Let's talk about Jordan Chiles

[rlayt]

Half the camps could be cut if the National coordinator visited the gyms. Camaraderie from training together every two months should still develop.

 

[Doug1233]

So what are Jordan’s plans post Tour?

 

[glamafonic]

She’s going to UCLA.

 

[MaryClare]

Presumably in January?

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Jordan has now said she wants to try for worlds this year, which should spice things up a bit

https://olympics.com/en/news/jordan-chiles-paris-2024-elite-gymnastics-worlds-2022

 

[ucrgirl]

The more the merrier.

 

[blake]

I hope it works out for her. Crazy to think she’s been a senior since 2017 and has been to the Olympics but not worlds.

 

[Rich]

I guess without Russians at Worlds she will do well if she can adapt to the new code.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Well, hopefully her camp learned a few lessons about sensible skill selection from Tokyo. But she could certainly do well this year if they have, the talent is there. And I have wondered if this year’s worlds might look more attractive to the NCAA Americans than it might’ve done two months ago.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Well, hopefully her camp learned a few lessons about sensible skill selection from Tokyo. But she could certainly do well this year if they have, the talent is there. And I have wondered if this year’s worlds might look more attractive to the NCAA Americans than it might’ve done two months ago.

One of my better predictions, as it turned out.

The next chapter is that Jordan has confirmed she won’t do NCAA next year, but will return to full time elite training in Texas and defer.

Jordan Chiles: ‘I am just very humble about who I am’ | International Gymnast Magazine Online

A high-scoring star on the apparatus and a high-spirited team leader off it, Olympic and world medalist Jordan Chiles is flourishing in both her collegiate career as a UCLA sophomore student-athlete…

www.intlgymnast.com

Not a great surprise, but now we have official confirmation. She appears to be leaving it open as to what happens after Paris, which makes sense.

 

[MaryClare]

Interesting. The more likely Jordan is to be selected for Paris, the less likely Simone is to return I think

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

We must be hitting shit or get off the pot time for Simone in Paris pretty soon.

There is also the possibility that she’s written this quad off entirely and any decision will be about whether to try and come back after that.

 

[MaryClare]

She’s getting married this summer and I can totally see her having a couple of kids then coming back for LA!

 

[Hatsumomo]

Possibly for Belize. I wonder if that’s part of why she’s sitting out and being cagey about her return, but still doing the drug tests.

 

[irichluck21]

Jade Carey and Leanne Wong will likely follow suit and end up deferring a year to train for Paris.

They cannot go through the madness that is NCAA from January to April, competing each week, and sometimes twice a week, and have bodies intact and ready to go through the madness that is Olympic Trials process from May to July.

Olympic Trials are at the end of June and the Olympics start July 24 (artistic gymnastics starts the 27th).

So any current NCAA athlete that is serious about Paris will need to defer, IMO.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Coming back after two would be right up there with the Yurchenko double pike!

But as WAGs competing into their 30s becomes more common, women gymnasts being around for most of their adult fertile years like in other sports, baby breaks are probably going to become more of a feature. And if you’re a mid 20s female athlete now and you’d like both a baby and another go at the Olympics… the Olympics doesn’t necessarily have to happen first. I don’t mean Simone necessarily here either, could be anyone.

 

[MaryClare]

Aliya Mustafina did it, I see no reason why Simone couldn’t

 

[KristyJ]

See also Chellsie Memmel, who does have two kiddos

 

[Hatsumomo]

I wonder if we’ll see more career gymnasts like Chuso. Though it would only be for smaller countries because I don’t see somebody managing to stay at the level needed to consistently make World and Olympic teams for the A- and B-tier countries.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Well, women who come back to high level sport after two are a much rarer breed than ones who do it after one. But I agree with you, no reason why not if that’s what Simone wants. She’ll only be 31 in 2028, which is an increasingly unremarkable age for a gymnast. It might actually make more sense to play the long game than to try and hurry back to elite in the short time left before Paris. I’m sure she and her partner can afford to throw money at whatever help they’d need to combine parenthood with two sporting careers.