Mixed Cup Medal at the 2028 Olympics?

[MaryClare]

The official schedule for the LA Olympics is out. The Mixed Team Final will be the last event held for Artistic, after event finals are finished. So it won't be interfering with anyone's medal chances in the traditional events.

View attachment 13252

https://la28.org/content/dam/latwentyeight/competition-schedule-imagery/uploaded-nov-12-2025/LA28OlympicGamesCompetitionScheduleByEventV2.pdf

It's almost like a gala but with an Olympic medal on the line.

I wonder when the federations have to confirm their participants for it

 

[makam]

I wonder when the federations have to confirm their participants for it

Yeah, is it based on scores and only the top gymnast can compete or can the federation choose? Cuz an event like that would be a great shot for an athlete like Hezly who was twiddling thumbs after TQ but I think Simone would have cut a bitch if they told her she had to get out there and do another almost AA.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Yeah, is it based on scores and only the top gymnast can compete or can the federation choose? Cuz an event like that would be a great shot for an athlete like Hezly who was twiddling thumbs after TQ but I think Simone would have cut a bitch if they told her she had to get out there and do another almost AA.

At Euros, it was the individuals rather than the country who qualified. If the top qualifying gymnast from France or wherever pulls out, the spot goes to the next country down, even if the second best French athlete outscored them.

Which is not to say it'll be the same here. And I hope it's not. The event has the best chance of being viable if countries can mix it up a bit.

 

[Angelika]

Also, it may be a case of last man standing if gymnasts get injured over the course of individual finals

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Yes, and it would be better for the competition if the American or Chinese athlete who's got injured during EFs could be replaced by the 2nd qualifying Chinese or American instead of the 17th placed qualifiers. The latter being how it worked at Euros. It would be even better if teams could choose the athlete/s to use.

 

[Hatsumomo]

It would be even better if teams could choose the athlete/s to use.

This was what I was thinking would be the best course of action. Why not allow the team members who didn't qualify (or were 2pered out) for individual events to compete in the mixed group and give them a shot at another medal?

 

[MaryClare]

Are countries who don’t qualify a full team, eligible for this?

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

This was what I was thinking would be the best course of action. Why not allow the team members who didn't qualify (or were 2pered out) for individual events to compete in the mixed group and give them a shot at another medal?

That and/or the specialists. So for example Brazil. Andrade has expressed an interest in the event in LA, but with the Euros rules about 1 WAG and 1 MAG only, she wouldn't be eligible due to sitting out floor (this is assuming arena constraints will stay what they are and the qualifying apparatus will remain the same). Whereas if the top Brazilian athletes qualify a team spot, Brazil could potentially compete Flavia on floor, Rebeca on vault and either on beam.

@MaryClare they haven't said afaik. At Euros it was any delegation with at least one MAG and one WAG competing the relevant events.

But my guess is they won't restrict it to full teams because that's potentially a very small pool and they'll only get 10 months notice of the size. There were 8 countries with 2 full teams in Paris. Which might work well, since 16 at Euros felt a bit unwieldy, but that means they're screwed if there only ends up being 7 next time. I can't be arsed working out how many countries had at least one MAG and one WAG in 2024, but it widens the pool considerably. Again it boosts the event if you can potentially have relatively big names from lopsided programmes like Ukraine MAG in there.

 

[MaryClare]

That and/or the specialists. So for example Brazil. Andrade has expressed an interest in the event in LA, but with the Euros rules about 1 WAG and 1 MAG only, she wouldn't be eligible due to sitting out floor (this is assuming arena constraints will stay what they are and the qualifying apparatus will remain the same). Whereas if the top Brazilian athletes qualify a team spot, Brazil could potentially compete Flavia on floor, Rebeca on vault and either on beam.

@MaryClare they haven't said afaik. At Euros it was any delegation with at least one MAG and one WAG competing the relevant events.

But my guess is they won't restrict it to full teams because that's potentially a very small pool and they'll only get 10 months notice of the size. There were 8 countries with 2 full teams in Paris. Which might work well, since 16 at Euros felt a bit unwieldy, but that means they're screwed if there only ends up being 7 next time. I can't be arsed working out how many countries had at least one MAG and one WAG in 2024, but it widens the pool considerably. Again it boosts the event if you can potentially have relatively big names from lopsided programmes like Ukraine MAG in there.

I’m pretty sure that the euros format was a scaled down experiment. I think it’s 2 and 2?

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

I’m pretty sure that the euros format was a scaled down experiment. I think it’s 2 and 2?

Is that a team of 2 WAGs and 2 MAGs to produce 1 routine on each event between them, or to produce 2?

 

[Bob]

Its a horrible idea I hate it.

 

[MaryClare]

Is that a team of 2 WAGs and 2 MAGs to produce 1 routine on each event between them, or to produce 2?

I don’t know, but I have 2 and 2 stuck in my head

 

[Passion]

I read somewhere that Mixed Team will be an event at 2027 Worlds, but I have absolutely no memory of where I read it.

If that’s true at least we’ll have a full dry run before the Olympics. I would assume they’ll be doing it at Worlds the same way it will be done at the Olympics.