Team USA moving forward

[Hatsumomo]

I've been hoping that the USA would return to the friendly versus meets for both juniors and seniors. Low stakes, but national team members get more competitions. Especially if you could do a versus among the top 5 teams.

 

[RichardL]

I've been hoping that the USA would return to the friendly versus meets for both juniors and seniors. Low stakes, but national team members get more competitions. Especially if you could do a versus among the top 5 teams.

Those were so fun!

 

[irichluck21]

I used to love the International Team Championship.
USA vs Romania vs China
China rarely took it seriously though, sending inexperienced members.
Romani essentially sent their 99 World Team to the event in 1999.
Australia joined that in 1999 as well for a 4th team.

 

[Passion]

They did dual meets in IIRC England and Sweden? Or very close to those countries in 2005. Then started with Jesolo from 2008 on.

Jesolo basically is the international team championship, USA just isn’t hosting it. Which benefits them more because then their athletes get experience competing after extensive travel as well.

USA WAG competed internationally quite a bit this year. DTB, Gymnix, Jesolo, Antalya WC, Varna WCC, Osijek WC, Pan Am Championships, Jr Pan Ams, Worlds, Jr Worlds, Combs la Ville, Arthur Gander.

Add to that domestically Winter Cup, April selection camp, Am Classic, US Classic, Nationals, and Worlds selection camps. You could be competing constantly if you chose to.

 

[Aeris]

I loved Urazova and decline to accept any criticism.

Urazova should have beaten Melnikova in that final, and made UB final over her.

 

[RichardL]

They did dual meets in IIRC England and Sweden? Or very close to those countries in 2005. Then started with Jesolo from 2008 on.

Jesolo basically is the international team championship, USA just isn’t hosting it. Which benefits them more because then their athletes get experience competing after extensive travel as well.

USA WAG competed internationally quite a bit this year. DTB, Gymnix, Jesolo, Antalya WC, Varna WCC, Osijek WC, Pan Am Championships, Jr Pan Ams, Worlds, Jr Worlds, Combs la Ville, Arthur Gander.

Add to that domestically Winter Cup, April selection camp, Am Classic, US Classic, Nationals, and Worlds selection camps. You could be competing constantly if you chose to.

Yeah, agreed! But I guess the conflicts with the NCAA schedule (and the top elites choosing to compete in college vs. the spring elite meets) means that it's mostly a B-team attending these. Jayla Hang and Ashlee Sullivan competed internationally quite extensively this year and only made it to Worlds as non-traveling alternates. Blakely, Wong, and Roberson did not compete internationally at all.

 

[irichluck21]

Jesolo basically is the international team championship, USA just isn’t hosting it. Which benefits them more because then their athletes get experience competing after extensive travel as well.

Yes but we don't get to see gymnasts finger painting their country's flag!

 

[RichardL]

I think I was around 14 at the time that I saw the finger painting and I was like "dear god what did I sign myself up for here" but here I am

 

[Sasha]

I have this vague memory of the fingerpainting. Was it Romania at the ITC?

 

[Concorde]

I have this vague memory of the fingerpainting. Was it Romania at the ITC?

All four countries:

 

[Puffin]

All four countries:

I'm sure 20 year old Simona Amanar was delighted to fingerpaint

 

[Aeris]

Leanne with medals at 4 Worlds in a row. Is Khorkina the last person to do that?

 

[MaryClare]

Leanne with medals at 4 Worlds in a row. Is Khorkina the last person to do that?

Yes I think so. She has also helped maintain a run of 23 consecutive world and Olympic AA podiums with a US gymnast.

 

[KristyJ]

Heck, since 1991, I think only four worlds with all-around competition have lacked an American woman on the AA podium, '95, '97, '99, and '01, so they're 26/30 for the last 35 years.

 

[RichardL]

I think we forget the flash point of how awful the US looked in 1995. Moceanu won one medal and otherwise they were completely shut out except for an extremely narrow margin for the team bronze over Russia that is rarely remarked upon because no one wants to blame Khorkina for that floor routine. Team gold the next year was definitely not bankable.