British WAG (and MAG!) talk

[Doug1233]

If Amelie shows up and does a clean DTY at the Trial, things might get veryyyy interesting.

Not heard a peep out of Ellie in a long time, either.

This selection is gonna be brutal. However you slice it, two World class gymnasts are gonna be kept home.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

I asked the question elsewhere, and was shown a photo of her on Gymnova. TBF most gyms in the UK do have those, but it’s worth considering whether the selectors would have different requirements if Alice’s gym had also purchased Senoh.

And yes, it would be hilarious if the outcome of all these doubtless coincidental provisions was to favour Amelie in the 4th spot instead of Alice…

 

[Doug1233]

Why did they buy the Japanese bars if they weren’t going to use them for the Trial?

 

[Doug1233]

 

[emmade]

Where the heck are the Senoh (?) bars that BG had organised for trials? Have they loaned them to someone? Have they not arrived due to COVID related shipping delays? That is probably the most likely explanation, but who knows for sure.

This may sound harsh, but I think every gymnast needs to learn how to quickly adjust to new equipment and environments when competing internationally, not just the Olympics. Downie needs to adjust super quickly and I really think this is an unfortunate challenge to face so close to trials, but she is also a very experienced gymnast who competes internationally on different equipment very frequently (pre COVID). She can do it if she keeps her emotions in check.

 

[Doug1233]

She needs to be able to adjust to the OLYMPIC brand bars, sure.

But why does she need to be able to adjust to the brand of bars used in Alice Kinsella’s gym, when that brand isn’t going to be in Tokyo?

 

[RAFIKI]

I think the last thing I saw from Ellie was a (good) Cheng training video during Euros.

I’d give a lot to be a fly on the wall for trials and the selection meeting. Watching the Gymnast documentary again next weekend is going to have to suffice.

 

[Doug1233]

I cant believe they’re closed door Olympic Trials. This is 2021!

 

[irichluck21]

Is it because they are virtual?

Maybe once it is over the videos will be shared like Canada did.

 

[makam]

Okay, here’s the plan: Someone local, go grab a janitor mop and bucket and sneak into the gym. Hide the camera in the bucket and one in a hat on your head. Film everything. Quality can’t be any worse than what Flo does…

Oh! or bribe one of the Downies to make you her sports therapy coach. Wear a bodycam. Upload the footage to the internets. Come on, we got this!

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

It’s a nice excuse either way. Covid can provide very useful cover for courses of action a person or organisation wanted to take but might not otherwise have got away with.

 

[RedBirdie]

Soooooooo…Parl Wrenkin strikes back! eek. Parts of this I get, like saying none of this is Alice’s doing and please stop attacking her. Publishing results that were previously unpublished? Throwing shade at the Downies by noting scores need to be achieved and there’s only two chances left? Why don’t you just chuck a little more napalm on the fire.

Statement regarding GB Olympic Trials pic.twitter.com/4ZzzJvtLFq
— Park Wrekin Gym Club (@ParkWrekin) May 3, 2021

Read all the tweets in the thread.

(Nonetheless, the scores from Becky and Ellie are…not exactly doing themselves any favors)

Anyone know what the minimum scores BG has set? Or is that another of their wonderful “we don’t do transparency” decisions?

 

[RAFIKI]

I hope Alice is ok, the pile on must have been really bad. I’m glad we’ve got the scores but the way it happened is horrible. I wonder if BG will slap Park Wrekin’s wrist for releasing the results? I’ve been immersed in our annual Star Wars day marathon today but I look forward to analysing these scores.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

I haven’t actually seen anyone cross the line re Alice, although this being the internet it’s not hard to believe it’s happened. Either way, Park Wrekin must be delighted to be given the excuse to post this poorly argued shade, and to blur actual bullying with legitimate criticism of what is, at minimum, a situation that presents the very realistic possibility of a conflict of interests combined with a somewhat eccentric selection policy.

Grateful as I am to see the March and April trials scores (helllooooo BG) they’re entirely missing the point, either deliberately or through ignorance. The Downies have both been injured, and this isn’t about anyone claiming they should’ve been at Euros or Alice shouldn’t. It’s about now. The Downies having been crap in March has absolutely nothing to do with BGs choice of equipment or the selection criteria. And Park Wrekin aren’t responsible for any of those things either.

 

[Doug1233]

I can see their point. It still doesn’t explain why they’re using Gymnova equipment for the Olympic Trial.

Based on those numbers, Ellie looks toast.

Although the “Alice won the last Trial” is COMPLETELY disingenuous. Jess didn’t vault. And Jennifer Ellie and Becky weren’t even there!

If you were ONLY looking at the numbers (including Euros), you’d have Jess Jen Alice and Amelie…

For the Downies, everything rides on this weekends Trial. Ellie MUST hit a 55 AA. Or at least throw her Cheng. And Becky probably needs to pull out a 28 for UB/BB both days.

I can see why she’s pissed they’ve switched the bars. She needs to knock this weekends routines out of the park.

You can only really cry nepotism when the numbers look off. And based on these numbers, Alice is clearly #3 in Team GB.

But really BG should have released these numbers as they came out. It would have avoided 99% of the online vitriol. I hope they learn some lessons from this - sunlight is the best disinfectant and I’m kinda glad that Alice’s coaches are sticking up for her with straight facts.

I am all for Double Downie’s but Becky’s 6.8 bar routine counts for nothing when her three routines to date are 12.6, 13.7 and 14.3. And Ellie’s numbers are shocking. She’s barely scraping 12s on bars and beam, shes shown one good vault, and no floor routine. This Trial is shit or bust for her.

 

[Doug1233]

I don’t think WAG has minimum scores in its policy, unlike for MAG.

But I think it’s pretty clear. The current team is Double Gadirova, Alice and Amelie UNLESS Becky gets a UB/BB 28+ and/or Ellie gets a 55+ AA with a monster vault and floor.

Looks like GMF is throwing a nice DTY but it’s not worth anything with her bars barely breaking a 13.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

I doubt it would’ve avoided 99% of the online vitriol. BG are getting slagged for having an obvious potential conflict of interests that they don’t appear to have anything in place to mitigate, an odd selection policy that by remarkable coincidence favours the gymnast coached by the head coach’s wife, picking the team way too early and choosing not to allow gymnasts to compete on the Tokyo equipment they have access to. None of this is affected by the Downies having looked shit several weeks ago.

 

[RedBirdie]

I don’t know GB’s process, or if it’s even posted publicly like USAG (albeit you have to know where on the website to look for it). but if the gymnasts and coaches knew it’s less an “OLYMPIC TRIALS!!!” one-and-done selection and that this is an actual months-long process…well, I don’t even know what to think anymore. I think a drawn-out process with multiple events months in advance is not the right choice, but if that’s the choice that was made by BG and everyone knew it in advance…

Honestly, I only have so much sympathy when it comes to this bitching about the equipment. If you can only do your routine on a specific brand, TFB. That’s part of being a gymnast. Every piece of equipment feels slightly different, even from the same manufacturer.

 

[Gymfan93]

I’ve been working all day so just catching up.
All of this speculation could have been avoided by BG simply publishing the results.

 

[Doug1233]

(Amelie), Alice, Jen, Jess
(Jen), Jess, Alice, Amelie
(Amelie), Alice, Jen, Jess
(Amelie), Alice, Jen, Jess

Is actually a pretty good TEAM. Just no real hope for an EF other than an outside shot at floor and vault by a Gadirova (which they have ANYWAY) with a Double Sisters team.

I guess you need to consider whether a pretty safe bet for making TF is more important as two more maybe EF medal shots.

And it seems that the actual beneficiary of the Downies fucking up the Trial is actually Amelie and not Alice. Based on the scores shes the clear #4. She just had an incredible Euros.