Jordyn Wieber - This one's a given. The All Around World Champion should make the Olympic Team barring a major injury. Jordyn would be the only gymnast to compete all four events in both qualifications and team finals. With the thought in mind that John Geddert's been pacing her since she was 12 for this event, I'd imagine that she has even more gymnastics to show that what she's already presented.
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Gabrielle Douglas - Obviously, I'm in love with the Gabrielle's gymnastics and she's certainly one of the best, if not the best bar worker in the US. Not only could Gabrielle contribute on bars, but her all around picture is getting stronger by the day. I'd have Gabby compete All Around in prelims (fighting with Ross for the 2nd All Around spot) and then competing Bars and Floor in finals.
Kyla Ross - Kyla really impressed me at Pacific Rims with how much she's grown up since we first saw her with her little green hair bow in 2009. I think that Kyla could compete All Around in prelims and then everything but floor in finals. I hope that Marta appreciates her talents, although she hasn't been to Worlds.
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Aly Raisman - Did I surprise you? Yup, it's true. I'm now a Raisman fan. Raisman would be the only one to sit out Vault (her Amanar still scares me) but would compete both Beam and Floor in finals. Prelim bars would depend on who looks stronger between she and McKayla. With Aly's proven leadership skills, she'd also make a fantastic captain.
Here's how the scores came out:
Highest possible team total based on 2011-12 Scores: 185.24 (1st at 2011 Worlds by 6 points)
Lowest possible team total based on 2011-12 Scores (if LITERALLY everyone falls): 168.61(6th at 2011 Worlds)
Average team total based on 2011-12 Scores (Including falls): 179.15 (Only outscored by USA at 2011 Worlds)
This is basically my team, though I'm not 100% sure about Maroney. I think if Martha wants that individual vault gold, Maroney will go for sure and this will 100% be the team. But if Maroney is weak everywhere else (i.e. bars and beam, and I still don't really trust her floor, though I guess I haven't seen it since Worlds so I can't be too judgmental) I could see them taking a bars specialist instead of Maroney...and putting someone like Kyla or Aly on vault in Team Finals because even if their Amanars aren't the greatest, they'd still have three Amanars to work with, which would probably be more than any other team. The difference between Maroney and Kyla/Aly by how their Amanars look is immense, but I don't think the score would be different by more than a few tenths, so if vault is Maroney's ONLY thing to offer the team, I'd say they'd take a bars specialist who also has a good beam or floor or something.
ReplyDeleteThat's the one thing I keep battling in my brain, the Maroney vs a Bars Specialist, but otherwise at this point in the year, this is probably THE team. And I think I'd go with Raisman over Maroney just because she's basically the team mom and has her shit together mentally. I almost feel like MAYBE at PacRims they were without their fearless leader, so even though Jordyn stepped it up like whoa, Aly just has that role down pat, especially with their 2011 Worlds performance as evidence. I do think Jordyn, Gabby and Kyla in bars would be just fine, but I feel like Martha would maybe want someone with higher difficulty than Jordyn's or Kyla's...like two fierce routines, and then Jordyn OR Kyla. But I don't see anyone specific in that role at the moment. Anna Li's is high but if she didn't get a spot at JESOLO I doubt Martha would be like "sure, here's the bars spot on the Olympic team." The only person I see as a bars specialist is Nastia if she comes back with like, He Kexin's difficulty but can actually stay on the apparatus. I doubt this very much, which is why I'm leaning toward Maroney being on the team, but you never know.
Sorry for going on and on with speculations!
I'd swap in a healthy Becca Bross for Makayla (hate to do it, but she has that kickass bars set and a great FX) but use Makayla as the alternate. I concur that it would suck for everyone involved to leave a reigning world vault champion at home, though. No two ways about it, choosing this team is going to suck for a lot of talented gymnasts. =(
ReplyDeleteThis is EXACTLY my dream team! Great choices :) Here's wishing them health and happiness leading up to the big dance!
ReplyDeleteI would leave Aly at home and bring stronger bars and beam. If possible, it would be nice to have 3 people with higher scoring potential on bars then Jordyn. I know her bars are capable, but Ross, Douglas, and say Bross would be better. Aly's floor would be a good contribution but I don't know if it's worth the sacrifice on bars. Maroney has new floor and could be used in TF if she's consistent from Jesolo to Trials.
ReplyDeleteAlso, i think the scoring will be harsher at the olympics than pac rims and scam, so the difference between Douglas/Raisman's Amanars and Maroney's WILL be a factor. Maroney's is sublime, consistent, and high scoring. Douglas has already botched it once. Aly's was good at scam, but who knows if it'll stay consistent? Ross, Wieber, and Maroney would be the most reliable vault lineup, all with consistent and clean amanars. And Raisman I just know won't score as well internationally, she doesn't have the "look" that the judges love that Maroney and Ross have.
But at this point, with us not seeing anything from Liukin/Bross/Johnson in forever, this is the most likely team.
I agree - sub a healthy Bross for Moroney. Team is more important to MK than individual medals
ReplyDeleteI'd sub a healty Bross for Ross. Rebecca can score higher on bars and floor. Thier scores are similar on beam. Everyone seems to forget Rebecca can score 15 on three events. I really don't want to leave Mckayla Maroney home. You'd be losing a for sure gold medal. She can't be beaten, unless she falls. You can't say that about anyone else on any other apparatus.
ReplyDeleteWhy does Aly's Amanar still scare you? It looked fantastic at American Cup!
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised that you'd even consider putting Aly's bars in for prelims. I don't usually care about the "grace" versus "power" debate that Aly gets stuck in b/c winning is winning, but Aly's bars are really ugly. I'm not the most educated gymnastics fan and I thought her performance at American Cup on bars was really poor. I'd still love to see Shawn Johnson on this team. She has a great attitude and of all the comeback kids, I'd love to see her succeed. Plus, she could provide the leadership and maybe even extra support for Gabby. I know Nastia has the bars, but with such a small team, I couldn't see bringing someone with only one event. Same with Maroney - as much as I like her too. I'd say my dream team would be: Jordyn, Gabby, Ross, Bross and Shawn with Aly as the sub. I know that's perhaps not realistic though.
ReplyDeleteI like this team a lot. But I have a feeling if Douglas doesn't get her act together and do it fast, that we'll see Nastia or Becca Bross in for her. Then mentally, it'd be a pretty strong team! I also hear Sarah Finnegan has an AMAZING beam and floor, and an amanar? Who knows... Martha usually finds a way to surprise everyone.
ReplyDeleteHmmm very interesting!!! A lot of people are talking about your team being the olympic team. I think Maroney has a good shot because yes, she is a reigning world champ, she can help contribute to the team on floor and vault (and who knows what's happened to her bars and beam since worlds?); AND, a vault gold medal is a gold medal. She'd be the first ever American olympic vault champ; do they want to pass up that opportunity? While Raisman will probably make the team, I'd swap Bross for her. She's great on beam and floor (even though her choreo is AWFUL), and she's killer on bars. AND she's a fighter like no one else. I would also like to see bross get a gold medal of World or Olympic caliber before her body completely breaks down. Wieber's a lock unless she gets injured to the point where she can't compete, Ross I LOVE, she's gorgeous, so hopefully her, Douglas most likely, but I wouldn't have her compete floor; it's a joke. At least bars in TF, maybe just bars. It's what she did in 2011. HOPEFULLY not Raisman. She makes a mockery of herself and American gymnastics every time she goes out on the floor with her awful form, awful bars, and complete lack of artistry.
ReplyDeletei dont care who is on the team i only hope becca is.
ReplyDeleteWhat about the rule at worlds to medal at individual events...how does that factor in? Because the way I understood it was maroney and raismen would still be allowed to compete for those events even if they didn't make the team...
ReplyDeleteEww this team is gross on bars. If these 5 go to London, hello silver again.
ReplyDeleteLOL at Anonymous who said the now dubbed "Fierce Five" would get silver in London. Nice foretelling powers and it's a shame Maroney sat the second vault in event finals and lost the gold.
ReplyDeleteHow accurate!
ReplyDeleteWhen you're spot on with your team predictions five months before the Olympics.
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