2024 Winter Cup

[RedBirdie]

Westerman won vault (I think only she and Tressel showed 2 vaults), Damelio won floor, while Pease took bars and beam.

 

[rlayt]

You speak the truth. It might be too late for her to get it too.

 

[MaryClare]

I literally cannot believe we landed a man on the moon 50 years ago and yet USAG cannot host a simple website with live scores...

Yesterday

 

[MaryClare]

The juniors are so underwhelming given that normally an Olympic year is packed with fantastic juniors. Perhaps though it’s indicative of a real shift in the sport

 

[Laura722]

I feel like the code has increasingly made the majority of gymnasts, minus a select few standouts, very underwhelming. I'm not sure I'm conveying what I mean correctly, but there is so little originality.

 

[KristyJ]

I have had thoughts about the development leadership in USAG for years, and more and more that seems to be panning out. It's back to being like the 90s with a few good gyms and then not a lot.

 

[JaJa]

The juniors are so underwhelming given that normally an Olympic year is packed with fantastic juniors. Perhaps though it’s indicative of a real shift in the sport

That is my fear

 

[irichluck21]

The juniors are so underwhelming given that normally an Olympic year is packed with fantastic juniors. Perhaps though it’s indicative of a real shift in the sport

I think there is a major shift happening and it is a combination of several factors I think.

1. The LN situation and the fall out of the leadership team and system that was created to allow the culture in which abuse can take place has dissuaded parents. My brother and sister in law refuse to put my niece in gymnastics because of the bad press USA Gymnastics received (and rightfully so for them to feel that way) and know other parents who are hesitant about gymnastics.

2. The increasing popularity of NCAA and the increasing parity of teams, along with NIL, make NCAA more attractive and possibly more lucrative than going the elite route. Especially with the increased broadcast coverage of NCAA meets.

3. The Olympics have lost a great deal of prestige over the decades, and to be honest, I wonder how many more Olympics are left before they are phased out completely. It will be interesting to see if LA 2028 does anything for the US at least in terms of creating excitement.

Definitely a combination of factors IMO, but these are some of the major ones.

 

[RichardL]

Arguably though it's a much smaller concern these days since so many gymnasts do both NCAA and elite gymnastics at the same time. There are plenty of gymnasts to take over next quad when some of the two-quad gymnasts retire. Sumanasekera, Pease, and Roberson will likely be strong contenders for Worlds next year, along with anyone at Trials who sticks around after Paris.

 

[irichluck21]

Oh being able to do both, means elites are staying in elite longer.
But also NCAA is a more desirable package than it was years ago.
Especially when you are seeing the success of Division 3 schools and the emergence of HBCUs with gymnastics programs.

If you are a borderline Dev 10, do you go for elite knowing that the Olympics and Worlds are impossible? Granted for many, just qualifying elite is a goal and making it to nationals as well.

But also, Olympians are continuing their careers longer now. Before it was do a Worlds/Olympics then go NCAA and retire (or go pro). So there is more depth than before. How do you compete with three former Olympic all around champions, plus other Olympians and alternates?

But look at how many elites just scaled back to level 10 this year alone, especially those that did do junior elite.

 

[Sasha]

Is it possible that juniors are also being paced more slowly than in the past? Given that there's less of an assumption that elite careers end at 18ish?

 

[Laura722]

Big cheers for Suni. At least there is a crowd today.

 

[QuietColours]

I can't with NCAA, but an early season elite meet with most of the big names missing? I'm here.

 

[RedBirdie]

Let's gooooooo!

 

[RedBirdie]

Live scores are seemingly broken again. JFC.

 

[RedBirdie]

Myli Lew has the most beautiful toe point. Too bad about hitting the bar on her jeager and falling on her dismount.

 

[Hatsumomo]

Myli Lew bombs UB. Manages to stay on the bar after hitting her leg on her piked Jaeger then falls on double layout dismount

 

[Hatsumomo]

Nola Matthews with the giallo film floor music

 

[RedBirdie]

Digging Nola's leo. Unless there's weird mesh midsection cutouts I'm not seeing, it's almost something out of 2007 (in a good way!)

 

[RedBirdie]

Skye off bars (van leuween?)