British WAG (and MAG!) talk

[irichluck21]

People from Telford holiday in Florida. People from Florida do not vacation in Telford

I thought it was confirmed that Booth had family in that area and that the family was out there for an extended stay, which resulted in her training there?

I'm thinking her path to the team is outperforming GMF or Downie withdrawing from the selection process. She's talented enough for the British team to hone her talents for next quad, but I think she'll add important depth in any case.

Does she have a path this year? Does she have a FIG license for GB? Is it too late to acquire one?
Perhaps if she intends to compete for GB, her goal isn't Paris, but perhaps Los Angeles?
It would be a "home" Olympics. There are various NCAA athletes now that intend to go for 2028 since it will be a home Olympics for them, though they will be representing another country other than USA.

Switching now doesn't make sense time wise for Paris, but now makes sense for long term =LA28 because there is going to be more competition to make the LA team in the US than ever before. I anticipate the majority of the US elite athletes training for Paris will push toward LA because the chance to compete at home for Worlds or Olympics is rare.
In fact none of the US seniors have ever had a home Worlds let alone Olympics.
I wonder if we will see Amy Chow, Shannon Miller, or Dominique Moceanu make a comeback for 2028?

 

[MaryClare]

I don’t believe it was confirmed that she has family in the Shropshire area, just that her reason for being in England was visiting family, rather than gymnastics related.

To British gym fans, the specific club she was at immediately raised eyebrows in ways that the academy or Aylesbury etc would not, because it’s 10 miles away from the national training centre. It would enable national team staff to unofficially see her gymnastics, and for her to meet them and find out more about the programme.

Is there time, yes absolutely. She doesn’t hold a FIG licence for the US, so it would be very straightforward to get one for GB. Probably only a couple of weeks. She might want to try for 2028 too, it could be that the injury situation in GB has caused her to speed things up as she sees a big opportunity this year

 

[MaryClare]

I am actually more surprised by the inclusion of Amelie Morgan. It’s a very long journey from Utah, right in the middle of ncaa season

 

[Samxo]

I am actually more surprised by the inclusion of Amelie Morgan. It’s a very long journey from Utah, right in the middle of ncaa season

I wonder if Amelie saw an opportunity when Jess got injured. Depending on how much she goes for it, she could be the 3rd AA (obviously depending on who makes the team)

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

I am actually more surprised by the inclusion of Amelie Morgan. It’s a very long journey from Utah, right in the middle of ncaa season

Definitely! It feels like more of a statement than Charlotte too. There's just no reason at all for Amelie to do this if she weren't attempting Paris. The level of disruption is much higher because of her doing NCAA, and there was no whisper of this. Whereas with Charlotte, there've been rumours here and there, albeit nothing concrete, and it's possible she might have longer term plans too.

I see why Amelie would want to do this now rather than later though. If she's ready, it makes sense for her to do a qualifying competition far away from the NCAA finals as possible. I know they have the petitioning process, but you have to think that was designed with people like Giarnni and Joe in mind rather than someone who's not competed elite this quad at all.

 

[irichluck21]

I don’t believe it was confirmed that she has family in the Shropshire area, just that her reason for being in England was visiting family, rather than gymnastics related.

Sorry...I didn't mean from that particular area, but the reason for her being in England. but you have WAYYYY better knowledge of British geography than I do!

 

[MaryClare]

Sorry...I didn't mean from that particular area, but the reason for her being in England. but you have WAYYYY better knowledge of British geography than I do!

Yes, last year the reason given for her training in England was that she was on an extended holiday to visit family. But it would be a massive coincidence to have family in middle of nowhere Shropshire, 10 miles of the national training centre.

I cannot emphasise this enough. It’s TELFORD. I’ve been to mining towns in Siberia with more charm and less dilapidated concrete architecture than Telford.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Startlist for the English Championships is out already. Amelie and Charlotte are indeed included. Competition isn't til the first weekend of March.

https://www.gymdata.co.uk/Download.ashx?ProcessType=document&EventID=2414&DocumentID=29

 

[Puffin]

Yes, last year the reason given for her training in England was that she was on an extended holiday to visit family. But it would be a massive coincidence to have family in middle of nowhere Shropshire, 10 miles of the national training centre.

I cannot emphasise this enough. It’s TELFORD. I’ve been to mining towns in Siberia with more charm and less dilapidated concrete architecture than Telford.

Yeah - Telford is not really a tourism destination in the UK, most of it being built as a post WWII, planned new town in the 1960s. Unless of course she is a devotee of 18th Century, ironwork Engineering.

But Telford does have the benefit of being VERY handily placed for the centre of British Gymnastics

 

[MaryClare]

It certainly seems like 2023 was the year when everyone who can do a double back decided to explore their heritage

 

[KristyJ]

Honestly I think it's really neat that so many NCAA gymnasts are going for the Olympics. It's such an enormous change in the outlook of the sport, I imagine it will change how people view older athletes much more completely than has been done in the past. How many are trying it this year either via a year off or training for it while at school? Jade Carey, Leanne Wong, Kayla DiCello, Jordan Chiles, Konor McClain, Aleah Finnegan, Emma Malabuyo, Amelie Morgan, Luisa Blanco...

 

[Gymfan93]

Startlist for the English Championships is out already. Amelie and Charlotte are indeed included. Competition isn't til the first weekend of March.

https://www.gymdata.co.uk/Download.ashx?ProcessType=document&EventID=2414&DocumentID=29

Well, that makes olympic selection more interesting… Amelie hasn’t done FX or VT at Itah, though, unless I’m mistaken (I don’t follow NCAA too closely)

 

[RAFIKI]

 

[FlipSkippy]

I wonder if Nastia Liukin is Charlotte's role model with the hot pink Leo and flicky wrists.

 

[Gymfan93]

Kinsella still committed to the 2.5… although this training vid looks much improved

 

[Bob]

I thought Charlotte Booth might be more realistically hoping for a worlds place later in the year. She would have to have much improved her difficulty on floor and vault to be considered for Paris.

 

[Bob]

Well done, I’m in awe of everyone who has been predicting Charlotte Booth’s ambitions for consideration in the British squad for so many months with only a sliver of evidence.

Frankly, I thought you were all mad fantasists, clutching at random events. Now I can see you are super intuitive super-sleuths; the Hetty Wainthropps of the British gymnastics world.

not really there have been rumours for ages.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Kinsella still committed to the 2.5… although this training vid looks much improved

A bit but still looks short and knee jangling.

 

[RedBirdie]

I thought Charlotte Booth might be more realistically hoping for a worlds place later in the year. She would have to have much improved her difficulty on floor and vault to be considered for Paris.

There's no worlds this year. Next worlds is individual worlds in 2025 (and still no host city!)

 

[Gymfan93]

A bit but still looks short and knee jangling.

i Don’t even think the upgrade is worth it any more.