US medal payments and NCAA?

[txgymfan]

The pro athletes will be paid to do the Kellogg's Tour this fall. It's an exhibition show that we have talked about on another thread. They can also accept prize money from World Cup competitions.

 

[Terry]

Margo, basically, yes.


Here is an article in the USA Today about it.

Ohio State's Kyle Snyder due $250,000 bonus after wrestling gold in Rio

http://usat.ly/2bMzHvw

They can also keep bonuses from their sport federations for world championships, etc.

Only Maddie from the US team is still NCAA eligible. Laurie went pro during the games and already has a deal with Crest.

There is also a rumor that MyKayla is going pro instead of going to Utah.

Very surprising news about MyKayla, if true. I just do not see her as very marketable at all. I believe she would do far better going the NCAA route.

 

[Terry]

Very surprising news about MyKayla, if true. I just do not see her as very marketable at all.

In fact, I would even omit the word "very." MyKayla is just not marketable. When it comes to this Quad, only the Olympians are marketable and not all of them. Simone is marketable through the roof obviously. I believe that as a result of her success in Rio, Aly's marketability is likely even higher than 2012. Laurie? A little, not so much. That's pretty much it.

 

[GymDad9.9]

In fact, I would even omit the word "very." MyKayla is just not marketable. When it comes to this Quad, only the Olympians are marketable and not all of them. Simone is marketable through the roof obviously. I believe that as a result of her success in Rio, Aly's marketability is likely even higher than 2012. Laurie? A little, not so much. That's pretty much it.

I wouldn't underestimate Laurie's marketability just yet. Young Charismatic Latina Gold Medal Winning Gymnast. There's alot going on there.

 

[Terry]

I wouldn't underestimate Laurie's marketability just yet. Young Charismatic Latina Gold Medal Winning Gymnast. There's alot going on there.

right. I do think she has some marketability. But right now she is overshadowed by Simone and Aly. In the general market for sure.

 

[Jenny]

I love Aly and I see her doing well in the 'insider' world of sport work and more 'grown up' stuff, she could be a great ambassador for anything health and fitness related. I see Simone and Laurie doing really well with the non sport stuff and tweenie / teeny stuff. Bags of personality and smiles all round teens.

 

[MILgymFAM]

I love Aly and I see her doing well in the 'insider' world of sport work and more 'grown up' stuff, she could be a great ambassador for anything health and fitness related. I see Simone and Laurie doing really well with the non sport stuff and tweenie / teeny stuff. Bags of personality and smiles all round teens.

I can say that Aly worked as an ad for my ODD. She's usually totally happy with thrift stores/eBay, but the Aly Aeropostale campaign is enough to get her begging to go to the mall for maybe the second time in her life. There is definitely teeny appeal there.

 

[gasrgoose]

I wouldn't underestimate Laurie's marketability just yet. Young Charismatic Latina Gold Medal Winning Gymnast. There's alot going on there.

I agree! Many people assume she will be the next gymnast on Dancing with the Stars also.

 

[txgymfan]

I think the cute, charismatic and Latina is a very marketable combination. She could be very big going into the Tokyo games for wholesome family brands like Coke, AT&T etc.

 

[gymgal]

Very surprising news about MyKayla, if true. I just do not see her as very marketable at all. I believe she would do far better going the NCAA route.

Going the NCAA route only works if she thinks she can continue gymnastics throughout college. If not, then this route is not in her best interest. It is one of the reasons why so many go pro when they can.

 

[Terry]

MyKayla is tweeting about leaving for college this October. I really do not think she is going pro.

 

[gasrgoose]

What about Ashton Locklear? Is she pro?

 

[Jenny]

What about Ashton Locklear? Is she pro?

I was under the impression she was retiring after her shot at the games - isn't her back in such bad shape she isn't allowed to even train vault and floor.
I suppose she could continue to Tokyo as a specialist

 

[Seeker]

Ashton is not retiring...she's planning to do the tour and continue as a specialist.

 

[gasrgoose]

Ashton is not retiring...she's planning to do the tour and continue as a specialist.

Is she going to compete NCAA? I had once heard she was committed to Florida

 

[txgymfan]

She backed out of Florida. I thought because of her back.

 

[Seeker]

She posted a comment on Twitter that she was continuing with Elite.

 

[Lunde]

I'm pretty sure that Ashton turned pro a year or 2 ago when she decided college gymnastics was not for her

The college scholarship system in the USA is great for for the sport and the US as it keeps a large number of gynmnasts doing the sport at high levels in their later teens where in other countries there is pressure to study or work less incentive if not picked for the national team. You see the problems for countries like Romania who were not even able to field an AA gymnast in Rio owing to small team/massive injuries

 

[Jenny]

I'm pretty sure that Ashton turned pro a year or 2 ago when she decided college gymnastics was not for her

The college scholarship system in the USA is great for for the sport and the US as it keeps a large number of gynmnasts doing the sport at high levels in their later teens where in other countries there is pressure to study or work less incentive if not picked for the national team. You see the problems for countries like Romania who were not even able to field an AA gymnast in Rio owing to small team/massive injuries

I think Ashton's body decided gymnastics was not for her years ago lol. I would be surprised if she can hold together another 4 years even for bars. She might get a slot at the next worlds as a bar specialist I suppose on a 5 man team now Maddison is out of the way but even that is over a year away and a whole new crop of eager seniors. And a few seniors with a point to make too. I think she is really up against it.

I don't quite follow your argument about college gymnasts. I don't think there is a correlation between having a college system and Romania's national team not qualifying for the olympics? I think the great college system USA has sucks some brilliant gymnasts away from elite gymnastics. Swaggie Maggie? Maddison, Ebee Price? All national team but lured away.

And Romania has AA gymnasts who would have scored fine at Rio but they opted to prioritise their best medal chances for their single place - and those were individual beam and floor medals by Cata. Didn't work out but made sense.

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

And Romania has AA gymnasts who would have scored fine at Rio but they opted to prioritise their best medal chances for their single place - and those were individual beam and floor medals by Cata. Didn't work out but made sense.

Romania was screwed by the fact that the the top three AA's in the world do not receive Olympic berths like apparatus medalists, instead we got to watch Dickson embarrass herself with Belarus's flag. Iordache had to push through injury to try and help Romania and then to compete for the individual spot instead of resting injuries and peaking for the Olympics. Romania's main problem through the years has been bars, when compulsories went their bar work regressed further with the exception of a few individuals.