British WAG (and MAG!) talk

[irichluck21]

Camarah Williams is someone that I don't think did elite until she was 16 for example.

 

[J175]

Camarah Williams is someone that I don't think did elite until she was 16 for example.

The US meaning of elite is a bit different though, where juniors need to be scoring 50+ to qualify for the US championships, and 49 to even compete at the smaller meets. You could almost count on your fingers the number of British gymnasts of any age competing at that level.

They certainly need to relax the age rules for younger gymnasts though.

 

[irichluck21]

Hence why GBR has a depth issue

 

[Hatsumomo]

It's interesting (and restrictive) to be so unyielding about age when we've had World Champions who didn't start gymnastics until age 8-11. The sport has been moving away from expecting the top gymnasts to have started the sport while still wearing Pampers. And there's so little for junior elites to do that I question what's the point in having 11-year-old elites. In the USA, junior elite will never really go away, but I'd imagine more gymnasts with less favorable birth years will skip junior elite entirely and qualify elite the year they turn 16.

 

[tempest]

Was this posted?

 

[Doug1233]

They gave her an 8.0E with a fall?

That doesn't smell right.

Though that Tkatchev half I would definitely credit.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

They gave her an 8.0E with a fall?

That doesn't smell right.

Though that Tkatchev half I would definitely credit.

Nothing about the scoring last week smelled right. It started off fairly generous, and then spiralled. I wouldn't expect replication internationally.

 

[RedBirdie]

"started off fairly generous, and then spiralled" could also describe NCAA scoring.

 

[RedBirdie]

Have we established how a Filipino who lives in Japan found himself in Shropshire in the middle of World Cup season?

Carlos is coach-less and gym-less. He's training all over the world. Crazy.

https://olympics.com/en/news/coachless-gymnast-carlos-yulo-support-rivals

 

[Bob]

To become an elite gymnast, which gives you the eternal right to compete at the British championships, you have to pass all your “national levels”. These consist of compulsory routines on each apparatus, plus a 5th score which is a range and conditioning set.

To progress through the levels “in age”, you need to pass L4 at 9, L3 at 10 and L2 at 11. After that, you’re considered an elite gymnast and can compete in the 12/13 category at British championships.

The progression is reasonably tough. Level 2 is roughly Level 9 in the US, but level 3 is about a 7. So you’re doing more than a grade per year.

Of course, not every gymnast with the potential to become an elite is ready for level 4 at 9 years old. Especially if they’ve come to the sport “later”. And of course, injuries can mean not passing the grade, or having to sit out a year all together. You can then pick up where you left off the next season, but you’ll be what’s called “out of age”.

Very, very few national squad members have ever qualified elite out of age. The system massively discourages out of age gymnasts from continuing. You aren’t eligible for medals and the whole thing feels like you’ve been held back a grade in school. A good number move onto other gymnastic disciplines.

As far as I know, both Jennifer and Jessica passed all their levels in age, but were not standout gymnasts and were quite far down the table. That age group (2004) was dominated by Ondine, Annie Young and Halle Hilton. Each level had a national final where the different BG regions field a team. One of the the most exciting seasons was the 2003 Level 2 Optionals- Becky Downie, Becky Wing, Laura Jones and Hannah Whelan.

Can anyone think of someone who qualified elite out of age and went on to represent GB internationally? I want to say Kelly Simm?
@Bob @ArnoldRimmer @RAFIKI @Angelika

Been different from this for a long time.
Compulsory levels have been done at any age for years.
There are no 'in age' sections anymore at grades or levels at nationals.

From last year there is no eternal right to go to the British. Only GB squad are excepted.
This year the English, Welsh and Scottish have been used as qualifiers. The top 48 get a place at seniors regardless of ever having done compulsory elite levels or not.
Second year juniors have also had to fight it out this year.
First year juniors who come through compulsory levels get an automatic place
Aspires (espoirs) who come through compulsory levels get an automatic place.

So from the year they turn 15 it's pretty much open season for the British. Regardless of the path you took and the age you started you can rock up at a home nations championship and give it a go to qualify.

 

[Bob]

What was different about the route the Gadirovas and Ondine took to reach elite? I'm admittedly not super familiar with the different options and how one progresses through the British system.

Ondine came through the elite pathway of compulsory elite levels, the Gadirovas came through the national grades pathway, they then rocked up at the English with captivating floor routines and the year after qualified for the British through challenge cup. They never did elite grades.

 

[Bob]

Carlos is coach-less and gym-less. He's training all over the world. Crazy.

https://olympics.com/en/news/coachless-gymnast-carlos-yulo-support-rivals

That's interesting , he had a coach with him wearing Fillipino kit at the English.

 

[MaryClare]

Ondine came through the elite pathway of compulsory elite levels, the Gadirovas came through the national grades pathway, they then rocked up at the English with captivating floor routines and the year after qualified for the British through challenge cup. They never did elite grades.

Are they pretty much the only top level elites to come from club grades?

 

[Puffin]

They gave her an 8.0E with a fall?

That doesn't smell right.

Though that Tkatchev half I would definitely credit.

According to the results she scored 14.1 at the English champs (6.6/7.5)

https://www.british-gymnastics.org/appservices/library/Jack%20Duggan/English%20MAG-WAG%20Championships%202024%20-%20WAG%20Senior%20Apparatus%20Results.pdf

 

[irichluck21]

That's interesting , he had a coach with him wearing Fillipino kit at the English.

It's Jake Jarman's coach, in the article it said Carlos accepted an offer to train alongside Jake in his gym.
Previous to that he trained with South Korea and Lee Junho at their gym.

Yulo doesn't have an official personal coach though, he is traveling around the world in the meantime as a guest in gyms.

 

[RAFIKI]

Are they pretty much the only top level elites to come from club grades?

I think Ruby Harold and Phoebe Jakubczyk are also in this category.

 

[MaryClare]

I think Ruby Harold and Phoebe Jakubczyk are also in this category.

I’m glad this is happening more often now. But I wonder why we need 2 separate tracks, because it certainly isn’t producing any sort of depth

 

[KorbutFan]

Are we expecting any retirements after Paris? God forbid.

 

[Gymfan93]

Are we expecting any retirements after Paris? God forbid.

I think Becky has stated this will be her last Olympics.

 

[blake]

I wonder how many Olympians have competed in non-consecutive games in different decades. Becky might be the first gymnast to do so if she makes Paris. It would also be pretty novel to have 8 years between her 1st/2nd and 2nd/3rd games.