2024 US Olympic Trials WAG Day 2 (6/30)

[irichluck21]

Roberson wouldn't have gotten the nod over Rivera just for bars alone.

Let's also be honest. Roberson would not be getting the scores she got at Trials at the Olympics.
Rivera is more likely of the two to get higher execution scores on beam.

Putting Roberson on the team meant that Carey would be doing bars, as Roberson's set has no business being used in team competition.

 

[rlayt]

Roberson ‘s beam placement was due to not falling. Better beamers fell.

 

[ucrgirl]

If they end up benching Hezly for TF, then assuming she hasn’t made any finals, she becomes a slightly controversial pick. Although Alicia did say something about investing for the future. But a valeri gymnast is not where I’d invest!

I don't think it would be controversial. Assuming Suni, Biles and Chiles have the beam mistakes sorted, Roberson could easily have been benched if she were on the team. Hypothetically, you might have tried Wong's Cheng over Jordan's DTY for TF but we know Wong's vault is iffy.

The top four are so strong that the fifth member could easily be viewed as the on-team alternate.

 

[CameliasFingerpaint]

It’s weird that they were considering top scoring teams for Team Finals, when there was literally no wording in the selection criteria about maximum scores in 5-3-3. The idea of Roberson going to Paris as a beam specialist is kind of hilarious.

 

[RedBirdie]

Going by the charts included, Roberson would have replaced Chiles, not Rivera.

I'd also like to point out of the 13 athletes who made it all the way through Day 2 of Trials, Roberson's e score average over the 2024 meets was 13th on vault, 12th on bars, 11th on beam, and 12th on floor. Not exactly the "world class presentation" noted in the selection criteria.

 

[RichardL]

I agree with all of this haha, just saying that we haven't seen any big upsets outside of the rankings at Olympic Trials in recent cycles, and I think there was a way for her to place high enough to make it impossible to ignore her despite the fact that it would've been a poor choice.

Post-Marta USAG has gone rank order from Olympic Trials in both cycles thus far.

 

[irichluck21]

Rank order, other than 2020 was the highest scoring team.
2020 was .3 difference between McCallum and Skinner, but that was because of Skinner's Cheng, and didn't account for bars, beam, floor/ AA coverage. As we saw in Tokyo, McCallum ended up being used for all four events in team finals. I doubt that would have been an option for Skinner. Certainly not on bars. Skinner bested McCallum in TQ AA qualifications by .233, but that was with McCallum getting a .5 deduction from D score for missing leap requirement.

 

[makam]

So the tables don't show it, but would Shi's scores just for bars have been a better add over Hezly's beam? Even if she was only able to do a layout fly away dismount?

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Rank order, other than 2020 was the highest scoring team.
2020 was .3 difference between McCallum and Skinner, but that was because of Skinner's Cheng, and didn't account for bars, beam, floor/ AA coverage. As we saw in Tokyo, McCallum ended up being used for all four events in team finals. I doubt that would have been an option for Skinner. Certainly not on bars. Skinner bested McCallum in TQ AA qualifications by .233, but that was with McCallum getting a .5 deduction from D score for missing leap requirement.

I think it would've been not only fine, but could even have improved the US team score slightly. Remember, McCallum's vault and bars in TFs were both weaker than usual, so the gap on vault was bigger than in prelims and the gap on bars basically disappeared. We have less data for Mykayla, but we also know the NCAA experience had made her very consistent, so it matters less.

The event with clear water would've been beam, since there was no way Skinner was getting a 13.6. I'm sure we all remember that 7.1 for a basically hit set in prelims!

But there was never anything much to choose between the two, and what happened in Tokyo bears that out. The answer to nearly all Grace v McKayla questions in 2021 is 'either'.

 

[irichluck21]

So the tables don't show it, but would Shi's scores just for bars have been a better add over Hezly's beam? Even if she was only able to do a layout fly away dismount?

She was medically unable to compete day 2, so I would assume she has torn her ACL? I don't believe it has been confirmed anywhere. It would have been super risky to take an athlete with an injured knee and injured shoulder just for bars.

Sad for her, but happy she and her coach made the right decision to withdraw from Trials.

 

[RichardL]

I can only imagine the grief Jones is feeling right now, after everything that happened last cycle. Every time I see her in a clip of something (like in the Antwerp scenes on the Biles TV show) my heart breaks for her yet again.

 

[rlayt]

I feel so bad for her. I just hope she’s going to be healthy and able to come back. Maybe Jakarta for her?

 

[Hatsumomo]

Shilese should be in Paris right now and it sucks looking at the Olympics advertising with her in it. I can't imagine how she feels right now. To be that damn close to achieving such a huge goal and injuries take you out at the finish line; it's demoralizing.

 

[Gymfan93]

I really hope 2025 worlds is a comeback meet for so many people.almost every team seems to have lost a top gymnast.

 

[RAFIKI]

Double shame that the sheer number of injuries plus the terrible format means this won’t happen.

Sorry to be a negative nelly (Kim), meh day. Anyway, this time next week we’ll know all the finalists

 

[irichluck21]

Next weekend is going to be a busy weekend!

 

[Big_rock_show]

Next weekend is going to be a busy weekend!

Bring it on!!