San Jose Trials question

[Ali'sMom]

Hi all, I was wondering, how many girls compete at the trials?

I really have no idea how this works...

 

[chalkbowl]

Hi all, I was wondering, how many girls compete at the trials?

I really have no idea how this works...

Top 8 from P & G Championships, plus any other additional athletes the national staff wants

 

[wandrewsjr]

Usually it's around 15 or so.

 

[duyetanh]

I actually find this a very interesting question. In other sports, if you hit a certain time standard, you are allowed to enter. That is wild that it is a pick and choose. Very.

 

[wandrewsjr]

Every Olympic team sport involves a certain amount of picking and choosing - soccer, baseball, water polo, basketball, volleybal, rugby(woo hoo!) etc. The more purely individual sports like swimming, track and field, diving, etc can use a specific score or time standard.

If gymnastics in the Olympics were purely an individual all-around competition, we would just send the best scoring all-arounders. But the team competition is a balance of sending the best 3 scorers on each event, so the team must be picked, to a certain extent, like a soccer or any other team.

 

[txgymfan]

Guarantee there are less than ten girls are in serious consideration for the team and alternate spots. For many national team members USOlympic trials realistically are an end goal for this season, no matter how badly they want a spot on the Olympic team.

 

[duyetanh]

I understandthe picking and choosing AT trials...I just feel it's odd other gymnasts aren't allowed to compete. I competed in 2 Olympic trials for a different sport, and while I didn't make the team, I did well, and the experience will stay with me for the rest of my life. It was amazing to watch athletes I knew and was friends with make the Olympic team. I get a lump in my throat just thinking about it....truly special.

 

[flippin out]

I understandthe picking and choosing AT trials...I just feel it's odd other gymnasts aren't allowed to compete. I competed in 2 Olympic trials for a different sport, and while I didn't make the team, I did well, and the experience will stay with me for the rest of my life. It was amazing to watch athletes I knew and was friends with make the Olympic team. I get a lump in my throat just thinking about it....truly special.

I would love if they picked AT trials. In the past few cycles only 1-2 girls had a spot named at trials....rest of team was picked in secret at the ranch.

Edit....and congrats to you on competing at Trials in your sport! What an amazing accomplishment!

 

[Flyaway]

I would love if they picked AT trials. In the past few cycles only 1-2 girls had a spot named at trials....rest of team was picked in secret at the ranch.

Edit....and congrats to you on competing at Trials in your sport! What an amazing accomplishment!

I thought they named the 2012 team at trials. Didn't they take them back in a room and tell them, then brought them out to the crowd and announced them?

 

[flippin out]

I thought they named the 2012 team at trials. Didn't they take them back in a room and tell them, then brought them out to the crowd and announced them?

If they did, I have forgotten. I know at 08, we watched as they named Shawn and Nastia....then invited others back to the ranch. I hope you're right though, I like that.

 

[wandrewsjr]

I understandthe picking and choosing AT trials...I just feel it's odd other gymnasts aren't allowed to compete. I competed in 2 Olympic trials for a different sport, and while I didn't make the team, I did well, and the experience will stay with me for the rest of my life. It was amazing to watch athletes I knew and was friends with make the Olympic team. I get a lump in my throat just thinking about it....truly special.

What other gymnasts do you think should be allowed to compete? There is a scoring standard a senior elite gymnast must hit(like a time in swimming or track) - 54 AA or 41.25/3 event or 28/2 event during the previous year - this score qualifies them to P&G's(National championships). From P&G's the top 8 AA qualify to Olympic Trials. National team staff then pick additional gymnasts, usually event specialists, or gymnast who may have had a minor injury that kept them from competing all events at P&G's.

There are very few Senior elite gymnasts in the USA. Usually only around 15-20 compete at P&G's(formerly VISA's) any given year(last year only 13!), then in an Olympic year, about 15 will compete at trials.

 

[duyetanh]

What other gymnasts do you think should be allowed to compete? There is a scoring standard a senior elite gymnast must hit(like a time in swimming or track) - 54 AA or 41.25/3 event or 28/2 event during the previous year - this score qualifies them to P&G's(National championships). From P&G's the top 8 AA qualify to Olympic Trials. National team staff then pick additional gymnasts, usually event specialists, or gymnast who may have had a minor injury that kept them from competing all events at P&G's.

There are very few Senior elite gymnasts in the USA. Usually only around 15-20 compete at P&G's(formerly VISA's) any given year(last year only 13!), then in an Olympic year, about 15 will compete at trials.

Call me stupid, naive, or whatever (not said maliciously) but it would be nice if others were somehow offered the oportunity, just for the experience. I went to Olympic trials alongside many of my friends, full well knowing I was going purely for the experience. But what an experience! Obviously, I have no idea how others could be offered the opportunity, but I just think they should be...my 2 cents fwiw...

 

[sce]

I would love if they picked AT trials. In the past few cycles only 1-2 girls had a spot named at trials....rest of team was picked in secret at the !

Not true, in 2012, the top spot at trials was guaranteed but the rest of the team was named at the meet. There was a wait while the committee discussed in the back and then the team and alternates were announced.

 

[Ali'sMom]

Thank you all!

 

[GymEB10]

The USAG of recent years would never allow the Olympic team to be determined by scores at championships or trials alone, and I can grudgingly admit there is some wisdom in that. A couple event specialists are usually a must, but you can't have too many specialists, or you're screwed if one of your AA's gets injured. The process (in secret at the ranch, as mentioned above) is suspect and maddening, but to put forth the best team in this sport, you can't always just take the highest scorers on each event. Each team is unique. Often the biggest wildcards, of course, are those with injuries that caused them to either not qualify or not be able to compete at championships or trials, who get their shot based on past performance and reputation. Who knows how the process might change after Martha retires next year and the long reign of Karolyi as chief selector ends? Is it likely to change in a major way? I highly doubt it. At least we're not operating like Trinidad & Tobago (yet).