Let's talk about Jordan Chiles

[RAFIKI]

Wasn’t there a gymnast last quad who physically could not do a bridge/backbend or something like that?

Skinner can’t do a bridge.

 

[tempest]

Skinner can’t do a bridge.

I actually laughed out loud on that… gracias

 

[MaryClare]

It would be physically impossible for her do some of skills she does, even with her execution, were she unable to achieve the sort of shoulder range to do a bridge.

 

[RAFIKI]

It’s at 4:10 in this video

 

[MaryClare]

She’s hamming up for the camera. There’s no possibility that is her bridge. Even if she lacks shoulder flexibility to extend, the way she was acting was as if she had no stomach muscles

 

[Jack]

Idk… the duck feet and splayed legs kind of indicate she really has no idea what she is doing.

 

[cats]

I knew a few gymnasts who lost their bridges, or at least their ability to do one without days of back pain, and still managed multiple L10 seasons and had good bhs.

 

[MaryClare]

Yeah, I’ve seen gymnasts lose their bridge through shoulder injury. It doesn’t look like that!

 

[QuietColours]

It’s just not worth it for me to do bridges with my back; I do different stretches and activities for shoulder and midback flexibility and movement. I still have plenty of mobility for handsprings.

I do, admittedly, heavily minimize walkovers.

 

[choclatechip45]

I do wonder how the Landi’s prepared Jordan and Simone for the Olympics. It was clear Jordan was prepared to peak at trials.

 

[RedBirdie]

I do wonder how the Landi’s prepared Jordan and Simone for the Olympics. It was clear Jordan was prepared to peak at trials.

You raise a good question, and one I had not considered. Neither of them seemed truly prepared for Tokyo.

 

[Jack]

It’s interesting, because Kocian’s UB set was very well peaked for Rio.

 

[Caligym]

In their defense, really only Suni and Simone had the luxury of not peaking at trials. Every other USA gymnast had to essentially try to peak at trials just to make the team.

 

[choclatechip45]

True. I wonder how much not having a camp right before the Olympics affected things because Grace also looked unprepared at certain times. The only person on the main team who looked really prepared was Suni.

 

[RedBirdie]

Eh, how much would any camp be worth when its lead by Captain Know Nothing?

 

[choclatechip45]

That is fair too lol.

 

[Seyonne]

For some reason, I originally read that as Captain Kangaroo and I nodded knowingly, because it made perfect sense.

 

[gtu07]

It’s possible to have different ROM for dynamic vs. passive stretches. A bridge is more passive while a backhandspring is dynamic. Plus, it’s a bit easier to cheat the dynamic stuff by compensating e.g piking down on a backhandspring or undercutting a backhandspring.

 

[Sparklesmom]

I think that camp (as it was done with Marta) would do nothing but totally exhaust the women before the Olympics. Think back to the last several quads and how many injuries were sustained during those camps. Now granted it was like, oh I don’t know, hell on earth, but even the kinder, gentler version may have been too much. Especially when you consider the tight time frame of this season. Honestly I think it might be better to pace the meets a bit more - they were so tightly packed together this year. Start them earlier and spread them out a bit to allow time for recovery and actual training (and maybe camp) between them.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Yeah, they wouldn’t learn any less going on actual summer camp instead. And at least they could have a laugh with the kids there.