2024 US Olympic Trials WAG Day 1 (6/28)

[Rich]

Chellsie should have the judges deduct a point.

 

[RedBirdie]

I actually really liked McCallum too. I maintain she was the MVP of the Tokyo TF. But yeah, totally forgot she was on all the major teams.

Every time I hear NBC (and this morning it was repeated in the Athletic daily) spout this nonsense about how Jordan Chiles "stepped up and helped secure silver for the US in Tokyo!" I want to scream. McCallum stepped up. Suni Lee stepped up. Jordan had an utter meltdown on floor, to go a long with her poor performance in qualifying.

 

[JaJa]

Every time I hear NBC (and this morning it was repeated in the Athletic daily) spout this nonsense about how Jordan Chiles "stepped up and helped secure silver for the US in Tokyo!" I want to scream. McCallum stepped up. Suni Lee stepped up. Jordan had an utter meltdown on floor, to go a long with her poor performance in qualifying.

I just never quite trust that Jordan will come through when needed.

 

[MaryClare]

Every time I hear NBC (and this morning it was repeated in the Athletic daily) spout this nonsense about how Jordan Chiles "stepped up and helped secure silver for the US in Tokyo!" I want to scream. McCallum stepped up. Suni Lee stepped up. Jordan had an utter meltdown on floor, to go a long with her poor performance in qualifying.

THIS

 

[Hatsumomo]

Prevous Olympics too:
2008 - Sloan (though she was 2007 alfernate after being named to the team)
2004 - McCool
2000 - Schwikert

Good looking out. Then the USA would just be going with tradition if Hezly or Tiana were named to the team.

 

[PeakePups]

I'm kind of on Team Wong too, mostly because it sucks that she spent her last Olympics quarantined in a hotel room with a sick teammate.

Yeah, I think this is who I'm rooting for too. We aren't going to be adding much of anything with that 5th spot. Wong is usable anywhere and she's put in the work having gone to worlds throughout the quad.

 

[arabiandoublefront]

Wong is usable anywhere, but on Day 1 she didn't beat out Roberson, Lincoln, or Rivera. How do you justify going down to 8th for the last member if the standings hold?

 

[Laura722]

Wong is usable anywhere, but on Day 1 she didn't beat out Roberson, Lincoln, or Rivera. How do you justify going down to 8th for the last member if the standings hold?

You can't, plus look at her results from Nationals. She has to have a very phenomenal day 2 for consideration.

 

[Sasha]

Wong is usable anywhere, but on Day 1 she didn't beat out Roberson, Lincoln, or Rivera. How do you justify going down to 8th for the last member if the standings hold?

You don't. You just wish for the best for her.

 

[lovegymnasts]

Yeah, I think this is who I'm rooting for too. We aren't going to be adding much of anything with that 5th spot. Wong is usable anywhere and she's put in the work having gone to worlds throughout the quad.

She's put in the work like everyone else but has not put out the performance like others have so far.

 

[Caligym]

Wong is in 8th….but only 0.075 behind Rivera and 0.125 behind Lincoln. Sumanasekera only 0.05 behind Wong. It’s a virtual dead heat from 6th to 9th. It is all about day 2.

 

[RichardL]

Every time I hear NBC (and this morning it was repeated in the Athletic daily) spout this nonsense about how Jordan Chiles "stepped up and helped secure silver for the US in Tokyo!" I want to scream. McCallum stepped up. Suni Lee stepped up. Jordan had an utter meltdown on floor, to go a long with her poor performance in qualifying.

I agree with this, except that McCallum was slated to do AA in TF before Biles went down, so she didn't really "step up" since she just did what she had already planned to do. Chiles had to do two extra events (UB/BB) while Lee only had to do one (FX). But agreed that both of them did really great on the events that they weren't planning to do that day. Chiles' fall was on a scheduled routine.

 

[lovegymnasts]

Wong is in 8th….but only 0.075 behind Rivera and 0.125 behind Lincoln. Sumanasekera only 0.05 behind Wong. It’s a virtual dead heat from 6th to 9th. It is all about day 2.

Over nationals and trials, she has under performed and that Cheng, yeah...no. She is not the beacon of consistency that people are touting her to be.

 

[Hatsumomo]

I like Wong, but yeah, she's not making a case. And that Cheng is far too risky. Who's to say the judges in Paris will give her the benefit of the doubt like the judges here did? Especially if they're using the Tokyo pen.

 

[MaryClare]

Leanne Wong has never had clever coaching. We know what GAGE are like, and I don’t rate the Florida coaches for elite at all

 

[RichardL]

Leanne Wong has never had clever coaching. We know what GAGE are like, and I don’t rate the Florida coaches for elite at all

I just watched her 2021 Worlds routines and she has regressed on every event since then.

 

[Passion]

Over nationals and trials, she has under performed and that Cheng, yeah...no. She is not the beacon of consistency that people are touting her to be.

Haven’t seen anyone here claiming that she is consistent. The posts in this thread are saying they want her because she’s been to worlds before or because they feel bad she was isolated in Tokyo.

Unless you are thinking of Sam Peszek, who makes believe every single gymnast is known for their consistency and declares all mistakes to be “uncharacteristic.”

 

[david]

Leanne's biggest challenge is that coming into trials it looked like the 5th spot would likely go to someone strong on VT and FX. Leanne focused on vault and floor upgrades in between nationals and trials (though we haven't see the FX upgrade yet). Now, what's most needed is someone strong on beam.

Beam has not been her friend for a while now. Even if we just focus on Nationals and Trials Night 1 her high score is only a little bit higher than Chiles (13.7) and Carey (13.575). Both scored higher than her on night 1 of trials and her low score is the lowest of the 3 (Carey and Chiles each got a 12.3 at Nationals). Though I think this will play less of a role in selection, the 11.7 on beam in 2023 world TF when you're looking for someone who can step into TF in the olympics on beam is not helping her.

Considering how things have gone, I don't think Leanne is completely out of contention and I'm sympathetic to her situation. But, I think its going to require other key players under-performing along with her over-performing to have a shot.

2023 Worlds: 13.366, 11.7
2024 US Classic: 12.4
2024 Nationals: 13.75, 11.7
2024 Trials Night 1: 13.225

 

[irichluck21]

Prevous Olympics too:
2008 - Sloan (though she was 2007 alfernate after being named to the team)
2004 - McCool
2000 - Schwikert

McCool was eligible for 2003 but chose to stay Junior, but also the Olympics was not her first major international competition, she was a member of the 2003 Pan American Games team that won gold and was silver medalist on vault. She was the all around champion at the Olympic Test Event and made all four finals where she was 2nd on vault, 3rd on bars, 7th on beam, and 5th on floor. That made her a favorite in Marta's eyes because the international judges loved her. McCool was then 2nd at 2004 American Cup behind Carly Patterson but ahead of Chellsie Memmel.

Sloan had major international experience before the Olympics, like you said she was the alternate in 2007. But she also went to the 2007 Test Event with Memmel in China. She won the all around bronze (ahead of Lauren Mitchell in 4th and Memmel in 5th). She was 7th in the bars final, 4th in the beam final, and won silver on floor, behind Cheng Fei, but ahead of Memmel (3rd), Daria Joura (4th), Jiang Yuyuan (5th). Sloan was also on the Jesolo team in 2008, when she tore a meniscus.


Schwikert did have the three American Cup meets, though not sure you would could classify it as an "international" meet. But there was some solid competition there: Produnova, Martinez, Polozkova. But yeah no major international team.

 

[PeakePups]

I feel like we are really looking for someone who can out score Jordan on any event, assuming that Simone, Suni, Jade and Jordan are locks:

Simone will do AA in TF, Suni will do UB/BB, Jade VT/FX. Right now that leaves Jordan doing AA in TF as the leadoff in every event (as she out scores Jade and Suni on their "weak" events).

So realistically who adds tenths over Jordan on any event?

There is also the consideration of who will do AA in qualifications. Right now the best AAers are Simone, Jordan and Suni. So if you want them to do AA in qualifications, you are then limited to finding someone who outscores Jordan on UB or BB.