Sunday, May 27, 2012

Inconsistencies keep Chellsie out of Nationals.

Property of Heather Maynez
I don't mean Chellsie being inconsistent, I mean the selection committee.

I originally thought that being a Pan Ams Team member wouldn't put you through to Visas. It's not mentioned on the Elite Qualification Chart whatsoever. But then, in the Olympic Selection procedures, I discovered this listed as a way to qualify.

"By being one of the seven (7) members of the 2011 World Championships or one of the six (6) members of the 2011 Pan American Team."  


If you remember, Chellsie was named to the team and after sustaining an injury and was replaced by Grace McLaughlin.

But she was replaced by an alternate, so she must not be considered a team member, right?! WRONG.

Gabrielle Douglas was supposedly originally the alternate for the Worlds Team. Thus, Anna Li & Alicia Sacramone both sustained injuries and were replaced. Yet, they are still being allowed to proceed to Championships even though they did not compete as part of the World Championships team.

This is a blatant inconsistency. It's not okay in the slightest. I don't know why the rules are different for Chellsie and Alicia, 2 wonderful gymnasts who have given a combined 20+ years to USAG, but it is downright wrong. It's not okay.

EDIT 5/28/12:  I just found out that Juniors Lacy Dagen and Ashley Foss were put through to Championships without receiving the qualifying score of 52.5. Neither of the two have ever qualified to Championships before. Although the two are beautiful gymnasts, please, tell me why the selection committee will bend the official rules for 2 juniors, but not bend the unofficial rules (meaning getting a 14.0) for a former World Champion.

45 comments:

  1. Ummm.... Anna Li was originally the traveling alternate and Shawn Johnson was the non-traveling alternate.
    http://usagym.org/pages/post.html?PostID=8618
    And, both Alicia and Anna Li qualified as national team members who verified at the NTC.

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    1. "Ummmmmmm"... Anna Li wasn't named the alternate until after they concluded that she was too injured. Insiders have said that time and time again.

      Alicia and Anna did not compete 4 events, and I'm almost certain that Anna would not have earned the necessary score on 2 events with the beam that she was competing.

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  2. I believe that Anonymous is correct!

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  3. If you look at what you wrote...it said on the the 7 members so that includes the alternate.

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    1. The point is that they did not compete and were replaced BY the one who was originally the alternate, just like Chellsie.

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    2. but chellsie never even travelled to mexico, whereas anna and alicia both did, ready to compete....chellsie CHOSE to back out of the pan ams and alicia and anna were UNABLE to compete because of injuries. it would be like saying that shawn could have gotten through to nationals just because she was a non-travelling alternate(this is saying if she didn't go to pan ams and qualify there).

      did chellsie petition to nationals before the secret classic like nastia did? or did she wait until AFTER she didn't qualify, because if she waited til after then they would have no reason to accept her petition.

      everyones saying that nastia should have special rules and everything but as an olympic aa champion she should have the privelege to break the rules a little bit, don't ya think?

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  4. I think the difference is that Alicia and Anna both travelled to Tokyo to train/compete and circumstances came into play. Chellsie withdrew and was replaced before the Pan Am games started...therefore did not earn the credentials like Alicia and Anna.

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    1. That's a valid point. I still think that because she was named, she was logistically on the team. I feel like she should be put through because of that.

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    2. I honestly think that when the team members go to the competition they get the credentials and since Chellsie never physically received credentials and there were no credentials in her name, since she had already withdrawn from the team, that she doesn't count as a team member.

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  5. It would have been different if they had flown shawn in so Alicia and or Anna were replaced. No one on the 7 member team were replaced.

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  6. Who cares if you got on the plane or not. You were either named to the team or not. And she was.

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    1. she never received credentials from the competition.....

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    2. I agree, Chellsie never received credentials from Pan Ams... May I also remind you that way back in October when the Team for both World's and Pan Ams were announced... If was only after learning that she did not make the world team and was relegated instead to the Pan Am team, that Chellsie revealed her injury and backed out 2 days later.

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    3. I remember it coming out almost immediately that Chellsie had been named but that she was going to pull out to have sugery. I think things might have been different if she had made the world team? She might have gone and not had surgery until afterwards, but because the panams aren't that prestigious the surgery was a better option. I wonder how this would have rubbed off on the selection committee. The might have interpreted it the wrong way? I think this definitely plays into the fact that she is not considered to be on that team..

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    4. I agree. I think that Chellsie's decision to suddenly reveal her injury and back out of the competition to which she was assigned, (probably because it wasn't Worlds like she wanted), definitely played a part in the decision to deny her petition. If Chellsie wanted to make it to Visa's, dropping out of Pan Ams was a mistake.

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    5. Credential schmedentials. This is not an international event. It's nationals. It's internal. I personally don't care if a governing body OTHER than USAG credentialed her, as long as USAG named her to the team.

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  7. Chellsie showed up to compete at the U.S. Classic, unlike some gymnasts, and even performed beam and floor in podium training. That showed commitment and that she truly wanted it (again, unlike some gymnasts). Unfortunately, competition night didn't go Chellsie's way, but I definitely think her petition should've been granted. Even if she didn't qualify or get invited to Olympic Trials, one final Nationals would've been a commemorative way to end her terrific career. Chellsie is an amazing gymnast, and I'm sad to think of a gymnastics future without her in it. :(

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    1. She's going to be judging! She won't be away from gymnastics :)

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    2. That's awesome! But I meant I'm going to miss seeing Chellsie in competition performing her exciting, rock-solid routines and winning medals.

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  8. Chellsie contributed so much to USA gymnastics over the past decade or so. She should be allowed to finish her career at Nationals. I'm furious about this nonsense.

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  9. Two sets of rukes. One for Nastia and one for everyone else.

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    1. Nastia and Chellsie had the same petition. They needed a 14.000 to go to Nationals. Nastia did it, Chellsie didn't. Though, I do agree that Chellsie should be at Nationals, she deserves it.

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    2. You're an idiot. Nastia did not make Nationals based on her beam routine. Her petition was approved BEFORE CLASSICS.

      Try and get that through your very thick skull

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  10. MEMMEL 2012

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  11. Www.change.org/petitions/usa-gymnastics-usag-Olympic-selection-committee-Steve-penny-Allow-gymnast-Chellsie-Memmel-to-compete-at-the-national-championships


    Sign the petition everyone!!! Spread the link I already emailed spenny@usagym.org

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  12. does anyone know an address i can send her fanmail?!

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  13. Rules were bent for Shawn Johnson last year her petition was approved without her meeting the 2 event minimum qualifying score

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  14. Well, the Jrs were VERY close to the qualifying score. We've seen USAG lower the qualifying score a bit to add more people to Nationals. And top 13 out of 20 something is Nationals worthy. But doing one event and scoring an ELEVEN when you were asked to get a 14? That's where Memmel got in trouble. It was the worst score of the competition.

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  15. so if everyone wants chelsie to get a free pass to nationals i assume you all want casey jo magee to get one as well? seeing as she didnt meet the set requirements at classics either.

    chelsie was named to the pan am team yes, but two days later she turned down the assignment. unlike anna li and alicia sacramone she did not train for her assignment or even travelled to the competition alongside the rest of the team. she opted out well before that and was then replaced by someone who did in fact travel to the competition with the team.

    furthermore she decided not to show up for camps despite knowing that the older girls do not have to train as long hours with as many reps as the younger girls. by doing so she hasnt shown any of her progress through out the season or verified any routines. all she did was show up at classics with a less than satisfactory beam routine along with a bit of podium training. she posted the lowest score out of 21 beam scores IIRC and was more than 2 full points under the set 14... that really isnt up to scratch in my opinion...

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  16. Oh please, Chellsie had two fluke falls. THAT NEVER HAPPENS! Both her & her dad have stated that USA gym, DID NOT MAKE IT CLEAR THAT YOU NEED A 14 TO GET THROUGH. She could/would have competed an easier routine & easily scored a 14. Her podium training looked great. Especially floor. Which included a DLO. Chellsie had the HIGHEST beam score of day one at Visas. Better than everyone. A plus 15 routine. We all Knoe Chellsie can easily hit that score. I doubt if Nastia had fallen, her petition would have been denied. This is Marta giving Chellsie a big f*uck off, for not attending camp!!!!!! Which Chellsie has stated is to hard on the bodies of older athletes and she was coming back from a shoulder injury. One of the selection me member is rumored to have said, she took the summer off. It's called rehab a-hole. Chellsie deserves better!!!! @USAGym should be embarrassed, for theirr treatment of one of their legends!

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  17. *know

    -me *members

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  18. come on - an easier routine and easily scored a 14? that wouldnt have happened, even if shed stayed on the beam with the routine she had she wouldnt have scored a 14. shes not who she was a year ago when she rocked up out of nowhere and scored 15+, shes done amazing things for usag and been one of the most loved gymnasts but her time has come, too many injuries and her body cant take it anymore.

    and by not showing up at camp how can you expect the selection committee to know where you're at and what you're capable of? thats what camps and verifications are for. its not like there was one single camp - she had multiple chances to go and simply show her progress. like nastia who went in january.

    she took a big risk by not verifying routines earlier in the season and by only competing one routine at classics. she posted the lowest score of the day on beam and it wasn't enough. sad but true.

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  19. come on - an easier routine and easily scored a 14? that wouldnt have happened, even if shed stayed on the beam with the routine she had she wouldnt have scored a 14. shes not who she was a year ago when she rocked up out of nowhere and scored 15+, shes done amazing things for usag and been one of the most loved gymnasts but her time has come, too many injuries and her body cant take it anymore.

    and by not showing up at camp how can you expect the selection committee to know where you're at and what you're capable of? thats what camps and verifications are for. its not like there was one single camp - she had multiple chances to go and simply show her progress. like nastia who went in january.

    she took a big risk by not verifying routines earlier in the season and by only competing one routine at classics. she posted the lowest score of the day on beam and it wasn't enough. sad but true.

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  20. if the let Bross through they should let Memmel through.. Memmel can out perform Bross on bars anyday..

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  21. well bross scored 28.55 and thereby met the 28 score requirement

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  22. What has Casey Jo Magee done to merit a petition because last time I checked she has done nothing.

    Memmel is hurt still because she saved our ass's in 2007 competing on a bad shoulder. It has never been the same sense.

    Nastua fucking Liukin fans make me sick. We all see through your hidden agenda's.

    Nastia didn't earn her way to Nationals. They accepted her petition before she competed one event and there is no one event score. Marta made that up.

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    1. wow seriously!! Do you enjoy the sport? or the gymnasts. No one is saying put her on the olympic team.. IMO 1 missed routine should not determine your life long dreams or define you. I cant even say Chellsie is my favorite gymnast but, play fair. "SECRET"Classic is the right name.

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  23. All this is crazy.....there is no harm in being respectful of Chellsies accomplishments and getting a free pass to Nationals. Seems to me that any World or Olympic decorated gymnast should be allowed that free pass....it's polite....it is respect.
    Let her compete....there is no harm in letting her compete!

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  24. Agreed. I don't think she could ultimately be on the Olympic team, BUT for all the years she's put into the sport I think deserves to be at nationals. It's painful to think about how much work she has put into this comeback alone just to do ONE botched beam routine. It hurts my heart.

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  25. I agree, also. Given her medical history that we know about, I could almost see the point in not continuing to train if there was no way for her to make the Olympics. It seems like her body always craps out on her at the worst times. That being said, I would let any past world/Olympic team member compete in Nationals whenever the hell they want. Even if they can't do crap, fans would live to see them. Making the team once before seems more than ample reason to allow a petition.

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  26. Chellsie took a risk by competing beam at Classics. She could have gone to one single camp and then tried a straight injury petition to Nationals. I'm sure she would have made it.

    Shawn took a risk by not competing at Classics. She's not keeping herself in the selection committee's mind and she's losing out on competition experience. Chellsie had the opportunity to gain both of these things at Classics, but her particular risk didn't pay off.

    Chellsie didn't perform and she didn't deign to even go to one camp. She has a right to play by her own rules, but she doesn't have a right to play by her own rules AND have everything go the way she wants it.

    It's disrespectful to Chellsie's accomplishments to deny her petition? I call it disrespectful to all the other athletes who trained and qualified to give Chellsie a free pass.

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    1. So what about last year when Shawn did not meet the minimum score at classics (a 28 for two events) but still was allowed to go to Nationals?

      Given all the injuries that have come out of those camps, Chellsie was smart to have to push her body through that and I think it's absolutely ludicrous that Marta demands it. Marta needs to go

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  27. Oh dear Lord. Didn't know about the PanAms thing. Why Marta whyyyyy?!?!

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