It’s time for the 62nd edition of You Asked, The Gymternet Answered! We apologize if we haven’t gotten to your question yet, but we try to answer in the order in which they were received (unless they are super relevant and need to be answered in a timely manner). Something you want to know? Ask us anonymously by going through the contact form at the bottom of the page.

Thank you for the Tkachev guide…it was very helpful! Can you do the same for the Shaposhnikova variations?

Of course! Like the Tkachev, the Shaposhnikova (colloquially known as the shaposh) also has a variety of different entries. When Natalia Shaposhnikova created the skill, she did it from a clear hip entry, but over time gymnasts have gotten creative with the skill, changing the entry as well as adding half turns…and even a full turn in Elisabeth Seitz’s case.

Enjoy the chart below! Note that transitions on the uneven bars are capped at an E level of difficulty, which is why the more difficult skills are all rated E even though some E skills are marginally more difficult than others (i.e. the Seitz is much more difficult than the Komova II and yet they carry the same value).

Now that Jenni Pinches has medically retired at UCLA will that open up a new scholarship spot? Is preference given to gymnasts like Sonya Meraz or Sadiqua Bynum who compete often but don’t have scholarships, or can it be given to anyone of Miss Val’s choosing?

Jenni actually was attending on a grant-in-aid, which is considered financial aid outside of the traditional athletic scholarship. So I don’t believe this will actually release any scholarship funds to other gymnasts on the team, though usually if scholarship money becomes available, the coach determines who gets the award (and in the past, many universities have made excess scholarship award money available to walk-on students who have demonstrated value to the team).

Why was Sabrina Vega missing at P&G Championships? I really loved her comeback at the Secret U.S. Classic.

Sabrina didn’t qualify to nationals this year, as her scores at the U.S. Classic weren’t high enough. To qualify for nationals, a gymnast needs either a 28.0 for two events, or a 14.0 for one event (though the latter is more of an unwritten rule and is determined on a case-by-case basis…generally seniors are required to do at least two events to qualify). Sabrina only got a 12.5 on beam and a 13.2 on floor so she missed the two-event cut-off by over two points.

Why is NCAA judged so easily? Whenever I watch there are routines with small mistakes that get a 9.8 where in my mind it should’ve been much lower.

That’s just how the code works for NCAA. If you read about deductions, they usually take 0.05 for minor issues instead of the tenths we’re used to seeing in elite. Steps are a tenth, falls are five tenths, but many of the smaller issues that need deductions – like a slight wobble on beam – are only docked 0.05 because that’s what the code requires.

Why do gymnasts sometimes have a mat on the beam when practicing?

It provides extra cushion to help with multiple repetitions without wear-and-tear on the body. It’s the same idea as doing tumbling or vaults into pits.

Can a team use a gymnast in team finals that they didn’t use on that event in qualification? (So for example they don’t put XY on beam in quals because they need AA spots, but they use her as a specialist in finals.)

Yes, this is possible. It’s actually something that could be possible for the U.S. if they bring five all-arounders and a bars specialist to Worlds this year…not saying it’ll happen but if Martha Karolyi really wants five all-arounders up in qualifications and knows that the bars specialist she brings likely wouldn’t medal in the event final, she could use all five all-arounders in qualifications and then put the bars specialist in the team final to boost their score a bit there. She is still a member of the team whether or not she competes in qualifications, so it’s acceptable to do this.

People keep saying that Ragan Smith’s piked full won’t actually count because it’s impossible to twist in a piked position. I don’t understand, not only because she looks quite clearly like she’s twisting in a piked position, but because skills like piked full-ins on floor exist. Could you explain this?

Well, in a piked full-in on floor, the twist is completed in a stretched position in the first flip, and then the pike happens in the second flip. A great example of excellent technique on this skill is Bridget Sloan, where you can really see a stretched full in the first flip and pike in the second flip. A true pike position (meaning hip angle of 90-135 degrees) is impossible to twist in. That is just physics. Anyone who twists is twisting in either a tuck or laid out position. Keep in mind that a layout has a hip angle of anywhere from 135-180 degrees. Some layouts are more “piked” than others, but that doesn’t make them a pike. If you watch the skill, Ragan completes much of the twist with a relatively open hip angle. It’s possible judges could credit it as a layout and then deduct for a piked landing.

Is there a strategic advantage to only sending up 5 athletes in an NCAA meet?  Some teams seem thin this year, with Michigan and Stanford only sending up five vaulters at times.  Is this because there really aren’t other athletes prepared to perform?

There is no advantage because it leaves them without the cushion of a drop score! Typically when teams only put up five on an event, it’s because there isn’t anyone else competition-ready on that event…or if a really strong team like Florida is competing against a much weaker team and they know they won’t need their usual vault anchor, they might choose to rest her that week and only put up five.

Who do you think will be the biggest threat to Simone barring injuries at Glasgow? 

Honestly, no one. Not in the all-around, anyway. She could have some competition once again from Hong Un-Jong for vault gold, but Simone’s execution there just keeps getting better so I think even if Hong comes in with her higher difficulty, Simone still has a great shot at beating her. On beam and floor, her start value is so high, I’m not sure if anyone else could come close…if Maria Kharenkova of Russia goes to Worlds, a hit routine from her could possibly challenge but I doubt it. Same goes for Larisa Iordache, but I know she’s had foot pain and she hasn’t competed at full strength since December, so it’s kind of a crap shoot. And on floor, she’s so far ahead she could get on the podium with a fall, so honestly I really don’t think there’s much of a threat at all. Her biggest competition will be herself.

What are your thoughts on Bailie Key vs Kyla Ross?

Well, they would essentially have two different functions for the team. Bailie is more of a bars/floor gymnast whereas Kyla is bars/beam, so if Kyla is hitting bars by the time the selection camp rolls around, they could both factor into the team picture especially if Martha Karolyi wants to bring two strong bars gymnasts who also have a second team finals event and an all-around program just in case. So I don’t think they’re necessarily ‘versus’ one another really…if anything Kyla and Gabby Douglas are more in contention for the same spot, and then Bailie and Maggie Nichols are more similar (with Maggie standing out due to her Amanar, but then Bailie standing out to her superior bars and floor).

Is there a reason why the Netherlands seems to shine lately? I never really heard about their gymnasts and now there’s Lieke Wevers, Eythora Thorsdottir, Celine Van Gerner, etc. They look like they really found their way with all their turns. Nice to see and kinda different from most routines. Was there perhaps a change in their program?

I think they’ve all just had consistent bad luck with injuries, it’s been impossible for them to put a full top-notch team together so while we’ve had little individual pockets of glory from them in the past years, we’ve never been able to see everyone shining at once the way we are this year. Now all of their key players are healthy and it looks like they’ll field a full six-member Worlds team with all top choices instead of bringing only two or three top girls and then a handful of those who might normally be alternates. This year, if they are able to take their full arsenal of the Wevers twins, Thorsdottir, van Gerner, Lisa Top, and Noel van Klaveren, they could have fantastic results…placing in the top eight would be tough, but if this same team can stay healthy through the Test Event next year, they’d make it to the Olympics as a team for sure.

Who out of the Fierce Five do you think has the best shot of representing the USA at back-to-back Olympics at this point?

Aly Raisman! She is a strong all-arounder and she is second best in the country behind Simone Biles on two events that have been relatively weak this quad, beam and floor, meaning she is a heavily valuable asset in the team final, especially on a five-member team. She all but has her ticket stamped to Rio, unless someone else can come along and outshine her on those two events.

Which athlete are you most excited to see join the senior ranks this year in competition at Worlds?

I think I’m most excited to see how Bailie Key will fare on the big stage. In addition to Bailie, I’m also really looking forward to Flavia Saraiva of Brazil, Seda Tutkhalyan of Russia, Sae Miyakawa of Japan, Wang Yan of China, and all of the new Brits…Ellie Downie, Tyesha Mattis, and Amy Tinkler. I know all three might not end up making their team, but I’d love for it to happen!

Why did Katelyn Ohashi compete elite at the 2015 Woga Classic? Was she going to try elite again before she goes to UCLA?

Katelyn only competed in the elite session at the WOGA Classic because it was hosted by her gym. She just did her level 10 routines more for fun and as a way to showcase her skills than as a push toward mounting an elite comeback. She did a great job, though, and still had decent amounts of difficulty considering she wasn’t doing legit elite routines! Now she’s happily at UCLA already gearing up for a great season…she’s even working bars again and we can’t wait to see how she’ll do in the coming season. Now let’s all collectively shed a tear because Katelyn in college means we’re all officially 100 years old.

Have a question? Ask below! Remember that the form directly below this line is for questions; to comment, keep scrolling to the bottom of the page.

Article by Lauren Hopkins
Edited by Jessica Taylor Price