Latest Nationality Changes

[rlayt]

 

[GLeigh]

Azaraya Ra-Akbar (USA to CAN) and Georgia-Rose Brown (AUS to NZL)

 

[irichluck21]

Georgia-Rose Brown (AUS to NZL)

 

[GLeigh]

She’ll be coming for that continental AA spot which luckily also hopefully solves the “someone from New Zealand qualifying with a 46” issue that came up as soon as Australia qualified a team

 

[RedBirdie]

I’m shocked by GRB’s switch. Guess she’s hoping to secure an AA spot via continentals?

In MAG news, longtime US official Steve Butcher switched to Trinidad and Tobago.

 

[J175]

She’ll be coming for that continental AA spot which luckily also hopefully solves the “someone from New Zealand qualifying with a 46” issue that came up as soon as Australia qualified a team

A federation with two members is silly, but is this real!y better?

Whatever you think of nationality changes in the sport this has to be one of the most questionable, if it is what it looks like, someone parachuting in at the last minute to take the Olympic spot New Zealand have effectively already secured.

 

[Denn]

WHOA:

In MAG news, longtime US official Steve Butcher switched to Trinidad and Tobago.

Not just a longtime US official, but at one point not so long ago, the president of the Men’s Technical Committee internationally! after the very bumpy start to the open-ended code. He did a lot to smooth things out.

I am wondering if this is because it will enable him to do more with FIG without either blocking others in the US or losing opportunities as the US tries to accommodate lots of qualified people?

I thought he lived in Tennessee or something like that. But I looked up online and it seems he’s in Texas these days. I am not sure what is enabling him to tie to Trinidad and Tobago, but whatever it is, I hope it all works out.

 

[Bob]

Any news on Charlotte Booth changing from US to GB yet.

 

[RedBirdie]

Here’s a most recently approved changes:

Azaraya RA-AKBAR – WAG gymnast – Former: USA / New: CAN
Georgia-Rose BROWN – WAG gymnast – Former: AUS / New: NZL
Valeriia GRUDNIAK – RG judge – Former : UZB / New : RUS
David MARTELLI – MAG gymnast – Former : GBR / New : IRL
Ina DELCHEVA-MEHRINGER – RG judge – Former : GER / New : BUL
Steve BUTCHER – MAG judge – Former : USA / New : TTO

 

[MaryClare]

Any news on Charlotte Booth changing from US to GB yet.

Doesn’t appear to be any indication that she will. Although it remains unclear why she was at Park Wrekin earlier in the year.

When she announced she’d be attending Auburn, she said in 2025. I don’t know if that’s significant or not.

It might very well be that earlier this year she had no intention of switching to GB but I wonder if GB’s current injury situation might make her reconsider. However, GB does not make it easy for gymnasts to switch to. Whilst they’d be fine with her continuing to train in Florida, she’d have to affiliate with a different club for the purposes of competing in and for Great Britain.

 

[irichluck21]

Any news on Charlotte Booth changing from US to GB yet

She’s not changing, her family had to be in Great Britain for an extended period of time due to family situation (dad is from England).Booth didn’t want to miss out on training time while abroad, and opted to train with Alice Kinsella while she was out of the US. But she is back in the US now and no future plans to change nationalities.

 

[RedBirdie]

When she announced she’d be attending Auburn, she said in 2025. I don’t know if that’s significant or not.

She doesn’t graduate high school until 2025.

 

[irichluck21]

She doesn’t graduate high school until 2025.

She would be attending Auburn in fall of 2025. So her freshman year would be 2025-2026

 

[irichluck21]

GRB changing over to NZL makes total sense, even if it was a surprising change.
She has dual AUS/NZL citizenship, and she missed out on the last 3 Olympics. 2012, she was team alternate, and 2016 and 2020 no team qualified. It appears with Godwin and Pass making up 2/5 of the team, that there isn’t a place on the current roster for her.

New Zealand has an automatic AA qualifier, so she just has to beat the best of NZL, which is likely.

If she doesn’t make it via AA at continentals, she could be someone in line for a bars or beam +1 at World Apparatus Cup, considering all the bars and beam gymnasts that are out, either due to qualifying a team or having maxed out their +3.

 

[MaryClare]

That would be quite something, qualifying for the Olympics at your 4th attempt

 

[Bob]

Doesn’t appear to be any indication that she will. Although it remains unclear why she was at Park Wrekin earlier in the year.

When she announced she’d be attending Auburn, she said in 2025. I don’t know if that’s significant or not.

It might very well be that earlier this year she had no intention of switching to GB but I wonder if GB’s current injury situation might make her reconsider. However, GB does not make it easy for gymnasts to switch to. Whilst they’d be fine with her continuing to train in Florida, she’d have to affiliate with a different club for the purposes of competing in and for Great Britain.

I would say she would be best coming over and training at Park Wrekin and distance schooling this year. Park Wrekin would give her the best chance of being selected. And it would be for less than a year. Then she could return to school in the US and be ready for college in 2025.
I am sure we will hear soon as she would need to attend the trials and the first one is the English in Feb.

 

[hmmmm]

GRB changing over to NZL makes total sense, even if it was a surprising change.
She has dual AUS/NZL citizenship, and she missed out on the last 3 Olympics. 2012, she was team alternate, and 2016 and 2020 no team qualified. It appears with Godwin and Pass making up 2/5 of the team, that there isn’t a place on the current roster for her.

New Zealand has an automatic AA qualifier, so she just has to beat the best of NZL, which is likely.

If she doesn’t make it via AA at continentals, she could be someone in line for a bars or beam +1 at World Apparatus Cup, considering all the bars and beam gymnasts that are out, either due to qualifying a team or having maxed out their +3.

It also makes sense because the NZOC has very strict standards for sending athletes to the Olympics. The current crop of NZ WAG do not have a case to be considered. She won't be 'taking' a spot from another NZ gymnast, because none have demonstrated being close to an acceptable level of performance for selection.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

It also makes sense because the NZOC has very strict standards for sending athletes to the Olympics. The current crop of NZ WAG do not have a case to be considered. She won't be 'taking' a spot from another NZ gymnast, because none have demonstrated being close to an acceptable level of performance for selection.

That's a good point. I was already unpersuaded by the complaints about her taking a spot from another NZ gymnast, given that they've only been presented with the option in the first place because of location and Australia having a good year. But yeah, it might even be moot anyway.

 

[QuietColours]

It makes me very curious about Courtney McGregor's apparent comeback.

 

[OnoNoKomachi]

Steve Butcher's nationality has changed from USA to TTO.