British WAG (and MAG!) talk

[ArnoldRimmer]

They presumably have, but that doesn’t make it not idiotic. One cannot opt out of or schedule injury.

 

[RedBirdie]

There are pros and cons to each selection process. The US version seems like an absolute slog, and back when it was even longer and more demanding, we saw the consequences of it with gymnasts who were injured or just not able to perform at their best when they had to be peaked for 2 straight months over 3 competitions just to secure their spot, and no down time because the Olympics are 2 weeks later. The elimination of the ridiculous camp selection ameliorated that somewhat, but it’s still a bit of a brutal road. Classic, Nats, Trials, Olympics is a lot on a very compressed schedule. 4 competitions in under 3 months.

Selecting early at least gives you the opportunity to maybe ramp down a little bit after selection and really aim to peak at the Olympics. On the other hand, you risk not picking the best team because people don’t want to peak too early, injuries that may heal by the olympics, etc.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

It’s possible to select later than early May this without doing it like Marta pre-2012. There would be nothing to prevent the selection being made around perhaps late June, immediately after a final trials event or similar rather trials plus camp, and not have any of the limited number of selection events in March.

The issue you highlight of missing out on the best team because people don’t want to peak too early is particularly relevant in a programme where 100% of the available world medallists are twentysomethings who’ve had significant injuries in the past couple of years.

 

[Doug1233]

Then again, people have criticised past trials systems which require a late June through mid August peak. It’s difficult to hold a peak for 8 weeks. This is when injuries occur.

At least with the GB rules, one can peak early May, know whether or not they’re selected, then come down in mid May/June to peak again for the Olympics.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

It’s not either/or. There can be a system that neither forces athletes into multiple peaks with the team being selected as soon before the Games, nor chooses months in advance disadvantaging gymnasts who didn’t peak in March. And it’s a good idea to design one when some of your best prospects are older and have been injured!

 

[Doug1233]

Ok. How do you propose a system which picks a team in late June, has an Olympics in late August, and yet doesn’t require gymnasts to hold an 8 week peak?

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

The Olympics are not in late August. The gymnastics begins in late July.

 

[Angelika]

https://olympics.com/en/olympic-games/tokyo-2020

Begins 24 July

 

[Doug1233]

Ok. EFs are early Aug.

When should selection happen?

The earlier you put selection, the bigger the break there is between the two peaks.

You get what I’m saying, surely?

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

For this cohort, around the end of June would be better, as prelims are on 25th July. It may be that there are groups of gymnasts where selection so early theoretically makes the most sense, but this isn’t one of them. Not when you have a small pool of athletes who can win major medals and the ones who’ve shown they can do it are beaten up and need the extra time.

It’s also worth asking why they’re choosing this model now, when historically they just go a few weeks earlier. What’s changed? Is there a rationale?

 

[Doug1233]

But that would mean at least a 7 week peak from mid June to early Aug.

I can see why they’ve done May. It gives them a break before ramping up again.

US selection is brutal.

 

[Bob]

I agree with May being reasonable. March , April and May doesn’t make so much sense.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

It wouldn’t. I said the end of June, not mid June. Take two weeks off there.

And yes, the US selection process is brutal, but fortunately we know it isn’t a binary choice between that or the current BG model. @Bob proposes another choice here, for example.

 

[RAFIKI]

I also think the lack of competition over the last year and a half has been on selectors’ minds. Having several pressured intrasquad opportunities is important when there are no other competitions for those that didn’t make Euros. A mix of strategy and injury recovery means the Downies are relying on the final trial and using Bob’s timeline. I suspect the final trial will be the most heavily weighted anyway.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

You’d hope so, although I could also see the sense in weighting Euros more heavily. Got my doubts about them doing that however!

Also the more I think about it, the more I think they probably did fancy their chances at qualifying through Euros. The way Jessica looked for 95% of the competition, if her and Jennifer were both at that standard, it would’ve been hard not to think actually there’s a good chance we can send an individual too and we should factor that into our planning.

 

[Doug1233]

Now we just need an explanation for using Gymnova bars…

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Oh good! This should be interesting.

 

[Doug1233]

I love this!!

 

[Doug1233]

 

[Doug1233]

There is no need for her to be in Cardiff this weekend…