Simone is out of the AA, VT, UB and FX

[tsarinajen]

Well we’ve seen subs since ‘92, Iordache beam final 2012 for example, but I can see respecting the integrity of the qualification procedures. (Had to get that Tom in there ) though for the record, I understand your point there.

With that said, Listy didn’t have a bad qualification. She was sixth who happened to be the third Russian. I haven’t agreed with the rule change ever. It’s the AA, it should always be the best of the best even if that’s six Americans, six Russians especially with the new life rules. If you give Listy her prelim vault to her other events in the team final, she beat Biles qualifier score. Or move her beam from team finals to the prelims and she’s the top Russian.

I’d love to see Urazova win just to prove me wrong. Regardless, it’s going to be a great AA final. We’re going to see how they all cope with the knowledge that without Simone a lot of them can lay claim to a victory that probably none of them thought they could get here. I’m hoping it brings the competitors out in all of them and not a nervy beam rotations with lots of falls.

 

[tsarinajen]

I’d rather not see Jade win… but the thought of her sticking it to USAG… that does put a huge smile on my face.

And 56.9? That’s a fair guess on the winning score. (4 beat it in the qualifier)

 

[Doug1233]

but I can see respecting the integrity of the qualification procedures. (Had to get that Tom in there )

Ha I mean - how would you feel if you were Urazova’s coach?

 

[Maeloc_Cao]

How would you feel if you were 16 years old, had qualified for an Olympic final and your coach fired you because she thought another teammate is better? How good would that be for your future competitive confidence?
And I think the problem with the final bar of the team is that he ran out of space in the first series. He has grown a lot, ((10 cm in the last year, I think his coach said) I think he is having a hard time adapting to his " new "body.

 

[MRR]

I don’t want Jade with a medal, but of all the Americans to replace Simone, I’m glad it’s her. It’s a tremendous opportunity especially for someone who didn’t compete as part of the team.

She came to the Games peaked and ready, and debuting the Carey in an AA final would be a moment. Beyond the power events, her improvement on bars is exceptional. She wasn’t even competing it her first year of elite!

Beam is what tanks her, unfortunately, and not just in prelims. Better selection of skills and a drop of artistry would be helpful to take her AA bid seriously, but thrilled for her nonetheless.

 

[Passion]

But I’d actually be happy with any combination of the top 12 outside of Derwael and Lu Yufei. Their weak events are too weak for me to enjoy watching them win an AA medal.

Lu Yufei does not have a weak event.

 

[Caligym]

It’s obviously a personal opinion what is “weak” but I consider a 4.8 D score on an event to be weak in the context of an Olympic All Around final.

 

[Passion]

She’ll be up last on vault in the AA, could compete her DTT.

 

[lovegymnasts]

The AA has lost the spark for me now that Simone is out. I’m hoping it will return in the morning when the competition starts. Y’all are talking about Jade as a potential AA medalist.
Nooooo
Nooooo
Lovely girl but nooo
If she did medal, I would feel that a lot of somethings would have had to go wrong, badly wrong.
Hoping, someone just lights the fire for me. I’m thinking if it’s anyone, it will be Andrade.

 

[Caligym]

Is there video of her doing the double?

 

[Passion]

Yes. She competed the DTT in the second internal test to make this Olympic team. She stuck it:

https://h5.video.weibo.com/show/1034:4654926232748044

Lu Yufei vaults about 50 seconds into that video.

 

[IratePanda]

I don’t think she’s competed it in a few years (eta: thanks for the internal test video). But even with a FTT, I think she’s a more complete all-arounder than Carey.

In any case, it’s all purely academic because neither gymnast is likely to make the podium.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

I think the point re subbing is that whatever one’s personal feelings about the ethics of the practice, Russia are one of the teams who’ve done it before. Though actually I’m not sure if it’s happened at the Olympics other than Khorkina on vault in 00 which was her doing. But with this in mind, it was reasonable to wonder whether it might happen here. Seems it hasn’t.

 

[Sasha]

Simone’s withdrawal definitely puts a huge pall on the event, but if we can look past that for a second … we have NO IDEA who will win now, which is exciting, especially given the depth and the quality of the field. I’m hoping for an exciting competition, though I also hope it’ll be a little more low key than Tuesday. That was a lot.

 

[Doug1233]

Am I allowed to hope for a Gadirova to sneak a bronze?!?

 

[Angelika]

Well you can join me cos that’s what I’m hoping!

 

[Alinxz23]

Mai could also take it giving Japan with the male and female AA titles.

 

[Sasha]

I hate the way this is coming across in the media. I’m seeing headlines saying Simone is withdrawing “to focus on her mental health”, which, frankly, makes her sound like a lightweight. She’s in the biggest competition of her life and probably 99% of the people paying attention to her now know little to nothing about her career, and the narrative out there is that she’s basically taking a mental health day at the Olympics. I understand there are lots of factors preventing a more accurate narrative - I doubt Simone is in a space where she can really be open, and even if she were, the media are beyond busy with Olympic coverage. I get that it’s not the time for details, but by the time it is, far fewer people will be listening, and a whole bunch of armchair coaches will go away calling her a quitter. I realise it’s probably inevitable and at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what Mr. armchair coach thinks of Simone, but I just find it so unfortunate the way things have played out on the communications side of things and I needed to get that off my chest.

 

[JaJa]

The Tom-hate bandwagon, perpetuated by Gymcastic, has gotten exhausting.

More exhausting than the Mykayla hate wagon?

 

[JaJa]

The AA has lost the spark for me now that Simone is out.

For me as well. But totally.