Things happened last night, both good and bad. For all those with a shot at the Olympic Team here is what happened:
Shawn Johnson simply told us that even a flood will not keep her from doing her best. I think the most importnat routine of the night was floor. A huge improvement from Nationals, but I still think she is JUST barely getting that triple all the way round. One of the most surprising things to me was that she came in 3rd on bars! An improved A-score (6.4) made me incredibly excited as she needs this so bad for AA Finals in Beijing. With a 15.700 I am not sure if that is inflated as I have yet to see the actually routine. But one thing is for sure: I do not want Shawn doing bars in Team Finals because that would make her have to do three full AA competitions in Beijing and I don’t want her to get worn out. EDIT: I just saw Shawn’s vault and it was under rotated. Pretty bad. Cheng Fei was devalued during the 2006 Team Finals in Aarhus and this vault I actually think was way more questionable. Stupid judges.
Nastia Liukin performed very well. I think the most important routine for her was floor. Because now she has two in a row hit, something I feel we haven’t seen from her since like, 2005. So that is very good for her cause. I have yet to see her bars routine and the near fall, but honestly as much as I don’t think the form will be fixed, I think Nastia will go home and do enough conditioning so that her tank does not read ‘empty’ by the time she gets to the dismount in Beijing. She’ll get it. Beam looked solid.
Alicia Sacramone was beat on floor by NASTIA. Did Hell just freeze over? I think that is crazy and that Alicia really needs to step it up here. Supposedly she is upgrading, and I hope that is true. Her beam was also shaky with missed connections, however she completely stuck her vault, which was awesome.
Chellsie Memmel is so awesome. She is actually my favorite person to watch due to the excitment I feel over watching her succeed after I thought she was done. (In fact, watching Day 2 Nationals live, when she stuck her vault I like, YELLED, and my cat freaked out who and jumped off me leaving a big gas on my thigh. haha.) She again stuck her vault. She did well on floor and beam. But most importantly, she again scored over a 16 on bars and that makes her as sure a bet as anyone for that team.
Samantha Peszek did what she needed to do and if she repeats this performance, I think she will be on that team. Vault and floor were solid (although I think she took a step back on vault and must compare her vault to Brittany Ranzy who scored the exact same, 15.100).
Shayla Worley did not do so hot. Competing only bars and beam she received a 15.400 on UB with is not good enough to compete against China with. Beam was less than spectacular with a 14.800. Ouch. She is playing tug-of-war with Bridget Sloan over that last spot on the team and right now Bridget is winning. Bridget scored a 15.600 on bars which isn’t that much better but she who scores the 3rd highest in the country will be on that team in my opinion.
Ivana Hong has really great beam and floor sets tonight. Not too shabby on vault either. I think she will be an alternate to the team. But really nothing more.
Look at Mattie Larson in 7th place! She performed well on floor and tied for Ivana with vault. I just don’t think it is her time, but we shall see. Who knows what could happen.
That is all for now.
Tags: 2008 Olympic Trials, Alicia Sacramone, bridget sloan, chellsie memmel, ivana hong, Mattie Larson, Nastia Liukin, Samantha Peszek, Shawn Johnson, shayla worley
June 21, 2008 at 3:16 pm |
The two reports I read on Shawn’s vault was she over rotated the Amanar. Hmm
http://gymfan.wordpress.com
June 21, 2008 at 3:39 pm |
She over-rotated the flip, but under twisted.
June 21, 2008 at 3:40 pm |
how about fatjana?
June 21, 2008 at 3:43 pm |
oooooh that’s mean!
Yeah I realized after I posted that I didn’t even include her….I guess that goes to show how much I think hwe performance mattered. I like Jana. I just don’t think she is valuable to the team.
But about Shawn’s Amanar….that looks like what might have happened to her.
June 21, 2008 at 3:49 pm |
TCO-
And also, I was just teasing you about being mean
June 21, 2008 at 6:53 pm |
Jana is not fat by any means. If you see her in person you would be surprised how tiny she is
June 21, 2008 at 7:10 pm |
I have ready a couple reports that Shawn has stuck multiple Amanar’s in podium training, so maybe tomorrow she will stick one! How awesome would that be?! I think now that she knows she can do the vault no problem, she is trying to figure out how to consistently stick it, or at least come close to a stick. At least that’s what it looks like to me. She has plenty of power I think. I have faith that by Beijing, that vault will be rock solid.
June 21, 2008 at 7:20 pm |
Ashley we are totally on the same plane of thought!
June 21, 2008 at 10:02 pm |
Yeah, I think Jana’s chances of making the team are a bit slim, but you know, I think they shouldn’t be. She has *skills*. Even if her presentation is less than ideal, it seems to me that it’s at least partially a function of her own confidence and how much attention (or lack thereof) she is getting. What I’m saying is: it’s a travesty that someone who can do a decent chusovitina and double layout should be skimmed over while someone who CAN’T EVEN DO ANY SORT OF DECENT DOUBLE SALTO is considered to be a top contender for the AA. The only time I’ve seen Nastia do a double layout was on the TRAMPOLINE, in a fluff, and she got less air than Jana does on floor. The craze with Nastia is pretty much the Paris Hilton/Lindsay Lohan phenomenon, transplanted to gymnastics, ie. she’s courted media attention, and it leads to blinded evaluation of her actual skill level.
June 21, 2008 at 10:06 pm |
Also appreciate the really acute observation of Shawn’s Amanar by TCO. I was looking at it over and over, trying to figure out an explanation.
June 21, 2008 at 10:10 pm |
With Shawn, Nastia, Chellsie, and Alicia being the locks, me thinks this US Olympic team will be the strongest one in the history.
But again, the Chinese Olympic team will also be the strongest one in their history.
Can’t wait to watch the two battle it up for the team final. The competition will be fierce
June 21, 2008 at 10:36 pm |
Wow i agree totally with bettycoltrane! Even after her ridiculous over-scoring at natls when a reporter asked her if she thought beating shawn’s score had a lot of significance, she said, ‘yes, definitely. The score’s the score.’ I thought, you have got to be kidding me.
June 21, 2008 at 10:38 pm |
Wow i agree totally with bettycoltrane! Even after her ridiculous over-scoring at natls when a reporter asked her if she thought beating shawn’s score had a lot of significance, she said, ‘yes, definitely. The score’s the score.’ I thought, you have got to be kidding me.
June 21, 2008 at 11:08 pm |
I think you guys are underestimating Jana- 15.65 on bars, I think that puts her chances at more than slim. Also, apparently Bela is really pushing which is…weird. Yeah, best we just not talk about that.
bettycoltrane i think you’re really wrong about Nastia, she isn’t capable of certain things beacause of her body type which also makes her incredible at other things. I’ve always thought that had she stayed injury free she’d be doing quad twists right now. But everyone is entitled to their opinion and its nice to see someone(Besides Bela lol) not bagging on Jana
June 21, 2008 at 11:32 pm |
Mally, yes I concede that she is incapable of certain things, better at other things, supposedly just like everyone else. But note that I didn’t say “she can’t do a double double” or a dos santos, or an amanar, or a li ya combo, or a mo salto, or a standing arabian on beam, etc. etc. Of course she can’t do those things. Those are all highly particular things that only very few of the most skilled can do. Rather, I said “a decent double salto of any kind” which in my view is one of the most basic and elemental components of elite gymnastics, that everyone should not only be able to do cleanly but also do numerous variations of. The fact that she cannot even do this puts her below a minimum level of skill-respectability in my opinion, and a switch-ring on beam or a coupla ono’s on bars does not make up for it.
David reminded me also that I’m dying of anticipation to hear anything whatsoever about the Chinese team. How is He Kexin, who pulled out of her last to competitions? Is Cheng Fei hitting her stride again? PLEASE is Li Shanshan on the team? Any more UB ugrades, which wouldn’t even surprise me? …
June 22, 2008 at 3:26 pm |
I agree with the jana observations, I like her! And I too thought it was strange as Bela mentioned her!
david- you are right as always. It’s what makes gymnastics so great. I cannot wait for August and the way this competition is shaping up, the battle is going to be awesome. I now feel like waiting 4 years for this was a small price to pay!
And yes- thanks TCO for the Shawn-Amanar evaluation!
June 22, 2008 at 11:07 pm |
wow…you guys are being nice to me. Usually I get everyone all angry. I’m a troll. Hmmm.
Either this is a really sneaky way of countertrolling or you all are just nice to people.
Oh…and I can’t STAND that Nastia doesn’t even have a double back tuck on floor. Heck this is 2008. Nadia was doing that on a wrestling mat in the 70s. EVERYONE in the 80s was doing it. We have tumbletracks and pits and all kinds of improved training. And she is not even doing a basic skill of elites (like whoever characterized it that way).
I guess I give her credit for working the code. But I don’t like it in terms of gymnastics.
June 22, 2008 at 11:08 pm |
I mean her old man did a triple! He should be ashamed for not squeezing a double out of her.
June 22, 2008 at 11:22 pm |
“I guess I give her credit for working the code. But I don’t like it in terms of gymnastics.”
yeah, code-whore-ahoy. but what can ya do?
June 23, 2008 at 9:46 pm |
i think people that call Nastia a code-whore are crazy! Where she lacks in one place she makes up in different places. So her tumbling is not as “amazing” as Shawns, on floor well Shawns flexabilty is not that “amazing” on beam. And how is she a “code whore” every single gymnasts can make their bar rountine as they wish so why don’t they all make it a 7.7?? cause ahh they can’t do the skills because its to hard for them. Why doesn’t Shawn have a 7.7 bar..cause she simply can’t do it cause other wise duh she would!! just as why doesn’t Nastia have an Amanar..cause well simply because she can’t do it!! Everyone works in their own advantage on what they can and can’t not do. Also Nastia body type is alot different than all those girls…she actually looks like a normal girl. People who r not in the gymnastic world see her and are amazed that girl who isn’t super crazy buff can still do that, and for non gymnastic fans its just simply pretty to their eyes to see her dance and elegances and still do pretty hard skills. I think its funny how people forget that she has 9 world medals. so u wanna tell me that she only got them because the judges are brain washed by the media cause she is the “paris hilton” of gymnastics, tbat is simply silly and sad that people are taking away credit for all the amazing things she has done and how much hard work she has put into it, and i personally think that she is the under dog and that is probably the best place to be going into the olympics with much to prove
June 24, 2008 at 10:03 am |
They are going to shut that loophole down on UB connection value, next CoP. That should tell you that it’s code whoring. And saying “anyone can do it” is exactly NOT the point. It’s like saying, anyone can play the system. Well, DUH! That is code whoring!
June 24, 2008 at 1:19 pm |
no i am saying everyone works the system to their advantage so if she is better on bars than floor well duh she will take advantage of that. What they do in the future doesn’t matter what the case is now.
June 24, 2008 at 3:09 pm |
Nastia is the definition of a code-whore; boosting one event just so you can be considered an AA. Just because “anyone can do it” doesn’t make it right, its like say that just because anyone can rob a bank its fair.
June 24, 2008 at 6:51 pm |
yes but all her other events are just as “up there” as all the other gymnasts for example Chellesie Memmel is an AA gymnastics and she does a vault the same value as Nastia, and floor that is the same as Nastia, Chellesies beam is a little bit harder (6.9 vs 6.6 sometimes 6.7) and on bars Chellesie is a (6.8 or sometime 7.0) and Nastia is a 7.7. I think Chellesie is just as much an AA as Nastia just because Nastia is really good and can do that bar routine that doesn’t mean she is a code whore, she works the code to her advantage just as she should and just as should every other gymnasts. Its not like she gets that score by doing nothing she works her ass off to do that rountine and she should be rewarded and if other gymnasts put in the work that she does than they would be able to do a routine like that, but they simply dont’ so its all their choose!
June 24, 2008 at 9:08 pm |
If I were her, I would code whore as well. I just don’t think it’s good gymnastics though or a fair reward. And FIG agrees and they are going to SHUT THE LOOPHOLE!!!!!
June 25, 2008 at 3:13 pm |
we can argue till the sun comes up…but on the international scene Nastia’s artistry is very much liked and it sad so little of that is left.
June 26, 2008 at 3:38 pm |
TCO,
I am a huge Nastia fan (I have said that a lot today.lol) and I don’t find any fault with a single comment you made. To me Nastia very much benefits from being able to swing bars in this code. I just don’t think it is her fault that the code benefits what she is best at.
Chellsie is doing 1.5’s because she is coming back from injury. She can do the DTY. She did it for years. Nastia just doesn’t have the power to successfully and consistently do that vault which is why she doesn’t do it.
June 27, 2008 at 1:01 am |
Don’t try agreeing with me. I want pretty girls to spit and fight with me. And then we make up
July 5, 2008 at 3:34 am |
I thought I was the only one who was not on the Nastia-train. I believe that she is talented, but I also believe that her size and her body type are no excuse for her lack of “power” gymnastics skills. Flexibility and leaps, while beautiful, are not gymnastics to me. Be a dancer if that’s all you’re good at. Gymnastics is about flipping and grace, flexibility,etc. Nastia’s not even great at twisting skills, which supposedly fits her body type, according to many. If you’ll recall she has had trouble this entire quad with even getting her front double twist and her triple twist all the way around.
Finally, Nastia is not the only gymnast with her body type. Shayla Worley has a similar body type. Mattie Larson is quite lean and long legged herself. Both Shayla and Mattie TUMBLE and they have Flexibility. I say if you don’t have enough power to TUMBLE, you need to EAT to gain muscle to be able to do those skills because this is not a DANCE competition.
July 8, 2008 at 3:42 pm |
guest-
I agree with you completely. I have gotten a couple of comments here that i have had to delete because of my opinion of Nastia. Whereas I don’t totally dislike her, she is not the kind of gymnastics I favor. But even simple things like that have gotten taken the wrong way, so I try to exclude a lot of negative opinions.
Funny though. As a HUGE Shawn fan, I can totally admit where she lacks, and I don’t mind some of the criticism, it’s necessary, it makes debate fun. But some of the nastia-train members are a little fanatical when defending her. It’s kinda weird.
AND I AM NOT ATTACKING ANYONE! PLEASE NO ONE TAKE THIS COMMENT TO ‘guest’ PERSONALLY!!!