The worlds that never happened

[MaryClare]

As a little respite from the ncaa drama, I thought it might be fun to talk about the worlds we didn’t get.

1982, 1986, 1990, 1998. And if you want to go back to the 1970s, it’s potentially more interesting as there was no pre olympic worlds in 1971 or 75.

Who do we think would have won? Who would have been on the team for the major countries?

 

[irichluck21]

I think a USA team in 1998 would have been strong and medaled as a team.
Maloney, Atler, Moceanu leading the team with Ray, Antolin, Dantzscher, Thompson, Zmeskal as possibilities.
Romania would have had Olaru, Prescan, Ungureanu, and Amanar but without Gogean, so they might not have been as dominant without a strong 5th and 6th gymnast. However they won Europeans by 3 points over Russia- but that was 3 up 3 count and Russia counted 5 falls/
Russia: Zamo, Khorkina, Produnova, Kuznetsova, Ezhova.

Ukraine, France, and China making team finals.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

I expect Gogean would've extended the retirement tour to cover a hypothetical 98 worlds.

 

[IratePanda]

Oh, fun! I'll try 1982. I'm creating these teams with the assumption that many of the questionable 1966-68 birthdates would have been subject to further manipulation.

USSR: Yurchenko, Bicherova, Mostepanova, Ilienko, Shishova, Shkoda

ROM: Szabo, Agache, Stanulet, Dunca, one or both Renciu twins...?! Zelenca?? Barbalata? An underaged Cutina? Poor Eberle? Their team was kind of a mystery that year. Cristina Grigoras missed the World Cup with an injury, so I'm guessing she wouldn't have been available for Worlds.

China: Ma Yanhong, Chen Yongyan, Wu Jiani, Yang Yanli, Yu Xiang, Wen Jia (this is based on their Asian Games team).

USA: McNamara, Goodwin, Roethlisberger, Collins, Service, maybe Talavera? She missed the World Cup with an injury but competed at the Chunichi Cup several weeks later. Kathy Johnson was out of action with a broken foot

Bulgaria would have sent an underaged Stoyanova, no question. Plus Grantcharova, Marinova, Topalova, Demireva, and an underaged Dudeva.

GDR: Gnauck, Gnauck, Gnauck, Gnauck, Gnauck, and Gnauck. She was their sole representative at the World Cup, so I have no idea if any of her teammates were fit to compete. Maybe Rensch and Voigt?

OK, possible results:

Team:
1 .) USSR
2.) China
3.) Romania

AA:
1t.) Yurchenko and Bicherova. They were evenly matched at the World Cup, and I can't see a different result at Worlds.
3t) Szabo and Agache, because I can't and won't chose.

V:
1.) Yurchenko
2.) Bicherova
3.) Agache

UB:
1.) Ma Yanhong
2.) McNamara
3.) Yurchenko
Fuck Gnauck.

BB:
1.) Yurchenko
2.) Ilienko (she was 2-per'ed at the World Cup, so this is retroactive justice)
3.) A Chinese gymnast other than Wu Jiani. I can't unknow!

FX:
1.) Bicherova
2.) Szabo
3 ) Yurchenko

 

[Sasha]

I expect Gogean would've extended the retirement tour to cover a hypothetical 98 worlds.

So we dodged a bullet?

My memory isn't good enough for building teams, but from what I recall, 1998 was a fun year. France had Teza and Furnon as standouts. Moceanu was peaking. Karpenko was finally healthy, and had a strong year from what I recall. China had a whole stable of greats: Kui Yuanyuan, Liu Xuan, Bi Wenjing, Ling Jie. Australia was making some moves in anticipation of Sydney.

AA: Obviously, Moceanu would have been a contender, and I reckon Karpenko would have a solid shot at the podium as well. Maybe Atler? I don't remember her 1998, but she would have at least been mentally and physically healthier than in the following years. Olaru and Amanar would be in the mix.

TF: Romania gold, Russia and China for the other placements.

 

[IratePanda]

So we dodged a bullet?

My memory isn't good enough for building teams, but from what I recall, 1998 was a fun year. France had Teza and Furnon as standouts. Moceanu was peaking. Karpenko was finally healthy, and had a strong year from what I recall. China had a whole stable of greats: Kui Yuanyuan, Liu Xuan, Bi Wenjing, Ling Jie. Australia was making some moves in anticipation of Sydney.

AA: Obviously, Moceanu would have been a contender, and I reckon Karpenko would have a solid shot at the podium as well. Maybe Atler? I don't remember her 1998, but she would have at least been mentally and physically healthier than in the following years. Olaru and Amanar would be in the mix.

TF: Romania gold, Russia and China for the other placements.

Moceanu was brilliant at the Goodwill Games. With proper pacing, she could have been a World AA contender.

 

[Denn]

I've always felt that, given there was no Worlds in those years, the World Cup of those years "counts". I would even include the Goodwill Games of 90 as a stand-in. That was a big meet.

 

[irichluck21]

Moceanu could have won Nationals in 1998 but she had the hyper extended knee on her Yurchenko 1 1/2 that halted training for two weeks right before Nationals, she had only begun training a week before IIRC. She won beam and vault on night one and fell victim to a lower start score on floor due to not having the extra D element needed in event finals. The lack of training was most noticeable on bars-her weakest.

 

[Puffin]

I think 1986 worlds would have been dominated by the Soviet team with Romania in silver and likely East Germany in bronze.

In AA and EF Shushunova and Omelianchik would have taken most golds. I think Silivas and Szabo might have picked up some medals as well - but Silivas did not hit her fantastic form until 1987.

FX would have been exciting between Shushunova's difficulty, Omelianchik, Camelia breakdancing .... and, if the planets aligned ... me might have got to see Frolova's routine!

 

[RichardL]

Atler in 1998 was incredible, and this was the one year Moceanu could fully rotate a triple full (and it was a thing of beauty, sigh, RIP the 2000 triple full). But you could tell at the Goodwill Games that the rest of the world was taking a breather that year. This was Atler's first year as an international senior, and Moceanu had something to prove. The best of the field otherwise was mostly resting and preparing for the Sydney push IMO.

 

[KorbutFan]

FX would have been exciting between Shushunova's difficulty, Omelianchik, Camelia breakdancing .... and, if the planets aligned ... me might have got to see Frolova's routine!

Add Joyce Wilborn into the mix and that’s some floor final

 

[RichardL]

Atler in 1998 was incredible, and this was the one year Moceanu could fully rotate a triple full (and it was a thing of beauty, sigh, RIP the 2000 triple full). But you could tell at the Goodwill Games that the rest of the world was taking a breather that year. This was Atler's first year as an international senior, and Moceanu had something to prove. The best of the field otherwise was mostly resting and preparing for the Sydney push IMO.

The fact that she lost her hair bun in the middle of it was bonus points in the '00 COP