Rio Rankings

[txgymfan]

I hope Maggie's injury really is minor. I also hope Smith takes advantage of the opportunity.

 

[wandrewsjr]

Watching podium training right now. Love seeing Mihai helping Ragan Smith with her tumbling, love the team spirit!

Also, jumped on the youtube feed late, but sure looked like Locklear was dressed like she had done fx, did she go?

 

[GymMom4]

Also, jumped on the youtube feed late, but sure looked like Locklear was dressed like she had done fx, did she go?

From what I saw she didn't do floor. It looked to me like she was warming up beam skills on the side of the floor.

 

[bogwoppit]

She did beam and floor only. Very heavily taped, her knees scare me.

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

Locklear and Dowell seem like this years Olympic pawns. There to keep the others on their toes and working hard, they are probably not really being considered other than in the case of mass injury at the final trials.

 

[Jordan Miller]

I have followed gymnastics very closely for probably 20 years now and this is by far the most difficult team selection I have ever seen. The US could field 3 teams and all possibly win. However, when I think back to 2012 and every international team competition since, the US have set themselves apart on vault. This is the one even where they can get the most points as well. The most important part of picking a team is breaking it down to 3 on each event for finals. That being said, I do feel that Martha wants all Amanar's again for team finals, which would be a smart decision. Just looking at that the only options thus far are Simone, Aly and Maggie (however I think Douglas will do it before Rio). Next is bars, if there is going to be a specialist this is where it would happen. I think the most likely pick is Madison but we haven't seen her yet so its hard to pick. However, the US needs scores approaching 15 on this event. Biles, Douglas and Maggie have done that this season and I think someone like Hernandez or Smith could as well. In my mind Madison is the last piece to this puzzle. If you recall she is great on beam and has a very consistent floor that would be great in team qualification and a great double yurchenko that is probably better than Regan and Laurie and of course UB world champion. If she comes out and is ready to go she will sneak in there and take a spot. That said, as of now!, I think locks are:
1. Simone
2. Gabby
3. Aly

The fight for the last two sports are gonna be so close. If Maggie gets the Amanar back I see her on the team and I think Kocian might beat out Laurie and Ragan. So:
4. Maggie/Laurie
5. Madison

This is just based on my thoughts after Pac Rims and most likely will change leading up to the trials. I am new to this site, (first post) and will be at Trials. Would love to participate in a meet up!!

 

[bogwoppit]

This is just based on my thoughts after Pac Rims and most likely will change leading up to the trials. I am new to this site, (first post) and will be at Trials. Would love to participate in a meet up!!

Welcome onboard, I am sure there will be a trials meet up of some kind. Will plan closer to the time.

As to Kocian, well lets see if she regains her health. I am not holding my breath.

 

[emilykatherine]

I'm going to trials and can't wait, I want Ragan on that team, I don't want Gabby.

 

[wandrewsjr]

I'm going to trials and can't wait, I want Ragan on that team, I don't want Gabby.

I am interested in the reasoning behind wanting Ragan on the team instead of Gabby.

Gabby has scored 60.165 and 59.65 in international competitions for the USA this year, she can score reliably over 15 on 2 events(one of those being UB, the weakest event for USA allarounders) and very close to 15 on the other 2.

Ragan has scored 58.85 and 59.05 in AA, she can score above 15 on 1 event(beam, she is probably 3rd best in USA) but can't really contribute to team score in the other 3 events with mid 14's.

Why would you leave the second best all-a rounder in the world right now in favor of the third best beam worker in the USA?

 

[bogwoppit]

Yeah Gabby is pretty much a lock, barring injury, No way will she be left home if she is healthy. Ragan is really on the outer edge of hope. SO many strong girls to choose from for such a small team.

 

[wandrewsjr]

Yeah Gabby is pretty much a lock, barring injury, No way will she be left home if she is healthy. Ragan is really on the outer edge of hope. SO many strong girls to choose from for such a small team.

Yep, Ragan is essentially a beam specialist right now, her other events just aren't quite there yet to make a team this strong. And definitely no room for a beam specialist, it is arguably USA's deepest event. Ragan just needs a little more time to develop her tumbling and vault and build some difficulty connections on UB to make a team this strong.

 

[bookworm]

1. I am interested in the reasoning behind wanting Ragan on the team instead of Gabby.

2. Why would you leave the second best all-a rounder in the world right now in favor of the third best beam worker in the USA?

Point 1. In a non-objective answer, Gabby seems so arrogant and full of herself and Ragan seems to still have that "oh my God, I can't believe I'm competing with my idols" innocence about her , and that is more appealing to me, than arrogance...

2. In an objective answer, I wouldn't leave Gabby off the team for this reason alone...

I think with Nichols having meniscus surgery (it was on her IG this weekend) , that certainly opens the discussion as to whether she can come back to full speed by Rio ...and if she can't, who moves up in the pecking order?

 

[wandrewsjr]

Here is my current prediction for Team USA based on Marta's press conference after Pac Rim's. She was most excited about Simone hitting her second vault, which means she does care about winning event medals. She said there is room for an event specialist, specifically mentioning Madi and Ashton, which I think means only on UB is there room for an event specialist. She said it is not likely someone who has not competed yet this year will make the team. She said the primary criteria for putting together the team will be getting the highest 3 score on each event, the highest team total. Based on those criteria:

Biles, Douglas, Hernandez, Locklear, Raisman
traveling alt: Nichols

This is the team lineup that leads to the highest 3 routine score on each event based on competitions this year. Nichols and Raisman are close to interchangeable, but put Raisman ahead of Nichols right now because of the injury and because Nichols has not thrown her Amanar this year. Kocian could take Locklears UB spot if she is healthy and beats her at Classic's/Trials.

vault
raisman
douglas
biles

UB
biles
douglas
locklear

beam
raisman
hernandez
biles

fx
hernandez
raisman
biles

 

[Faith]

I just like watching Ragan, she's a lovely gymnast.

 

[wandrewsjr]

Point 1. In a non-objective answer, Gabby seems so arrogant and full of herself and Ragan seems to still have that "oh my God, I can't believe I'm competing with my idols" innocence about her , and that is more appealing to me, than arrogance...

Of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I just don't understand this way of thinking. Gymnastics is a sport and I want to see the best athletes doing the best gymnastics. Athletes in other Olympic sports don't seem to face the same level of criticism of their personalities. Is Usain Bolt arrogant? Sure. Wouldn't you still rather watch him race than a smaller, cuter, more wide-eyed innocent(but slower) sprinter?

 

[bookworm]

Of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I just don't understand this way of thinking. Gymnastics is a sport and I want to see the best athletes doing the best gymnastics. ?

I didn't say I didn't want to see Douglas compete, I said I thought she came off as arrogant and maybe that's why people might be pulling for Smith...who, like Faith, I find a delight to watch...

 

[emilykatherine]

I am interested in the reasoning behind wanting Ragan on the team instead of Gabby.

Gabby has scored 60.165 and 59.65 in international competitions for the USA this year, she can score reliably over 15 on 2 events(one of those being UB, the weakest event for USA allarounders) and very close to 15 on the other 2.

Ragan has scored 58.85 and 59.05 in AA, she can score above 15 on 1 event(beam, she is probably 3rd best in USA) but can't really contribute to team score in the other 3 events with mid 14's.

Why would you leave the second best all-a rounder in the world right now in favor of the third best beam worker in the USA?

I just like raga a look better. There's really no reasoning behind it.

 

[HoldThePhone]

Of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I just don't understand this way of thinking. Gymnastics is a sport and I want to see the best athletes doing the best gymnastics. Athletes in other Olympic sports don't seem to face the same level of criticism of their personalities. Is Usain Bolt arrogant? Sure. Wouldn't you still rather watch him race than a smaller, cuter, more wide-eyed innocent(but slower) sprinter?

I would agree with that to an extent. Running g isn't necessarily about putting on a performance, gymnastics is. Sure it's only fair to put together a team of the best, and Gabby deserves to be on that team, but that doesn't make her someone you want to root for. I haven't watched all of the Pacific Rim routines yet, but the ones I saw of Aly, she looked either completely exhausted or unhappy as well. Again didn't see all, so maybe that's overall inaccurate. I think it's hard for the two of them in particular working to come back. Can you imagine how hard it would be to make it this far and not all the way? I'd like to hope that they're just feeling the pressure and it's showing g rather than they have poor attitudes.

 

[bogwoppit]

Of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I just don't understand this way of thinking. Gymnastics is a sport and I want to see the best athletes doing the best gymnastics. Athletes in other Olympic sports don't seem to face the same level of criticism of their personalities. Is Usain Bolt arrogant? Sure. Wouldn't you still rather watch him race than a smaller, cuter, more wide-eyed innocent(but slower) sprinter?

This. It is not a personality or congeniality competition.

 

[txgymfan]

It's not a personality competition but in gymnastics as in other sports who I I cheer for and hope succeeds depends both on skill ( Michael Phelps) and personality ( Reagan Smith) or ideally both ( Simone Biles, Jordan Speith, Missy Franklin). The major stars get the most attention and we get to know them better. Some athletes have turned me off with their personality so much that I cheer for anyone else against them. That's why I love sports because the convergence of skill, competition equal a compelling drama.