Gymnasts to miss all Worlds between two Olympics

[RichardL]

I was thinking about this re: Suni Lee today and started counting them up. Obviously there are so many reasons for gymnasts to have done this. (Also only looking at major players for this haphazard count.)

1996: Galieva, Onodi

2000: Chow, Dawes

2004: Hatch (caveat: qualified to Atlanta but Cuba didn't send her; skipped 2000; nothing between '96 and '04)

2016: Ponor (competed at some Worlds between 2008 and 2016 but nothing since 2012); almost Douglas [maybe another post would be about gymnasts who came back only for the Worlds before and then the Olympics]

2020: *Skinner [2016 alternate], almost Ferrari [competed in 2017 Worlds]

2024: Lee, almost Downie [2021 Worlds in the Olympic year]

Who am I missing?

 

[Passion]

Skinner was officially on the 2019 World team, FIG counts the alternates as team members for Worlds.

Hatch was technically on the floor at 2003 Worlds and participated in the training in Anaheim before blowing out her knee. She didn't compete and was officially replaced on the team, but I would still count her as having participated. She would have been on the 2002 team as well if Cuba would have released her. If we're going to count her as Atlanta even though she never competed there, we could count her for maybe 2002 and definitely 2003 under the same principles.

 

[MaryClare]

I was thinking about this re: Suni Lee today and started counting them up. Obviously there are so many reasons for gymnasts to have done this. (Also only looking at major players for this haphazard count.)

1996: Galieva, Onodi

2000: Chow, Dawes

2004: Hatch (caveat: qualified to Atlanta but Cuba didn't send her; skipped 2000; nothing between '96 and '04)

2016: Ponor (competed at some Worlds between 2008 and 2016 but nothing since 2012); almost Douglas [maybe another post would be about gymnasts who came back only for the Worlds before and then the Olympics]

2020: *Skinner [2016 alternate], almost Ferrari [competed in 2017 Worlds]

2024: Lee, almost Downie [2021 Worlds in the Olympic year]

Who am I missing?

Galieva competed for Uzbekistan at 1993 Worlds. I am fairly sure she’s the only gymnast to make consecutive world/olympic appearances for 4 different countries. 1991 URS 1992 CIS 1993 UZB 1996 RUS.

 

[esta]

Galieva did the ‘93 Birmingham Worlds still competing for Uzbekistan, then also competed at the ‘96 Puerto Rico Worlds shortly after officially being able to represent Russia.

 

[RichardL]

Thanks all! So there are even fewer than I thought.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Valeri Belenky has to be up there. USSR in 91, FIG in 93 because Azerbaijan didn't have a federation yet. Then Germany, but I'm not sure how much he did for Azerbaijan in the middle.

 

[irichluck21]

Dawes might have been at the 1998 Worlds if there had been one.
She was actively competing in the pro meets at the time and also competed AA at the American Classic including a 1 1/2TY on vault.
She also did well at GWG just missing a bars medal. Had she replicated what she did in the mixed pairs event she would have won a medal for sure.

Chow competed at the 1999 World Team Trials. But was injured and ended up withdrawing. Given all the injuries she might have been called in had she finished the meet.

 

[RichardL]

Dawes might have been at the 1998 Worlds if there had been one.
She was actively competing in the pro meets at the time and also competed AA at the American Classic including a 1 1/2TY on vault.
She also did well at GWG just missing a bars medal. Had she replicated what she did in the mixed pairs event she would have won a medal for sure.

1998 is an interesting one! Everyone knew there wouldn't be a Worlds, so no one was training for one.

Maloney, Atler, Moceanu, Thompson, Ray for sure IMO... And then you'd have Beckerman, Dawes, Antolin, Dantzcher. Lots of bars specialties in there to go with Thompson and Ray. Probably the best on bars at selection would've gone. Or maybe it'd be between Dantzscher and Dawes to get an extra vaulter on the team since Ray was useless there in '98.

 

[irichluck21]

Back then USAG was going by AA rankings. So they would have taken the top 6 I think.
They did that in 1997 and again in 1999. 1999 had Thompson, Atler, and Maloney all petition, so only 3 spots were left by Trials night 2 as Thompson had won night 1 and then petitioned.

Dawes was serious about elite because she was not just invited to GWG. She had to get onto the National Team so that's why she did the American Classic, which was not an official qualification meet for the CWG but the results helped to solidify competition readiness. So I think had there been a Worlds, she would have competed at Nationals since she qualified to do at American Classic, but had made it known she would not be competing at Nationals, just GWG.

I wonder how USAG decided to have Moceanu compete as the last time she had competed was at Worlds-which was not the best performance. They must have had video of her routines or something. I know they wanted to promote the GWG with Moceanu and Dawes as the Mag 7 fame was still very much there. The Mag 7 fame never really wore off until after Sydney.

As it was discussed in 1999 and again in 2000.


I also wonder about 1997 and if USAG could have persuaded Chow and Miller to compete at Worlds. Miller did win the Universiade Games AA gold. Chow and Miller had both competed at the 1997 International 3 on 3 as well.

 

[RichardL]

Back then USAG was going by AA rankings. So they would have taken the top 6 I think.
They did that in 1997 and again in 1999. 1999 had Thompson, Atler, and Maloney all petition, so only 3 spots were left by Trials night 2 as Thompson had won night 1 and then petitioned.

Dawes was serious about elite because she was not just invited to GWG. She had to get onto the National Team so that's why she did the American Classic, which was not an official qualification meet for the CWG but the results helped to solidify competition readiness. So I think had there been a Worlds, she would have competed at Nationals since she qualified to do at American Classic, but had made it known she would not be competing at Nationals, just GWG.

I wonder how USAG decided to have Moceanu compete as the last time she had competed was at Worlds-which was not the best performance. They must have had video of her routines or something. I know they wanted to promote the GWG with Moceanu and Dawes as the Mag 7 fame was still very much there. The Mag 7 fame never really wore off until after Sydney.

As it was discussed in 1999 and again in 2000.


I also wonder about 1997 and if USAG could have persuaded Chow and Miller to compete at Worlds. Miller did win the Universiade Games AA gold. Chow and Miller had both competed at the 1997 International 3 on 3 as well.

That's right, I'm trying to retrofit the team selection based on event strengths when that was definitely not a thing back then. Dawes should've been able to easily beat Antolin's scores for the sixth spot (probably would have placed higher than Ray too).

 

[RAFIKI]

I also wonder about 1997 and if USAG could have persuaded Chow and Miller to compete at Worlds. Miller did win the Universiade Games AA gold. Chow and Miller had both competed at the 1997 International 3 on 3 as well.

I seem to remember Miller saying in her book that USAG did try and get her to compete at 1997 worlds. She was more excited about the Universiade Games because it was multi-event competition and she’d never done it before.

 

[irichluck21]

That's right, I'm trying to retrofit the team selection based on event strengths when that was definitely not a thing back then. Dawes should've been able to easily beat Antolin's scores for the sixth spot (probably would have placed higher than Ray too).

Given that she was capable of a 9.512 on vault and a 9.700 on bars and around a 9.4/9.5 for beam along with a low 9.0ish for floor (two passes shown in 1998 wonder if she would add a 3rd for Nationals) it would have been very possible for Dawes to make it into the top 6.

That's not counting if USAG would have had a World Trials.

 

[RichardL]

Yeah, Dawes would have been pushing those 3-6 placements for sure, especially with hit routines. Surprised to see how close those four were in retrospect. Obviously Moceanu missed bars both nights and Ray was vaulting Yurchenko layouts. That could've been a good year for the US at Worlds for sure. One of my biggest "what might have beens" (I was a baby fan and that would've been my first real Worlds watching in real time).

 

[irichluck21]

They wouldn't have Atler out of the AA though, so I wonder who is benched on bars, if Ray, Thompson, and Dawes were the other three. Moceanu?

VT: Dawes, Thompson, Maloney, Moceanu, Atler
UB: Moceanu/Atler, Maloney, Thompson, Dawes, Ray
BB: Ray/Thompson, Dawes, Atler, Maloney, Moceanu (maybe lead Thompson so she can do AA.
FX: Ray, Thompson, Moceanu, Maloney, Atler

AA: Maloney, Moceanu, Thompson
VT/BB/FX: Atler
VT/UB/BB: Dawes
UB/FX: Ray

or have Thompson off bars for team prelims so Atler can try for AA.

It would have been a formidable team, at least on paper.

 

[Denn]

Dawes might have been at the 1998 Worlds if there had been one.
She was actively competing in the pro meets at the time and also competed AA at the American Classic including a 1 1/2TY on vault.

Looks like she did the 1.5 at the professional event.

 

[RAFIKI]

The old vault only looks weird to me when it’s a competition I haven’t seen before.

 

[MaryClare]

The old vault only looks weird to me when it’s a competition I haven’t seen before.

Omg I am so glad this happens to someone else too!!!!!

 

[irichluck21]

Looks like she did the 1.5 at the professional event.

I knew she did it at some point. She wore the same leotard she had at this pro meet at American Classic.
Going back she did a full for her first vault and a handspring pike front for her second vault. She had a 9.512 average. I don't know how she got that score considering the FTY was 9.500 and the HS Piked front was 9.500. She must have gotten a bonus for two different vaults???

 

[RedBirdie]

I'm absolutely stumped by the vault score.

 

[Concorde]

I knew she did it at some point. She wore the same leotard she had at this pro meet at American Classic.
Going back she did a full for her first vault and a handspring pike front for her second vault. She had a 9.512 average. I don't know how she got that score considering the FTY was 9.500 and the HS Piked front was 9.500. She must have gotten a bonus for two different vaults???

Yes- Dawes received a 0.2 bonus for performing two D value vaults (SV between 9.50 - 9.70) from different groups.