MyKayla Skinner Olympic participation

[irichluck21]

Then Skinner, knowing she is a high-profile athlete, should be more tactful.

She, and only she, is responsible for what she says, posts/retweets/likes in social media, and how she responds to criticism and disappointment.

If she chooses to be immature herself she is going to be received and treated that way.

 

[irichluck21]

This.

Also, this is a new format this Olympics.
ALL team members do all around in team qualifications as it is 4-4-3, not 5-4-3, this time around.

I still don’t understand the hype around a vault and floor specialist. Suni Lee is fine on floor and while her vault has never been the best DTY around, it is still competitive with most other DTY at the World stage. It is not like there was this huge gap on VT, the US is going to win vault by 2 points anyway.

 

[Puffin]

Then Skinner, knowing she is a high-profile athlete, should be more tactful.

She, and only she, is responsible for what she says, posts/retweets/likes in social media, and how she responds to criticism and disappointment.

If she chooses to be immature herself she is going to be received and treated that way.

I agree with this. Skinner turns 25 this year so it is getting to be rather a stretch to excuse the the way she behaves on social media. In addition her degree major is “Communications” according to Utah’s website - so that she, perhaps more than others, should be aware of the power of words and how she communicates through her online behaviour

 

[irichluck21]

Thank you.

I didn’t understand the “misplaced criticism” remark either. How is it “misplaced” when critiquing execution, which is half of a score and skills being performed poorly and with lack of form.

 

[ucrgirl]

My reasoning for expressing the need for a floor/vault backup is that Suni has been injured recently and I am not confident that she will hold up through the next month of training and the Olympics. Maybe she will continue to get stronger and will do AA in team finals, but maybe not and it would be nice to have a great back up option if someone needs a rest.

 

[irichluck21]

Which is fine.
McCallum is more than capable of being a VT/FX back up. Anyone else would have been fine too, DiCello, Wong, Skinner, Jones, Fatta, Malabuyo, even Eaker.

I don’t understand the WE NEED TO TAKE SKINNER BECAUSE OF VAULT narrative.

 

[arabiandoublefront]

In hindsight, I think that the USA was spoiled in having three Amanars back in 2012. I wonder if that’s why a certain part of the gymnastics fandom thinks we need Skinner because of vault. In 2016, the USA was down to two Amanars. I wonder if there’s some embarassment that USA might only put up whatever Simone vaults in team finals and two DTY this year because we haven’t seen Jordan’s Amanar.

 

[glamafonic]

I mean, I had to correct someone saying with their whole chest that the US needs Skinner because they are going to lose on so many points to Russia on VT since Russia has “multiple Amanars.”

So some of it is very clearly just ignorance, tbh.

 

[Doug1233]

Well that’s a function of the Code.

The Amanar was 0.7 higher in D back then. And 0.7 in E was way more than 0.7 E is now.

Now it’s only 0.4 D. There’s less incentive.

I’m 1000% sure Chiles and Shilese in 2012 would be doing an Amanar.

 

[arabiandoublefront]

I know, but others might not realize that.

 

[dweiss324]

I don’t think you “need Skinner for vault” the same way I don’t think you “need McCallum for a backup”. Neither really matters. Grace will add less than Skinner on vault, and Skinner would add less on the other events if someone goes done. Neither is the end of the world. They’re both perfectly capable at being “fine enough”.

 

[Doug1233]

I mean, if Simone, Jordan or Suni go down between prelims and TF… who would you rather put up on beam and bars. Skinner or grace?

Putting Skinner up on TF bars would be an embarrassment to the United States.

 

[Perfect10]

I am really interested to see how Skinner scores internationally. I see her struggling to break 54.

 

[Doug1233]

We had 54.8 Day 1 and a 53.2 Day 2.

It’s hard to know how tight or loose the Olympic panels will be. I got a completely mixed read from Doha. Depending on leotard. Which always works in Skinner’s favor.

 

[falcon9]

Funny… I literally created this thread because I thought the video editing of MyKayla flying off the bar and turning into Wonder Woman was super cool.

Turning out to be quite the topic!

 

[Puffin]

I was always thought it a bit strange that she sort of copied the gymnastics Wonder Woman image that Jordan Chiles presented at 2018 Nationals

 

[lovegymnasts]

Done right, I could actually get into a Wonder Woman USA leo for the Olympics or a Worlds.

 

[rlayt]

Leos for the whole team!

 

[Hatsumomo]

And Jordan got a shout out from Gal Gadot herself the next day.

 

[ucrgirl]

I watched (most of) her post trials video over lunch.

She is so excited to be an Olympian. Would have preferred the 4-person team but is thrilled to be going. Wasn’t sure if they would take her and Jade because they are similar. Said some complementary things about Grace. The leos are covered in crystals (boo).

Over the moon about the Today show interview.

Hopes that if “the team” is on Fallon she and Jade will be included. (I hope so too. I’ve been dreading the media ignoring the +2 athletes.)

So, on the whole, very classy. She grew up a lot and will be a good representative of the US (bars form aside).