2024 Winter Cup

[makam]

Maybe suni could go to pan and then?

I think they'll want her to do a full (or mostly full) difficulty routine. The benefit of doing one of the world cups was that she could phone it in and just do her basic routine and focus on the new skill. If she goes as a team event, that isn't really a thing to do.

 

[Ginger]

I think they'll want her to do a full (or mostly full) difficulty routine. The benefit of doing one of the world cups was that she could phone it in and just do her basic routine and focus on the new skill. If she goes as a team event, that isn't really a thing to do.

Exactly.
I am wondering if there is still a possibility (through camp) for Suni to go to Doha World Cup?
I know only MAG are supposed to go (already assigned), but last year, there were also only MAG assignments for Cairo World Cup and in the end, Joscelyn Roberson competed there too.

Roberson doubly golden at Cairo World Cup; Skirkey, Nelson top five • USA Gymnastics

Joscelyn Roberson collected three medals, two of them gold at the 2023 Cairo Apparatus World Cup, held Thursday through Sunday in Egypt. Ian Skirkey and Kameron Nelson each notched top-five finishes.

usagym.org

(the article I took the screenshot from is dated February 28, 2023)

 

[Hatsumomo]

There are quite a few new seniors that are unlikely to make enough of a splash to be in top consideration for the Olympics that the USA should have registered to send a couple of WAG to Doha and a team to DTB if Pacific Rim and Pan-Am are being reserved for the more likely Olympic candidates. There is no Worlds this year and after the Olympics, there's pretty much nothing competition-wise, so give the first-year seniors some experience to hold them over until 2025.

 

[MaryClare]

Ugh. I don’t know why it annoys me so much. But the obsession over getting a skill named that some gym fans have is just weird. A large part of the discussion around Suni has now moved from her chances of making the Olympics to how she can get her skill named.
And yes, it is ridiculous that you can get a skill named at a continental event, it should be limited to events that theoretically any athlete could compete at. Rant over

 

[Ginger]

Ugh. I don’t know why it annoys me so much. But the obsession over getting a skill named that some gym fans have is just weird. A large part of the discussion around Suni has now moved from her chances of making the Olympics to how she can get her skill named.
And yes, it is ridiculous that you can get a skill named at a continental event, it should be limited to events that theoretically any athlete could compete at. Rant over

Well, this is a discussion forum.
So we discuss, hypothesize, speculate, criticize, and as long as we don't bash or ridicule certain gymnasts (which also happens from time to time here, sadly), it's all okay.
Suni has been my favorite gymnast since she was junior. I would love to see her being part of 2024 olympic team, but I don't think it happens, sadly.
And she herself expressed a wish to get the skill named at a World Cup event. Hence my obsession.

 

[makam]

Well, this is a discussion forum.
So we discuss, hypothesize, speculate, criticize, and as long as we don't bash or ridicule certain gymnasts (which also happens from time to time here, sadly), it's all okay.
Suni has been my favorite gymnast since she was junior. I would love to see her being part of 2024 olympic team, but I don't think it happens, sadly.
And she herself expressed a wish to get the skill named at a World Cup event. Hence my obsession.

Also there isn't that much happening right now, we gotta peck over the crumbs we have until we get some new fodder...

There were a couple of newer seniors at Winter Cup who have potential in a few places but no one other than DiCello really made a (good) statement. Trin was reasonably solid but her ncaa perfection hasn't really carried over to elite difficulty. Her beam especially was more wobbly than I expected and well, sticking a double lay on bars was kinda her thing. So it was a good feet wetting competition but nothing that said "take me to the Olympics" (though I still would, still team Trinity for the fifth!).

 

[irichluck21]

I am wondering if there is still a possibility (through camp) for Suni to go to Doha World Cup?
I know only MAG are supposed to go (already assigned), but last year, there were also only MAG assignments for Cairo World Cup and in the end, Joscelyn Roberson competed there too.

I supposed it is always possible to send Suni to Doha, as long as USAG has registered a slot. It is not on their elite calendar though and Doha conflicts with Jesolo. The following weekend is Pac Rims. The beginning of May is Pan-American Championships followed by US Classic.
It is a busy April and May.

 

[RedBirdie]

I agree I don't have Trinity on my Olympic team, but I was impressed by her return. Most of these elite comebacks end up being disappointments, but trinity showed she's for real. Nearly five years away from elite, and she not only did AA but also hit all 4 routines. I thought her routines were well constructed, particularly floor where she has a 5.4 D score and "only" 3 passes. And her bars, she did such a great job of figuring out connections so she can get on and off as quick as possible and still have a 5.6 D.

 

[MaryClare]

Between the Gabby drama and Suni’s poor performance, Trinity doing an elite AA set, without falls, after 5 years has taken a back seat in the post meet discussion but my goodness it was impressive.

 

[RichardL]

I don't think Thomas has the Olympics as a goal. She has said many times that competing at the Olympic Trials to end her career is her primary motivator. And based on what she showed, as well as the upgrades we know she can make (esp on vault), that seems very realistic.

ETA: Remember that she was injured for the '21 season and didn't get a chance to be at Trials, so I imagine she just wants to have that whole experience with that huge crowd etc.

 

[RedBirdie]

Upgrade vault to a Y1.5, clean up the beam connections, and not go flying OOB on floor, that's another 1.0 to her AA score. I think those are reasonable things. At this point, if she doesn't make it to trials, I'd be surprised. Or absolutely crushed that injury is the reason she doesn't make it.

 

[irichluck21]

Upgrade vault to a Y1.5

She is training a DTY, so it might even take over as primary vault. Her 1.5 was just so textbook that IMO it would score better than a DTY, but it is elite so you never know.

 

[RedBirdie]

I didn't know that about the DTY. That could certainly shake things up a bit. I do think she played it smart only doing the FTY given her foot injury. She's got plenty of time to pace herself, and now that she's qualified to nationals she can focus on peaking at the right time.

Actually, I'm really interested to see how all the top-tier gymnasts are paced this year. No Marta, no Tom, maybe sanity reigns supreme and everyone learned from watching how Jade Carey was paced in 2024. Granted, Jade had a luxury no one else had (although Simone had it unofficially, they just mishandled her terribly), but it was so refreshing to see a US gymnast not having to peak 3 times leading up to the games, resulting in them being overworked and exhausted at the Olympics.

 

[Hatsumomo]

it was so refreshing to see a US gymnast not having to peak 3 times leading up to the games, resulting in them being overworked and exhausted at the Olympics.

Especially when you consider that the two NTCs (or whatever their actual titles are) come from the team that went into the Olympics exhausted and 4/6 injured (and one of the two healthy gymnasts spent half the quad recovering from an ankle injury) due to having to essentially compete at peak for two months prior to the Games.

 

[RedBirdie]

If you need a smile today, watch Dulcy Caylor finding out she got an international assignment, and all her teammates being there to share that excitement with her.

 

[Ginger]

I saw this video on Twitter already.
I can spot all WCC elites except of Simone...

 

[MaryClare]

I saw this video on Twitter already.
I can spot all WCC elites except of Simone...

Simone has been away at a wedding. Somewhere hot and tropical

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Especially when you consider that the two NTCs (or whatever their actual titles are) come from the team that went into the Olympics exhausted and 4/6 injured (and one of the two healthy gymnasts spent half the quad recovering from an ankle injury) due to having to essentially compete at peak for two months prior to the Games.

The impact of the Beijing experience is a really interesting point. Chellsie and Alicia are probably the two best examples from Marta's whole tenure of athletes who should've been unofficially named to the team much earlier than they were, and managed accordingly.

For obvious reasons the fake DOBs are the story of 08. But the Americans must've worked out for themselves that even with the non-level playing field, had they been healthy they could still have beaten China.

 

[tempest]

How would the US overcome China's bars advantage though?

 

[RichardL]

How would the US overcome China's bars advantage though?

If you give them back Sacramone's falls, they're only .8 from gold. I would've had Sloan do UB, which could have closed the gap by a few more tenths. But not sure a healthy Memmel could have done that, especially as I'm not sure where they would've used her. The three up on beam and floor were all very solid on paper (at Trials I would've had her in over Liukin, but the Beijing judges loved Liukin on FX), and they didn't need her DTY.