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.

 

[makam]

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.

And if any issues are discovered, they'll have time to iron them out. I know the apparatus limit is due to how much space there is to set up on the competition floor but it would almost be cooler if they did a random draw after qualifications to pick the 3 and then the qualified "teams" could pick their competitors based on what events are chosen and how busy they are likely to be (the the possibility of subbing in case of injury if the country has extra athletes).

I didn't love the elimination round concept Euros used and how the scores didn't carry over rounds though it did mean some strategy had to be employed. Using your best event to get into the second round is going to leave you chasing the pack so picking the order can generate some conversations. But still, if the point is to show which country has the best mixed "team," I'd rather every team do every apparatus and see who has the highest score. And 2 men and 2 women but you have to be smart about who to use when could be cool but that might keep some countries with not enough qualified athletes out so 1 and 1 seems more probable.

 

[Bob]

At Euros I hated that gymnasts who qualified had to compete or forfeit their other EF places. I feel that is nonsense. Gymnasts are allowed to drop AA final places or EF places as they see fit so I felt that was really unfair. Gymnasts who weren't in the mixed final had an advantage of a day off before later finals.

 

[MaryClare]

At Euros I hated that gymnasts who qualified had to compete or forfeit their other EF places. I feel that is nonsense. Gymnasts are allowed to drop AA final places or EF places as they see fit so I felt that was really unfair. Gymnasts who weren't in the mixed final had an advantage of a day off before later finals.

I can’t see that happening at the Olympics. At euros they had to sort of force the gymnasts to participate because there’s no incentive really, no one cares that much. They very much will care when there’s an Olympic medal up for grabs especially if they haven’t won one by the time the mixed event rolls around.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Having it last should help with that.

Re Euros, I read somewhere that Jake Jarman had been training high bar earlier this year to be able to do the mixed TF, which is interesting if true. He strikes me as the sort of athlete who'd be most interested in something like this. Good enough and from a strong enough programme that he can consider himself a realistic contender, but not such a shoo in that he might choose to prioritise individual events instead.