The selection of the US women’s Olympic team is once again upon us.
The answer is Simone.
Beyond that, strap yourself to a gurney and throw a pity party. #3 lock Skye Blakely tore her Achilles in podium training and is out, setting fire to all prior team permutations, while #2 lock Shilese Jones missed nationals with a shoulder injury and then just hurt her knee in the final rotation of the warmup today before the meet started and had to be escorted off. So it’s all great. USAG is announcing that Shilese will compete today.
We’re honestly going to end this process with the only two functioning gymnasts being the two who did a whole college season right through to trials.
Meanwhile, Suni Lee is like, “Guess who has two kind-of working kidneys now and added back her Nabieva? This little me.”
So now, do we see Jade Carey take advantage of the absence of Blakely’s Cheng in the team scoring setup to make herself undeniable? And do these injuries make the Chiles vs DiCello showdown end in a tie where they both make the team? Or is Hezly Rivera the one who would secretly benefit the most from all of this? And what of Leanne Wong throwing the kitchen sink at vault to see what happens? Let’s get into it.
Coverage begins, Simone chilling with a blanket over by the ipads. Simone’s blanket is already ranked 3rd in terms of camera time for the field.
Rotation 1
DiCello – VT – DTY, annnnnnnd she just vaults a back tuck and is down and crying. OK GREAT. She’s another who has been struggling with the Achilles this week. Medical attention, wheeled off, etc.
Caylor with a nice stuck DLO dismount off bars as she’s basically a favorite to make the team at this point. 13.450
Lee – VT – DTY, deep landing but hit, chest down and a lunge to the side. Lands a vault without tearing her Achilles, though, so it’s a win. 13.525
Biles – UB – weiler 1/2 to maloney with leg separation, to giant full to high tkatchev piked to pak – van leeuwen, leg break – short on hs on high – toe full to double double tucked, hop to the side. 14.425
Rose – VT – Y1.5, hits, large bound forward. 13.450
Carey – UB – toe on to bhardwaj, hit, small leg break – maloney to gienger, smooth – small hand adjusmtent in grip change, hits yezhova – vl – giant full, past – FTDT, hop back, Solid. 13.575
Lincoln – VT – DTY, big height and a big bounce back, but nice hit in the air. 14.225
Molomo – UB – stalder to toe full attempt, gets caught and only does 1/2 turn, adds another 1/2 turn – maloney with some form, connects to pak – van leeuwen, hit, small leg break – short hs on high – jaeger, hit, some foot form – double front, not high enough, sits it down.
End of the first half of rotation 1. So, this meet, everyone. Is Martha here or something?
We see Shilese tried a vault run down the runway, didn’t go, and is now not warming up. Scratching vault.
Wong – VT – does the Cheng, and lands it successfully with a step back. OK Leanne.
Chiles – UB – van leeuwen, hit, good leg form – blind to piked jaeger, solid – toe full to tkatchev piked, just a tad close, connects to the pak fine – maloney to gienger, hit – FTDT, little hop. 14.350
Wong’s second vault is a DTY, hits with a large lunge back.
OOOOHHH They didn’t give Leanne her second hand on her Cheng so she’s only on 12.450. 2.000 deduction for vaulting with only one hand. She was definitely vaulting with one hand in podium, seemed better today.
We get the slo mo and she definitely touches with her second hand. A little. No support with second hand.
Rivera – VT – just does get the DTY to her feet, short landing and a lunge forward.
Roberson – UB – shaposh, leg separation, to clear hip 1/2 to yezhova, hit – toe full, past and some pike – maloney to giegner, hit – clear hip – DLO 1/1, hop forward. Hit the bars she can do. 13.300
Sumanasekera – UB – stalder full, late and some form – maloney, good height into pak, legs together – van leeuwen, leg break – jaeger, hit, a bit close, giant 1/2, late – FTDT, holds the landing. Also a good one for her bars. 12.725
NEVERRRMIND. Wong’s got her two points back and her Cheng is now on 14.450. Danger zone danger zone.
Rotation 2
NBC giving us the injury updates, seeing Blakely’s floor from PT and Jones’ vault from earlier.
Rose – UB – stalder full to maloney to clear hip, good vertical, connects to Ray – stalder 1/2 to yezhova, little leg break – van leeuwen, legs together – DLO, little hop. Good routine. 13.450
Carey – BB – aerial to split jump to korbut, connected – bhs loso, small adjustment – switch side, tight, holds onto it – switch to switch 1/2 to straddle, secure – side aerial – bhs bhs double pike, step back. Solid hit. 13.575
Lincoln – UB – seiler 1/2 to stalder full, late – stalder shap to ricna – Ray to pak, leg separation, hit – toe on to van leeuwen, small leg break – FTDT, holds the stick. That’s the best bars I’ve seen from her in a TIME. 13.450
Molomo – BB – check on mount – wolf double, hit with a high position – side aerial to loso, holds it with a wobble – switch, step forward wobble – back tuck, hit – aerial to split jump to straddle, some short split positions but secure on that one – double tuck, hop back. 13.475
Wong – UB – clear hip 1/2 to jaeger, nice – toe full to bhardwaj, smooth – maloney to pak, hit – van leeuwen, legs together – shy handstand on high – DLO, hop back. Clean. 13.925
Chiles – BB – front pike mount, more of a pike than some of the others we’ve seen her do, but a shorter landing witha wobble she had to save – bhs loso, hit – aerial to straddle to bhs – side somi, secure – switch to sissone – side aerial, secure – switch side – double pike, hop back. 13.625
Jones – UB – here we go, what do we see – stalder full to toe full to stalder tkatchev piked to pak to maloney to tkatchev – dismounts double front, hits it with a hop forward. Ginger but hit. Big deal. No layout jaeger but a big deal. Keeps her in it. 14.675. You take it.
Lowe – BB – switch mount, hit – side aerial to loso, secure, feet – switch to switch side, little lean – split to korbut – wolf to straddle, hit – side somi, secure – bhs bhs double tuck, super deep, stumbles back and sits it. 12.475
And now Jones is scratching the rest of the day. It’s a useful bars score for a team total, but can we imagine them selecting an injured gymnast who is not doing the AA?
Rivera – UB – weiler, muscles through it to 1/2 turn, into full to stalder shaposh to ricna – pak, nice – shap to tkatchev – 1/2 turn on high bar, late – FTDT, gets it to a stick. 14.025
Alicia currently googling how to make an Olympic team when no one has legs
Roberson – BB – back full – switch to switch 1/2, under, to back tuck, secure – side aerial loso loso, gets it – full turn, hit – onodi, holds it, little pause before straddle to pike – bhs bhs double pike, step back. She’s on so far today. 13.925
Lee – UB – nabeiva to bhardwaj, took it far, can’t connect, did she smack the mat? – van leeuwen – jaeger to pak, hit – maloney to gienger, hit – giant full – FTDT, step back. Didn’t do her combos but through a hit?
Sumanasekera – BB – candle mount – bhs bhs layout 2 feet, secure – aerial to split to korbut, connected – switch to switch 1/2, some feet and arm wave – side aerial – sissone to wolf – bhs bhs double pike, step forward. 13.950
14.400 for Suni so they’ll have taken for the mat hit.
Caylor – BB – switch mount, hit with check – bhs loso loso, secure – swtich to switch 1/2, very short split position – aerial, wobble, no connection into split and korbut – full turn – side aerial, hit – sissone, under, to wolf jump – bhs bhs double pike, overcooks it and sits it down. 11.575
Biles – BB – switch mount, huge break, lots of arm waves, keeps it on – switch to switch 1/2, arm wave, leg up wobble – back pike, another check – wolf triple, another little wobble – aerial to split to straddle – bhs loso loso, secure – LOL at her doing her side choreo with murder eyes – side aerial – bhs bhs FTDT, large bounce back
13.650 on beam for Simone, which is a zero.
Leanne Wong leads after two events.
Rotation 3
Wong – BB – switch mount – switch to switch 1/2, large break, keeps it on the beam – switch ring, under, little lean – bhs loso, hit – wolf double – aerial, little adjustment before split straddle – side somi, secure – 2.5 dismount, small hop, lots of leg crossing. A stay on though. 13.425
Chiles – FX – DLO 1/1 is good, slides heels together – front full through to FTDT, bounce back – wolf double, quickly rolling out of it – switch to split leap 1.5, under rotated – DLO, slide back, comes in a bit deep – pike full shushunova. We’ve ditched the leg-up full, which is an additional win for this hit routine. 14.100
Rivera – BB – wolf double, smooth – side aerial, wobble, arm wave, keeps it together – bhs loso, secure – switch to switch 1/2, under split, little pause before korbut – aerial, little check before split to straddle – switch ring, solid amplitude, hits it – bhs bhs double pike, large stumble back with a couple lunges. But also a stay on. 13.700
Lowe – FX – double y spin, leans/falls out of it – double arabian, lunge forward, both feet OOB – switch ring to split leap full, under
That 14.100 for Chiles would have been a BIG DEAL SCORE, but now that everyone is injured, it didn’t even need to be that good to help her chances.
Roberson – FX – Moors hit, some pike and knee, little hop forward – DLO 1/1, hit, shuffle back – leg up full to split leap 1.5, under rotated – DLO, slide – jussssst gets her third turn on the wolf around? – front loso to double tuck, hit. 13.925 is a big deal score for her.
The fact that Blakely, Jones, and DiCello were all in the same rotation group has really not been a friend to the functioning of this meet.
Sumanasekera – FX – DLO 1/1, good control, pike throughout – DLO, hit – switch ring to split leap full, hops – wolf double, hit – back 1.5 to front full, lunge, hit with some knees – switch 1/2. 13.875, close to Roberson.
Also Wong’s beam score just got smeeshed down to 13.225 from the originally posted 13.425.
The Olympic team is just Suni and WCC.
Lee – BB – loso mount, good – aerial to split to bhs, solid – wolf triple, smooth – switch to switch 1/2 to split ring jump, small adjustments there – side aerial to loso, huge break, keeps it on somehow – switch ring, hit – gainer pike pike, hop back. So doesn’t do the remaining loso and a big break, but…who hasn’t?
Caylor – FX – DLO, short landing with a lunge – doubel pike, nice form, bounce back – switch ring and split leap full, under position – back 1.5 to front full, gets it around, low with some knee position – double tuck, bounce back and step. 12.225
Rose – BB – switch split back tuck, solid – wolf double, hit – bhs loso bhs and falls
14.400 for Suni still wins beam. I agree with her facial expression.
Biles – FX – triple double little hop, good control – front full through to double double, solid, small hop – split leap 1.5 is real-life around but with a little uncontrolled bounce out of it – wolf double – Biles, lunge forward OOB, some more knee form than usual – switch full – DLO, bounce back. 14.850
Kaliya Lincoln sticks a sublime double pike dismount on beam.
Carey – FX – Moors, hits with control, little slide to the side – DLO 1/1, shuffle back, stays in bounds – switch – switch full directly to popa like a college gymnast, nice idea – double double tuck, step back OOB – split leap full – front tuck to double tuck, a little deep, pulls it out with a slide. 14.075, just .025 behind Chiles and a top-3 floor score.
Molomo – FX – DLO, nice height, shuffle back – double pike, chest a little forward – switch, switch side 1/2, love the amplitude on her switch – wolf double – front full, bounce forward – double tuck, little hop. 13.075
Rotation 4
Oh fun, a shot of Suni limping.
Rivera – FX – DLO 1/1, large bounce back OOb, both feet – DLO, chest down but hit, bounce back – switch ring to switch full to knee – wolf double, hit – front tuck through to double tuck, hop forward, chest – split lepa full, somewhat under split – 2.5 dismount, lunge forward. 13.525
Roberson VT – hits a Cheng to keep her in good AA position, bounce back, pike position etc, but will score. 14.325
Roberson second vault deep DTY but landed.
Lee – FX – DLO 1/1, good control on landing, pike throughout – switch ring to split leap full, lovely split positions – back 1.5 to front full, hop forward – double L, will get credit – wolf triple – doubel tuck, bounce back and an arm wave shuffle to try to keep it under control. The judges faces say, “Oh, I get to give dance element credit!”
Sumanasekera – VT – good height on DTY but a large bounce back. 14.15
13.700 for Suni on floor, which will get her the 56, even with some issues today.
Rose – FX – back 1.5 to rudi, slides back OOB – good wolf double for the reel, pulls it around while standing fully up out of it – hits her back 2.5 to front tuck. 12.550
Biles – VT – YDP and it’s a good one, just a lunge back. 15.975
Cheng second vault, solid, bounce back, great distance, a little flatter.
58.900 AA for Simone.
Lincoln – FX – DLO 1/1 is wonderful, slide back – DLO, bounce back – switch ring to split leap full, nice – wolf 2.75ish – FTDT in combo as final pass, chest down, some hopping. 14.150 is second to Simone on floor, yes you did.
Carey – VT – opens with the Cheng and it’s a good one for her – under control, hop up in place – the knees etc. 14.600
Wong – FX – wolf double, nice – popa, around – doubel double tuck, large bounce back and lunge OOB – DLO, also a bit out of control, saves it with lunge back – switch ring to split leap full – back 1/2 to front full, hit – double pike, slide. 13.150
Carey’s second vault, Amanar, hits it, a little under, lunge to the side
Molomo – VT – Y1.5 is comfortably hit with a hop forward. 13.800
Chiles – VT – hits the DTY solidly, bounce back. 14.325
Second vault is Lopez, easily completed, bounce back.
So Biles will win, Chiles in 2nd with 56.400, Lee in third with 56.025, and Carey in a big 4th place for her with 55.825. Those are your new (old?) big four in terms of making the team.
Shilese just with a bars routine still adds the most to the team score in addition to those four. If Jones can do a little bit more on Sunday, does she still get a look?
Other than Jones, Sumanasekera’s beam would add the most, closely followed by Roberson, who is sitting 5th AA right now.
On a team with Chiles and Carey both on it, you want an additional beam, which is why I also think the selection committee REALLY wants Hezly to hit an amazing one on day two. Right now she’s behind Sumanasekera and Roberson in the beam department, but I also imagine they wouldn’t love to put Jade’s bars on the same team as a Sumanasekera or a Roberson. Lots still to deal with in that respect that we weren’t expecting to deal with when the day began.