British WAG (and MAG!) talk

[MaryClare]

She remained on the USSR national team until summer 1992 when it was disbanded. She was coached by Ostapenko, in the same training group as Lysenko and Kalinina. I don’t know why she retired, but comparatively few of Ukraine’s senior gymnasts competed past 1992, despite the increased opportunities.

 

[Samxo]

https://www.scottishgymnastics.org/sites/default/files/imce/2023%20Scottish%20National%20Artistic%20Gymnastics%20Championships%20Programme.pdf

Gymnasts competing at the Scottish Championships this weekend. Becky and Max are competing as guest!!!

 

[RAFIKI]

2023 Welsh Artistic Open Championships will be doubling as a Euros trial. The WAG worlds team and Becky will be competing.

www.welshgymnastics.org/news/2023/02/16/welsh-artistic-open-championships-2023-tickets-now-on-sale/

 

[Gymfan93]

I’m nowhere near Cardiff/ but tempted to take a trip. … I suppose a stream or scores or anything may be asking too much!

 

[Samxo]

Praying that gymdata pull though, but most likey not

 

[J175]

That list might be incomplete, but if not are we down to just six (plus any of the Welsh gymnasts who are involved) trialling for the Euros team? Not that anyone else is really in contention, but there isn’t much depth if anyone gets injured.

 

[RAFIKI]

I’m also tempted, the pre-worlds trimeet at that venue was fun.

 

[esta]

Wondering the same thing. Are Kelly Simm and Frags officially retired or just not competing here?

 

[Gymfan93]

GB does not seem to have a B team at the moment. It’s a bit worrying. A 2018 style injury outbreak would be a disaster.

 

[MaryClare]

Covid seems to have had a disastrous impact on the British gymnasts who were juniors in 2020.

Whilst most countries had some restrictions on training, Britain’s went on longer than most. Junior elite athletes were treated the same as recreational participants, even if they were national team members, and were prevented from training for months at the start of the pandemic and again periodically during subsequent lockdowns.

Many of them will have had no training at all from March- September 2020.

 

[Bob]

the Welsh open is listed on Gymdata so the scores should be live

 

[J175]

Scottish Championships

MAG AA

Pavel Karnejenko 81.900
Cameron Lynn 79.400
Hamish Carter 78.850

WAG

Lottie Smith 46.6
Milli De O’Hara 43.4
Erin Fraser 43.3
Tilly Bee 43.3

Smith has apparently switched from England. Shannon Archer recently had surgery, while three time Commonwealth Games team member Cara Kennedy has retired.

All three WAG categories, and MAG senior and under 18, were won by gymnasts at English clubs.

Max Whitlock competed on PH (14.85, 6.7 D), PB (13.5) and HB (13.45). Becky Downie did not take part after appearing on the entry list. Hope she’s OK.

 

[Doug1233]

Max Whitlock competed on PH (14.85, 6.7 D)

That’s pretty good no?

 

[J175]

No idea how tight the scoring was but yes. For context, in Tokyo Max scored 14.9, 14.966 and 15.583 (which he did need to win gold) and he had 7.0 D there, but 6.7 D is still a top international pommels routine.

 

[Bob]

I noticed how many categories were won by English Club gymnasts. Several have transferred recently. Representing Scotland is attractive because they do more international competitions than England squad. The main draw being the Commonwealth games (GB squad does CW not Eng squad) but also Northern Euros and some others. England squad is no longer funded either (meaning athletes have to pay for their accommodation, flights, all kit etc).

 

[MaryClare]

The England squad thing needs to go. It doesn’t benefit the gymnasts. Bring them into the GB set up as a reserve team. It’s more incentivising and better coaching and facilities are more likely to see these gymnasts improve. Especially with the lack of depth in the GB team at the moment.

Often the gymnasts on the England squad are those who passed the elite grade out of age. That they are later developing doesn’t mean they don’t have the potential to reach international elite level, at least on some apparatus.

We see from America that many gymnasts don’t become a top level 10 until they are 16/17 and many continue to improve in college. In GB, if you don’t pass the elite grade at 11, you are put on the scrap heap. It’s very short sighted

 

[makam]

Someone would have to do the numbers, but WAG finally appears to be trending older, with gymnasts being able to do two quads and sometimes more. You don’t have to be 16 the year of the Olympics and then retire immediately in most countries. Having a gymnast who develops later and maybe doesn’t have as many chronic injuries as one that was pushed hard earlier can only be a benefit in making up the core of a team.

 

[MaryClare]

I’m not sure. GB has never had that trend of going to the Olympics at 16 and retiring.

2008:
Beth Tweddle: continued to London 2012
Imogen Cairns: continued to London 2012
Hannah Whelan: continued to Glasgow 2014
Becky Wing: went to NCAA
Marissa King: went to NCAA
Becky Downie: still competing

2012:
Beth Tweddle- retired after 3rd Olympics
Jen Pinches- went to NCAA
Hannah Whelan- continued with elite after her 2nd Olympics
Imogen Cairns- retired after 2nd Olympics
Becky Tunney- retired 2016 after being an alternate for Rio.

2016:
Ellie Downie- announced her retirement last week
Becky Downie- still competing
Claudia Fragapane- still competing
Ruby Harold- went to NCAA
Amy Tinkler- retired in 2018

The last time GB had significant post Olympic retirement was 2004 when Lennon, Line, Hobbs and Fennell retired and Nicola Willis left to do NCAA with only Tweddle continuing

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Yes, GB gymnasts quite routinely compete into their 20s, but covid and injury aside, I can’t think of any who haven’t been on the senior team at 16-17. The lack of depth means doing multiple quads is quite normal, and that’s been the case since GB started qualifying full teams in the late 90s.

 

[Hatsumomo]

We see from America that many gymnasts don’t become a top level 10 until they are 16/17 and many continue to improve in college.

There’s also the fact that America doesn’t really utilize their junior elite gymnasts. Only Gymnix and Jesolo are yearly. Pac Rim and Pan-Ams are every other year or every four years. Post-Atlanta, it’s nonsensical to be qualifying elite at 11 when you’re not eligible for senior elite for another five years and depending on your birthdate, it could then be another three years before the Olympics.

Also, the difficulty necessitated and expected by the USA being a top 3 country is too much for a child to be training for years.