The girls who tested and qualified TOPS are working on routines with much harder skills (i.e. front tuck on floor, cast to handstand on bars, etc). That's why I'm unsure how a judge could compare standard compulsory with TOPs upgrades.
Like Ty's Dad said, there is no such thing as TOPs competitions. TOPs as the name implies (Talent Opportunity Program) is a way for the United States to identify and develop gymnasts who might ultimately compete for the US. Think of the old Soviet programs where they took children away from families to train and win the olympics to a lesser extreme. So girls test across the US to be "identified" and in theory move into the elite program up to national team. The elite program is completely separate from the development program (DP, or used to be JO). Girls in the DP program are broken into compulsory and optionals depending upon level. In compulsory, all girls are "compelled" to do the same routine so that developing (see the use of words there lol) gymnasts are judged on form and proper technique. In optionals, developing gymnasts have shown proficiency in form and technique and now have the "option" of choosing skills to perform. So you see, if a gymnast is in compulsory, they will always perform the same routine as everyone else, regardless of TOPs testing participation. In practice, gyms are all over the map with TOPs approach. Some gyms refuse to participate and prefer just move to elite program at the appropriate age. Other gyms, probably most, use it as an opportunity to provide their more talented gymnasts (at that point in time) a higher intensity of training and a potentially quicker path through compulsory and into optionals. Many gyms either have no intention of supporting an elite gymnast or do not have the experience of training an elite. So you will often see girls at these gyms training higher level skills even though in compulsory competitions they will not show those high skills. Sorry, I know that was a lot, not sure why I wrote that much lol.
Its been awhile, but unless they significantly changed TOPs, there are no TOPs competitions, only TOPs testing. When I was involved it was physical ability testing and skill testing. But nothing that would be considered a routine or a competition.
They decided not to have skills testing at invitational meets in 2023 and to invite all the athletes who qualified through the physical abilities testing to the national skills testing. I think the reason was that very few athletes qualified for skills testing, so there was no point in having another round of elimination.
The 2022-2023 season is already over. All the talk about skills testing is refferring to the current season. The 2023-2024 season is requiring skills testing.They decided not to have skills testing at invitational meets in 2023 and to invite all the athletes who qualified through the physical abilities testing to the national skills testing. I think the reason was that very few athletes qualified for skills testing, so there was no point in having another round of elimination.
