Updated USAG WAG Elite Qualification Chart (NEW VAULT RULE!)

[RedBirdie]

USAG quietly posted the 2025 elite qualification chart. Interesting, the corresponding IEC minutes have not been posted. But, there are a few changes.

The big one: "If the athlete utilizes Vault as part of her 2 or 3-event qualification score to U.S. Championships, she must perform two (2) vaults from different families at Winter Cup, American Classic, or U.S. Classic. The average of the two vault scores will count toward the total 2 or 3-event qualification score." Well. This will be interesting. Vault was an easy way for people to get there 2 or 3 event score. Having to show two different vaults will shake things up significantly.

Qualification scores for seniors have increased for AA and event specialists for Winter Cup, Classics, and Championships. Juniors remain the same for Winter Cup/Classics, and have increased for Championships.

Here's last year's chart, if your curious. Discuss away.

 

[RichardL]

Suni Lee used VT as part of her two-event score to qualify this year, right? She would've had to be ready on bars much earlier, I'd imagine.

 

[RedBirdie]

Suni used vault. I'll have to go through and see who else did, but I'm fairly certain none of the gymnasts who used vault to qualify showed a second vault.

 

[Passion]

Nationals had too many gymnasts.

It’s also another way of encouraging more people to do two vaults.

 

[Passion]

Suni’s two event score on BB/FX at US Classic would have also qualified her to nationals if she had skipped vault all together.

She had a 14.6 and 13.0 for 27.6

The two event score to qualify to Nationals was 26.4

Though didn’t Suni petition anyway? Because qualifying with a 2 or 3 event score at US or American Classic only qualified you to compete on those 2 or 3 events, not AA. She had to petition to compete AA.

 

[Denn]

Skipping some events for a while certainly worked out for her. She's the Olympic AA bronze medalist.

 

[Denn]

Thanks for posting, Robin. I think I like this rule change. I feel like all gymnasts should have to do two vaults (with bonus for different block positions and for different numbers of saltos).

 

[RedBirdie]

Suni’s two event score on BB/FX at US Classic would have also qualified her to nationals if she had skipped vault all together.

She had a 14.6 and 13.0 for 27.6

The two event score to qualify to Nationals was 26.4

Though didn’t Suni petition anyway? Because qualifying with a 2 or 3 event score at US or American Classic only qualified you to compete on those 2 or 3 events, not AA. She had to petition to compete AA.

Suni did petition, but usually you need to obtain a qualifying score (USUALLY, not always).

 

[irichluck21]

I like this move. Especially to encourage more two vault gymnasts.

Had this rule been in effect, Suni would have been fine. A FTY and a Servante would be sufficient. She was doing a fine Lopez in NCAA.

 

[QuietColours]

Alicia made it clear several years ago she expected the elites to be training two vaults. This is a logical progression of that. And it makes sense that someone functionally qualifying as a specialist should be eligible to qualify for finals in the events they're qualifying on.

 

[Puffin]

Is this to do with the new vault bonus in the next COP for different vaults?

 

[RedBirdie]

I went back and looked, and unless I'm losing my mind, none of the gymnasts who used vault to qualify to nationals in 2024 on 2 or 3 events performed 2 different vaults.

 

[CameliasFingerpaint]

I don’t think I like this, unless this is only unique to this year where a team of individuals will be chosen. If they want to limit competitors, raise the score thresholds even more. I doubt nationals will be overcrowded this year or next. They don’t have to be the same score for each event. I think a 13.8+ on vault would make more sense than requiring two vaults, which have no bearing in a Team Finals scenario.

 

[RichardL]

I don’t think I like this, unless this is only unique to this year where a team of individuals will be chosen. If they want to limit competitors, raise the score thresholds even more. I doubt nationals will be overcrowded this year or next. They don’t have to be the same score for each event. I think a 13.8+ on vault would make more sense than requiring two vaults, which have no bearing in a Team Finals scenario.

The more I think about it, the more I agree with you. It's like saying that a gymnast must compete an E tumbling pass to be able to count her floor score just to promote more difficulty. Actually this is a lot like the USA MAG bonus system in the sense that it attempts to achieve results on a domestic scale but is not transferable outside of USAG. But if the goal is to simply not allow a gymnast to get to Nationals by adequately performing a level 10 vault and one other decent event, then fine? Did that many lower-tier gymnasts at Nationals qualify with a vault score?

 

[makam]

They could just say that nationals will have a max of 24 competitors. The 14 top scoring AA gymnasts, top 5 3event, and top 5 2 event. Or, whatever breakdown and quantity makes sense. No camp qualifications, you gotta show it in a competition. And even if you did 4 events, if your UB score is dragging you down, you can be counted as a 3 event gymnast, if you ask.

Realistically, the 15th best AA gymnast isn't going to make a splash, but trying to pick a number to beat hasn't been a very smooth process either.

 

[RedBirdie]

The problem is the US doesn't really have specialists. 2 and 3 event qualification is used by the weakest elites, usually because their bars is so bad. There are no Alicia Sacramones these days, or even pre-2018 Jade Careys. The top all arounders are also finishing on top of the event rankings.

I'll be curious to see if this changes a bit with the retirements of so many older elites. But the US program is so slanted towards all arounders until they reach senior elite. Even Jade was a top level 10 AAer.

 

[hmmmm]

As has been said previously, just raise the qualification score, it can always be lowered.

Potentially the qualification score and criteria (participation caps) is higher towards the end of the Olympic cycle when there seems to be more athletes competing at the senior level.