Post qualifications WAG musings

[IratePanda]

I would absolutely bench Ou in TF. She’s a useless headcase. It pains me to say it because she’s very talented and often beautiful to watch, but the mental game isn’t there. (I feel like I’ve sung this song before about many other CHN gymnasts.)

 

[Angelika]

Is sport psychology not a thing in China? They produce the most beautiful gymnasts, especially on Bars and Beam who are let down by mental/confidence issues.

 

[onodian]

I mean, they are getting better. It used to be they would fall on kch and full turns after doing the best gymnastics in the competition. Ou’s bb was ok to the unexperienced eye, it’s just frustrating once you have seen what she can do. I also feel these Chinese bb routines relied a lot on risky jump connections, which a lot of times seem to always work until you get to the big stage.

 

[blake]

It used to be they would fall on kch

#HQS4ever <3

 

[YurchenkoLoop]

toe-on and immediately peel off

 

[Hatsumomo]

Li Shanshan falling on her Korbut in EFs and handing the gold to Shawn Johnson.

Yang Bo. Just Yang Bo.

 

[irichluck21]

Carey also had the luxury of not having to do all events or do her full difficulty at either Nationals or Trials. She was able to relax and take it easy and allow herself to peak at the Olympics because she had a guaranteed spot.
Everyone else had to go all out to try to make the team.

I would have done the same thing myself, just saying it is another factor in her performance.

 

[PeakePups]

Completely agree with this. Jade was able to completely focus on peaking for the Olympics and it really benefitted her. Great job from her dad with coaching.

 

[ucrgirl]

Carey also had the luxury of not having to do all events or do her full difficulty at either Nationals or Trials. She was able to relax and take it easy and allow herself to peak at the Olympics because she had a guaranteed spot.
Everyone else had to go all out to try to make the team.

I wish there was a way to let athletes do that—pace themselves to peak at the Olympics. Our current system seems too often to compete them to exhaustion then send them to the games.

 

[Hatsumomo]

Won’t happen because ratings and money. Simone Biles had absolutely no reason to have to compete at Trials unless she wanted to given that the team was literally being built around her. She would have only needed to be at Nationals to qualify for the National Team. But there’s no way USAG/USOC would have let her sit at home.

 

[irichluck21]

USOC also states there has to be an Olympic Trials and qualification to Olympic Trials. Amongst other stipulations.

 

[arabiandoublefront]

Maybe they shouldn’t hold nationals until later in the year. That’s what swimming does. Gymnastics would need some sort of qualifying standards for Trials, though.

 

[irichluck21]

Hard to compare to swimming though. It is easier in swimming because they have Olympic qualification times as it is easier to invite. Since time is objective and measured by a clock, swimmers can get a qualifying time at virtually any meet.

I suppose USAG could devise an Olympic qualifying score for the AA and specific events and use that. However, judging is subjective, so would home gym invitationals be able to count? Otherwise have to come up with a list of meets that you can qualify out of.

 

[Hatsumomo]

Or hold Nationals earlier in the year. Like Olympic year Nationals are in March and Trials in June. That gives gymnasts enough downtime to rest post-Nationals and then pick back up to be ready for Trials. Versus the comps being back-to-back.

 

[tempest]

Or hold Nationals earlier in the year. Like Olympic year Nationals are in March and Trials in June. That gives gymnasts enough downtime to rest post-Nationals and then pick back up to be ready for Trials. Versus the comps being back-to-back.

I like that idea!

 

[Doug1233]

Korbut Full*

 

[arabiandoublefront]

They can still use the American Classic and the US Classic.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Yes, it becomes more and more clear that Jade’s team did the right thing taking her Olympic qualification out of the federation’s hands.

 

[makam]

I don’t know, Japan held their nationals and trials very early and it doesn’t seem to have helped them. GB too started their trials process early and haven’t benefited.

And you’d have to come up with a better petition process to trials because Grace would have been out of the running if an early Nationals was the way to get into trials. At least they get named to the team or alternate and don’t have to keep performing until the day before they fly out to please Martha and be officially named to the team.

 

[tempest]

Yes, it becomes more and more clear that Jade’s team did the right thing taking her Olympic qualification out of the federation’s hands.

yep… I was never annoyed by Jade’s decision to do the world cup route, I was annoyed when she still wanted to try for the main team which meant the US lost a spot