British WAG (and MAG!) talk

[Doug1233]

I have an 8.1 (although I only took 1 for the pirouette and I’m not sure if it should have been a 3).

VERY much improved. Everything looks much easier for her than it did in Tokyo.

 

[Doug1233]

She really has improved.

 

[J175]

"MaryClare:

Ugh yes. I hate the environment that surrounds young skateboarders. Zero safe guarding. Yet public perception is such that a 13 year old skateboarder is seen as less likely to be in an abusive environment than a 16 year old gymnast

Skateboarding is crazy. I listened to some commentary during the Olympics and the explanation of why the ideal age seemed to be about 14 could have been copied word for word from gymnastics back in the day.

You don’t have to be in education until you are 19 in Britain, you have to be in education, work or training. Full time elite athlete is covered under that. Of the current and most recent elites, the only ones who have stayed in school for A levels have been those who intended to do NCAA.

Under the current law if you are working you are still supposed to be doing some sort of part time education or training until 18. I wouldn’t be surprised if the coaches cited in the Whyte review asking about the minimum level of education for their gymnasts were testing how low that requirement is. (And for how many can gymnastics really be classified as work)

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

This looks interesting

 

[RedBirdie]

Buried in the announcement the the official BG shop now carries unitards and hijabs is this:

It also further builds on British Gymnastics’ decision at the request of the Great Britain Women’s Artistic Gymnastics squad and in partnership with official team supplier Milano Pro Sport that future national leotards will no longer be white on the lower half due to concerns from gymnasts about wearing white when having their period.

Hijabs and Unitards now available at the British Gymnastics Official Shop

www.british-gymnastics.org

 

[MaryClare]

Lol, that’s Milano’s shitty quality (and why BG uses them). I was surprised to learn that even the national team leotards are not lined and use the same poor quality fabric as the main catalogue.

Re unitards and sports hijabs. Tell me you’ve never been to a rhythmic meet in Makhachkala without telling me you’ve never been to a rhythmic meet in Makhachkala.

 

[Samxo]

Some training/fun videos from Ondine

 

[Doug1233]

Just remembering how 4 judges out of 7 gave this a 9.5 E Score:



Do we think that she’s not getting any height or distance deductions? I don’t know how you’d get to a 9.5 otherwise.

It must be something that you can only really see in person and not on a screen. I’m getting a 9.3 max here.

 

[YurchenkoLoop]

Great question… I think the definite deductions are for closed shoulder angle on block, crossed ankles in air, pike down, and hop on landing. That’s .4 right there. The next obvious one to me is either height, distance, twisting on the table, or pre-flight leg separation (I can’t see this deduction in the video but from a different angle–virtually no one can keep their legs totally together pre-flight…)

 

[Samxo]

Senior Squad

 

[Bob]

How and why is Claudia still in a funded GB squad place. That is outrageous. She clearly will never complete internationally again. Development squad is not funded. Someone else deserves that funded place. I also thought Kelly was done now.

 

[Samxo]

Kelly is recovering or surgery/injury (she said something in her British commentary but I can’t remember).

Yeah it’s a bit infair that she revives the funding. I do find it strange that Shannon has been moved to the development squad she could offer more than Claudia (and Kelly)

 

[MaryClare]

I was sure that Shannon Archer retired after CWGs

 

[MaryClare]

How and why is Claudia still in a funded GB squad place. That is outrageous. She clearly will never complete internationally again

Someone needs to go full Valentina and say “Claudia Fragapane retired this morning. Claudia may not yet be aware of this”

 

[J175]

I can see why you wouldn’t drop Fragapane while she is apparently injured, but then Shannon Archer? Maybe Fragapane gets credit for getting selected for Worlds as recently as 2021, but only like five people tried out for that.

I also wonder why e.g. Flage-Donovan over any of the development squad? Just looking at competition results (caveat that she hasn’t competed AA this year) I don’t really see why. Junior Euros selection last year?

I think in both cases there’s an element that favours the people already on the inside, who BG have already invested in (I wouldn’t count Archer in that group, being in the squad for one year so late in her career). It’s not just a gymnastics thing, the consistent investment in a small group of athletes is part of what keeps the medals and funding rolling in for team GB.

 

[irichluck21]

Has Archer competed outside of for Scotland? Has she represented GBR ever?

 

[Samxo]

I don’t think she did but she can be considered for minor internationals https://s3.amazonaws.com/a.storyblo...mance-pathway-selection-policy-2023-final.pdf

 

[MaryClare]

No

 

[RedBirdie]

I have nothing to add, other than to agree with everyone that from a current gymnastics viewpoint, the inclusion of Fragapane is utterly baffling.

 

[irichluck21]

I have nothing to add, other than to agree with everyone that from a current gymnastics viewpoint, the inclusion of Fragapane is utterly baffling.

Maybe GBR is hoping Fragapane will earn a +1 to the Olympics on the World Cup circuit.