2019 U.S. Championships Live Blog | Senior Women Day 2

/ August 11, 2019

Welcome to the live blog for the second day of the senior women’s competition at the 2019 U.S. Championships, held in Kansas City, Missouri!

Please refresh your browser every few minutes to see the most recent updates, which will appear at the top of the page.

9:53 pm. FINAL STANDINGS

1. Simone Biles, World Champions, 118.500
2. Sunisa Lee, Midwest, 113.550
3. Grace McCallum, Twin City Twisters, 111.850
4. Morgan Hurd, First State, 111.700
5. Leanne Wong, GAGE, 111.250
6. Jordan Chiles, World Champions, 110.850
7. Jade Carey, Arizona Sunrays, 109.950
8. MyKayla Skinner, Desert Lights, 109.600
9. Trinity Thomas, Florida, 108.750
10. Kara Eaker, GAGE, 108.100
11. Emily Lee, West Valley, 107.950
12. Shilese Jones, Future, 107.700
13. Aleah Finnegan, GAGE, 107.600
14. Faith Torrez, Legacy Elite, 107.400
15. Gabby Perea, Legacy Elite, 104.300
16. Riley McCusker, MG Elite, 84.250
17. Sloane Blakely, WOGA, 80.150

VAULT STANDINGS

1. Simone Biles, World Champions, 30.850
2. Jade Carey, Arizona Sunrays, 29.900
3. MyKayla Skinner, Desert Lights, 29.525
4. Aleah Finnegan, GAGE, 28.050
5. Shilese Jones, Future, 27.600

UNEVEN BARS STANDINGS

1. Sunisa Lee, Midwest, 29.800
2. Morgan Hurd, First State, 29.000
3. Simone Biles, World Champions, 28.800
4. Trinity Thomas, Florida, 28.450
5. Leanne Wong, GAGE, 27.850
6. Grace McCallum, Twin City Twisters, 27.450
7. Jordan Chiles, World Champions, 27.400
— Riley McCusker, MG Elite, 27.400

BALANCE BEAM STANDINGS

1. Simone Biles, World Champions, 29.650
2. Kara Eaker, GAGE, 28.650
3. Leanne Wong, GAGE, 28.500
4. Sunisa Lee, Midwest, 28.200
5. Morgan Hurd, First State, 28.100
6. Emily Lee, West Valley, 28.050
7. Faith Torrez, Legacy Elite, 27.950
8. Grace McCallum, Twin City Twisters, 27.500

FLOOR STANDINGS

1. Simone Biles, World Champions, 29.450
2. Jade Carey, Arizona Sunrays, 28.400
3. Sunisa Lee, Midwest, 27.950
4. Grace McCallum, Twin City Twisters, 27.650
5. MyKayla Skinner, Desert Lights, 27.550
6. Aleah Finnegan, GAGE, 27.200
7. Jordan Chiles, World Champions, 27.050
8. Emily Lee, West Valley, 26.550

9:51 pm. Jade Carey with a 53.850 today and a 109.950 total.

9:49 pm. Aleah Finnegan FX: Excellent double double to start. Super clean arabian double front to stag. I wasn’t typing during the rest but she hit and looked fabulous!

9:47 pm. Shilese Jones BB: We came in a tad late, saw her with a standing arabian I think, and then she hit her layout series with just a couple of minor things. Side aerial, little check. Wobbled on the punch front, super high double tuck with a step back. 13.550 (5.7, 7.850)

9:45 pm. Jade Carey FX: Great Moors, just a lunge back, I think OOB but I couldn’t see. FTDLO had some form issues throughout, the camera was basically PART OF HER during that pass so it was SUPER evident. ZOOM OUT. Double double, also lots of little leg separations there, but solid again on the landing. Tour jeté full. Front tuck through to tucked full-in, just some steps back. 14.100 (6.3, 7.900, -0.1)

Kara Eaker with a 53.450 AA today, 108.100 total.

9:43 pm. Emily Lee BB: Solid full turn, Punch front is excellent, into her jump series, just some foot form. Bhs bhs layout, super floaty but isn’t quite ready for the landing. Bobbles it but holds on. Switch to switch half, little bobble. Hit her bhs loso very well. Front aerial into a jump. Double pike, some leg sep, good landing though. 13.900 (5.9, 8.000)

Faith Torrez with a 54.250 today and a 107.400 total.

Trinity Thomas UB 14.250 (5.5, 8.750)

Trinity Thomas with a 53.350 today and a 108.750 total.

9:42 pm. Kara Eaker FX: I missed most of her first pass, caught it just as she was taking a little bobble forward. Triple full with a huge bounce back OOB. 2.5 to front full was great, but then she was short on one of her leaps after. Dobule pike, a little low, scoots it back. GREAT, NOW GO TAKE A NAP FOR ONE MONTH. 12.800 (5.3, 7.800, -0.3)

Leanne Wong with a 55.850 today, and a 111.250 total.

Faith Torrez BB 13.900 (5.9, 8.000)

9:41 pm. Simone Biles with a 59.850 today! Total is 118.500, about 5 points ahead of the rest. No biggie.

9:40 pm. Morgan Hurd with a 56.650 today, 111.700 total.

Just saw the tail end of Faith Torrez’s beam, which looked great.

9:39 pm. So yeah, they didn’t show Simone’s bars on the international feed, just the Fabrichnova dismount, which was stunning tonight. She came off the podium with a HUGE grin, though. Incredible night today. 14.750 (6.3, 8.450)

9:38 pm. Leanne Wong FX: Dos Santos, a little overrotated and takes a big step OOB…then her 3.5 gets around today, but it’s a bit low and she really has to work to get that last half where it needs to be, big step. 2.5 comes in short to the front layout, lands it pretty seated but nothing too bad, super clean triple full with an excellent landing to finish. 12.750 (5.3, 7.550, -0.1)

OKAY THEY DIDN’T SHOW SIMONE’S BARS ON THE INTERNATIONAL FEED LMAO.

9:37 pm. MyKayla Skinner with a 54.700 today WITH A FALL. The fact that she is almost at a 56 AA on a good day is BEYOND INSANE. There are no words. Total is a 109.600.

9:35 pm. Morgan Hurd BB: Standing full, slight check, then a good side aerial. Bhs loso, little check there as well. Front aerial to split ring jump, good. Switch leap to straddle jump to split jump, great. Full turn, small adjustment. Switch ring, back leg isn’t quite there. Super solid double pike dismount. Amazing day! 13.950 (5.7, 8.250)

Sunisa Lee with a 56.650 AA today, and a 113.550 total!

MyKayla Skinner UB 13.350 (5.8, 7.550)

9:34 pm. Grace McCallum with a 56.950 AA today, and a 111.850 total.

Jordan Chiles with a 55.500 AA today, and a 110.850 total.

9:32 pm. Sunisa Lee FX: Double double, small hop back. Double layout, maybe a little low, but solid on the landing either way. Her wolf turns are timed so perfectly to the music, I don’t even mind that she does two in a row. They BELONG there tbh. 1.5 to front full, super clean and solid. Switch ring to tour jeté half. Good double tuck, hop back. FAB. She deserves this podium SO MUCH. 14.000 (5.7, 8.300)

Jordan Chiles UB 13.850 (5.4, 8.450)

9:31 pm Grace McCallum BB: Easily gets through her wolf turns. Good transverse split half into a transverse straight jump full. Great side aerial loso loso. Front aerial, small check, sissone to full turn. Double tuck with a step. I feel like that’s SUCH a quick but compact little routine with everything squeezed in super well. 14.450 (5.9, 8.550)

9:30 pm. Sloane Blakely will start this rotation on bars, Grace McCallum on beam, and Sunisa Lee on floor!

9:24 pm. ROTATION 7 STANDINGS

1. Simone Biles 103.750
2. Sunisa Lee 99.550
3. Leanne Wong 98.500
4. Morgan Hurd 97.400
5. Grace McCallum 97.400
6. Jordan Chiles 97.000
7. MyKayla Skinner 96.250
8. Jade Carey 95.850

9:22 pm. Jade Carey BB: Big wobble on a front aerial at the start, hit the jump series after. Bhs loso into a two-foot layout series solid. Leap into a side aerial, good. Switch 3/4. Switch to switch half to back tuck, good, looking mostly steady here. Gainer back handspring, almost gets it to the switch side, into a transverse split jump half. Double tuck is good! 13.100 (5.4, 7.800, -0.1)

Shilese Jones UB 12.000 (5.4, 6.600)

9:20 pm. Emily Lee UB 12.150 (5.1, 7.050)

9:17 pm. Kara Eaker BB: Hit her mount/leap series after it, then wobbled on her full L turn. Hit the skills after, I didn’t see what, then a side aerial loso loso, super solid. Split leap to side somi, good. Switch ring to bhs to Korbut, nice. Switch leap to switch side. 2.5 to finish was great. 14.900 (6.6, 8.300)!!

Leanne Wong BB 14.550 (6.0, 8.550)! Sad to have missed this.

Faith Torrez UB 12.750 (5.3, 7.450)

9:15 pm. Simone Biles VT: Cheng, excellent and HUUUUUGE. Just a small bounce back. I’m saying 9.8 E. Oh damn, the judges are like sorry, we actually take deductions and don’t just score things on feelings, idiot. 15.300 (6.0, 9.300)

Amanar for the second vault was damn near perfect. Tiny hop. THAT will get a 9.8. I’M WILLING IT. 15.450 average.

9:12 pm. MyKayla Skinner VT: Amanar, I didn’t really see much of it in the air, just that she had a big step forward, just pulls her other foot in to join it. 14.600 (5.8, 8.800)

Second vault for MyKayla is the Cheng, which looked better than the Amanar tbh, just a little slide back. Averages a 14.800, damn, I wish she did the Cheng first!

9:11 pm. Just realized Riley McCusker scratched beam. I’m SO bummed. But…it might be for the best. Classics and Pan Ams and nationals was too much for some of these girls, and with Riley and Kara competing EVERY SINGLE DAY in Lima, they should’ve skipped this, honestly.

9:10 pm. Morgan Hurd UB: Komova II to stalder full to Tkachev, great. Good handstand before her Ricna to Pak, super, arches a tiny bit before her Ray back up to high but nothing severe, toe half to front giant half, toe full to full-in stuck cold. QUEEN! 14.600 (6.0, 8.600)

Sloane Blakely VT 13.700 (4.8, 8.900)

Grace McCallum UB 13.950 (5.9, 8.050)

9:07 pm. Sunisa Lee BB: Triple wolf turn, basically perfect. Split jump to sissone to front aerial, also basically perfect. Bhs bhs layout, came into it low, big bobble there with her leg coming up but saves it. Switch to switch half, pauses before the back tuck. Side aerial loso loso, great. Switch ring, almost overdoes the ring, BLESS. Split ring jump. Nailed the dismount. 13.850 (5.8, 8.050)

9:05 pm. Jordan Chiles VT: Huge and excellently done DTY, incredible landing. DAMN. 14.750 (5.4, 9.350)

9:04 pm. Aleah Finnegan BB: We cut in just as she did her punch front, just a slight wobble there. Full turn, front aerial to split jump to Korbut, great. Side aerial to back handspring to 1.5 with a little slide forward.

Trinity Thomas VT 13.900 (4.8, 9.100)

9:03 pm. Gabby Perea UB: Lovely handstand before her toe full to Maloney to Ricna, ugh, but then falls on the Ricna. Pak, leg separation, to Chow half, short handstand before toe half to piked Jaeger, gets that one. Arches the handstand before her giants, good double layout with a slight hop. 13.000 (5.7, 7.300)

9:00 pm. Trinity Thomas starts the next rotation on vault, and Gabby Perea will lead off on bars while Aleah Finnegan leads off beam!

8:58 pm. ROTATION 6 STANDINGS

1. Simone Biles 88.450
2. Sunisa Lee 85.700
3. Riley McCusker 84.250
4. Leanne Wong 83.950
5. Grace McCallum 83.450
6. Morgan Hurd 83.150
7. Jade Carey 82.750
8. Jordan Chiles 82.250

8:54 pm. MyKayla Skinner FX: Moors, pretty good in the first flip but loses hip/knee form in the second. Front tuck through to tucked full-in, excellent! She goes into her front tuck with SO much power, I love it. Hop L full to switch full. Couldn’t really see her split from this angle. Double double, a little low in her set, still gets it around, but her chest is a little lower on the landing than she’d like. Tour jeté full, then a little hop to get her double L turn around. Finishes with a 2.5 with a step forward. Fantastic once again. 13.850 (5.8, 8.050)

8:52 pm. Kara Eaker UB: We jumped in at the…van Leeuwen I think, I didn’t see the entry but it was some sort of shaposh half variation, hit a clear hip to pirouette after that, toe half to piked Jaeger, super clean and solid double layout. 11.900 (4.6, 7.300)

8:51 pm. Sloane Blakely FX: Tucked full-in with a hop back. Switch ring to tour jeté half. I think the first was a ring but I couldn’t see her back leg super well. Arabian double front, clean, just a bit too far forward on the landing, step. Double pike, good, lunge back. Double tuck, a little short, flies forward a bit but stays up. 12.550 (5.0, 7.650, -0.1)

Jordan Chiles FX 13.300 (5.3, 8.000)

8:50 pm. Leanne Wong UB: Toe-on to Komova II to Pak to Chow half, super clean on everything. Nice handstand before her inbar half to straddle Jaeger, toe full, just the tiniest bit late, double layout landing was super deep with a step out but that aside it was great. 13.800 (5.9, 7.900)

8:49 pm. Emily Lee VT: DTY, some little form things throughout, lands with her feet apart, but solid enough! 14.400 (5.4, 9.000)

8:48 pm. Faith Torrez VT 14.500 (5.4, 9.100)

8:47 pm. Sunisa Lee UB: Nabieva to Pak to Maloney to Bhardwaj, great. Van Leeuwen, going after those handstands today, giant 1.5 to piked Jaeger, full-in with a tiny step. QUEEN! 15.050 (6.4, 8.650)!!!

8:45 pm. Morgan Hurd VT: DTY, knee form was a TINY bit softer than it’s been recently, and a hop to the side on the landing. 14.350 (5.4, 8.950)

Grace McCallum VT 14.550 (5.4, 9.150)

Gabby Perea VT 13.150 (4.4, 8.750)

8:43 pm. Riley McCusker UB: Stalder full to Maloney to low-ish Tkachev but no problems getting it over. Great handstand before her Ricna into a GORGEOUS Pak, perfect handstand before the van Leeuwen, toe-on, gets the blind change no problem, but then flies off the bar WAAAAAAAY too early into her dismount and flies forward, someone was blocking her on the YouTube stream when she landed so I couldn’t see if she put her hands down. But that was a low key scary way to come off the bar. 13.900 (5.8, 8.100)

Shilese Jones VT 14.700 (5.4, 9.300), average 13.850

8:41 pm. Trinity Thomas FX: Switch full into the corner before her first pass. Biles, ugh, just a little short coming out of it, big lunge back and she has to sit it. 😦 Double layout with a hop back. Switch ring to tour jeté full. Front layout to front double full, a little tentative with that landing but no real issues. UGHHHH, double pike to finish, landing comes out from under her and she kind of flies onto her stomach. 11.550 (5.6, 6.250, -0.3)

Jade Carey UB 11.650 (5.1, 6.550) WHY

8:40 pm. Aleah Finnegan UB: I wasn’t typing during pretty much any of this, but she just had a few little moments throughout, like leg separation and being a little late in handstands. Double front form was tight, just a bounce and step forward. 12.900 (5.0, 7.900)

8:36 pm. Simone Biles FX: Opened her routine with a ridiculously good triple double, excellent. Literally so good I thought it was a double double at first glance. HONESTLY. Biles, tiniest bounce forward. Front full to tuck full-in with a hop forward. Switch to tour jeté full. “EASY” double double to finish. Sweet damn. 15.100 (6.7, 8.400)

8:34 pm. The second rotation will see Shilese Jones start on vault, Jade Carey on bars, and Simone Biles on floor.

8:30 pm. ROTATION 5 STANDINGS

1. Simone Biles 73.350
2. Jade Carey 71.100
3. Sunisa Lee 70.650
4. Riley McCusker 70.350
5. Leanne Wong 70.150
6. Trinity Thomas 69.050
7. Grace McCallum 68.900
8. Jordan Chiles 68.850

8:28 pm. Faith Torrez FX: Glad we’re seeing her! Double layout full, hops back, just some pike down on the second flip, looks better tonight compared to I think podium training was when I worried about it a little. Great double layout. Switch leap to switch half, clean. Front tuck through to double tuck, stuck. Double pike with a bounce back. Great! 13.100 (5.4, 8.000, -0.3)

8:24 pm. Morgan Hurd FX: Love this royal purple look for her. Had a really weird issue at the beginning where she was in her opening pose but didn’t start. Just walked off the floor and took a deep breath. And looked REALLY pissed. Walks back out and starts over again. I hope that won’t count against her. Double double, stuck it cold. Front layout to front double full, no problems. At all. Switch ring to tour jeté full, great. EXCELLENT double tuck. Double pike, excellent, little bounce back. ANGRY FLOOR FTW. 13.750 (5.3, 8.450)

8:21 pm. Sloane Blakely BB: Double wolf turn, a little bobbly. Suuuuper high chest on the standing arabian, just a wobble. Switch leap to switch half, lands it a little off and wobbles, missed the connection to the layout stepout, another wobble. Front handsrping to front tuck is great, just an adjustment at the end. Wolf jump to sissone, clean. Front aerial to split ring jump, there was something a little weird with her feet if you wanna get picky but otherwise nice. Side somi, and a nice big double tuck to finish. 13.950 (5.8, 8.150)

8:19 pm. Grace McCallum FX: Long ass wait. Probably for TV timing. Double double, chest down and a hop. Front layout to front double full to front tuck, good, just some ankles in the twists and a hop to the side. Switch ring to switch half. Tucked full-in, really buckled on the landing there. Tour jeté half. Double tuck, solid on that landing, and more upright than her last one. 14.000 (5.7, 8.300)

Jordan Chiles BB 13.500 (5.2, 8.300), I can’t believe this gal right now.

8:17 pm. Gabby Perea FX 12.600 (5.0, 7.700, -0.1)

8:16 pm. Leanne Wong VT: Big beautiful DTY. Just some crossed legs in the second twist. Pretty solid on the landing. 14.750 (5.4, 9.350)

8:15 pm. Sunisa Lee VT: DTY, first twist is great, loses her form quite a bit in the second and takes a step to the side OOB. 13.750 (5.4, 8.450, -0.1)

8:14 pm. Trinity Thomas BB: We came into this late, started from a jump into her Korbut. One-arm bhs to her loso, excellent. Switch side to transverse split jump half to transverse straddle jump half, BAMF STATUS. Side aerial. Clean double full. 13.650 (5.4, 8.250)

Shilese Jones FX 13.650 (5.4, 8.250)

8:13 pm. Riley McCusker VT: DTY, WOW. The improvement on this vault since classics, though. Just some crossed ankles and a big step back. 14.650 (5.4, 9.250)

8:12 pm. Emily Lee FX 13.000 (5.3, 7.800, -0.1)

8:11 pm. Aleah Finnegan VT: We’re only seeing her second vault, Yurchenko half-on front pike, which she runs out of.

Her DTY got a 14.600 (5.4, 9.200). Averages a 14.025.

8:09 pm. Simone Biles BB: Triple wolf, arm swinging is a bit wild. Front aerial into her jump series, solid. Bhs loso loso, GOD her technique on those. The way they should be done. Switch to switch half, pause into the back pike. Side aerial, tiniest adjustment. Hit her transverse jump and two jumps after it. “Just” the full-in dismount tonight, which I’m glad for. She proved she can do the double double, we don’t need it again until worlds. STAY SAFE. 14.700 (6.2, 8.500)!!!

I think Jade’s vault average is a 14.875 FYI.

8:08 pm. Jade Carey VT: Does the Amanar for vault two, lots of power, runs forward out of it with some giant steps but that’s much better than being short or scrappy with it. It’s a nice, big, solid, safe vault for her.

8:07 pm. Jade Carey VT: Cheng, much better than night one! Just a step back, but honestly the biggest issue here was the leg separation in the pre-flight…she’s still a little soft in the flight but she looks much tighter. Night one was sloppy in comparison, at least in my memory. 15.000 (6.0, 9.000)

8:06 pm. Kara Eaker VT 13.850 (4.8 D, 9.050 E)

Emily Lee is on floor but instead of watching even a little bit of it and then cutting away for a “more important” routine we’re just gonna watch the logo.

8:04 pm. MyKayla Skinner BB: Candle mount, holds it a LITTLE better than night one. Bhs tuck full, ugh, big wobble and she’s off. Well, it was bound to happen, it’s a tuck full series. Shocked it hasn’t happened yet tbh. Side aerial to split jump to straddle jump, a little low. Switch to switch half to back tuck, split looks BETTER on the switch half but still not 180. Hit her transverse jumps pretty well. Full L turn to full turn, solid. Stuck the double tuck. Great recovery, she’ll be mad about that fall but she still looks fab. 12.900 (5.7, 7.200)

I’M SCREAMING ABOUT MYKAYLA GETTING LIKE A 14 ON BEAM WITHOUT THE FALL

8:02 pm. Kara Eaker will start the competition on vault, MyKayla Skinner leads the beam rotation, and Emily Lee will begin the meet on floor!

8:00 pm. Peng Peng Lee as the emcee just forgot Li Li Leung’s name while introducing her which…is…killing…me. I’m dead.

7:59 pm. Touch warm-up! And a t-shirt gun fail.

7:55 pm. Athlete march-out is happening now!

There’s no point in doing a preview because as night one proved, literally anything can happen, anyone can get on the podium, it doesn’t matter how well you think you know the potential or capabilities of each gymnast because they’re going to do whatever they want.

That said, Simone Biles has the lead (duh), followed by Sunisa Lee and Jade Carey (okay?!), and Riley McCusker, Leanne Wong, Trinity Thomas, Jordan Chiles, and Morgan Hurd round out the top eight. Do with that what you want.

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102 thoughts on “2019 U.S. Championships Live Blog | Senior Women Day 2”

  11. I give Trinity such props for her biles. But I don’t love the technique at all. It’s like a rag doll being thrown into the air. But so much props for trying it and adding her own take on it.

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  15. I never thought I would say this, but I’m actually rooting for Mykayla! For her to say, she knows people ‘hate’ her pretty much, and her gymnastics and dont think she belongs, kinda breaks my heart a little. For her to compete with that in her awareness, doesn’t sit well with me. I know she will work hard. I’m actually rooting for her.

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    • Skinner’s comeback so far is going great. Yes, there are still lots of things to improve but all her elite foundations are there pretty much. Also, has she ever done both amanar and cheng in a single competition before ever? So that is remarkable in itself. Sure she can improve on her vt but she never look dangerous doing them so that’s huge for her. same with fx. beam and ub still can be improve but it’s all there in the back. Look like she will make the national team after all?

      Poor riley. hope she got a lot of rest.. it’s good maggie pulled her. sometimes you just need a 3rd person perspective…. i definitely can see her pushing herself but it doesn’t matter much at this competition. selection camp is what matter.

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      • I believe she’s done the Amanar and Cheng before, I think it was what she vaulted in 2015…I remember a rumor going around that Martha didn’t want her on the team because with her Amanar + Cheng while Simone only had an Amanar + Lopez at the time, Martha was worried that MyKayla could push Simone off the podium because Maria Paseka and Hong Un Jong also had the Amanar + Cheng, and so if MyKayla was also on the team doing those two vaults, she could medal over Simone. It sounds laughable now, but even though Simone was a much better vaulter than Un Jong and Maria, they both outscored her in the vault final, pushing Simone to bronze…so if MyKayla was also on the team and made the vault final, it could mean 4th for Simone.

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        • lol… thanks for the insider info…that’s too bad… now i can definitely see how mykayla was feeling all raw from last quad! Glad she didn’t give up.

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        • Yeah, I think she was often kind of tossed aside in these weird political decisions, but I remember people being really like “wtf” about the 2015 team for many reasons and that was one of them. And then 2016…it’s really no wonder she wanted to come back, lol.

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  16. I was surprised that so many top gymnasts opted to go to Pan Ams when it could be used for gymnasts looking for experience. I’m not surprised that the top scoring Pan Am gymnasts are having a difficult time after everything they’ve done.

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    • For sure. Eaker, McCusker and Wong all seemed tired, and I can’t help thinking that Wong’s issues on floor was because of the back to back from Lima to nationals.

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  17. Does Riley scratching mean that she won’t be going to worlds? I’m sorry I don’t know a thing about all these selections and spots on teams and whatnot. Besides the dismount, her bars were gorgeous!

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  18. Good for Riley. On the NBC broadcast Tim said Riley’s coach said that Riley felt like her decision for Pan Ams was the right one when she was there and enjoying herself. But then when she arrived here, she felt exhausted, mentally, physically and how it probably wasn’t the wisest decision. Plus I hear she is sick as well. So good. She has an invite to camp. Rest up

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      • I think if anything Grace was maybe a liiiittle too gifted on beam (and everywhere, tbh) and Morgan probably should have pulled off bronze, but I can see them maybe trying to boost Grace’s confidence a bit with bigger scores? An 8.550 E score for a good but not *amazing* routine isn’t likely to happen at worlds, but it’s a good confidence boost for her and I think if anything, her worlds focus would be vault and floor, so it doesn’t REALLY matter…but it seems like the US judges are obsessed with Grace and international judges just don’t feel her as much.

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        • I honestly don’t know, I thought she looked great, and in comparison to other E scores I don’t get it…she reminds me of Aly in that she’s accurately scored at home the way she’d be scored internationally, but then everyone else at home is getting ridiculous E scores lol.

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  21. Does Tom Forster give anyone else Greg Kinnear vibes? MUCH better from Simone tonight, which is a scary statement for the rest of the world. Much better from Grace McCallum, too. And Morgan. Smart of Riley’s coach to make her sit out the last two apparatus.

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    • Lol a little late (smile) I thought that when he first popped on the elite scene with Doni Thompson, then Kristy Powell back in the day 🙂 My age is showing! 🙂 When Greg was still hosting that show on E. lol

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    • I think that the top 8(?) are named to the national team automatically and go to national selection camp and then they can add two more to the national team afterward, with those ten making up the worlds selection camp. However, this year it’s complicated because Forster said that the Pan Am Games members would get automatic spots, and Eaker, Finnegan and McCusker are all out of the top 8, which means that at least 11 are eligible for camp.

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      • Yep, checked USAgym twitter and the top 10+ McCusker were named to the senior national team. Since Finnegan was already granted an automatic spot at the worlds selection camp, and the senior national team members typically get an invite, that will put 12 at camp.

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  26. Tim keeps talking about Jade Carey wanting to make the four person Team USA, but I thought she gave up that chance when she went the apparatus world cup route?

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    • I don’t know, maybe they meant her going in general and the “four person team” accompanied it because they said “four person team going to Tokyo” every 5 seconds. Yeah, Jade can’t go on the main team unless she forfeits her spot and at this point it’s probably too late for that and then USAgym would have to come up with a really awkward explanation as to why they drastically changed the criteria to go the World Cup apparatus route.

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    • Yeah, that was bugging me a lot. I get she probably wants to be on the team, not just an individual, but by going the world cup route she kinda gave up that option. Cause right now it’s looking like she’ll get that individual spot without a problem. Trouble is, to my understanding, it’s for the gymnast specifically, NOT for the country. So if she wins that individual spot but somehow gets chosen for the team and does that instead, USA loses that spot cause it goes to the next highest scoring gymnast. And there’s no way on earth USA gymnastics will be okay with a full team and only 1 individual, when they could easily have a full team and 2 individuals.

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    • So she wants to go the world cup route as a “backup” in case she doesn’t make the team…but tbh I think she needs to choose one or the other because if she gets a world cup spot, it’s nominative, so then if she goes on to make the four person team, giving up her world cup spot to compete for the team means the U.S. loses an individual spot and will only have 5 instead of 6 competing in Tokyo. There’s no way in hell USAG will let that happen, so I think they’re all gonna have to sit down and figure out what to do with Jade. They have until next March before the world cup series and non-nominative qualification methods determine the individual spots, but I think before then they’re basically just gonna have to be like okay, it’s one or the other, you can’t have both.

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      • So I am confused. There are three ways to get an individual spot, the nominative appartatus world cups, the non nominative all around world cups and getting top two at continental championships. So if USA gets a nominative spot and gets an all around world cup spot and then also places top two at continental championships, why can’t they decline the nominative spot and then use their other two spots?

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        • No, it’s whatever happens first. I believe the world cups will be decided prior to continental championships, so if they win an EF world cup and an AA world cup, those are their spots – they won’t have the option to then go to continental championships and be like “sorry, we choose this instead.”

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    • I think it’s totally reasonable for Jade to be disqualified from the four-person team if she gets the nominative spot. She chose her path for qualification, and it does tie the programs hands somewhat for the rest of their team selection. It’s not just USAG getting to bring fewer gymnasts if they pull her from the nominative spot and put her on the team, that’s a gymnast who’ll be left at home when she could have gone to the Olympics.

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    • No idea why jade sudden would have a change of heart esp when she’s pretty much got her goal of going to the olympics locked down….lol…. She should just be happy and stick to it because any change right now would be just a mess for everyone… Well everyone except the #2 people in vt and fx point standing….

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      • Because Jade wants the more prestigious Gold Team Medal in the Olympics. She does not have a change of heart. She most prefer to be on the team but wants backup in case they did not choose for the team hence the World Cups. She just wants what is best for her without regarding what happens to the dreams of the other gymnasts if she gave up that non-nominative spot.

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        • Yeah go figured but i think all of us would be shocked if she will actually give up her cup spot… I think after thinking it over she will stick to her cup spot….she still have a real good chance to medal silver in vt and fx anyway… Yeah no team gold but a ton of people would kill to be in her shoes right now…

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  27. MUUUCH better night tonight by the looks of it, for almost everyone. Glad Morgan could recover with angry floor! We stan angry floor 🙂 As of now I think the team will likely be Simone, Morgan, Riley, Sunisa, Grace. Thinks could change by camp though! Who are your team picks?

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    • God her floor was SO GOOD. That’s my worlds team as well, honestly. I think Riley and Leanne are kind of interchangeable right now, which is not how I originally thought about them. I think Riley is a stronger bars/beam gymnast than Leanne, but Leanne has been more consistent this weekend…though once Riley gets some rest and gets to worlds camp, it could change pretty quickly. I’d do…

      VT: (Sunisa), Morgan, Grace, Simone
      UB: (Simone), Morgan, Riley, Sunisa
      BB: (Morgan), Riley, Sunisa, Simone
      FX: (Morgan), Grace, Sunisa, Simone

      I like this because it gives Simone a break on bars in the team final!

      My one hold is that Grace would essentially be going for vault and floor, but she doesn’t have two vaults…so Jade makes sense for that spot, but I don’t think Jade should get it if she’s trying to qualify the world cup route. I know I’m a MyKayla fan, but if MyKayla can keep improving on vault and floor, I actually would be pretty much 100% okay with replacing Grace with MyKayla. MyKayla could outscore Grace on vault, and they’re pretty interchangeable on floor. Grace is the stronger all-arounder, so she’d have a perfectly good bars/beam as a backup…but I’d honestly capitalize on that vault medal that MyKayla could 100% win over Grace not having two vaults.

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      • I doubt Tom will leave Jade of the Worlds team unless skinner can beat her in their pet events. that’s just the way things will be… mostly by number now….

        Wonder where Kara will fit into all of this….

        Every year trying to determine the US worlds team is an exercise in frustration…..lol

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        • My thing with Jade and worlds is that I’m hearing the US won’t send her to worlds because she’s already going to world cups. So that’s why I’m kind of leaving her off of my team situations…though agree that based on how they competed this weekend, she obviously looks like the better choice than MyKayla and based just on that, she’d go…but with this whole “will they send her to worlds AND the world cups” thing, I’m thinking they’re basically gonna be like “byeeee have fun in Cottbus” and not send her to Stuttgart.

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        • If I’m being honest I think that Leanne is a better VT/FX gymnast than Grace if her floor ends up being what it was at classics and before. Grace has been the most generously scored domestically, and Leanne is more consistent in general.
          Leanne also is better on beam and bars than Grace if you want to argue for backup. My team choice would
          be Simone, Morgan, Kara (AA), Leanne (VT/FX), Sunisa (UB/BB). I really think Leanne can provide the best vault and floor totals if you assume that Jade won’t go because her Olympic spot is pretty much guaranteed. I think that Riley and Morgan would be the most interchangeable, but it’s definitley difficult.

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        • hmm, is that an insider info you heard that usag kinda not want to send her to worlds? i mean, if that is even half true, i def can see how that would make jade has 2nd thought about her staying in the cup.

          problem is that unless 1. skinner beats jade at selection camp or 2. a mutual agreement, I am not seeing how usag can give an excuse to keep her off the team unless of course they like just go by top 5 AA scores or something like that and somehow skinner makes the top 5 AA score or beat jade in vt/fx… I think there’s a good chance they will take a vt/fx person to worlds this year to also take the silvers in both….

          Well, in the marta worlds, things don’t have to go by numbers all the time…. but in this new era, they wont be able to do that unless jade agree to not be considered or just don’t do well at selection camp.

          There’s pro and con to both eras…..lol…

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        • Leaving Jade off the team isn’t an insider/USAG thing, it just doesn’t make sense. She already has a wealth of international experience, and what’s the point of sending her to worlds this year when the olympics are guaranteed for her? It makes much more sense to send someone who has never been to a major international competition and can factor into the Olympic picture (like Wong and Lee).

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        • The problem is how will usag say no to jade… This is the new era…not the marta rules them all era…where gymnasts actually have some power?…

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  28. I’m actually on the Sunisa train now! I just thought she was the bar hype girl for so many years. Clearly she is a great AA gymnast not just a bars girl. Only thing that worries me is one more short landing on vault knocking her out and re injuring her already healing ankle fracture. Pearl clutching aside. She rocked! Good beam. Great leaps. Good tumbling. Great bars. Stay healthy!

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  30. I wonder if someone just realized that by going the world cup route, Jade guaranteed herself an Olympic spot, but not a medal. The US team is good enough to practically guarantee a medal, and likely gold. As an individual, Jade won’t get that. Best she likely can hope for is 2 silvers.

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    • well, you picked your choices. so live and die by the result of the choice ….lol… I would be like completely shocked if USAG will let her try to compete for the 4 member team spot now. I mean it’s theoretically still possible right now that jade can withdraw her name from worlds cup even if she leads? FIG could always deny it if they want to play hardball (but probably won’t?)

      Personally I would like to see Skinner gets that spot on the 4 member team (yes, i know how improbable that might be). Then again that would give Jade a real competition for making the final in vt and fx , wouldn’t it be interesting? lol…

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      • Yeah, she could def still withdraw from the world cup route if the team is what she really wants. The world cups are basically a guarantee for her, so she just has to decide if she wants a guaranteed shot at the Olympics, or if she wants a maybe shot at the U.S. Olympic team. I mean, she’s got it MADE with the world cups, so if I were her, I’d stick to them. I don’t see her making the four-person team with so many super strong all-arounders who don’t score THAT much lower than her on VT/FX. It’s mere tenths, and the U.S. is looking to win by like 8 points. TAKE THE WORLD CUP SPOT JADE.

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    • Other than Simone (who obviously isn’t going to go the World Cup route and in fact can’t at this point) I really don’t think anyone is more guaranteed an event medal than Jade (obviously we’re a long way out, but right now.) Who would be a stronger candidate for a specialist?

      Also, if the “someone” you’re referring to is USAG, they didn’t want a gymnast to earn a nominative spot anyway, but the Careys Ted Stevens’ed their way to a qualification path.

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      • @Mary The only other person who a) qualifies by USAG’s crazy requirements to compete the world cups route, and b) could win a medal is Kara Eaker for beam. The problem is that USAG said they wouldn’t be paying for anyone else to go. Sooo I think that means that Kara could go but would have to pay for it?

        Also Jade has an 85 out of 90 now for vault and only a 76/90 on floor, I think (is that right?) for world cup points. To get a perfect 90 she’d need to go one more time and compete, which she should if likes of Paseka will be trying to secure that spot for vault and Ferrarri for floor. If USAG said they wouldn’t pay for a fourth trip, then she’d have to pay it OR maybe USAG will say “Sure we’ll pay it, but if you get it, you have to take it and won’t be in the running for the team.”

        Personally, if I was making the choice, I’d pay for her to go at least two more times and secure one of those spots since she’s already gone so far (and likely would have been one of the 2 non-team spots anyway). Then I’d pick 3 strong all arounders to pack up Simone and put either Kara Eaker or another all arounder with a stand out event for the 2nd non-team spot.

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        • Kara is disqualified from an apparatus world cup spot since she was on the world team that earned the Olympic team spot. Those athletes can’t earn nominative spots. Even if she could, I’d see Jade’s EF medals as surer things.

          Jade getting a nominative spot isn’t in USAG’s favor, though, so I don’t see why they would pay for more cups. They’d much rather have two non-nominative spots.

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        • @Mary oops! You are correct! I forgot that Eaker is DQ’d because of worlds. I think the only other person would be Lee now with her bars win, but they’d want her on the team for her AA potential.

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  31. If jade decides to go for the 4 person team instead of the World Cup nominative spot route, can the US send anyone else to the remaining world cups who could get the nominative spot instead?

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    • Sunisa meets the world cup criteria now by winning gold on bars yesterday, so they could send her, but I think if Jade makes that decision, USAG would probably be like THANK GOD and just use the two non-nominative qualifiers instead.

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      • yep, USAG will be like “hellaluya, great!” if jade withdraws.

        sunisa does qualify by their criteria by placing 1st on ub in first nite. but her chance of winning bars worlds cup is like diminutively small. so definitely don’t see USAG doing that same experiment again. But…

        On the other hands, you bring up an interesting point. if sunisa insists on doing the worlds cup, i don’t know if usag can actively prevent her from doing it since she meets the criteria? so they will just have to send her anyway and then see if she will not place in top 2 in 2 events? even if jade continues right now with worlds cup, sunisa can still go…

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        • Is there any procedure for a gymnast choosing not to use her World Cup spot? Is there a process by which Jade can reject those points before the other events?

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  32. If jade decides to go for the 4 person team instead of the World Cup nominative spot route, can the US send anyone else to the remaining world cups who could get the nominative spot instead?

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    • there’s not really many other person at this point that can have great chance of winning the series by winining all 3 or 4 the next events. maybe skinner? but why would you want to do that? i mean you could ask skinner if she wants to be on the team or if she wants to just show up an olympics? lol…. I am guessing that skinner wouldn’t mind just showing at the olympics since this is like her last chance so she probably would take that chance. i would if i were her…. but then again, would still be a mess

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    • and if USAG and jade was gonna agree to let jade abandon that nominative spot, USAG sure as heck is not gonna go back to this whole nominative things again. They will go after both of the non-nominative spots instead.

      And they would have to make a last min amendment to their own cup qualification rule if they want to send skinner or someone to replace jade if they ever want to do that…… that would look real good in this new world for transparency ? lol…

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  34. I thought the judging the 2nd day was a little harsh. I expected much higher scores, specially by Simone. I thought they were very nit picky with everyone. The scoring was a little lower than I expected. Hmmm!!?? Maybe the judges were told to really be harsh as to be more realistic for Worlds.

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  35. Pingback: Around the Gymternet: Twinsies | The Gymternet

  36. Anyone else feel like Grace is consistently overscored domestically? Even by domestic inflation standards? What is it that makes the judges favor her? I’m kind of at a loss.

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