2024 Winter Cup

[Ginger]

Here is a tentative WAG elite calendar for the next 3 month (then just domestic competitions and Olympics). Looks like USAG doesn't plan to attend Doha World Cup, just Baku.
And then there is DTB Pokal, Jesolo, Pacific Rim and Pan Am. Do they plan to send a senior WAG team to all these events? I know they only sent two juniors to Jesolo last year.

https://static.usagym.org/PDFs/Women/calendar24.pdf

 

[Ginger]

No, because registration deadlines have passed. US registered for 2 WAG spots at Baku and none for Doha. Though Chiles and Miller were the names submitted, federations can change who they actually sent. But you can't make a last minute decision to attend a world cup.

Is a nominative list for Doha out yet?

 

[lovegymnasts]

Suni did two events and placed 26th and 13th on them. If she goes to Baku it’s over a large number of gymnasts who out performed her at Winter Cup.

Lots of these girls would love an international assignment. I don’t know why some of you feel representing Team USA internationally is nothing, but it’s a big goal for many. Especially most of the gymnasts at this meet in contention for the assignment who haven’t been to a Worlds or Olympics already.

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[lovegymnasts]

Suni Lee did not demonstrate that she currently has a shot at the Olympics, IMO.

Another Thank You!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Caligym]

Kayla Dicello, Trinity Thomas, Hezly Rivera and Skye Blakely…all showed routines at this comp that should put them ahead of Suni to be considered for an international assignment. Do we know if they are interested in going to world cups?

 

[Caligym]

I would also add Kaliya Lincoln and maybe Katelyn Jong to that list.

 

[Denn]

Damn, I want Paul Juda as a future commentator.

He's in the booth for a rotation with Sam and John. We've suffered through so many newbie commentators, Juda sounds like he's been doing it for years. Has he been commentating NCAA meets or something? He sounds like a professional.

Maybe say silky smooth five or six less times lol.

Where did that happen? Would love to hear.

 

[Denn]

I'd like to find out who else WANTS to go to Baku. Suni Lee did not show readiness for Baku, frankly, but if she's footing the bill, and nobody who ranked well above her wants to go, I guess it's okay.

 

[Passion]

Where did that happen? Would love to hear.

Day 2 of Winter Cup, different people were sitting with them in the booth for different rotations. Raj Bhavsar was on the 2nd rotation, Brett McClure was on the 5th rotation, and Paul Juda joined for the 4th rotation. 1:25:30 is the time mark for his start.

 

[BB12]

Kayla Dicello, Trinity Thomas, Hezly Rivera and Skye Blakely…all showed routines at this comp that should put them ahead of Suni to be considered for an international assignment. Do we know if they are interested in going to world cups?

I don't think Trinity was going for a March assignment - likely due to her Florida coaching responsibilities.

If I'm Skye, I'm pushing for one. Go to Baku and show you can hit beam 2 days in a row.

 

[Caligym]

,

I'd like to find out who else WANTS to go to Baku. Suni Lee did not show readiness for Baku, frankly, but if she's footing the bill, and nobody who ranked well above her wants to go, I guess it's okay.

Agree.. anyone who finished top 3 on an event at wintercup should be head of the line…but do we have any idea who WANTS to go!?

 

[RichardL]

Am I the only one who thinks that this goal of getting a skill named after her is a weird one for Suni to be foregrounding during the Olympic year? Like, if she wants to make the Olympic team, surely she can construct a routine using that skill and thus get it named after her in Paris? I think her time would be better served getting her routines ready for the upcoming meets than traveling across the world on the merits of a skill that she has yet to catch in competition.

 

[BB12]

Am I the only one who thinks that this goal of getting a skill named after her is a weird one for Suni to be foregrounding during the Olympic year? Like, if she wants to make the Olympic team, surely she can construct a routine using that skill and thus get it named after her in Paris? I think her time would be better served getting her routines ready for the upcoming meets than traveling across the world on the merits of a skill that she has yet to catch in competition.

Maybe it's an indication she isn't confident she will make the team? Or maybe isn't sure if she will continue with elite beyond this quad wants to get the skill named while the opportunity is available.

 

[Kara]

Maybe unpopular speculation, but my first thought was that Suni wants to go to Baku, get the skill named, and then will just fade off kind of like Shawn Johnson in 2012. With it being an Olympic year she can't outright retire if she wants to keep sponsor deals, but from the articles put out IMO it doesn't seem like her health will be conducive to training for and competing in the Olympics.

 

[MaryClare]

Maybe it's an indication she isn't confident she will make the team? Or maybe isn't sure if she will continue with elite beyond this quad wants to get the skill named while the opportunity is available.

Even if she does make the team, it might not be a risk she’s able to take at the Olympics. Bars is a difficult final to get into, and very tight to medal in, so she can’t really afford to do it in the same way that Simone can afford to do the YDP

 

[Sasha]

I don't know, but I don't see Suni wanting to fade off into the sunset. She's faced adversity before and has pushed through it. I get the sense that she is a very ambitious gymnast that wants to achieve as much as possible. Pursuing a named skill is perhaps an odd goal for an Olympic year, but doing it the way she is - trying to get it out of the way early, in a low-stakes meet - makes sense.

I have mixed feelings about whether she should be sent to Baku. From the sounds of things, she doesn't lack the physical readiness to do the skill, as she hit it multiple times in warmups, podium training, etc. On the other hand, getting a named skill can't be high on USAG's priority list, especially in an Olympic year - why put her ahead of other who outperformed her at the qualifying meet? So I have reservations, but less due to readiness and more due to fairness and priorities.

 

[MaryClare]

I wonder if a lot of Suni’s motivation is driven from becoming Olympic champion by default.

If she does make the team, it’s looking like she’ll have competed at 2 Olympics with zero international competition in between. Whilst impressive, I’m not sure it’s good for the sport

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

I'd like to find out who else WANTS to go to Baku. Suni Lee did not show readiness for Baku, frankly, but if she's footing the bill, and nobody who ranked well above her wants to go, I guess it's okay.

That's a great point, and I hadn't thought of it this way. I don't think we've seen a list of gymnasts who've made themselves available for the assignment, have we?

 

[Puffin]

I think Suni's competition on Saturday demonstrated that she needs a period of uninterrupted training to get herself on track. Even with the really generous scores she got (7.9E on bb with a fall) she doesn't seem ready yet. To me it doesn't really make sense to interrupt training again to dash over to Baku just to get a skill named. She needs to be fully ready in 3 months. I mean getting a skill named is a "nice to have" but not at the expense of solid training and building endurance. It makes me wonder whether she is truly aiming at the Olympics.

She also clearly needs to take care of her fragile health - another reason perhaps to avoid flying out to Baku (in flu and Covid season) and having to manage unfamiliar foods and the depletion of travel and competing.

 

[Matilda23]

Maybe Suni wants to compete against and beat Simone in an Olympic final. Suni had a chance in Tokyo BB final but Simone beat her and won the bronze.