Alternates.. some in Japan, some not

[Empress_Sato]

What do you all think of the rumor/news (?) reported on the latest Gymcastic episode regarding alternates?

Jessica heard that countries who do not have a +1 or +2 athlete will be allowed to bring an alternate into Japan, while countries like the US, China, and Russia who have the extra gymnasts cannot. The +1 and +2 gymnast is to serve as a built in alternate.

I agree with Spencer. This is not fair to those countries who earned the individual spots. Those countries who have a non-nominative spot may now be more inclined to bring another all around gymnast rather than a specialist, which, in my mind, defeats the purpose of the +1/+2.

This has the potential to hurt Riley’s chance as a +1.

 

[irichluck21]

I would like to know where Jessica heard this from, she has been wrong more times than right.

I don’t think McCusker’s chances at +1 are at risk as if the US needed someone they would use Carey and restructure their line up.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

If this is true, perhaps it might go some way towards alleviating the existing unfairness towards teams who’ve only qualified four.

 

[irichluck21]

I almost wish that FIG after deciding to cancel the World Cup series, also cancelled the continentals and reallocated the spots to the top 12 to allow for a 5th athlete for each team.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

The continental route seems to have been a mixture of the sublime and the ridiculous.

 

[irichluck21]

It did allow for Andrade and Iordache, but the other spots were kind of pointless.

 

[RAFIKI]

We’ll see if this is true. The whole “we’re not allowed an alternate in the country” was speculated to be part of the Downie “rationale” so I’m angry all over again just thinking about it.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Adem Asil is worth having too.

I’m fine with seeing Egypt and South Africa have an athlete each, we do need some representation from each continent although it can be achieved through mechanisms other than continental championships. But people defending the two spots for Africa on the grounds of representation and fairness when one of the MAG qualifiers is a US citizen who lives and trains in Maryland was a bit much.

 

[irichluck21]

South Africa and Egypt also had qualified outright through Worlds for the WAG

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

There is that. I didn’t mind those spots too much, especially as Naveen Daries did actually finish ahead of some individual qualifiers at the last worlds anyway, but it’s a difficult one to call.

 

[QuietColours]

Per the men’s press conference, it sounds like this was just a rumor. Alternates will be allowed to train in the country until the start of the competition, then will need to leave (as they can no longer be subbed in). Men’s and women’s alternates will train in separate locations; the men will be at the high school program in Funabashi.

 

[Doug1233]

as if the US needed someone they would use Carey and restructure their line up.

What would have happened if Jordan was switched out for Jade in TF after prelims (I know this was never a possibility).

Would USA have won gold with:

Grace, Jade, Simone (Y1.5)
Jade, Grace, Suni
Jade, Grace, Suni
Grace, Suni, Jade

 

[MRR]

Using Jade’s best scores of the Games, the team still ends up short: 169.528 for ROC to 168.696 for USA.

 

[irichluck21]

What would have happened if Jordan was switched out for Jade in TF after prelims (I know this was never a possibility).

Biles’ 13.700 vault immediately put them into the hole. There was no way USA was going to win gold after that, even if Biles had somehow managed to continue competing. Based on ROC’s bars and execution scores on beam (even with falls) and floor were just too much. The US just got nailed on dance elements and toko a major drop on execution score from previous international events.

 

[RedBirdie]

Yep. ROC’s e score in finals was 100.728, compared to the US 98.096. (They were tied for D score, FWIW). A team just cannot afford to have a sub-7 execution score (Chiles floor) and expect to fight for gold.

ROC just looked so much better than we anticipated. Even substituting Biles’ prelims score in, the US still falls short (again, Chiles on floor is a killer), ending with a 168.796 vs. Russia’s 169.528. Maybe if you had the podium training versions of Biles and McCallum, it would have been a fight. But, Chiles’ floor was just so bad.

 

[Doug1233]

What about if you take out Grace and have a team of Simone Suni Jade and Skinner?

 

[Doug1233]

I wouldn’t say Russia looked better than I thought.

The kicker was the E scores for dance elements on beam and floor were brutal. And Russia benefit enormously from that change in judging direction. They can all hit a split with un-turned out hips.

 

[RedBirdie]

What about if you take out Grace and have a team of Simone Suni Jade and Skinner?

Using Simone and Suni’s TF scores, and Jade and MyKayla’s prelim scores…still not enough

Vault	Bars	Beam	Floor
43.865	43.199	40.232	41.332	168.628
Biles	13.766
Carey	15.166	14.133	12.866	14.1
Lee	15.4	14.133	13.666
Skinner	14.933	13.666	13.233	13.566

 

[Doug1233]

So the score actually goes down when you take out Grace?

Interesting…!

 

[MRR]

No, Skinner increases the team total relative to Grace, but does not bring the U.S. ahead of ROC. 168.628 is using Skinner with Jade’s prelims scores, which goes up to 168.928 with her AA Cheng and EF floor.

168.696 has Grace in with Jade’s best scores.