your future health.

(Again, of course I don’t want that for Suni at all and I hope it won’t be the case for her! I’d like nothing better than for her to have a further phase of doing gym for a while and then to retire in at least reasonable health. And it’s very fair to say that the bodies of athletes at that level are different so we can’t say what will happen.)

 

[rlayt]

Suni is an adult. She should be trusted to make the correct decision on her own body. If she doesn’t provide what the team needs then I trust Chellsie and Alicia as coordinators will make the correct decision for the team.

 

[Kara]

Again, we don’t even know what is wrong with Suni, besides the fact that it is a kidney issue. There are so many things this could be and it is not our place to decide what she should do with her body. Yes kidney issues are serious, but presumably Suni has a team of competent doctors who actually know about her condition(s) and have told her that it is safe to do gymnastics.

 

[jenifer9]

No one is saying she is not an adult. Adults who have spent their whole lives focused on achievement in one field often face adjustment difficulties if they have health problems - this is well known, it’s not some controversial thing. Obviously no one can control what she does, but that doesn’t make commenting on the topic verboten.

Of course the high performance coordinators will choose the team. That’s never been in question. My point is that it’s difficult for young people with new or worsening health issues, in pressure cooker environments, to make truly long-term decisions about their health.

Honestly quite surprised that this is being treated as such a negative point to make here. I’m not suggesting Suni should be forced out. Just that those around her are unlikely to be truly objective.

 

[rlayt]

Blame the political climate when it comes to choice of what to do with your own body. People get highly agitated about that.

 

[MaryClare]

I was wondering if USAG has any sort of medical clearance process? I’d assume they would do, in the interests of athlete safety and well-being. Because I’m guessing that had Suni wanted to continue in NCAA, she probably wouldn’t be medically cleared?

I’m sure even in the Martha era there was something? Wasn’t part of LN’s popularity as a doctor/power and influence was that he would clear anyone?

 

[cats]

Their petitioning procedure has a clearance step. I don’t know about annual clearance.

NCAA has clearance processes but they vary a lot from school to school. Athletes can and have transferred schools to get around this.

I don’t really know how a medical clearance would work - for it to be anything more involved than “your condition means absolutely no training” I would imagine that Suni’s actual doctors who know her details explaining limits is actually the right way to go.

 

[Kara]

I just think it’s silly for random people on a message board to assume they know better than Suni what she should do when we don’t even know what her condition is. I’ve studied medicine and also have a chronic condition, and based on her symptoms I could guess what the kidney condition is, but it would just be pointless speculation, as I don’t have her medical records. Again, I presume Suni has access to highly qualified kidney specialist that have told her that it is safe to train and compete at the level she is now. I also think the fact that she is not pushing to compete bars, which would be her most obvious ticket to the team, shows that they are taking her symptoms seriously and not pushing a quick return.

 

[jenifer9]

Ah, I’m not American so maybe that’s why it’s such a hot button issue for some posters vs why I have a (clearly unreasonable!) expectation that we should be able to discuss it.

Speaking as someone with major chronic medical issues who achieved at a very high level in a non-athletic field, I do agree that it’s different when it relates to the body and that the situation in the US doubtless makes that a harder discussion to have. I find it a bit depressing that some people are so eager to shut it down, though. Illness and disability are part of life. Suni isn’t and won’t be the only athlete ever to face this - Roberson’s migraines are another, albeit milder, example.

We have full and complete information about almost nothing in gymnastics, and yet that has never stopped reasonably informed discussion (and often totally uninformed, haha) before, that I’ve seen. If there is a specific moratorium on anything related to medical topics, that would surely extend to injury? And I haven’t seen that in operation. It seems to me that some posters just don’t like the fact that others have views on this. If the mods don’t want any discussion on medical topics, of course that is fine, but it’s uncomfortable to see people just trying to “nudge” it into being off limits.

 

[rlayt]

You can discuss it. As long as it relates to gymnastics. But your background informs your views. Our situation here in the US is a bit…fraught.

 

[MaryClare]

It seems to me that some posters just don’t like the fact that others have views

How do I make this my signature?

 

[jenifer9]

Good to know! Thank you. I’m not sure why that one poster in particular has such a problem with everything I say. I’m certainly not claiming to have any special knowledge of Suni’s medical situation (as to the details). Of course that information is - very rightly - private. (If I gave the impression that I have any more info than anyone else then that was unintentional and I apologise unreservedly.)

I just happen to favour discussions in general! Even on difficult topics. The sunlight of open exchange of views is a good remedy for the kind of ignorance that would impose excessive restrictions on what others do with their bodies (in my opinion). Probably getting a bit far from gym at this point, but only mentioning that with respect to your own reference to the political context.

 

[rlayt]

It’s fine Jenifer. I don’t think you said anything wrong. You are coming from a different point of view.

 

[Yarotska]

There’s also again the possibility that Suni hasn’t said anything specific BECAUSE it’s so severe.

 

[cftmoonlight79]

Senior women only on Peacock tonight?

 

[makam]

I think if you use a vpn the usag youtube works, but no commentary. But it was also routine after routine and even replays of stuff that was missed. So it wasn’t bad but if most people are talking about what is shown on peacock, there is no guarantee tou are seeing the same stuff. At least that is how it seemed with the men.

 

[cftmoonlight79]

Ugh so frustrating. I assume its the paid for Peacock and not the free Peacock. I think this is the first time ever i wont be able to watch both days.

 

[irichluck21]

Ugh so frustrating. I assume its the paid for Peacock and not the free Peacock. I think this is the first time ever i wont be able to watch both days.

Paid.

It’s $5.99 a month. I subscribed and will cancel after Worlds.

You can watch Day 1 on replay tomorrow on CNBC.

 

[MaryClare]

If you are outside of the US or use a VPN, it’ll be live on YouTube I’m sure