British WAG (and MAG!) talk

[RAFIKI]

Thanks Doug1233

I watched the (wonderful) Gymnast documentary on Friday in honour of trials. Adrian Stan gave a spiel where he said some gymnasts perform better at home/trials and some perform better internationally. I don’t have a lot of GMF’s history and scores in my head, but my feel is that she is one of the former. Something to check on my lunch break today!

 

[Stacey]

Me either. It’s not like she’s ever been consistent especially in finals.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

This is not a brilliantly consistent group in general. I don’t trust Becky to get through the Games without a fall, but I also actively wouldn’t trust Alice, GMF or Ellie either, and most of the others it’s just lack of data so not a ringing endorsement either. Even Amelie didn’t have a good weekend.

 

[Gymfan93]

So obviously I can’t verify the claims made in this- but apparently BG (or Team GB- not clear!) have delayed selection.

Becky Downie vows to continue her Tokyo 2020 bid after family tragedy

Josh Downie, 24, suddenly collapsed with a heart attack during a cricket nets session in Birkenhead, Merseyside, last Thursday and passed away in hospital that night.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Concorde]

Ondine Achampong, Uneven Bars

1 x E (stalder Shaposhnikova 1/2)
4 X D (stalder full, stalder Shaposhnikova, Pak salto, straddled Jaeger)
2 x C (piked sole circle to handstand, toe-on 1/2)
1 x B (double tuck dismount)

Total DV - 2.9

CV:

stalder full + stalder Shaposhnikova + Pak salto (D + D or higher x 2) - 0.2

Total CV - 0.2

CR

Flight from high bar to low bar - Pak salto
Flight element on same bar - straddled Jaeger
Different Grips - stalder full, straddled Jaeger
Non-flight with 360 degree turn - stalder full

Total D - 2.9 + 0.2 + 2.0 = 5.1

Deductions

glide kip

• (insufficient extension in kip) 0.1

cast to handstand with legs straddled

• (body shape / slight pike in hips) 0.1

stalder full

• (flexed feet) 0.1
• (leg separation) 0.1
• (angle of completion → between 11 and 30 degrees of handstand) 0.1

stalder Shaposhnikova

• (flexed feet) 0.1

Pak salto

• (angle of completion → between 30 and 45 degrees of handstand) 0.1

cast to handstand with legs straddled

• (angle of completion → past 10 degrees of handstand) 0.1
• (body shape / slight pike in hips) 0.1

toe-on 1/2

• (angle of completion → between 11 and 30 degrees of handstand) 0.1

cast to handstand with legs straddled

• (angle of completion → past 10 degrees of handstand) 0.1
• (body shape / slight pike in hips) 0.1

toe-on 1/2

• (angle of completion → between 11 and 30 degrees of handstand) 0.1

double tuck

• (flexed feet) 0.1
• (deviation from ideal landing posture, chest slightly forward) 0.1
• (hop on landing) 0.1

Total Deductions - (1.6) / 8.4

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

I wonder if the journo has seen the 24th May announcement date and got their wires crossed, or they do actually know something?

 

[Concorde]

Jessica Gadirova, Uneven Bars

2 x E (Tkatchev 1/2 / Kononenko, van Leeuwen)
4 X D (Ezhova, toe-on Shaposhnikova / Maloney, Pak salto, full twisting double tuck)
1 x C (giant full)
1 x B (giant)

Total DV - 3.1

CV:

Tkatchev 1/2 + Ezhova (E + D or higher, both with flight) - 0.2

Maloney - Pak salto (D + D or higher) - 0.1

Total CV - 0.3

CR

Flight from high bar to low bar - Pak salto
Flight element on same bar - Tkatchev 1/2
Different Grips - Ezhova, Maloney
Non-flight with 360 degree turn - giant full

Total D - 3.1 + 0.3 + 2.0 = 5.4

Deductions

cast to handstand with legs straddled

• (angle of completion → past 10 degrees of handstand) 0.1
• (body shape / slight pike in hips) 0.1

Tkatchev 1/2

• (flexed feet) 0.1
• (lack of precision / incomplete turn) 0.1

Ezhova

• (flexed feet) 0.1
• (insufficient height) 0.1
• (lack of precision / incomplete turn) 0.1

cast to handstand with legs straddled

• (angle of completion → past 10 degrees of handstand) 0.1
• (body shape / slight pike in hips) 0.1

Pak salto

• (angle of completion → between 30 and 45 degrees of handstand) 0.1

cast to handstand with legs straddled

• (angle of completion → past 10 degrees of handstand) 0.1
• (body shape / slight pike in hips) 0.1

van Leeuwen

• (bent arms upon regrasp) 0.1

cast to handstand with legs straddled

• (angle of completion → past 10 degrees of handstand) 0.1
• (body shape / slight pike in hips) 0.1

giant full

• (angle of completion → between 11 and 30 degrees of handstand) 0.1

full twisting double tuck

• (leg separation) 0.1
• (flexed feet) 0.1
• (balance adjustment / arm swing on landing) 0.1

Total Deductions - (1.9) / 8.1

 

[RAFIKI]

I scanned the article (need to decontaminate myself now!) and it looked like the only sources were the Downie’s social media and the published selection date. I think any of us could have written it based on public domain information. The Downies do have a history of DM articles though so I wonder if they’ll speak to journalists about it once the selection process is over.

I wonder if the selectors have said anything official to Jessica and Alice or if they’ve just put everyone in the same TBD boat. Jessica is the most certain choice but it would be odd for her to get the news ahead of her sister. It’s probably safer to leave them all in the dark. What an odd limbo period. I hope they communicate the new dates to the gymnasts as soon as they and the Downies agree a timeline. I think our current rules on funerals allow 30 in attendance, so at least they are spared the horrible decisions that had to happen when only 6 were allowed.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

The DM def a history there. They did an article on the bars last week, and generally take a pro-Downie stance. I dunno if it’s because Becky and Ellie are actually talking to them behind the scenes, but if either or both is left out I’d be surprised if the DM don’t run with it.

 

[Gymfan93]

And no doubt poor Alice will bear the brunt of it from trolls if she’s picked.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Probably. And none of this is her fault. She didn’t choose the selection committee, and is perfectly reasonable to want to attend a club with an elite training programme in the region where she lives. If she doesn’t deserve a spot and gets one due to politics, people are more than entitled to point that out, but it can be done without being an arsehole.

 

[Doug1233]

Unless I see some clear full AA routines from Ellie, or a 9+ DTY from Amelie, Alice has absolutely done enough to make the team without any favours being made to her.

 

[RAFIKI]

All last year I was saying that it would be so sad if Alice doesn’t make the team since she’s dragged GB through a lot of this quad. She is a gymnast that seemed to get a bit better every time she competed, at least until Euros. I do wish she’d learn to open out of her double pikes so she could land them better though. I never thought I’d see a British European beam champion and she proved me wrong. I doubt Alice is anyone’s favourite gymnast but I admire her hard work and results. From the results we have at the point it looks like she should be on the team and I hope the joy of that isn’t sucked away by controversy.

 

[Doug1233]

I don’t know why she does the double pike dismount. It’s the worst element in the routine. And I’ve never seen her perform it well.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

The problem is that Alice has had a decent showing in an, erm, eccentrically designed selection process, that makes life particularly difficult for older gymnasts and/or those who are recovering from injuries. Because BG don’t deserve the benefit of the doubt and because of the visibility of the potential conflict of interest wrt Colin Still, that issue is inevitably going to be raised if she makes the team. I’m wavering over whether a successful Euros might have done enough to squash it, but I guess it’s a moot point anyway.

eta- fwiw, if Ellie isn’t able to do a lot more by the time they choose the team, within the idiotic constraints BG have chosen to impose my preferred team would be the Gadirovas, Alice and Becky.

 

[Doug1233]

I think that should be the team if Becky can show multiple consistent medal potential bar routines.

If she can’t, then it’s a crapshoot between Amelie, GMF and Odine.

 

[Concorde]

Kelly Simm, Uneven Bars

1 x F (Downie / piked Tkatchev from stalder entry)
3 x E (Ricna, Bhardwaj, van Leeuwen)
4 X D (toe-on full, Pak salto, Maloney, double layout)

Total DV - 3.7

CV:

toe-on full + Downie (D + D or higher) - 0.1

Ricna + Pak salto (E + D or higher, both with flight) - 0.2

Maloney + Bhardwaj (E + D or higher, both with flight) - 0.2

Total CV - 0.5

CR

Flight from high bar to low bar - Pak salto
Flight element on same bar - Downie
Different Grips - front giant 1/2, toe-on full
Non-flight with 360 degree turn - toe-on full

Total D - 3.7 + 0.5 + 2.0 = 6.2

Deductions

Downie

• (flexed feet) 0.1
• (insufficient height / hips at height of bar upon regrasp) 0.1

cast to handstand with legs straddled

• (angle of completion → past 10 degrees of handstand) 0.1

Ricna

• (flexed feet) 0.1

Pak salto

• (angle of completion → past 45 degrees of handstand) 0.3^ (borderline between 0.1 and 0.3 in real time)

Bhardwaj

• (leg separation) 0.1

cast to handstand with legs straddled

• (angle of completion → past 10 degrees of handstand) 0.1

van Leeuwen

• (flexed / crossed feet) 0.1

giant

• (flexed feet) 0.1

giant

• (flexed feet) 0.1

double layout

• (flexed feet) 0.1
• (insufficient height / hips at height of bar) 0.1
• (failure to maintain stretched position) 0.3
• (body posture on landing / chest low and forward) 0.1
• (large step on landing) 0.3

Total Deductions - (2.2 - 2.9) / 7.9 - 8.1

 

[RAFIKI]

I was thinking more about her floor double pikes but the same goes for her beam dismount, you are completely right.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Depending on how late they make the decision, I wouldn’t necessarily even require consistency from her. Simply showing that she’s capable of doing that routine would be enough, because Becky’s will she won’t she hit is more likely to result in hardware than the other three combined and because there is time. But obviously the closer we get to Tokyo the more important it becomes to look ready, so that’s a very different argument in July than in May.

 

[Doug1233]

Problem is she needs a double salto in her floor routine and I doubt her double tuck is any better. Didn’t she do a double arabian or DLO at one time and they were bad?

She has alternatives for a beam dismount.