If the gymnasts are seeded first, they'll go VT - UB - BB - FX. Same with team.
Yeah, IDK the American team doesn't have anyone I REALLY enjoy other than Raisman, but just because how dynamic and exciting her routines can be. Simone is almost robotic to the point where I know she'll win and not mess up which takes some excitement out of her routines, and Gabby is just a snooze. Laurie's new floor routine is awful and the girls that are looking good won't make the team (like Alyssa Baumann or Rachel Gowey).
Here is Euros results btw
I'm so happy France got third. I'm hoping they make TF in Rio. My ideal TF would probably be USA, China, Russia, Great Britain, Japan, France, Germany, and Canada.
Come through, ladies!
It looks like Round 1 on bars went to Locklear (15.85, D: 6.4, E: 9.45) > Kocian (15.7, D: 6.7, E:9). Locklear also outscored her on beam. I didn't watch the competition, so I'm assuming there was some sort of major form break on Madison's part.
The more Aly remains consistent and uninjured, the more she looks like a lock for Rio. Maggie's injury couldn't be anymore ill timed, because even if she does get her amanar back, starts beating Raisman AA, and matching or surpassing her floor scores, Marta might be more inclined to tap Raisman because of her longevity.
1. Japan just selected Uchiyama for their Olympic team over Kawasaki, even though Kawasaki placed higher than her at event nationals. Uchiyama got the nod because her D-Score on bars is over a 6.0.
2. Gabby Douglas doesn't deserve to be on the Olympic team. I mean, Locklear beat her on bars AND BEAM at Classics. She got 6th on beam, others like Raisman, Biles, and Baumann all beat her too. And she placed behind both Kocian and Locklear on bars. But she'll make it because of who she is and that's not fair to the girls doing better than her that will get passed up.
1. Japan just selected Uchiyama for their Olympic team over Kawasaki, even though Kawasaki placed higher than her at event nationals. Uchiyama got the nod because her D-Score on bars is over a 6.0.
2. Gabby Douglas doesn't deserve to be on the Olympic team. I mean, Locklear beat her on bars AND BEAM at Classics. She got 6th on beam, others like Raisman, Biles, and Baumann all beat her too. And she placed behind both Kocian and Locklear on bars. But she'll make it because of who she is and that's not fair to the girls doing better than her that will get passed up.
Well, I should hope that Douglas makes the team because of who she is because as it stands, she is the 2015 world silver medalist in the AA, as well as the 2016 American Cup and 2016 Jesolo AA champion (not to mention reigning Oly champ). Douglas' beam and bars remain TF worthy as does her DTY, which scores as well as some girls' amanars. Douglas is also a 2015 World event finalist on bars, and she could just as easily make the final again in Rio. You can't use Raisman AA in the TF the way you could use Douglas. Raisman also hasn't broken 60 AA this year, but Douglas has. Now, imagine how Douglas AA score would improve if she gets her Amanar back, if she's scoring high 59's and 60's without it?
Baumann has always only been a standout on beam, despite her very good, but not good enough for the US AA scores. It really doesn't matter that Locklear beat Gabby on bars and beam at this one meet. Ashton and Madison have always beaten Douglas on bars, but Douglas is more than capable of putting up a 14.7 or better beam routine as she did at Jesolo and American Cup. She just didn't last night. And even if Locklear continued to beat Douglas on those two events, Douglas would still have more value as an AA gymnast, because bars and beam (?) are all Ashton's good for. Douglas isn't "the bars girl" like Ashton/Madison. Douglas is the #2 AA gymnast behind Simone.
And it's coming early because it's an Olympic year. It's the P&G US National Championships, or as I like to refer to it, Round #2. St. Louis will also double as the sight of the US men's Olympic trials.
The herd continues to thin as Bailie Key is out for the rest of the season as is, junior national silver medalist and clubmate of Laurie Hernandez, Jazmyn Foberg.
However Maggie Nichols is returning back to competition.
It looks like US gym fans are going to be in for a real treat this weekend. This Friday @ 8:00 PM EST, NBC is airing a new sports documentary The Ranch: Home of an American Sports Dynasty.
Yeah, so Nationals happened. It was a bit anti-climactic. Simone won. Aly and Laurie did their jobs. Gabby looked sluggish, and normally I'd be concerned, if not for the fact that four years ago, she looked just as bad at Nationals and then won the Olympic Trials. So, whatevs. Kocian came through tho on night two with her bars, and when you consider that she is better AA than Ashton and reigning world champ, she just might have the edge.
We're finally in the homestretch! The US Olympic Trials are upon us. Night one airs on NBC tonight @ 9 PM EST, and Night 2 will commence on Sunday in prime time on NBC @8 PM EST.
TBH, I'm not expecting a lot of drama. Marta even said that she had her team already picked out
They say that all eyes will be on Simone, but if you want suspense, you should watch Gabby to see whether or not she will hit her routines. Also, keep an eye on Kocian and Locklear, the bars specialists. Kocian's bars has a higher level of difficulty, but Locklear scores better in execution. Podium training vids are already being uploaded, but nothing that's truly interesting like Gabby on bars (since she flubbed at Nationals) or Gabby training a rumored Amanar vault. There are also no videos of Maggie doing a full floor routine or an Amanar vault, and she needs that vault back to have a chance at making the team.
I think when all is said and done the lucky few that will survive these trials and achieve Knighthood will be . . .
Simone Biles (3 time world all around champion, four time US national champion, future Olympic all around champion. enough said)
Gabby Douglas (Clutch athlete, Olympic champion, regning American Cup and Jesolo all around champion and world all around silver medalist. Come back queen!)
Aly Raisman (Old faithful. Consistent, reliable, unbreakable. Love her or hate her, she always seems to be the last one standing)
Laurie Hernandez (The new Kyla Ross, but better all around. She may wind up in the all around final. The Olympics will be her coming out party.)
Madison Kocian (reigning bars world champ . . . continuing that proud WOGA legacy. She's from the same club that produced Olympic champions Carly Patterson and Nastia Liukin. No other gym has produced as many world and olympic champions since Karolyi's closed its doors)
I think a lot of their predictions are good, except I'm expecting Shang Chunsong to medal on beam instead of Mustafina, and Mai Murakami to medal on floor instead of Steingruber.
Simone has so much pressure with people saying she can win 4-5 medals, 4-5 golds even. I hope she doesn't have a let down after doing so well thus far in her career.
I think a lot of their predictions are good, except I'm expecting Shang Chunsong to medal on beam instead of Mustafina, and Mai Murakami to medal on floor instead of Steingruber.
I need to be get into the spirit, but US trials, the Iordache saga, and all the Rio disaster stories have left me emotionally drained.
Kiwi coach, Mary Wright speculates that Laurie might the one who sits out AA during pre-lims.
I just watched US women's podium training. Despite her bars, Aly shined, and is worthy of competing AA in qualifications. She even stuck an Amanar. I think that was a fluke though and her Amanar will return to its raggedy state during competition.
As for Laurie vs. Gabby . . . Well, Gabby looked better than Laurie on beam and bars, whereas Laurie looked better than Gabby on floor, and Laurie's vaults were slightly better. Gabby's DTY doesn't look as good as it did in Glasgow. To Gabby's credit, there were no major errors or falls, and her floor looked improved. Gabby looked like someone who was going to qualify to bars finals, whereas Laurie didn't look better than Aly on beam. Too many form breaks.
USA gymnastics was such a pleasure to watch! I got so sad when competition ended
I'm excited for college gymnastics now. I can't wait to watch Mykayla Skinner compete for my school. If I see her on campus, I'll definitely try for a pic with her.
It's interesting that experience won out at the Olympics this time.
The T5 all-around had all been in worlds since at least 2013, with 3 of them in their 2nd Olympics.
While for 2012, Gabby's/Viktoria's 1st worlds was the year before, Aly's/Aliya's 2010.
I also just noticed that while Gabby's the only Gold Olympic All-Around medalist to not get any other individual medal, runner-up Viktoria also has zero other individual medals at the Olympics (and is the only person with the 2nd-highest score to do that). What a weird year.
