US WAG Olympic trials Night 2 (LIVE DISCUSSION)

[YurchenkoLoop]

With the 2017-21 CoP in mind, I had 8.2 and 6.5 lmao. Skinner has certainly improved since then

 

[Onyxrose81]

I’ll be happy when Skinner retires and she and her horrid fans slink off under the rock they live under.

 

[Alinxz23]

Tom and company have it easy with selection when Simone is on the team. It would have been interesting if Suni or Jordan had a rough Trials however. Tom would have erased all controversy by simply stating the top 5 are going to the Olympics.

 

[Gymfan93]

Agree. If/When Simone retires, there’s likely not going to be such a huge buffer and USA will need to use some strategy to pick teams.

 

[RedBirdie]

The selection procedures for 2021 worlds are…not going to give anyone a whole lot of guidence. Sigh. Full document: https://usagym.org/PDFs/Pressbox/Selection Procedures/w_21worlds.pdf

relevant sections:

The World Team Selection Event will be used to select team members for the 2021 World Championships Team.

1. The Athlete Selection Event will have two days of competition; the first day is an All Around competition. On day two, athletes will compete on a minimum of one (1) event as determined by the Athlete Selection Committee, but no more than three (3) events.
2. The highest scoring All Around athlete from the first day of competition at the World Team Selection Event will automatically qualify to the four (4) member World Championship team.
3. Using the discretionary selection criteria listed in 2.2, the Athlete Selection Committee will name the remaining three (3) members of the 2021 World Championships Team at the conclusion of the World Team Selection Event.
4. The Athlete Selection Committee may also name at least one (1) nontraveling replacement athlete using the discretionary selection criteria listed in 2.2.

The Athlete Selection Committee will use the following criteria when selecting members for the 2021 World Championships Team:

• Results from selected 2021 National Team Verification Camps (full routines on competition surfaces), the 2021 American Classic, 2021 U.S. Classic, 2021 U.S. Gymnastics Championships, international competitions, and World Team Selection Event.
• D - scores (Difficulty) - achieved at any official international assignment or national event during the competitive season and/or qualification events listed in 1.2.1 and 1.2.2.
• E - scores (Execution) - achieved at any official international assignment or national event during the competitive season and/or qualification events listed in 1.2.1 and 1.2.2.
• Consistency - percentage of made routines at any official international assignment or national event during the competitive season and/or qualification events listed in 1.2.1 and 1.2.2.
• A hit routine is defined as a routine that does not include a large deduction or greater (as defined in the FIG Code of Points) on any single skill within the routine.

1. Composite Strength of all the World Team members with consideration of potential for Team, All Around and Individual Event medals.
2. World Class presentation - the strength, endurance, technical execution standard and artistic components commensurate with World and Olympic presentation.
3. Readiness to compete - current health status and physical preparedness of each gymnast.
4. Physical capability to fulfill the training plan as outlined by the High-Performance Team Director or Team Leader.

So, clear as mud other than the top AAer gets an auto spot. Greeeeeeeeeat.

 

[irichluck21]

100% agree with you. It did come down to Wong and McCallum. Wong’s 11.5 on beam in day 1 was pretty glaring. McCallum hasn’t been 100% Miss Consistency this year, but she went 8 for 8 at Trials, even if she has had falls in the past.

Wong has often had routine meltdowns, dropping some scores in the 11s/12s. American Classic BB: 12.95 FX: 12.950, US Classic UB: 11.9, US Championships UB Night 1 12.700, BB Night 2 12.700, US Olympic Trials Night 1 BB: 11.500

 

[rue_des_plantes]

Well, that was a fun, surreal, and adrenaline-filled weekend! Had an absolute scream with our WWGym group the whole time. We were lucky enough to score amazing seats, and one of us booked a seat next to the other without even knowing it. A delight! My first-ever Trials.

WAG Night 2 was so overstimulating and psychologically overwhelming, I’m still taking in what I experienced and almost had a panic attack after the first rotation. The first 3 nights, including MAG Night 2, were good for me, though MAG Night 2 was very emotional and we were lucky enough to chat with some of the athletes’ families at MAG and WAG. The MAG family behind us had their child make it; the WAG family did not, and she was one of the frontrunners for the last spot. It was devastating silence for the rest of the meet after she made the mistake she did. That was so hard, even though the meet was so thrilling.

I have to report to work today and teach a class later, but I’m hoping to do some spreadsheet work tonight.

 

[irichluck21]

I really am hoping that they continue with 5 person teams and qualifications are 5-5-4 with team finals being 5-3-3. I like that all team members can do all around in qualifications. Plus, many “specialists” trained all around so that they could qualify to these Olympics.

 

[rue_des_plantes]

Lol, that was me. Grace is the Countess of the Grift. She always does the least to make teams and still makes mistakes, just less costly ones and/or fewer than the people who just miss out on the team do. The Mustafina of internal US selection dynamics.

And I’m not complaining. It’s hilarious. IIRC, every time she’s done it, she (and sometimes in conjunction with Eaker) has taken out somebody I don’t like.

 

[YurchenkoLoop]

And she does it with smiles and laughter no less–she had a huge grin on her face after nearly falling off beam night 2. A well earned smile with that save.

McCallum also was quick to go to Chiles to congratulate her after the latter finished floor. McCallum comforted DiCello after her beam fall at Nationals. She is very much a team player and I’m sure this played a role in her selection too, along with her consistency, reliability, execution, etc.

 

[RedBirdie]

I’m a bit in awe of what Jantzi has done with Grace. Managing someone at the senior level for 4 years is hard. Managing someone who goes through a huge growth spurt is hard (I was surprised at just how tall Grace is now!). Managing someone through a major injury less than 6 months before the Olympics is hard. And Jantzi did all 3.

 

[rue_des_plantes]

One of my many, many questions is, at what point was it really over for McCusker? Was it over when she fell on the toe full? Was it over when she scratched 2-3 events for Trials? What about doing bars and not even bars/beam?

Obviously, an HPC cannot tell somebody if they hit, they are going, but there seemed to be a disconnect somewhere. McCusker wasn’t planning AA at Trials for weeks, while Eaker told the media at Nationals they were told they had to do AA to be considered for a +1.

Skinner isn’t a bad pick given the circumstances and she’s probably one of the least likely to fall, especially once you take beam out of the equation, but “bars is scary; we’re taking a third vaulter,” is quite the take when GBR is slagging off Downie and Fan is struggling with her clear pike pirouetting.

So, I wonder what the threshold was for McCusker and if they were aware of the risk but also thought their plan was good enough to make the team.

 

[ucrgirl]

My theory is that Riley not being chosen as a plus one was part due to “only” hitting 3 out of 4, part due to “only” being in the bronze medal chase pack and part due to MyKayla hitting 5 out of 5 vaults and being one of two athletes likely to win the vault silver medal. (I can’t remember Steingruber’s or Yeo’s D and E potential right now and may be undervaluing them).

Riley was pretty good at her event but MyKayla is better at her specialist event. I get that Jade may heal up and compete for the vault medal and that MyKayla could just be “taking” a medal the US would have won anyway . . . but it has occurred to me that maybe the selection committee decided that MyKayla’s improvement on vault and her consistency on vault meant she earned the right to compete for that vault medal.

 

[irichluck21]

I think had McCusker hit night 2 she would have been in the running for the +1 and Skinner would have been an alternate. Riley might still be injured/unable to do 3 other events, but Carey could have easily stepped in if they needed her last minute since she does all around and is in same boat as Skinner. Although apparently things changed because alternates ARE allowed to be in Tokyo, which is something new and different than previous years.

Falling night 2 sealed the deal IMO. She had to be absolutely on fire and get a 15 in order to get named to Tokyo. I think it was more damaging to her that she fell on the toe full, rather than a release move. That was a nerves error.

 

[YurchenkoLoop]

Given that post-Trials Forster commented on McCusker and being heartbroken for her when she fell, I take it she was being seriously considered, despite only competing UB. I don’t think he had to say anything about McCusker in particular.

 

[MRR]

I was concerned throughout the weekend how Carey’s condition would impact selection for spot #4 and specifically non-nominative +1. For all the discussion of “ZOMG Jade could make top 2,” a very different scenario emerged: someone who wouldn’t have earned an Olympic berth, team or individual, based on her showing if NOT for her nominative quota place.

Obviously she had special privileges from the earned place and would’ve gutted out a floor routine night 2 if that weren’t in play, but it must have been concerning for the national staff to not see a Cheng once in the five competitions and not in training, and her floor night 1 was watered down, gingerly landed, and not clear she would even compete.

Given there’s nothing to do about the spot, it’s awkward for Tom to mention this impacting selection to the media, but I would be shocked if this wasn’t discussed, both for emergency AA coverage and EF prospects. Jade’s current condition is questionable for a vault medal, so he may have felt inclined to lock down a second vault medal with Skinner as opposed to gambling on McCusker and Carey and having both shut out. This was made all the more convenient with having the +1 follow rank order.

Of course if Carey shows up to Tokyo with a Cheng coupled with her night 1 Amanar, Tom will look very silly, assuming he doesn’t already.

 

[makam]

Obviously she had special privileges from the earned place and would’ve gutted out a floor routine night 2 if that weren’t in play, but it must have been concerning for the national staff to not see a Cheng once in the five competitions and not in training, and her floor night 1 was watered down, gingerly landed, and not clear she would even compete.

It is especially odd when pre-competition they were saying she would be doing her layout trip-dub. Because that was definitely a quick reversal!

 

[Gymfan93]

Honestly, given the landing of the one we’ve seen it was wise not to compete it.

 

[Puffin]

I know we’ve discussed the Skinner bb E-score on day 2, but did any of the judges posting on here look at her D score? I think she dropped from day 1 6.3 to a 6.0 on day 2 but with all of the connection hesitations and wobbly leg on L-turn I was expecting lower.

 

[Doug1233]

Exactly. If riley had gone out there and scored a 15 on bars I think Tom would have seriously considered her for the +1.

Skinner should count her lucky stars for that toe full.