FIG announces Olympic Teams now down to four! Thoughts?

[ruby&jack]

http://fulltwist.net/four-member-olympic-teams-thoughts-from-the-gymnastics-community/

 

[raenndrops]

It is still only a proposal at this point and has been discussed in other threads.

 

[ruby&jack]

Says it has been approved..

 

[ruby&jack]

It is still only a proposal at this point and has been discussed in other threads.

It has been approved.. see previous post

 

[BachFlyer]

* guess it depends on what this really means: "the best teams may qualify up to two additional gymnasts (all around our specialists)". The devil is in the details.

 

[bogwoppit]

There is a huge thread about this on the main WAG forum.

 

[ruby&jack]

There is a huge thread about this on the main WAG forum.

Thanks, but I posted this on the Australian forum to get opinions from us Aussies

 

[bogwoppit]

Thanks, but I posted this on the Australian forum to get opinions from us Aussies

Well it seems the rest of the world wants to join in eh!

 

[Jenny]

I could only find another thread about the virgin isles Oh well. Does that insinuate that the best teams could send 6? That would be massively better.

Not an Aussie but Brits usually end up similar team placing.

 

[ruby&jack]

Well it seems the rest of the world wants to join in eh!

Haha fair enough

 

[ruby&jack]

Just seems, that in an already struggling sport, that putting the team size down to 4 is a really silly idea!!! It is hard enough for these athletes to gain spots in an Olympic team, without making it even harder. Every other sport can almost qualify many more athletes. Putting then number down again, especially in Australia, seems ridiculous..

 

[OzZee]

Interesting. So seems the 'extra' spots will stay with WAG.
And if team countries can add an extra two then that is a different story.

Rubyandjack - many sports have less spots.

 

[ruby&jack]

Interesting. So seems the 'extra' spots will stay with WAG.
And if team countries can add an extra two then that is a different story.

Rubyandjack - many sports have less spots.

I'm talking about sports with high numbers of participation- basketball, athletics, swimming etc….

 

[skschlag]

Well, and with the format of 4 up/ 3 count, everyone on the team will be an all arounder. No more pommel specialists on the men's side, no more bar specialists for the girls. Just aa.

 

[Ausi_poppet]

I like that it means the team will be filled with all rounders. It seems that there had been a big focus on specialisation in Australia in recent years that I think made it difficult for gymnasts who work on all 4 apparatus in training to be competitive.

I was watching a triathalon race yesterday where Aussies placed 2nd and third. I realised that you could be in the top 10 internationally in that sport but not make the Olympics because of the limits on countries. That's a another sport that has a brutal training/selection process.

But at the end of the day if girls are doing this sport with only the goal of making the Olympics that is a high bar to aim for. I'm happy for my daughter to dream but having broader goals is probably the best way to go.