2016 Women's Artistic Gymnastics Olympic Team!

[wandrewsjr]

Wow! I suppose they went with Gabby because of 2012, but I think Ashton would have been a better choice.

They went with Gabby over Ashton because she is capable of doing vt and fx if needed.

 

[Gymmommy71]

Also she implies that they feel once they can personally train Gabby and get her away from all her distractions that she will be better. That's really giving her the benefit of the doubt and essentially saying all the other girls are as good as they are gonna be cause they have good consistent training, where Gabby has actually been fooling around all this time and we know she can be better once we train her. Kind of an insult to her current coaches IMO - and also really unfair to everyone else when you think about it (cause why does she get to show up to trails not at her best when they don't).

 

[bookworm]

I don't understand how naming the 3rd best gymnast in the USA on bars as of this weekend, who won the silver medal in the AA at worlds just 9 months ago is "totally policital". You really think Gabby's gymnastics had nothing to do with her being named? I can understand those who argue perhaps they would prefer another gymnast should have been named ahead of her, but "totally political" I don't get.

Well we didn't take the 2nd best gymnast on vault and beam last time, and she didn't fall or look like she wanted to be anywhere but there....I do think it was totally political to name someone like her who seems more interested in her reality show ( both on the TV and off) , than being on her A game for the Olympics. I was told by a very reliable source that Douglas knew she didn't have to worry about trials....and if that isn't political, because it certainly isn't performance based, then I don't know what is...

I think her negatives, in terms of attitude and lack of consistency and drama, far outweigh her bar routine contribution...we could've gotten a lone (better) bar routine from Locklear without any of Gabby's baggage..

 

[wandrewsjr]

Marta is quoted here as saying the final spot came down to a choice between Gabby or Ashton!
http://www.teamusa.org/News/2016/Ju...pic-Team-Gabby-Douglas-Still-Sees-Opportunity

Great article, and Marta states it well. Basically the first 4 names were easy Simone, Aly, Laurie and Madison. Don't think anyone can seriously argue about the to 3 AA and reigning world champ and trials champ on bars as the choices. So when picking the 5th you have 2 main considerations - what is our weakest event and who could fill in an any event(to avoid having to add alternate at last minute or if someone got hurt in qualifying when it's too late to add alternate). Gabby is the only one who covers both those bases.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

It wouldn't reflect well to have a young woman with a doll not on the team.

https://www.yahoo.com/style/gabby-douglas-gets-her-own-134942386.html

 

[Mama Duck]

I'm curious about this... I heard this also, and remember that being the case last time, but there is a development camp there this week and the USAG calendar lists the Olympic Team camp as starting July 17. https://usagym.org/PDFs/Women/calendar16.pdf

Anyone know? It sure would be fun for the girls who will be there for DC to be there at the same time as the Olympic team!

Dev camp leaves the ranch on the 16th and the Olympic team comes in on the 17th ... but that would have been pretty awesome if there was an opportunity for their paths to cross at the ranch!

 

[bookworm]

It wouldn't reflect well to have a young woman with a doll not on the team.

https://www.yahoo.com/style/gabby-douglas-gets-her-own-134942386.html

And things like this definitely contributed to how "useful" she is to USAG......cha ching!

 

[Empowered]

It wouldn't reflect well to have a young woman with a doll not on the team.

https://www.yahoo.com/style/gabby-douglas-gets-her-own-134942386.html

Funny that right? The timing isn't suspect at all. Not like they've known for months and had the time to produce these dolls and rolls out a marketing campaign. I'm sure it was all done in haste last night.

And implying he fault lies with Buckeye and training pisses me off. Kittia may be tough, but that's a damn good program. She didn't slack off because that gym isn't capable, she knew she had a spot no matter what.

 

[Empowered]

And things like this definitely contributed to how "useful" she is to USAG......cha ching!

And Laurie doesn't hold as much value. She's going to Florida. Many of the marketing opportunities are not there with a college bound athlete versus a professional one.

 

[bookworm]

All of the girls selected are going straight to the ranch, they will leave for Rio from there. So she will not be going back to Buckeye. And while personal coaches will be there, Martha is the one calling the shots. If the relationship between Gabby and coach is tense at all, I don't imagine it would be too difficult to ice him out altogether- whether that is initiated by Gabby or Martha.

.

Actually the girls don't leave for the Ranch until Sunday so they have a little break but once they go back on the 17th, they will proceed to Rio from there....so maybe Gabby will just hang in California with her family so she wouldn't return to Buckeye...

 

[Flyaway]

Wow, I really feel for Ashton. The Olympic berth was in her fingertips. Sounds like it really came down to the fact that she doesn't compete 2 events. As the US field gets deeper and deeper I wonder if the days of true specialists in the Olympics have passed.

 

[Gymmommy71]

Wow, I really feel for Ashton. The Olympic berth was in her fingertips. Sounds like it really came down to the fact that she doesn't compete 2 events. As the US field gets deeper and deeper I wonder if the days of true specialists in the Olympics have passed.

Yeah - she was really close. Does anyone know why doesn't she do the other events? Is it injury related, or does she just not have the skill level to be competitive? I can see someone saying they don't want to do vault, but what is the issue w/ floor?

 

[gymmummy]

Indifferent to Gabbie but I don't think she should have been selected, it's going to create a bad atmosphere on the team, Aly worked so hard for her comeback & was never considered a lock until nationals but it wasn't political she worked her *** off for that place. Simone is Maggie's BFF she's aware of how awfully hard Maggie had to work to make a comeback after injury but Gabbie's place was just there for her.
The one positive is I think all this hype & craziness about Gabbie is taking the spotlight & pressure off Simone a little bit. Gabbie's the defending AA champion the media are going to be watching her every move in Rio so hopefully Simone gets a bit of breathing space & can do her thing

 

[wandrewsjr]

Yeah - she was really close. Does anyone know why doesn't she do the other events? Is it injury related, or does she just not have the skill level to be competitive? I can see someone saying they don't want to do vault, but what is the issue w/ floor?

She had a stress fracture in her back a few years ago. Think the decision was made doing the pounding on fx and vt anymore wasn't worth the risk. I think she could have made the team as a 2 event only athlete, but would have to be the best on an event by far, like if Kocian didn't exist.

 

[bookworm]

She had a stress fracture in her back a few years ago. Think the decision was made doing the pounding on fx and vt anymore wasn't worth the risk. I think she could have made the team as a 2 event only athlete, but would have to be the best on an event by far, like if Kocian didn't exist.

I also heard that she had backed off on floor and vault to "last" through Tokyo in 2020.....but she may want to rethink her strategy because the 2 events only are what really kept her from being a truly viable option. Kocian brought back her AA game big time and tipped the scales in her favor...she hadn't competed it since 2013, but got it ready in time for Nationals and Trials and it made all the difference in the world....as she and her family head off to Rio.

 

[wandrewsjr]

I also heard that she had backed off on floor and vault to "last" through Tokyo in 2020.....but she may want to rethink her strategy because the 2 events only are what really kept her from being a truly viable option. Kocian brought back her AA game big time and tipped the scales in her favor...she hadn't competed it since 2013, but got it ready in time for Nationals and Trials and it made all the difference in the world....as she and her family head off to Rio.

Yes, really depends on what the ultimate goal is. If olympics is the one and only goal, 4 events makes a gymnast astronomically more viable. If having the longest elite career possible is a goal - world championship and World Cup medals - (plus long term health), then I think backing off is a good decision for her, since it's easier to be chosen for those as a specialist.

 

[wandrewsjr]

Well we didn't take the 2nd best gymnast on vault and beam last time, and she didn't fall or look like she wanted to be anywhere but there....I do think it was totally political to name someone like her who seems more interested in her reality show ( both on the TV and off) , than being on her A game for the Olympics. I was told by a very reliable source that Douglas knew she didn't have to worry about trials....and if that isn't political, because it certainly isn't performance based, then I don't know what is...

I think her negatives, in terms of attitude and lack of consistency and drama, far outweigh her bar routine contribution...we could've gotten a lone (better) bar routine from Locklear without any of Gabby's baggage..

Ashton brings more to the team, perfectly valid argument. Gabby brings more negatives than positives, perfectly valid discussion. But saying Gabby's position on the team is totally and completely about politics, implying that her gymnastics adds absolutely nothing to the team, I don't agree with. She is still a world class gymnast and her gymnastics adds value to this team. Whether another gymnast would have added more value, or the negatives/baggage she brings offset that value, I can understand that discussion.

 

[vagymmomma]

Gabby would not have been my choice, but I agree with @wandrewsjr that she's not an outlandish choice. The choice is done -go USA!

 

[WillWork4Flips]

Everybody sees thing differently and I respect everyone's point of view, but I completely agree with Marta on her decision. I can see her perspective and I don't think it has anything to do with favoritism. The lady wants to win, she is close to all the girls and I am sure it was a tough decision. Here is a case for Gabby and I am going to start with a basketball analogy. "Would a basketball coach bench Lebron James because he had a poor game where a rookie kid did really good? "No, he is going to go back to old reliable and potentially 'keep one eye open on the rookie kid'. Remember Marta has not just sat with these girls during the trials but has traveled with most of the and sat with them during all international competitions and have watched them train daily at her home in the last 2 years. She has a better understanding of the international seen and competitors and judges that most of us watching at home last night was probably far from our mind.

1. Trials: 1 Simone, 2nd laurie, 3rd ally, 4th skinner, 5 ragan smith, 6 Nichols, 7th Gabby (strong on bars mediocre on floor vault) 8th Kocian ...Ashton- (2 events) weak on beam great on bars..

2. P&G June 24-26: Biles is 1st, Raiseman 2nd, Hernandez 3rd, Douglas 4th, Kocian 5th, Reagan 8th, Mckayla skinner 10th, Ashton does not compete AA does mediocre on beam mid 14s and great on bars. Nichols does only 2 events balance beam is mediocre, and bars is mediocre both are in mid 14s.

3. June 4, 2016 US Secret. Raiseman is 1st AA many did not compete aa..(Skinner) great vault 15.4, horrendous bars 13.5, okay beam 14.5 (Biles) vt 16.6 bars are good too 15.1, (Ashton) great bars wins 1st on bars...Beam good 14.7 (Gabby) great bars 15.650 comes in 3rd...ok beam 14.550, (ragan) has mediocre night 14.9 & 14.65 bars/beam. (Kocian) had phenomenol bars but struggled on beam with a mid 13. (Hernandez) does bars does great comes in 4th 15.4

4. April 8, 2016 Pacific Rims: Gabby does not compete. Simone is 1st (62.45) Followed by Aly (59.9) then we have Hernandez (59.8) ragan (58.85) Ashton does not compete AA she turns up on bars (15.55) so so on beam (14.45)

5. March 5, 2016 American Cup: Gabby is 1st all around (60.1) followed by Nichols who was 2nd (59.6)

6. Oct. 23, 2015 World Championships: Simone is 1st (61.59) Gabby is 3rd (57.5) and Raiseman is 5th (57.79) Kocian gets 3rd on bars at event finals does not do AA Nichols gets 3rd on floor at event finals does not compete aa...(I personally think this meet is nearly just as important as the trials international judges and competition)

7. August, 2015 P&G championship: Gabby is 5th, Simone is 1st, Nichols is 2nd (pre injuries) , Raiseman is 3rd, Kocian is 6th, Skinner was 7th Ashton did not compete AA putting her in 16th, but I noted she has a poor beam score of 12 for one day and approx 13 the next day.

Let's also not forget that the Gabby has a AA Olympic GOLD medal in her closet for team, as well as a GOLD AA; only her and Ally can actually say the been to the olympics and have done exceptionally well, and can back it up. She has also been one of the few girls to actually have an AA 1st place title this year. She also was 3rd at worlds AA (remember that's an international stage) Kocian I believe is the raining bar champ at worlds. She was 8th behind gabby at the trials no AA title this year just a few bar titles, but no one is crying over how 'unfair' that is! I completely agree with Marta to put her on though because like gabby she has proven herself to be consistent, has an international bar title, and can def bring a medal home if not gold for US. There is no confusion with Ashton being an Alternate (although Nichols may have been a better choice b/c she has pretty strong AA scores and has proven herself slightly after her injury, but she hasn't ever gotten back to where she was) Ashton can only do bars really and has proven to be weak on beam time and time again, she has no big titles maybe won 1st on bars once (not on the international stage) she's always trailing behind Kocian a lot of the time. Don't get me started on skinner she can pretty much vault, we have an amazing vaulter already..homegirl honestly 'turnt up' for the trials. She should really stop retweeting things about unfairness because when you bring up the data and stats from all year her case is weak. Honestly I wish they would of replace skinner with Nichols! Marta is no fool and will not make stupid poor decisions, I am confused where all the confusion is coming from and the anger! Gabby screwed up at trials, but the whole is more important than the some of its parts. Let's look at the whole picture and use facts, and data. She is not even my most favorite I'd say she's on the short list, but not my favorite. Don't let your feeling of favoritism or dislike of her character cloud your judgement. She earned it!

 

[wandrewsjr]

I just don't understand the level of negativity towards Gabby on Chalk Bucket. Every thread about the USA Olympic team in the past month turns into a Gabby criticize-fest. Everyone has the right to say what they want to say, I am just sick of reading it. Maybe someone could pm me when the bucket moves past the anti-Gabby fest and on to cheering for the team USA that is? Go team USA! And team GB! And team Canada! And team Netherlands! And anyone else that's on chalk bucket I missed!