2024 US Nationals WAG Session 2, Day 1

[arabiandoublefront]

Yeah, I thought Skye's competition vault looked better than the podium training ones but from the scores, I thought Jade must have really chucked it but hers didn't look bad at all. Was Skye really .5 better?

That's a very good question.

eta: Okay, I just rewatched Skye's vault and I'm not an expert, but it looks like she has some form issues at points and I don't think it's the most powerful Cheng I've ever seen either. Jade's has some easy deductions to take, as well, though. Honestly, I think it's best at this point for me to get used to the idea of Skye being on the team. It's not like we can't take a fall off beam. I'd really like to go 12 for 12 like in 2012 and 2016, but it's not the end of the world if we don't. At the same time, I hate that we've accepted winners with major errors in this day and age, especially when I think the difficulty on one or two events (floor for sure, and beam is up for debate) has decreased on average to pre-1990 levels.

 

[Laura722]

I don't think that was Jade's best Cheng. Skye's got more amplitude and distance.

It seems like a portion of the gymternet (outside of this board) started nitpicking Skye's scores last night and have continued tearing her down today.

 

[tempest]

I do think skye’s cheng is much better than Jade’s

 

[cftmoonlight79]

I think Skye, Simone and Shilese should all be in and then fill in the rest by assuming these 3 all arounders. Definitely need a bar worker in there.

 

[tsarinajen]

I don't think that was Jade's best Cheng. Skye's got more amplitude and distance.

It seems like a portion of the gymternet (outside of this board) started nitpicking Skye's scores last night and have continued tearing her down today.

I agree. Skye’s had the better amplitude and distance, but I think she also benefited from last rotation scoring. It’s not unheard of it to see an elevated score with a good routine in the last event.

 

[rlayt]

Interesting!

 

[rlayt]

The more I look at those photos the more I think Skye’s score was high in relation to Simone’s.

 

[makam]

Interesting!

View attachment 10345

Now they just need to add Josc's to the compilation... ;-)

And actually, Skye's second photo in there is why I thought it looked banana-y and whippy in the podium training. I don't love a curved back layout (Alyona S. bars dismount comes to mind) but it is still a very well executed vault and if she can repeat it consistently, I think she has sealed a spot on the team.

 

[RedBirdie]

The thing that photo set doesn't capture is just how flat Simone's Cheng is. There just no amplitude to that vault, just a really remarkable amount of distance. Skye's went up.

 

[tempest]

The thing that photo set doesn't capture is just how flat Simone's Cheng is. There just no amplitude to that vault, just a really remarkable amount of distance. Skye's went up.

I really like how Skye and Rebecca really set before twisting

 

[RichardL]

I think Skye, Simone and Shilese should all be in and then fill in the rest by assuming these 3 all arounders. Definitely need a bar worker in there.

Crazy that Chiles's best case is as a back-up UB routine to replace Blakely in TF. And maybe do floor. If she's consistently top three on bars and can finally make it through a floor routine on par with DiCello (the endurance seems to be improving as the competitions progress) she can still make things interesting. But if Lee is outscoring her on bars, then you obviously bring her instead and Chiles is a great alternate.

But I'm honestly finding it hard to imagine what the last two gymnasts would be doing on this team or how much added value they would potentially bring. Biles, Blakely, and Jones could do all events in TF and easily win.

 

[Denn]

The more I look at those photos the more I think Skye’s score was high in relation to Simone’s.

Don't forget — Skye is squarer on the table. that counts.

She also got some good height.

 

[rlayt]

Andrade could school them all.

It’s impossible without professional programs to get freeze frames of it all. I wonder what program the photos came from?

 

[Passion]

Cheng heights and distances.

I wasn't sure what the best place to capture was, so I tried to get them all horizontal, and then all when their feet were pointing down. The yellow lines are for making sure the vault tables are lined up in each picture. The red lines are just from YouTube, ignore them.

 

[rlayt]

The landings are much the same.

 

[Laura722]

Carey's distance traveled is considerably shorter.

 

[rlayt]

Carey’s looked to be rightfully the one deserving the lowest score.

 

[Aeris]

But I'm honestly finding it hard to imagine what the last two gymnasts would be doing on this team or how much added value they would potentially bring. Biles, Blakely, and Jones could do all events in TF and easily win.

It's long been the case that Biles + Jones + any 3rd person can win Team Final, but that doesn't mean the selection should be made carelessly (aka, AA rank order).

Jade can outscore Jones on vault and Blakely on floor by a large margin. Suni can outscore Jones on beam by a large margin, she's #1 in the country if she changes the dismount and/or goes totally clean. She can outscore Skye on bars if her conditioning continues to improve.

This is a nicely balanced team, each person would do 2 events in team final (along with Simone doing 4) and they all have individual medal chances.

 

[MaryClare]

My prediction:

VT: (Jones) Carey, Blakely, Biles
UB: (Biles), Blakely, Lee, Jones
BB: (Blakely), Jones, Biles, Lee
FX: (Blakely), Carey, Jones, Biles

Gives Biles and Jones a break from doing AA in TF, and Blakely the chance to qualify for BB, without her doing it in TF

 

[dweiss324]

I think Skye's stock goes up even higher if you seriously consider the potential need to replace Shi if her shoulder goes out. Skye has the highest ceiling on beam and now vault, and maybe even bars out of the bubble gymnast