Heath Thorpe Non-Selection

[RedBirdie]

Virtual trials, apparently. Nothing public. Thorpe said he showed pommels by video. He wanted to show the selection committee how much he’s improved on his weakest event.

 

[irichluck21]

Still wondering about Sawant going for PH only.
He has 0 chance of qualifying.
PH is going to be STACKED.

 

[blake]

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

To be fair, this is different than what Romania did last year which is what you’re describing. I suppose they could move the confirmation date closer to the start of worlds, but what in theory could the FIG do about this? They’re utilizing all 5 spots allotted to them, even if it seems they’ll be lacking a 3rd score on a couple apparatus. The FIG seemingly had no problem with Romania submitting 2 gymnasts to worlds last year when they’d qualified a full team or Ukraine scratching routines in Rio TF, why would they suddenly have a bone to pick with Australia’s odd choice in strategy?

 

[irichluck21]

To be fair, this is different than what Romania did last year which is what you’re describing. I suppose they could move the confirmation date closer to the start of worlds, but what in theory could the FIG do about this? They’re utilizing all 5 spots allotted to them, even if it seems they’ll be lacking a 3rd score on a couple apparatus. The FIG seemingly had no problem with Romania submitting 2 gymnasts to worlds last year when they’d qualified a full team or Ukraine scratching routines in Rio TF, why would they suddenly have a bone to pick with Australia’s odd choice in strategy?

What Romania and Ukraine did was also not right.

But Romania pulled their team with plenty of time to send for the next team, if the FIG wanted to do it.

Ukraine had the excuse of the last minute injury, Verniev could have competed, but allegedly the plan was to rest him and he was not even included on the submitted team finals roster (like what Marta did in 2006 to Priess and Kelley) so it was not even possible for Oleg to go even if they wanted to.

Again, it is a team spot of five individuals meant to compete in the team competition. Clearly it isn’t against the rules, but that doesn’t make it ok.

 

[CameliasFingerpaint]

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

Seriously. 5-6 out of the 2022 PH event finals came from teams that will likely not qualify. It’s going to be by far the most difficult apparatus to get an Olympic berth.

 

[blake]

But Romania pulled their team with plenty of time to send for the next team, if the FIG wanted to do it.

According to Spencer, they actually couldn’t because Romania had confirmed their team spot after Euros. In theory they could have when the definitive registration was released, but there’s not currently a mechanism for reassigning the spot once a team has accepted it, plus swapping in Czechia as a team and reallocating individual spots with Romania included would’ve been a bit crazy a month and a half out from worlds.

My point isn’t that one or another of these examples are/aren’t good sportsmanship, just that the FIG didn’t seem particularly upset with Romania last year, so why would they start now? And if they do take issue with it, there’s not much they can do to address it besides amending the rules for next quad.

I don’t think the FIG can really do anything about this. Even if, for example, they required a minimum # of athletes per event in start list, at that point it would be way too late to replace a team like Australia in this instance, and they could easily put a 3rd gymnast doing basic basic routines on FX/VT to skirt the rule. What would you put in place to prevent something like this happening in the future?

 

[MaryClare]

I mean, at least one of the athletes selected is openly gay. So yes, Thorpe’s omission absolutely stinks of back room politics but I don’t think due to homophobia

 

[irichluck21]

Seriously. 5-6 out of the 2022 PH event finals came from teams that will likely not qualify. It’s going to be by far the most difficult apparatus to get an Olympic berth.

Exactly.
Four alone are for sure not qualifying.
Northern Ireland
Jordan
Armenia
Croatia

It will be a challenge for Kazakstan and Netherlands to qualify full teams.

The first reserve was from Uzbekistan as well.

 

[irichluck21]

I don’t think the FIG can really do anything about this. Even if, for example, they required a minimum # of athletes per event in start list, at that point it would be way too late to replace a team like Australia in this instance, and they could easily put a 3rd gymnast doing basic basic routines on FX/VT to skirt the rule. What would you put in place to prevent something like this happening in the future?

They could absolutely do something like this you are right. Simply do a basic vault or basic floor. Especially since at continentals some of the lower ranked teams had simple sets because they do not have enough difficulty.

However, if Gymnastics Australia openly admits “we will never qualify a full team so we will send specialists instead to have better chances to qualify to the Olympics” that is a bit different, no? It does set precedence.

 

[irichluck21]

I mean, at least one of the athletes selected is openly gay

Who is that?

I mean, at least one of the athletes selected is openly gay. So yes, Thorpe’s omission absolutely stinks of back room politics but I don’t think due to homophobia

Even if all 5 members of the team were gay, it doesn’t mean that Thorpe’s omission isn’t homophobia.

There is an abundant amount of homophobia within the gay men community itself. Especially when it comes to not being “masculine enough”…you don’t have experience with this so you don’t understand it.

“Masc for masc”
“Too Gay”

 

[makam]

What would you put in place to prevent something like this happening in the future?

Put a banhammer on them like they do when NK screws up. “Teams deliberately not fielding enough athletes to generate a team score will be banned for the next quad and only be allowed to compete as individuals.”

 

[irichluck21]

“Teams deliberately not fielding enough athletes to generate a team score will be banned for the next quad and only be allowed to compete as individuals.”

I like this very much.

 

[irichluck21]

Interesting, GA obviously changed their minds.

 

[Passion]

Why was it a virtual trials? Why did Thorpe only show one event? Did those selected show more events?

Way more information is needed about what the criteria for selection was. Maybe there was a miscommunication somewhere.

 

[irichluck21]

 

[onodian]

Even if all 5 members of the team were gay, it doesn’t mean that Thorpe’s omission isn’t homophobia.

I mean this might be technically true, but if there is indeed an openly gay athlete then it’s certainly much less likelier. It isn’t like Heath is getting on floor in full drag and performing to “it’s raining men” (which, if you ask me, slay). There’s a lot of mental gymnastics to then justify the homophobia charge. Imma call it the biles 2 of claiming homophobia. Possible, but difficult.

I do think there might be some tension in him gaining a certain notoriety as “the gay one” that is larger than his results, i think that could create some envy/ mean spirits or rub people the wrong way.

Anyways mc spill the beans: who gay?

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

I can’t see how that would be meaningful. We’d just end up seeing a lot more handspring vaults, single salto floors and high bar with nothing but giants. Occasionally from athletes who genuinely have been injured at the very last minute and who’d be endangering themselves by trying.

 

[irichluck21]

I can’t see how that would be meaningful. We’d just end up seeing a lot more handspring vaults, single salto floors and high bar with nothing but giants. Occasionally from athletes who genuinely have been injured at the very last minute and who’d be endangering themselves by trying.

We did see the MAG gymnast from Turkiye vault so the team wouldn’t have to count a zero, hadn’t vaulted in 5 or 6 years IIRC. His name escapes me at the moment. That was because of an in competition injury to another team member.

I think the key point @makam was making is that in this particular case, not putting up an athlete on an event is a deliberate action, as opposed to happening in the moment.

 

[OnoNoKomachi]

According to screenshots of the Australian selection procedures I saw posted on Twitter,

The team selection was to be based on the highest scoring team.

So they didn’t follow their own criteria.

 

[RedBirdie]

Highest scoring team…that can’t put up a full team score because that don’t have enough athletes to put 3 up on each event.

Yeah. Sure. Okay.