- Feb 10, 2021
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McCool had plenty of senior international elite experience.
She went to the test event in 2004 held in Athens, which she won the AA in and medaled on vault and bars
She was also a member of the 2003 Pan American Games team that won gold, and won a silver medal on floor. PAG was in Dominican Republic that year.
She was also a member of the 2003 Masillia Gym Cup, held in France, 2nd as a team to Romania and AA bronze medalist. She competed against athletes that had been at Worlds in 2003 and some of whom would be at the 2004 Olympics.
Additionally, though it was a domestic meet, she was at American Cup in 2004, placing 2nd. She competed along side Humphrey and Patterson who would become Olympians and Memmel the current World champion on bars. Internationally, Kylie Stone of Canada, Monette Russo of Australia, Irina Yarotskaya of Ukraine, and Elena Gomez of Spain also competed and all 4 went to Athens.
So technically McCool had 4 international experiences, she just didn't make it to Worlds.
She stayed a junior in 2003 despite being eligible for Athens. Not sure what decision that was made for other than perhaps they were aiming for her to win the Junior AA title, which Liukin won instead.
No way to compare McCool's 2003 Nationals as a junior to seniors as juniors only competed one day of AA that year.
McCool's day 1 AA score of 36.400 was also including a huge error and OOB on her triple full (8.700) on floor. If you doubled 36.400 it gives you 72.800 which would have placed her 10th in the seniors and dropped Memmel to 11th.
McCool's performance in Athens was likely not due to inexperienced at the international level, but being overtrained and injured. Kupets also underperformed but she was also over trained and injured.
I do wonder what a confident, prepared, and healthy team would have accomplished in Athens. 2004 is a prime example of Marta over pushing and overtraining.
She went to the test event in 2004 held in Athens, which she won the AA in and medaled on vault and bars
She was also a member of the 2003 Pan American Games team that won gold, and won a silver medal on floor. PAG was in Dominican Republic that year.
She was also a member of the 2003 Masillia Gym Cup, held in France, 2nd as a team to Romania and AA bronze medalist. She competed against athletes that had been at Worlds in 2003 and some of whom would be at the 2004 Olympics.
Additionally, though it was a domestic meet, she was at American Cup in 2004, placing 2nd. She competed along side Humphrey and Patterson who would become Olympians and Memmel the current World champion on bars. Internationally, Kylie Stone of Canada, Monette Russo of Australia, Irina Yarotskaya of Ukraine, and Elena Gomez of Spain also competed and all 4 went to Athens.
So technically McCool had 4 international experiences, she just didn't make it to Worlds.
She stayed a junior in 2003 despite being eligible for Athens. Not sure what decision that was made for other than perhaps they were aiming for her to win the Junior AA title, which Liukin won instead.
No way to compare McCool's 2003 Nationals as a junior to seniors as juniors only competed one day of AA that year.
McCool's day 1 AA score of 36.400 was also including a huge error and OOB on her triple full (8.700) on floor. If you doubled 36.400 it gives you 72.800 which would have placed her 10th in the seniors and dropped Memmel to 11th.
McCool's performance in Athens was likely not due to inexperienced at the international level, but being overtrained and injured. Kupets also underperformed but she was also over trained and injured.
I do wonder what a confident, prepared, and healthy team would have accomplished in Athens. 2004 is a prime example of Marta over pushing and overtraining.
