2023 World Championships & Pan American Games Team Trials (USA)

[MaryClare]

I haven’t been rude at all.

As for the cult comment, it’s a joke. The Roberson fans over on Reddit are well known for their cult like blindness. Like any cult members, they are best ignored. But I won’t accept them attempt to police my opinions or how I should express them.

 

[MaryClare]

Commentators don’t use these languages on any gymnasts. You have your opinions for sure, but it doesn’t mean these hard-working gymnasts deserve such hates

Repeat after me. This is a gymnastics discussion board.

We don’t only express what NBC deems acceptable views and language.

Every elite gymnast is hard working, no one’s work ethic is being questioned. Criticism of a performance is not “hate”. You may find it offensive, but your feelings doesn’t turn something into “hate”. Your emotional attachment to a particular gymnast doesn’t turn something into “hate”.

Roberson certainly does attract more criticism than most athletes. The reason for that is her gymnastics, not her. I’ve not seen any criticism or comments of a personal nature.

Please stop trying to police differing opinions. Perhaps you’d like any post that’s critical of Roberson to start with a compulsory statement along the lines of “I believe that Joscelyn Roberson is a talented, hard working gymnast and I hope that her coaches are able to improve her form”. Would that make you happier?

 

[KristyJ]

I don’t think gymfan ever expressed an emotional attachment to Roberson or stanned for them? The ad-hominem attacks don’t change what they did or didn’t say.

I do agree that the specific vitriol against Roberson does seem out of proportion with comments about basically any other gymnast, even some of the previous crowd-un-favorites. (It’s more in line with that one junior gymnast that got raked over the coals last spring, and Roberson is a much much better gymnast than she was). Of course, I’ve felt we’d gone too far with other athletes in the past, including said junior gymnast. Does that mean I stan any of them? No, I don’t. Nor do I think people should stifle their opinion.

But I do agree with the above poster’s own opinion that the language surrounding this world’s choice is a bit extreme. It’s a valid observation. And it is something that, since we are able to voice our opinions, is valid to point out. Which is, as we’ve noted, something I am freely allowed to express, and I am sure MaryClare will double down on her response as she is wont to do. (Note to gymfan- she basically always doubles down on these things).

Few people here have trouble saying “You’re off your rocker” to a wide variety of things. That includes those who are saying that their own opinions are now being attacked. They’re not. You just might be a bit out of your head with this one. (And you are free to tell me I am out of my mind with this too, it’s a free message board.)

 

[Passion]

Please stop trying to police differing opinions.

 

[Aeris]

Roberson doesn’t show good form or musicality (except for the wolf turn being placed quite well to the musical timing). What she does have is good-ish performance. She moves her body, she radiates energy, she has some facial expression. She is a better performer than Jade Carey.

The only reason to have Skye doing AA over Leanne would be to have her try vault and get some exposure/international experience competing it, as someone said she might be upgrading to Cheng in the future

I would hope this isn’t used as any kind of reason, since Leanne may also want to work towards an upgrade. They will probably find it hard to keep Skye out of the AA if she does a pretty good Floor in podium training though. She would be the clear 3rd-best AA at that point, and last year they just went rank order and let Jade do AA when it meant Leanne didn’t get to do Bars.

 

[Kara]

I’d have Simone, Shilese, and Leanne do all around, Skye bars and beam, and Joscelyn vault and floor. If I were in charge of the team I’d stop Skye from doing floor altogether; every routine she’s competed this year looks like an injury waiting to happen.

 

[Yarotska]

But even with FX issues, Skye has still beaten Leanne in the AA 2/3 times. The one time she beat Skye was when Skye actually fell. Skye can downgrade at any time and gain back another half a point. If anything, they could put Leanne in FX in team final without doing it in QF like they did with UB last year.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

True, that is one option you get with an experienced and increasingly consistent gymnast like Leanne.

 

[Ginger]

Six new National Team members added.
Which answers my previous question… obviously the three non-traveling alternates will get the funding, too

 

[irichluck21]

Which answers my previous question… obviously the three non-traveling alternates will get the funding, too

Yes, they are alternates so they need to be on the National Team.

 

[gymfan]

Wong and Blakely are really close in the all around! I also have Wong over Blakely for all around as of now. But if Blakely has a good podium training (especially on floor), I will switch between them.

 

[gymfan]

I certainly put Blakely in all around if she does a good full in. She has trouble controlling her landing on double double. I wish she does a Chuso, but time is running out. A good full in at least helps her get a consistent 13-13.5 on floor.

 

[ucrgirl]

I think it is a problem with the code. Artistry is a subjective judgement but when you try to make it fair or “objective” you end up with boxes that unartistic gymnasts can check off and get credit. (I feel like Figure Skating has a similar problem with their code.)

It seems that Roberson is getting credit for being aware of the music, looking at the audience and hitting certain beats. It’s not impressive or actually artistic but it does seem to fulfill certain requirements.

 

[GLeigh]

I think I heard the chuso was causing ankle issues

 

[gymfan]

Oh then a full in would be the best replacement. I don’t want her to risk an injury for trying to do Chuso in such a short timeframe.

 

[JaJa]

I think it is a problem with the code. Artistry is a subjective judgement but when you try to make it fair or “objective” you end up with boxes that unartistic gymnasts can check off and get credit. (I feel like Figure Skating has a similar problem with their code.)

Is it a problem with the code or is it a problem which is inherent to the sport? I mean you can’t make judging artistry truly objective. So what to do?

 

[navyblue]

I think it is a problem with the code. Artistry is a subjective judgement but when you try to make it fair or “objective” you end up with boxes that unartistic gymnasts can check off and get credit. (I feel like Figure Skating has a similar problem with their code.) It seems that Roberson is getting credit for being aware of the music, looking at the audience and hitting certain beats. It’s not impressive or actually artistic but it does seem to fulfill certain requirements.

I don’t understand the problem. I mean, yea she’s getting some credit for this – but why wouldn’t she? Like all judging, it’s on a spectrum, not a total binary between trash and perfection. No one is really claiming she’s ‘artistic’ but that word is covering a lot of different qualities of a routine, like vigorous performance quality and audience engagement – because we’ve seen plenty of routines in the past 20 years featuring a strong tumbler who seemed to care less that there was music playing behind her or that there was an audience in the stands, for that matter. And so this is incentivizing getting at least past that low bar. Ideally, someone like Roberson would have to make up like an 8 tenth deficit of artistry compared to a Brooklyn Moors routine.

 

[Ginger]

I just don’t understand why is everyone so hyped up about Skye doing AA?

She struggled with FX all this season, why should it be different at Worlds? What’s the point? Did they change that 2 per country rule so she would be a potential AA medal contender? Or just to prove she is one of the top AA WAG gymnasts in the world?

Two reason why I don’t believe she’ll do AA in TQ

• her UB and BB scores are too valuable for TF (and her beam for EF as well), why risk an injury (her FX landings this past month seemed quite injury-prone IMO)
• they need to see how Leanne’s FX is received by the judges there, vs. Joscelyn’s FX. Whoever scores better will join Simone and Shilese to do FX in TF.

 

[makam]

Yeah, even if Skye hit a perfect fx in podium training, that would be the fluke of the season. I don’t think you’d want to take the risk with her for tq and definitely not for tf. I would be telling her to put a pin in it and come back next year and try again. Hopefully with an FX she can do without taking out her knees or ankles.

 

[gymfan]

Blakely has a higher potential AA score, but Wong has consistency. From the result of the team selection, the USAG prefers consistency. So for me, Wong has an edge over Blakely. But there is a possibility that Blakely downgrades the double double to full in, and regains her floor consistency.