Tom Forster added to USAG selection committee

[Aizheng]

Tom Forster chose 4 major teams in his run as NTC. 2018 Worlds, 2019 Worlds, 2019 Jr Worlds, and the Tokyo Olympics.

The 2018 World team was not AA order. Ragan Smith was 5th AA at World Trials, Kara Eaker in 6th was named to the competing team instead.

The 2019 World team was not AA order, MyKayla Skinner was 4th AA at World Trials, Grace McCallum in 6th was named to the competing team instead.

2019 Junior Worlds was chosen by AA order. Junior Worlds uses a 3-3-2 format, where an AA score is required to compete in any individual EF.

Tokyo Olympics was chosen by AA order. If Forster had gone with the highest scoring team, Skinner would have been named to the main team. The biggest issue with this team selection was the Selection Committee naming only 4 alternates when they were allotted 5.

To me, this is at least a mischaracterization.
In the two world teams, he chose “the team” to be Top 6 AA and publicly stated that the alternates had not been decided.

He then apparently used podium training to decide on the alternates, and I have no idea what criteria he used there. It was not top 5 AA from trials, but to me, that does not change the fact that he chose top AA for every team he could choose (and even justified Grace’s selection with the “integrity of the process”).

 

[MaryClare]

I also feel like the criteria for athlete rep needs to be more selective than simply former senior national team member. With the greatest of respect, DeZiel just doesn’t have the experience of what it’s like as an athlete to be involved in a selection process that is potentially life changing