No Chellsie:(

[J&A's mom]

I am so sad that Chellsie's beam routine was not her normal routine today and that she won't be able to go to Nats and Olympic Trials. She really should have done her floor so that the selection committee could see more than a messed up routine. I bet if this was 2008 where there was less depth, and the same thing happened, the decision would have been different.

We(well, I?) still love you, Chellsie!!

 

[profmom]

I felt so bad for her. Whether someone's a level 4 or an international elite, you never want to see that happen. I really, really wish they had let her petition through to nationals so that she could show what she's got on other events. She seems to be dealing with the whole thing with such grace and class -- such an admirable young woman.

 

[LiveLoveTumble]

I really wish she could have at least gone to Nationals. Even if she didn't make it past there, she should have gotten one good competition to finish off her amazing career. That must feel awful to finish on a bad note.

 

[teena82]

I just saw this on Twitter.

@GymnasticsZone: Petition to Allow Gymnast Chellsie Memmel to compete at the National Championships. | http://t.co/l3GDWmm8 http://t.co/ay2swdI7

 

[LiveLoveTumble]

I just saw this on Twitter.

@GymnasticsZone: Petition to Allow Gymnast Chellsie Memmel to compete at the National Championships. | Change.org - Start, Join, and Win Campaigns for Change Petition: USA Gymnastics, USAG Olympic Selection Committee, Steve Penny: Allow Gymnast Chellsie Memmel to compete at the National Championships. | Change.org

I really hope this petition helps get her to nationals! She has been such an inspiration for me, watching her fight through time after time against the odds. It is awful to think that it has come to an end so abruptly. After all she has done for the sport of gymnastics, she really deserves a chance to have one more competition to finish things off.
And, technically, she should have qualified for nationals. She made the Pan Am team, but withdrew due to an injury. This didn't qualify her. However, Alicia Sacramone made the world team, and also withdrew due to an injury. Yet this qualified her for nationals. It is very obvious USAG favors certain gymnasts. She deserves much more respect than this.
Whatever happens, I wish Chellsie the best of luck, wherever the road may take her. It is sad to see such an amazing gymnast leave the sport. She will forever be in my heart.

 

[kecks]

If Nastia would have fallen two times in her beam routine - would this 'no petition for you' have happened to her, too? hmmmm..... one has to wonder.

 

[bookworm]

While I feel bad for Chellsie, she just wasn't ready to be out there competing so soon after her surgery in February...after watching her routine, I'm not so sure she would have gotten the 14 she needed even without the falls as she was really shaky. It's admirable that she soldiered through and I don't think it would have killed Marta to have let her go out on a high note at VISAs but if you let her in with a "less than 14 on an event" then I suppose someone like a CaseyJo Magee would be looking for a similar consideration.

I think the difference in Asac's and Chellsie's positions in terms of "qualifying automatically to VISAs due to being on X team" is that Chellsie declined Pan Ams right off the bat (so maybe USAG didn't consider her to be ON that team) and Alicia was in Tokyo warming up to compete AT Worlds when she tore her Achilles so she was considered ON that team and therefore qualified through to Nationals..pure speculation on my part but that was how I read it..

 

[profmom]

I wouldn't mind seeing Casey Jo Magee at nationals. But I know they have to draw the line somewhere.

 

[wandrewsjr]

I think the main reason Chellsie isn't going to nationals is that I am assuming she didn't attend any of the training camps this spring. If she had been at the camps, she could have possibly varified either her beam or floor as competitions ready in the 14 range.

That being said, I personally think that if you win a World or Olympic All-Around title for the USA, you should be given extra special consideration. Maybe a lifetime exemption to Nationals, like winning the Masters in golf.

 

[LiveLoveTumble]

I think the difference in Asac's and Chellsie's positions in terms of "qualifying automatically to VISAs due to being on X team" is that Chellsie declined Pan Ams right off the bat (so maybe USAG didn't consider her to be ON that team) and Alicia was in Tokyo warming up to compete AT Worlds when she tore her Achilles so she was considered ON that team and therefore qualified through to Nationals..pure speculation on my part but that was how I read it..

I still don't think that's fair. So, getting on a plane makes the difference between qualifying and not? Who cares if she was actually THERE, she still was good enough to be chosen for the team, right? Sorry, I'm not mad at you, just at USAG.

 

[BRB]

While I feel bad for Chellsie, she just wasn't ready to be out there competing so soon after her surgery in February...after watching her routine, I'm not so sure she would have gotten the 14 she needed even without the falls as she was really shaky. It's admirable that she soldiered through and I don't think it would have killed Marta to have let her go out on a high note at VISAs but if you let her in with a "less than 14 on an event" then I suppose someone like a CaseyJo Magee would be looking for a similar consideration.

I respect your opinion and understand what you are saying. I guess I just feel that she should get consideration/an exception over others like Casey based on the fact that Chellsie was a World AA Champion. I would like to see her go out on her own terms at Nationals and/or Trials.

 

[LiveLoveTumble]

Wow, that online petition has gotten a lot of signatures! When I watch the nationals in a couple of weeks, if Chellsie is not there, I will be seriously upset. I may even end up in tears. No joke. :weepy:
I know I have said this before, but I will say it again. She is such a huge inspiration to me. In fact, she is a big part of why I joined gymnastics, and why I have fallen in love with it. I remember, when I was 5, seeing the first gymnastics meet on TV (the first one that I had ever seen). I believe that was the 2005 American Cup, but I am not sure. She was my absolute favorite gymnast, and I have been cheering her on ever since. I would do cartwheels and somersaults around the house pretending to be her. It is hard to believe that to this day, I am still watching her on TV. Not only does she deserve a proper farewell to the sport, her fans deserve a proper farewell to her. I read that the person who started the petition is going to send it not only to USAG, but they will also send a copy to Chellsie. I am so glad that, even if she does not make it to nationals, she will know how much she is appreciated and loved, and how many little girls have looked up to her.

 

[bookworm]

I think the main reason Chellsie isn't going to nationals is that I am assuming she didn't attend any of the training camps this spring. If she had been at the camps, she could have possibly varified either her beam or floor as competitions ready in the 14 range.

That being said, I personally think that if you win a World or Olympic All-Around title for the USA, you should be given extra special consideration. Maybe a lifetime exemption to Nationals, like winning the Masters in golf.

I think you're right about this wandrewsjr, she didn't go to any of the camps and therefore didn't verify so in Marta's eyes, she saw her do a beam routine that scored an 11.95 and she was out...I don't see Marta as the sentimental type at all ..

And to your second point about winning medals in the past for USA giving you a lifetime bye to VISAs , USAG kind of had this issue a few years back when Moceanu (Mag 7 member!) wanted to go to VISAs and she didn't make the cut and didn't go either ...so Marta kind of already set her precedent with her. Not saying she couldn't change it but I don't see it happening...it would be nice if Marta let Chellsie go out on her own terms but Marta's probably thinking she's got bigger fish to fry in the next month picking her Olympic team. Whatever happens, Chellsie will be okay.

 

[LiveLoveTumble]

I think the main reason Chellsie isn't going to nationals is that I am assuming she didn't attend any of the training camps this spring. If she had been at the camps, she could have possibly verified either her beam or floor as competitions ready in the 14 range.

While this is true, she didn't even know that she needed a 14. It was not in writing anywhere. There were set scores for 2, 3, and 4 events, but no set score for just 1 event. People say she should have assumed it was 14 because the score for 2 events was 28 and 14 is half of 28, but that isn't entirely logical. If it worked that way, the score for 3 events should be 42, but it wasn't. So, you can't assume that it goes by increments of 14. If it said in writing that a 14 was needed to qualify, there would be much less controversy. As for the training camps, I think she was smart for not going. She was saving her body for the actual competitions, instead of wasting it on training. Spots on the team should be based on competition, not training. Marta said herself that the Classics were just a "rehearsal." So, shouldn't the decision be based on the real competition, not the rehearsal? What does USAG have to lose by letting her go to nationals? It's not like she's getting a spot on the team or knocking another girl out by competing. What they are losing by not letting her compete is my (and I'm sure many other people's) respect for them.

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

Maybe USAG is thinking about Chellsie's well being. Seriously, how many times has she been injured (in the same places) I think Chellsie needs to move on as her body is clearly not cut out for high level gymnastics any more.

 

[LiveLoveTumble]

Maybe USAG is thinking about Chellsie's well being. Seriously, how many times has she been injured (in the same places) I think Chellsie needs to move on as her body is clearly not cut out for high level gymnastics any more.

True, but one more competition won't kill her. I seriously don't think she could make it past nationals. She is an amazing gymnast, but there is too much fresh talent out there that she can't beat.

 

[bookworm]

While this is true, she didn't even know that she needed a 14. It was not in writing anywhere. There were set scores for 2, 3, and 4 events, but no set score for just 1 event. People say she should have assumed it was 14 because the score for 2 events was 28 and 14 is half of 28, but that isn't entirely logical. If it worked that way, the score for 3 events should be 42, but it wasn't. So, you can't assume that it goes by increments of 14. If it said in writing that a 14 was needed to qualify, there would be much less controversy

Even if you take the 54 needed for 4 events (or an average of 13.5), the 41.25 needed for 3 events (average of 13.75 ), 28 for 2 events (average of 14) as qualifying scores, she wasn't close to any of the qualifying scores, even if she didn't know...and it appears that the less events you do, the higher your score has to be. Chellsie and her father have been around elite gymnastics for a very long time so they had to have some idea of the requirements. She's had a fabulous career and will be remembered as such.

 

[LiveLoveTumble]

Hm, I think I will just stop replying to this thread. Otherwise I am going to end up getting mad and someone else is going to get mad at me. I tend to be very vocal about my opinions, and keep arguing with people who believe otherwise.
Sorry to anyone who is already mad at me for arguing. :ashamed:

 

[J&A's mom]

I just saw this on Twitter.

@GymnasticsZone: Petition to Allow Gymnast Chellsie Memmel to compete at the National Championships. | Change.org - Start, Join, and Win Campaigns for Change Petition: USA Gymnastics, USAG Olympic Selection Committee, Steve Penny: Allow Gymnast Chellsie Memmel to compete at the National Championships. | Change.org

Dom M just twittered that USAG was going to make a statement regarding Memmel by the end of the week.

 

[wallflower]

To qualify to Nationals from Pan Ams you had to score a certain score. Being on the Pan Am team did not automatically qualify girls, though being on the World team did.