The U.S. Championships Senior Day 2 Live Blog

/ August 20, 2017

Welcome to the live blog for the day two senior session at the 2017 U.S. Championships, held in Anaheim, California. We’re not live at the competition this time, but many people have asked us to blog what we see in the stream and in videos, so here we are! The most recent updates will appear at the top, and you can refresh your browser every few minutes to see what’s happening.

8:59 pm. FINAL STANDINGS

1. Ragan Smith, Texas Dreams, 115.250
2. Jordan Chiles, Naydenov, 111.850
3. Riley McCusker, MG Elite, 111.650
4. Trinity Thomas, Prestige, 111.350
5. Marz Frazier, Parkettes, 110.900
6. Morgan Hurd, First State, 109.750
7. Emily Gaskins, Cincinnati, 109.200
8. Alyona Shchennikova, 5280 Gymnastics, 107.800
9. Elena Arenas, Georgia Elite, 107.150
10. Deanne Soza, Texas Dreams, 106.450
11. Shania Adams, Buckeye, 105.350
12. Luisa Blanco, WOGA, 104.700
13. Kalyany Steele, Colorado Aerials, 104.100
14. Abby Paulson, Twin City Twisters, 104.050
15. Leah Clapper, Gym America, 98.100
16. Jade Carey, Oasis, 84.200
17. Sydney Johnson-Scharpf, Brandy Johnson’s, 79.150
18. Abi Walker, Texas Dreams, 74.650
19. Ashton Locklear, Everest, 55.450
20. Marissa Oakley, Everest, 54.650
21. Frida Esparza, Head Over Heels, 50.500

SENIOR NATIONAL TEAM

Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, Marz Frazier, Morgan Hurd, Ashton Locklear, Riley McCusker, Ragan Smith, Trinity Thomas

8:54 pm. Thomas FX- Double layout with a hop back. 2.5 to double tuck with a couple of steps back. Front lay to front double full. Double pike with a hop back.

8:52 pm. Abi Walker fell on beam.

Marz Frazier gets a 55.5 today and is currently fourth still with Trinity Thomas left to go. Thomas needs a 14.5 on floor to medal.

8:46 pm. Steele hit bars.

Frazier BB- The fact that she could pull off a medal here is insane. I don’t think she will after her wobbly messy double wolf turn but it was fun while it lasted. Side aerial, bhs loso, front aerial to straddle jump to split half is nice. Switch to switch half gets no amplitude. Tour jete half has control but no real split position either. Double pike stumbled back.

Hurd goes 13.8 on floor to finish with a 55.650.

8:44 pm. Hurd FX- Excellent double double with a hop back. Piked full-in with a hop back. Hit her third pass. Great double pike to finish. That one fall yesterday, but overall, 7 for 8 isn’t bad at all! Much better than she was doing in the spring.

Smith goes 57.850 today! Her combined total is 115.250 which is currently over three points ahead of second place.

8:41 pm. I missed a few routines because I was seriously just screaming laughing about Jordan’s turns. Like I’m legitimately crying. I CAN’T. I’m so happy.

Smith BB- Double wolf turn. Good layoug series, legs just a bit apart in the layout. Misses her foot on her standing full but it doesn’t mess her up at all, just a small adjustment. Punch front pike to split jump to straddle jump. Front aerial, double pike with a small hop.

GASKINS HAD A 55.5 TODAY!!!!!!!!

8:38 pm. McCusker VT- Clean flared FTY with a small hop back.

Chiles BB 14.2, shows how good the rest of it was! 56.0 AA is still pretty awesome all things considered. Riley McCusker gets a 13.4 for her vault and a 55.550 AA to finish BEHIND JORDAN!!!

8:35 pm. Carey VT- Second is the Amanar, practically sits it, has legs of steel to stand up out of it.

Shchennikova UB- Inbar full to Komova II to Tkachev, sketchy Ricna, doesn’t connect to pak, van Leeuwen, stalder half to front giant half, double layout with a hop.

8:33 pm. Carey VT- Tsuk double/kaz full with a hop to the side OOB.

Paulson FX- Stumbled triple full back and OOB. Landed 2.5 basically on her butt and somehow still punched out of it into a tuck, which she obviously sat. 1.5 to front full.

Carey VT 14.4

8:30 pm. Chiles BB- LMAOOOOOOOOOOO OH MY GOD LMAOOOOOOO She stood up out of her wolf turn and ended up turning around roughly 75,000 times. I CAN’T EVEN WATCH THIS, I’M LITERALLY CRYING. THAT WAS THE BEST MISTAKE I’VE EVER SEEN. I calmed down again in time for a wobble on her side somi, punch front with a small hop, stuck double pike.

8:29 pm. Locklear UB- I missed most of this…watched it but not closely or for skills, just know that she hit everything well, finishing with a hop on her dismount.

8:25 pm. Leading After Rotation 7

1. Ragan Smith 100.200
2. Riley McCusker 98.250
3. Jordan Chiles 97.650
— Marz Frazier 97.650
5. Trinity Thomas 97.150
6. Morgan Hurd 95.950
7. Alyona Shchennikova 95.000
8. Emily Gaskins 94.700
9. Deanne Soza 93.700
10. Elena Arenas 93.450
11. Shania Adams 93.150
12. Abby Paulson 92.650
13. Luisa Blanco 91.450
14. Kalyany Steele 90.900
15. Leah Clapper 86.000
16. Sydney Johnson-Scharpf 79.150
17. Jade Carey 69.800
18. Abi Walker 63.700
19. Ashton Locklear 41.050
20. Marissa Oakley 40.500
21. Frida Esparza 37.400

8:22 pm. Clapper BB- Bhs loso loso with slightly bent knees and a little wobble, check on the L turn, switch side to split half, not too bad, oh my god, then she missed a skill and wobbled but then like, flipped off the beam out of her wobble. BLESS. She’s great at falling. Switch to switch half to back tuck isn’t bad, punch front with her leg up, double pike with a hop to the side.

Frazier UB 14.1, Carey FX 14.4

8:20 pm. Frazier UB- Stalder full is a little late, van Leeuwen is clean, stalder half to piked Jaeger, nice pike position. Church to pak, hit what came after that but I missed it due to a wonky bump in the stream, double layout was solid.

Smith UB 14.1, Chiles UB 14.0, Hurd BB 13.65, McCusker FX 13.2

8:18 pm. McCusker FX- Tucked full-in with a hop back. Niceeee front double full to front tuck to stag. Really good air awareness there. Oh, I LOVE how she gets into position for her wolf turn!!!!!! She’s the only one who does it organically. DAMN. The little things. Double pike is low and squatted with a hop. Double tuck a little low with a scoot back OOB.

8:15 pm. Hurd BB- Standing full, a little tentative with her chest down on the landing but she hit it again! Side aerial, switch to split leap, bhs loso is solid, she’s going up to “Toxic” by my girl Brit, GET IT MORGAN. She looks like she’s making tiny movements to the music and I hope she is. Front aerial to jump series. Punch front tuck with a slight hip check. Full turn is a little deep when she gets it around, switch ring with a bobble, double pike a little short with a step but again, no falls!

Gaskins FX 13.85! Soza UB 13.2, Adams BB 12.8, Paulson BB 14.1, Smith UB 14.1

8:13 pm. Smith UB- I actually really like this leo. Inbar to inbar full to inbar half to straddle Jaeger, some ankle sep in her pirouettes. Downie, nice, Ricna, misses connection to pak, but the pak on its own is great and that was smart, quick thinking, there was no way that looked like it was going to be a good connection! Ray to high, full-in with a tiny baby hop.

8:11 pm. Carey FX- Double double with a hop back. Full-in double layout. I missed her second pass, looked twisty but I wasn’t paying attention, think she hit though…and finished with a tucked full-in with a hop.

8:10 pm. Adams BB- Airplane-y triple and double wolf turns. Solid bhs loso loso. Switch with a wobble before the switch half, big wobble, pulls back too hard, and falls. Front aerial to split jump to sissone with a check. Side somi with a wobble. Side split jump half. 2.5 with a step.

8:09 pm. Soza UB- Toe full to huge Tkachev, Ray, toe half to Ezhova, inbar shoot to high, full-twisting double layout with a step. Missed a big connection in there but girl is 11 for 11 this summer so BLESS HER.

8:07 pm. Gaskins FX- Great opening turns, double layout with a hop back, tucked full-in with a hop back, good extension on her leaps, double arabian right into the corner, a tenth of her toe possibly went over lol. Good double pike with a small hop.

8:06 pm. Paulson BB- Double wolf turn, punch front tuck is solid, side aerial loso loso is great, just a small adjustment, switch to switch half, a little short on the latter. Front aerial with a wobble. Switch ring. 2.5 with slightly bent knees on the landing and a hop.

Chiles UB 14.0

8:05 pm. Chiles UB- Clean van Leeuwen, blind change to straddle Jaeger, big Tkachev to bail to toe shoot, ugh I’m SO mad about her sitting her Amanar. She had real potential to shake things up. Toe full to Gienger, full-in with a tiny bounce back.

Blanco FX 12.8, Walker UB 12.9

8:02 pm. Blanco FX- Lovely double L turn to opposite direction Y turn. Nice triple to open. Double pike into a controlled lunge. Solid front double full. Clean double full.

Thomas BB 14.2, Shchennikova VT 14.25, Arenas VT 14.6, Steele VT 14.55

8:00 pm. Thomas BB- Side somi, full turn, one-armed bhs to loso, front aerial to split jump to tuck 3/4, switch to switch half to straddle, side aerial, straddle side to straddle half, love that combo and she’s one of the only ones who should be doing a side jump, stuck double tuck with her chest down (maybe moved her foot after landing). She’s gonna get Kytra Huntered so hard this year.

Arenas VT- Beautiful DTY!

7:59 pm. Walker UB- Toe on to toe full to Tkachev, nice. Big pak with some leg sep. Stalder to toe shoot, toe half to front giant half, stuck full-in. Yay!

Oakley VT 13.0

7:56 pm. Oakley VT- FTY with a bounce back.

7:52 pm. Leading After Rotation 6

1. Ragan Smith 86.100
2. Riley McCusker 85.050
3. Jordan Chiles 83.650
4. Marz Frazier 83.550
5. Trinity Thomas 82.950
6. Morgan Hurd 82.300
7. Emily Gaskins 80.850
8. Alyona Shchennikova 80.750
9. Deanne Soza 80.500
10. Shania Adams 80.350
11. Elena Arenas 78.850
12. Luisa Blanco 78.650
13. Abby Paulson 78.550
14. Kalyany Steele 76.350
15. Leah Clapper 73.600
16. Sydney Johnson-Scharpf 65.950
17. Jade Carey 55.400
18. Abi Walker 50.800
19. Ashton Locklear 41.050
20. Frida Esparza 37.400
21. Marissa Oakley 27.500

7:50 pm. Hurd UB- Inbar full to big Tkachev, Ricna to pak with slight leg sep, Ray to high, inbar to inbar half to front giant half, stalder to full-out with a hop back. Good girl!

Carey BB 13.85, Adams UB 13.2

7:48 pm. Arenas FX- Double layout landed super low in a crouch. Clean 2.5 to stuck front tuck. Double pike with a hop back. High double tuck with a hop back right on the line but it doesn’t look like she goes out.

7:47 pm. Carey BB- Side aerial with a big wobble, straddle jump, solid bhs loso loso, switch to switch half to back tuck, a little short on the switch half, clean full turn, front aerial to split jump to tuck half, cool series. Double pike with a step back.

Gaskins BB 13.7, Shchennikova FX 13.3

7:45 pm. Adams UB- Chow half, toe half to huge straddle Jaeger, pak, toe full is a bit late, van Leeuwen is clean, full-in is way too high with no distance, lands practically under the high bar.

Johnson-Scharpf FX 13.55, which is the same as day one

13.9 for Ashton’s beam earlier btw

7:44 pm. Shchennikova FX- Piked full-in with a step that’s basically a college lunge. 1.5 to front full. Double pike practically stuck, just brings a foot back. A little wobbly in her triple wolf turn but the double isn’t bad. High double tuck, small step to control it.

7:42 pm. Gaskins BB- Candle position mount, she was dancing a bit before this routine which I love. Front aerial with a step before split jump to wolf jump. Bhs loso loso with a slight check at the end. Switch ring. Side split half is good. Front tuck, overcooks her full Y turn to add another half to it, whoops. Meant to do that. Hit leap series after that. Stuck double tuck. I love that she’s not the best out there but is still killing it for herself.

Paulson UB 13.6

7:41 pm. Paulson UB- Toe full to Chow to pak, some leg sep on all of those, to stalder to van Leeuwen. Toe half to piked Jaeger, stuck cowboyed double front.

Blanco BB 14.3

7:39 pm. Johnson-Scharpf FX- OOOH, I like this better than her ‘fun’ routine from the other night. 1.5 through to double arabian is EXCELLENT. Omg this choreo is YAS. Double pike with a step back. She’s selling this soooo freaking well, it’s like shades of old school Sydney. Double tuck with a hop. YESSSSS. Love.

Smith VT 14.35, Thomas UB 14.35

7:37 pm. Blanco BB- Front aerial to ring jump, a little weak on the jump. Clean bhs loso. Switch ring with a slight bobble. Switch to switch half to split jump, such a random combo. Side aerial. Some coach is dancing and causing a scene by the beam which is distracting to ME so I can’t imagine how distracting it is to Luisa. Double full with a couple of steps back.

Smith VT- DTY, not bad, hop back

Soza VT 14.4! Steele FX 12.75

7:36 pm. Thomas UB- Weiler half to Maloney to clear hip full right on the bar to big Tkachev to pak, just open legs on the pak but that was awesome. Toe on to van Leeuwen, whippy stuck double layout. God she’s great.

McCusker BB 14.5

7:34 pm. Steele FX- Floaty double layout lands a little short and she then hops back. Front double full is messy and rotated awkwardly, step to the side. Switch leap to tour jete. High double tuck with a bounce back. 2.5 with a step.

Chiles VT 14.1 UGH they didn’t show it, please tell me she did not crash her amanar. 😦

7:33 pm. McCusker BB- I still love her opening split pose, UGH YES. Wobbles triple wolf turn around but double is prettier. Front aerial to sissone to straddle jump. Solid bhs loso. Switch leap to switch half, maybe a tad shy on the latter of the two. Clean side aerial. Solid switch ring. Double tuck with a lunge back. Good work.

Clapper UB 12.3, Walker VT 12.7

7:32 pm. Clapper UB- Late toe full, short handstand before Maloney (split legs) to pak (also split legs), short handstand before van Leeuwen (ankle sep), clear hip, blind change to piked Jaeger, tucked full-in with a step. I think the best bars I’ve seen from her in elite even if the beginning was a little messy!!

Frazier VT 14.55

7:31 pm. Frazier VT- DTY, huge, clean, and SOLID.

7:28 pm. I only just realized Victoria Nguyen withdrew from the meet.

7:26 pm. Leading After Rotation 5

1. Ragan Smith 71.750
2. Riley McCusker 70.550
3. Jordan Chiles 69.550
4. Marz Frazier 69.000
5. Trinity Thomas 68.600
6. Morgan Hurd 68.550
7. Alyona Shchennikova 67.450
8. Emily Gaskins 67.150
— Shania Adams 67.150
10. Deanne Soza 66.100
11. Elena Arenas 66.050
12. Abby Paulson 64.950
13. Luisa Blanco 64.350
14. Kalyany Steele 63.600
15. Leah Clapper 61.300
16. Sydney Johnson-Scharpf 52.400
17. Jade Carey 41.550
18. Ashton Locklear 41.050
19. Abi Walker 38.100
20. Frida Esparza 37.400
21. Marissa Oakley 27.500

7:23 pm. Shchennikova BB- Triple wolf turn, double wolf turn, when did she join this club?!?!?! The triple was actually super fluid. Front aerial with a wobble into her split jump to sissone. Bhs loso loso with a step back. Switch leap. Onodi is nice. Slight check after her side aerial. Side somi with an adjustment. Double tuck got a little messy in her knees, small hop. One of her better beam sets this year!

Johnson-Scharpf BB 12.75, Soza FX 12.8

7:22 pm. Soza FX- Full-in with a scoot back. Front full to front tuck is basically perfect. Turn sequence included a nice illusion. High, clean, stuck double tuck. Switch full is great. Double pike a little short with a hop forward, but super clean.

7:20 pm. Locklear BB- Triple wolf turn gets crazy near the end and she has to save it by leaning forward. Bhs loso is good, just a slight adjustment. Solid tour jete half, punch front tuck with a check, side somi, side aerial to switch to switch half, wobble at the very end. Double tuck with a little bounce. Well, not a amazing beam routine, but good for her.

Chiles FX 13.7, Gaskins UB 13.45

7:18 pm. Gaskins UB- Hop change to Endo half is a little muscled to toe full to Maloney to pak to Chow to stalder to Ricna, YAS! Just the dismount left after that insane series, and it’s a double layout with a slightly tentative landing, just hops a bit in place.

Blanco UB 12.6

7:17 pm. Chiles FX- Omg I love her super red white and blue leo. She’s like see?! Look how good I look! I belong on the U.S. team. Huge double layout into a split jump!!! YAS. Practically stuck her super open Dos Santos. THIS IS THE JORDAN I WANT TO SEE. 1.5 to double tuck, just a little awkward in the landing and she just bounces OOB. Excellent control on her double wolf turn. Double pike with a hop back. Aside from the third pass, this was freaking great.

7:15 pm. Johnson-Scharpf BB- Switch to switch half, nice amplitude, with a great connection into a back tuck. Punch front tuck, solid bhs loso, everything so far has been fabulous. Front aerial to ring jump with a slight wobble, side split half is short and there’s a wobble, full turn, side aerial with a wobble, split jump to straddle jump, side somi with a wobble and break at the hips, double tuck with a step back.

Frazier FX 13.6

7:14 pm. Blanco UB- Toe full right on the bar to Maloney to pak, nice. Van Leeuwen with slight ankle separation, blind change to front giant half gets a little piked, and a Liukin dismount, stuck.

Steele BB 11.2

7:12 pm. Frazier FX- Clean double arabian with a big step forward. Looked like she wanted to do it into a leap or something. Tucked full-in with a hop back. Double pike, just slides her heels together. Some cute sass and smiles before her last pass, love! Double tuck stuck. Great work.

Smith FX 14.35, McCusker UB 14.45

7:10 pm. Steele BB- Fall on standing arabian and again on flight series. Switch to switch half to back tuck is good. Front aerial with a wobble into the jump series. Wobble on side aerial. Punch front tuck with a big wobble. Good 2.5 with a step.

7:08 pm. McCusker UB- Stalder full is a little late, Maloney to a release but the camera guy like, dropped the camera lmao, so I didn’t see that release but assuming she obviously hit. Downie, Ricna to pak is good, clean van Leeuwen, I can’t believe she is the same person I saw at classics podium training. Half-in double back just has that wonky leg form going into the first flip and a step back. Mostly a good routine.

Adams VT 13.5

7:06 pm. Smith FX- Double layout with a small hop. 1.5 through to triple full, a tiny adjustment on the landing. Switch ring to tour jete full. Double arabian to stag is solid. Love this little choreo section before the double wolf turn, which is super controlled albeit a little high in the tuck stand. Stuck double pike. Killer

Arenas BB 13.05, Paulson VT 12.9

7:05 pm. Arenas BB- wolf turn, good bhs loso, front aerial to split jump to sissone, lack of amp on the split jump. Punch front tuck, side aerial with a tiny bobble, switch to switch half, second of those is at like 100 degrees. 2.5 with a hop.

Clapper VT 13.15, Thomas VT 13.3

7:03 pm. Hurd VT- DTY, HUGEEEE, one of her better ones too. Just a hop to the side that may have gone OOB.

Esparza UB- Stalder full, Maloney to Ricna, not quite over and she fell. Nice pak, van Leeuwen, toe half to piked Jaeger, double layout with a hop back.

Hurd VT 14.45

6:55 pm. Sorry I missed live blogging juniors earlier, but I was finishing up my incredible weekend at Dynamo Gymnastics, where I learned a full turn on beam so now I’m only like six skills away from being the U.S. beam specialist in 2020. Oh, and if that wasn’t good enough, we also got tons of footage of basically the best program, gymnasts, and coaches ever in life. STAY TUNED! National anthem now, and the senior women will start in a few minutes!

Article by Lauren Hopkins

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102 thoughts on “The U.S. Championships Senior Day 2 Live Blog”

  4. Okay I get that everyone hates the wolf turn. I dont like it either. I would like it actually, if the girls didnt helicopter their arms around like they have vertigo. Just a clean spin, arms out, no helicopter. I think it would look nice. But my god, every reaction comment and future ones for day 2 on youtube will be the disdain for the wolf. lol we get it. Everyone hates it. But lets move on, I mean I did years and years ago about the ugly side somi… 🙂

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  9. No one is really mentioning her, and this is def not her year… But Abbie Walker is gonna become a thing.. I’d be willing to bet on it. Great basics…form…. Love her!

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  13. It’s so sad that Trinity and Jordan are THAT good and probably won’t make it to worlds. I still see a way in which Jordan could make it tho. Usually, the US brings three all-arounders and one gets two-per-countried. Taking Jordan, Riley and Ragan would mean that if Riley messes up, two US girls would still be in the AA final. Also, with a few upgrades she could have a shot for a floor medal.

    I’m a dreamer.

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    • I do think there is an opening for three aa’ers, given that the specialists aren’t making a solid case for their spot at worlds. Carey with falls on day 1, Locklear with beam inconsistency and not at full difficulty on bars, Shennikova’s meh form on bars.
      Before this meet, we were all saying Carey is all but a lock for worlds, which leaves a spot for a bars (and maybe beam) specialist. Now….? Looks like Smith and McCusker are the only sure things. And at camp there will be a battle between the best aa’ers and the specialists for the remaining two spots. I’d LOVE to see Trinity get that third aa spot. Please show up with a dty at camp!!!!!!

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      • I don’t know …. Even if she made some mistakes Jade is the only one who could qualify for the vault final… I think they will vive her a spot… And she’s great on floor… So Riley and ragan AA… (And Riley ub and bb finals, ragan bb and floor finals) Jade on vault and floor… I think they will then chose a bars /beam specialist… Or maybe another AA so that “in case of emergency” they will have an ‘alternate” … What do you think?

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        • I agree that Carey, Riley and Ragan are pretty much locks. Ragan can qualify to floor finals but I don’t see her medaling so there is still a spot for a floor specialist.

          Medal potential:
          AA: Ragan, Riley/Jordan
          FX: Jade, Jordan
          BB: Ragan, Riley
          UB: Riley

          And you have a reserve all-arounder which I think would be smart.

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      • There’s no rationale for bringing Thomas, Hurd or Chiles because none of them can medal on anything. The team will still be Smith, McKusker, Locklear and Carey. They aren’t going to concede the vault final entirely.

        More girls need to train second vaults. Period.

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        • I’d rather bring another AA gymnast than a one event person whose bars is not even sure to medal. Locklear with a 5.5 DV? Beam mostly miss? No thanks.

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        • They will pass up Carey if they believe they can get an Event medal out of another gymnast. I think Ragan is a lock for AA. If Chiles cleans up all four events, she will probably pass up McCusker for the second AA spot, which would give McCusker a spot as Bars and Beam specialist. However, Chiles probably won’t get an AA medal even if she does clean up, so they might decide to have McCusker do AA anyway, leaving two specialists spots open. I think that if Locklear puts in her inbar stalders (which she probably will, she says she does them in the gym), she’ll be in for Bars, and possibly Beam, since she could probably crack into the 14s with a hit set. That would leave vault open for Carey, and floor for all other gymnasts. Carey hasn’t hit vault at either day of p&gs, if her Amanars don’t get better, she’s not going to medal at worlds, so the conversation for worlds would go down to (again assuming Carey doesn’t do much better on Vault) who will do best on floor. That would leave Hurd, Thomas and Carey as part of the floor conversation. Carey would probably be the front runner, with Thomas not too far behind her and Hurd not too far behind Thomas. Hurd is apparently planning upgrades for floor that she wants to bring out at selection camp and worlds if she makes it? But that’s a rumor, so I’m not going to judge. I think the final spot will go to Carey if she hits vault; if not it’ll be a three way fight for the floor spot.

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        • Actually Jordan Chiles just said in her after interview on usagym youtube page SHE IS WORKING ON A SECOND VAULT AND SHE IS GOING TO SHOW IT AT CAMP.. Okay this kinda changes things! 🙂

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        • Yes, I think this is how they will make the final choice. But… We never know what could happen at camps as manu girls made mistakes … Always a surprise till the day before the competition! Not like here in other countries like mine where we don’t really have so many altrenatives.

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    • I’m just praying for Trinity to get a BB/FX specialist spot. Unlikely, but I can dream. I imagine in most peoples scenarios FX spot #3 will go to Jade

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  15. Ahhh Riley but you are actually good at wolf turns 🙈 Curious what kind of deductions she got, just the downgrade or something for touching the floor as well?

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  17. Everyone is talking bad about American gymnastics rn, but I am actually impressed.

    Think about it, for next year we can only pick 6 of Smith, McCusker, Chiles, Thomas, Carey, Locklear, Hurd, Perea, O’Keefe, and Malabuyo

    That is c more options than we had in 2002, 2006, 2010 or 2014.

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  18. Did they count Riley’s mishap on her wolf turn on floor as a fall? Because it sure look like one to me and 13.2 seems a bit too high still with a fall and OOB.

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  23. I’d leave Carey home at this point. I know people are comparing to Kayla Williams. But Kayla’s vaults were easy for her and she hit them every single time. Carey struggles with both of these vaults in both form and getting them around. Great option for next year (especially considering her floor and beam are usable as well). Let Trinity and Jordan battle it out for the third AA spot. Without the fall on the amanar Jordan would be at a 57 today and she wasn’t perfect.

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    • If Trinity continues to do her Yurchenko Full as she has since 2014 every year since, then she can sit at home and watch it on telly. Chiles impressed me today. But still not getting a feeling she will go. Camp matters most. 🙂

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    • Why would you leave someone at home who is a favorite for a medal on two events to bring someone who is incapable of medaling on any event? Messy or not, Jade can win a medal on vault, and I would say she’s the favorite for a gold or silver on floor.

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      • She is not a favorite for a medal. She is a medal contender. I think her vaults put her somewhere around 5th or 6th (though she can definitely improve) And her floor though it went pretty big here, we have to account for nationals scoring. I don’t think she is better on floor than either Sae or Mai and would have a tough time beating a hit melnikova, Ragan, and maybe some others. SHe defintiely CAN win a medal on either, but isn’t a favorite.

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        • I think she’s a favorite for a medal on floor. She has the highest floor score of the year, and one of the three highest averages. Melnikova has hit floor exactly once all year. Even including last year, she isn’t consistently high scoring on floor. Sae and Mai are definitely favorites for floor medals as well.

          The other way to look at is is, who else on the US team is more likely to win a medal?

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        • The international judges will hit Jade’s FTDLO harshly. That thing is so piked. I think she should do the FTDLO first. Her Silivas is so high, I think she’d be fine doing it second. She has at least .6 in deductions from the FTDLO(.1 leg sep, .1 flexed feet, .3 piked landing, .1 hop back).

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      • Agreed. If she has a solid second vault, she should go to worlds. I would then take Smith, McKusker, Carey and Chiles. If Ashton gets inbars back I would take her over Carey, assuming Chiles has a solid second vault.

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      • I don’t get why people but Chiles over Carey if she has a second vault. Riley only vaulted a full and an easier beam routine, she has room for improvement, whereas Chiles never hits 4/4 and was basically at her max. She also doesn’t get received that well internationally, so although I’m not a fan of Riley, I’d take her as second AA. Yes Carey sat her vault but so did Chiles. Also she hasn’t debuted her new vault which will also be a risk, seeing it a camp for one or two days doesn’t mean it’s consistent. Carey’s floor is medal potential, Chiles’ isn’t so I don’t think Chiles should go this year.

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        • Probably because Chiles has done a nice Amanar more than once in the past. Carey’s Amanar didn’t look great at Classics and she sat it both times at PGs. No one’s seen Chiles second vault, but her Amanar as it stands, is better than Carey’s, so people think her second vault might be too. As for floor, Carey could medal but World’s judges have shown in the past that execution does matter, which is why Skinner had trouble medaling.
          Is there evidence Chiles isn’t received well internationally? She’s barely competed internationally yet, but when she did, she did win Jesolo AA (juniors) over Emma Malabuyo.

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        • Looking back she started in side position and ended facing forward so 3 1/4! Watching her face was the best part though was her face! She was like “wtf?! Ok wow I’m actually not falling let’s just go with the flow”

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    • From her 5.4 D Score she either got an Triple turn (E) and no connection on a wolf turn (B) + Double turn (D) connection. Which is weird, since she definately connected, but maybe there’s a rule against connecting wolf turns so girls don’t get credite for the Triple Wolf + Double Wolf connection.

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  26. I’m happy for Ragan, Riley (after her recent struggles) and Jordan…such an out of body experience on those beam turns for her. I also LOVE Trinity Thomas. She is all the things.

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  27. So the national team is the top 6 aa plus the top 2 specialists? That seems a bit stingy to me, isn’t the national team usually bigger than that, like 10-12 girls?

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    • It’s pretty much always top six plus a couple of specialists to start out, and then they add as the year goes along. Olympic year is the only time the senior national team is larger, because all who make trials are named to the national team.

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      • That makes sense. Thanks!

        (Just feeling bad for Schennikova, not making nat’l team after winning Classics. What a roller coaster for her)

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    • Yes, but you’re forgetting all the junior girls who are going to move up. Emma, Maile, Adeline, and Gabby are all moving up as well as some other girls who might be added. Besides, normally they only add seniors who are likely to be in contention for the worlds team and then add more at the next training camp.

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      • Oh, right! Those juniors will be eligible for int’l assignments come Jan, so it really is just worlds selection before the team grows.

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  28. I also just have to say Ragan has trained smart this year. I’m impressed by the steadiness and upgrades she has brought this weekend. So. Well. Prepared.

    Looks like KZB’s first athlete in a worlds level competition will likely win it. Go TD!!

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    • She doesn’t need 6.6D. She needs 6.0D, which she will get if she turns her toe on skills to inbar skills, as she had last year.

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      • I don’t think it’s neccessary to take Ashton as a bar specialist. Her bars (even if she’d get inbars back) is not a guaranteed medal this year. 6.0 shouldn’t get her on the worlds team for bars alone, there are at least 5 gymnasts or more in the world that have higher start values this year. I think her time is over, there is no need for her as a bars specialist anymore with all the juniors moving up next year (Perea has amazing bars AND is also an AA).

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        • I think some people are showing some sympathy to Ashton for not being chosen to Rio that is why they want her for Worlds LOL. But bringing her is not justified when you have Russians and Chinese who might score better than her. I would gladly bring her if she has one hell of a good beam.

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  30. This is the AA results with the best scores of both days:

    1 Ragan Smith 58,100
    2 Jordan Chiles 57,050
    3 Riley McCusker 56,350
    4 Morgan Hurd 56,150
    5 Trinity Thomas 56,050
    6 Margzetta Frazier 55,900
    7 Alyona Shchennik. 55,850
    8 Emily Gaskins 55,500
    9 Elena Arenas 54,150
    10 Shania Adams 54,050
    11 Deanne Soza 53,750
    12 Kalyany Steele 53,200
    13 Luisa Blanco 53,150
    14 Abby Paulson 53,000
    15 Leah Clapper 50,250

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    • Very interesting. Ragan and Jordan-AA, with Riley UB/BB and Jade VT/FX is actually pretty darn perfect. Idk if they will give Jordan the shot though with her inconsistency. But it does make the most sense because she is only really a true medal threat AA, where as RIley could snatch medals on both bars and beam. And we wouldn’t have to, leave Jade home. Could turn out to be almost as successful as the 2013 team if everything comes together.

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      • I would put money on Jordan not going to worlds. This is the only meet she has hit in quite a while. I think if Jordan shows her 2nd vault at camp, she will contend with Jade for that position….but it’s likely going to be Ragan/Riley AA, then a VT/FX specialist and a bars specialist. No need for beam because Ragan and Riley are beamers.

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    • Riley with her amanar, and beam triple series and leaps, this will change come camp. Chiles is working on a second vault to be shown at camp, so maybe thats how she will fit in.

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  31. Every worlds year I hope to see a fresh face from a different country than USA take the lead, *sigh* The US is packed with fab Juniors and Seniors…………………….better than last quad even. Well, time will tell.

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    • It’s the system. The Juniors are truly fabulous. Gabby Perea casually dropping a 6.5 D Bar set was the highlight of the championship for me!!! The 2020 team could very well be Perea, O’Keefe, Malabuyo, and Simone.

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      • I would not count on all the juniors making it all the way to 2020 especially Perea who is injury prone. I remember 2013, everyone is hyping Baile Key and Norah Flatley as a junior but they were nowhere to be found come 2016. Many even said Baile Key is the one who will beat Simone once she becomes a senior LOL

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        • I see Perea tearing something in her ankle and becoming like a UB and maybe BB specialist. Malabuyo has proved fairly good. I think she will pass O’Keefe eventually. We also have Kenlin who is pretty good too. Dunne and Lee could use some improvements but they have potential too. I think this crop of juniors is better than what we had in 2014 for sure. That year it was basically Baumann and Desch.

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    • If Riley is a specialist and Chiles is doing AA, then it would make some sense. But a team where Chiles and Carey are specialist wouldn’t make any sense. Riley and Ragan will probably be going for AA which means that Chiles would have to do Bars and Beam where she literally has no shot of medalling at each, instead of a gymnast like Ashton or Alyona, both of whom could actually at the very least contend on Bars, with Carey doing vault and floor.So basically it would be a Brenna Dowell situation in which Martha just threw in a gymnast for the heck of it, instead of putting in a gymnast that was actually ok at Bars and Beam (Peyton Ernst in 2013).

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  33. Lauren, do you think you can do a live blog of the stream for the women’s all around Final tomorrow at the Summer Universiade?

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    • It sounds like bullshit at first, but in the end, somebody did Ragan a favor. She didn’t mean anything offensive, so why have her tainted with a racist controversy throughout her career just when she’s making her big debut?
      Look, I’m not for erasing southern heroes or tearing down monuments to history. That stuff bugs me, but this song is actually problematic, it’s just not widely known yet because it’s been played for so long. It is a really fun, catchy song and if you look at the lyrics, it seems nonsensical to object to them…unless you realize the lyrics were apparently written as from the point of view of a former slave. Supposedly the song is about a former slave wishing he were back on the plantation.
      There’s no way to know that just by hearing the lyrics. “I wish I was in the land of cotton, old times there are not forgotten, look away, look away to Dixie land!” That is completely harmless from the point of view of an old white free southerner reminiscing about his native home. Nothing wrong with that at all. But supposedly the intended narrator of the song, written by a white person, is a former slave, and it suddenly becomes something very different doesn’t it? It becomes a free white person talking about how much better black people had it when they were slaves in the south.
      I’m sure Ragan didn’t know it. Most people probably don’t know it. I didn’t.I don’t believe in P.C. and generally think people are too easily offended. And I could be wrong about it’s roots, but if what I looked up is correct, there is actually a very good reason to object to this song.

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  39. Pingback: U.S. Worlds Team Offers Surprises and Controversy | The Gymternet

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