US gymnastics race to 2024 Paris Olympics starts out wobbly
US gymnastics race to 2024 Paris Olympics starts out wobbly
The Core Hydration Classic was the “competition within the competition"
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At the Core Hydration Classic, gymnasts were looking to stand out for the Olympic trials – not burn out. But by the time the first event was over, it proved difficult.
Gabby Douglas withdrew after an off-kilter bar routine left her rattled, and Konnor McClain was escorted from floor in a wheelchair after warming up. Many other gymnasts were shaky, with bars and beam particularly rough.
Three U.S. Olympic All-Around Gold medalists were present – Suni Lee, Simone Biles, and Gabby Douglas. Suni, in remission from kidney disease, played it safe to conserve her energy. Simone stunned on every event, especially floor with a triple double and vault with her signature Yurchenko double pike.
To make the Olympic team for Paris 2024, athletes have to play the numbers game, choosing between stacking their execution score versus their difficulty score. It’s risk-reward. They can inflate their difficulty by performing difficult tricks, risking injuries or bobbles, or play it safe, focusing on clean routines.
A misunderstanding about the Olympic gymnastics team is that the athletes with the highest All-Around score deserve an automatic spot. In reality, the team needs to be well-rounded to win every event, which means two people with the same speciality won’t be chosen. (For those just tuning in, that means five go to Paris, one each for beam, bars, floor, vault, and All-Around.)
Another interesting part about this year’s qualifiers is that instead of four years between Olympic games, it’s been three. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, 2020’s games were performed in 2021. This means everything in a sport like gymnastics, known for its early retirement age.
Simone is pushing the status quo at 27, another reason she’s the GOAT.1 Gabby Douglas would be an outlier, too, at 28. Challenging the age-out standards is deeper than you’d think. It’s part of an overhaul of USA Gymnastics’ culture after decades of abuse and extreme practices came to light. (I wrote about it for The Diamondback here).
“Biles continues to serve as a mentor and role model for the younger gymnasts around her and is still undeniably the greatest of all time. She doesn’t need a medal to prove that. She’s reminding the world that gymnasts are people first, something much overlooked after decades of grueling, inhumane training and sometimes scathing media coverage.”
-The Diamondback, “We’re human, too”: The US women’s gymnastics team is a symbol of strength
The Core Hydration Classic intimidated athletes both new and returning. With fellow Olympians Jade Carey and Jordan Chiles present as well, the stakes for up-and-coming gymnasts were high. CNBC commentators called it the “competition within the competition.”
One athlete rose to the challenge: Shilese Jones.
She was the 2022 and 2023 World Championship winner. She was composed throughout the entire competition, displaying clean routines and a positive attitude. She won silver All-Around, with Simone winning gold and Jordan winning bronze.
“In this sport, there’s a lot of adversity you have to overcome,” Simone said in a post-competition interview when asked about shaky routines from the other athletes.
It’s looking like Simone will be headed to her third Olympics, perhaps alongside some of her 2020 team members. In the upcoming competitions, I hope to see new faces rack up points – and confidence. The U.S. gymnastics Olympic Trials start June 27. The Paris Olympics begin a month later.
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GOAT: Greatest Of All Time