Heath Thorpe Non-Selection

[rlayt]

Something sounds off.

 

[RedBirdie]

So he was good enough to help Australia qualify to worlds, good enough to win nationals, but now isn’t one of Australia’s best gymnasts? Just what is going on here?

 

[irichluck21]

So he was good enough to help Australia qualify to worlds, good enough to win nationals, but now isn’t one of Australia’s best gymnasts? Just what is going on here?

It’s pretty obvious.

Homophobia is rampant in the sport and Heath is unapologetically open about being part of the LGBTQ+ community.

Shame on Australia Gymnastics.

 

[rlayt]

He’s a great gymnast. The judges determine that and that’s all that should matter.

 

[RedBirdie]

From Gymnastics Now

The Australian team that was selected to compete in Belgium later this year is heavy on event specialists. In fact, none of the event specialists train or compete floor or vault, meaning Australia will be unable to field a team score in qualifying.

Reigning Australian all-around champion Heath Thorpe left off world championships team - Gymnastics Now

Gym Australia announced its teams for the 2023 World Gymnastics Championships on _____, and one key name was notably missing from the men's roster: Heath Thorpe.

gymnastics-now.com

 

[irichluck21]

Wow!
Not even going for a team score?

That’s a huge slap in the face to New Zealand.

FIG should step in and say something about that. This isn’t an Individual finals worlds.
I’m sure they won’t though.

 

[rlayt]

They would rather stomp on their own penises than have a gay man?

France vs. Australia. Who wins on poor decision-making??

If there is any reason for this decision it needs to be explained.

 

[RedBirdie]

Is Heath still training in Germany for at least part of the year?

 

[rlayt]

I read that he’s on a Bundesliga team so probably.

 

[Bogwoppit]

We definitely need more info. He is healthy, he is training, he has improved, he is reigning champ. Not okay with this at all. It screams of homophobia.

 

[irichluck21]

It is also ludicrous to send 5 event specialists, when the max that can qualify to the Olympics would be 3.

The only other explanation is that they don’t want Heath qualifying to Paris as an all arounder since he would be a long shot for all around finals and he’s not a medal threat in the all around.
So they blocked him from qualifying in order to prioritize individual event finalists. Even though Heath is a potential event finalist on floor, in addition to being an all arounder.

I could understand the strategy for prioritizing event specialists qualifying to Paris, but again, only 3 can qualify from a country without a full team and Australia is sending a team of 5 event specialists.

It is a huge slap in the face to Heath and also team New Zealand, who just barely missed beating Australia.

Hopefully Australia MAG doesn’t qualify 3 gymnast and Heath can qualify via 2024 Oceania Championships.

 

[irichluck21]

oh wait!

Inside gymnastics is reporting the team is 2 all arounders and 3 event specialists.
That makes it even shittier. Definitely some underlying politics there.

 

[MrSixkiller]

What EF prospects does Australia even have? I can’t imagine they would have enough to justify leaving Thorpe off the team.

 

[RedBirdie]

Tyson Bull and Mitchell Morgan both have potential to earn a spot via HB…but only one of them can, not both, and that’s only if everyone ahead of them qualifies via team or AA. And Vedant Sawant is a PH specialist. However, getting that one PH spot is going to be a brutal fight. I mean, Rhys McClenaghan exists.

Thorpe’s AA score from Aussie nationals is probably a bubble score for securing a Paris berth.

 

[MrSixkiller]

I had totally forgotten how restrictive the EF rules were for qualification to Paris. That makes the decision even more ludacris given the max spots they could take in EF is 2.

It’s very possible that Australia won’t qualify anyone to Paris at all.

 

[irichluck21]

Who made the team? I haven’t found the names. Can someone share? I don’t subscribe to Gymnastics Now

 

[RedBirdie]

And just to clarify, here are the pathways for MAG qualification to Paris:
12 teams (5 athletes)
Teams 13-15: 1 athlete each
Top 8 AAers not qualified by the above routes
Top gymnast on each apparatus not qualified by the above routes
Top 2 finishers on each event 2024 world cup
Top AA gymnast at each continental championship

Australia can punish Thorpe for speaking out by not sending him to world cups and not naming him to the continental championship team. Easy peasy.

 

[irichluck21]

Maybe he can fully relocate to Germany and change nationality.

 

[RedBirdie]

Mitchell Morgans (SR, PB, HB)
Tyson Bull (PH, PB, HB)
Vedant Sawant (PH)
Clay Mason Stephens (AA)
James Hardy (AA)

 

[irichluck21]

Was there even a trials or did the committee just decide.

Vedant Sawant does not belong on this team, that is who you send to World Cup.

Really horrible decision by Gymnastics Australia.

I hope that FIG puts changes in place that prevent this from happening, totally unfair to qualify a full team and then turn around and not compete as a team.