US Olympic Team Trials - June 24-27, 2021

[Doug1233]

I think it was on a short Cheng.

 

[MRR]

I’ll be there all 4 days, actually sitting with @rue_des_plantes! I know @OnoNoKomachi and @PhoenixRising are also going.

 

[Sasha]

@Seyonne and @irichluck21, are you speculating that she could sue or is that a known fact? If it’s a known fact, is this something that USAG could have prevented by having different or clearer guidelines for team selection?

As far as backlash, there will be backlash either way, and by letting Jade make the final decision they are basically ensuring that some of it will head her way. That’s what I mean by poor leadership. An organisation shouldn’t manage such a fraught scenario by downloading the responsibility onto an athlete, especially given the inherent level of stress in preparing for the Olympics.

I’m not sure exactly what decisions were made or when or by whom, but I struggle to imagine that USAG couldn’t have somehow managed this better.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

They could’ve actually written the rules to say what they wanted them to say and notified athletes of this before the series began, for starters.

 

[irichluck21]

Originally, USAG said NO athletes could go the individual route.

Brian Carey argued to the US Court of Arbitration for Sport who ruled that USAG cannot bar a gymnast from trying for an individual spot. At the time no one realized how competent Carey would be in the AA in 2018, when she had just brought an elite bars routine in so she could do AA. Her UB and BB were not good.

So, USAG came up with strict criteria of who could compete for the individual spot, which Carey qualified for.

However, they failed to mention that if an athlete got a nominative spot via World Cup that they would forfeit their right to the 4 person team because it was a secured spot and if given up would lose the USA a spot.

And yes, if USAG said “nah Carey can’t give up her spot, she must accept it.” I am sure Brian Carey would have sued. I doubt the lawsuit would stand but I think since he initially went to Court to begin the process of competing as an individual, that he would go to court again if he felt Jade could make the 4 person team.

I am not surprised at this announcement, but I don’t think it would have come before Trials.
I suspect that Jade’s ankle IS bothering her, so it make sense to scale back difficulty and wait out the Olympics since she is guaranteed to go. Don’t push herself with full difficulty and further injure her ankle in an attempt to have 0.00001% chance at the 4 person team.

IMO, she shouldn’t do Olympic Trials and rest her ankle since she is already qualified. She’s been to multiple World Cup and two Worlds, she doesn’t need any more competition experience.

 

[Sasha]

So they fumbled the situation. Guess their lawyers were tied up with other things?

 

[glamafonic]

I suspect that Jade’s ankle IS bothering her,

This is what I got from this announcement personally. She hasn’t looked great this year and announcing this the week BEFORE Trials makes me think she’s not expecting to have her full difficulty back/improve on her Nats performance. And if that’s the case she has nothing to lose by announcing she’s planning to take the spot she already has since she’s not anticipating having the opportunity to do anything else. And at least this way she gets people off her back.

 

[Hatsumomo]

IMO, she shouldn’t do Olympic Trials and rest her ankle since she is already qualified. She’s been to multiple World Cup and two Worlds, she doesn’t need any more competition experience.

Agreed. How stupid would she feel sitting at home watching the Olympics on TV instead of competing because she injured her ankle trying for a team she had an outside chance of even making when she had the guaranteed individual spot?

Something completely unrelated, but I was talking with a friend today about Morgan Hurd and I realized that the small bright side of her not making it to Trials and Tokyo is she won’t have to deal with a press corps that will suddenly find it VERY interesting that she is from Wuhan.

 

[rlayt]

There’s a reception at the Hilton on Friday evening after the MAG competition. Sponsored by Gymcastic.

ETA: I heard it wrong. It’s on Saturday.

 

[YurchenkoLoop]

Have you all seen Riley’s new floor choreo? This is beautiful

 

[lovegymnasts]

I am not feeling it. For me, it has nothing to do with the music; just a series of hand waving; could swap out any music and it would be the same.

 

[Sasha]

I love it. More low key than her MG routines, which I like.

It would be fun if her ankle is healthy enough for her to compete it next week!

 

[YurchenkoLoop]

The choreo into and out of the wolf turn deserves a medal

 

[mtgym]

So, I have a question. I feel like I remember that if a team medals, the alternates get a medal too. Am I crazy or has that really happened before? And if so, will Jade (and the other +1 get a medal too)? And if not, I feel like that would be a kind gesture from USA gymnastics to somehow recognize them as part of the team too.

 

[QuietColours]

Iirc, at Worlds athletes are considered members of the team and receive medals, but at the Olympics they are not considered members and will not receive medals. Jade and the other +1 will not receive a team medal.

 

[Indy]

I don’t believe that Jade and the other +1 will be considered members of the team when it comes to getting team medals. They’re still a part of “Team USA,” but not a part of the team competition (unless someone gets injured and they’re pulled in to the team competition to compete as an alternate). They also will wear different leos.
Alternates only receive medals at Worlds, not during the Olympics.

 

[irichluck21]

Correct and in qualifications the two individuals will have to wear a completely different leotard than the team.

 

[JaJa]

I am not feeling it. For me, it has nothing to do with the music; just a series of hand waving; could swap out any music and it would be the same.

Totally not feeling it either. I tried but did not see anything especially beautiful about it.

 

[onodian]

I haven’t watched the actual routine so you might very well be totally right, but you need to realise i still read your message like “that choreo in and out of that moment when she TAKES A DUMP on stage is great!”

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Maybe we need to see more poo themed routines. Do it to an instrumental of Mr Hanky or something.