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205: Day Two 2016 Women’s Olympic Trials

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WE DISCUSS

Uncle Tim, Spencer, Lauren, Cordelia Price  (aunt of 2014 World Cup Series Champion and 2012 Olympian alternate Elizabeth “Ebee” Price), Casey Magniesum and Jessica chat about:

  • Why each and every gymnasts was chosen as an alternate or team member. 
  • Why Marta didn’t go with the highest scoring team available. 
  • Which gymnasts hit 8 for 8 this weekend.
  • Everything that happened behind the scenes: 
    • Zac Lawson finally added to the permanently banned list at USAG website
    • GymSplaining
    • Parade of Olympians Concert
    • Best signs and t-shirts seen in the audience 
    • U.S.Slay t-shirts from Evan and his crew
    • Aly’s coaching is judging her at Olympic Trials
    • Parents: teach your kids to be good fans. Being a good fan is supporting the athlete, not making the athlete notice you.
    • Maroney live Periscoping during Trials 
    • Event host, John Macready, learned a new game and we were horrified. 
    • Why FloGymnastics isn’t here covering Trials; the USOC pulled their parent company’s credentials. 
  • Every competitors’ performances analyzed and discussed. 
  • Cordelia describes how Elizabeth Price’s family handled her being fourth all-around but named an alternate to the 2012 Olympic team–much like MyKayla Skinner

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RELATED EPISODES

 Selection Criteria

RELATED PHOTOS

Podium Training photo gallery here.

Night One photo gallery here.  Night Two photo gallery here. 

RELATED VIDEOS 

Watch this week’s playlist from Team USA on YouTube here. Or watch the NBC archived broadcast here.

Watch Deanna Hong’s new video in the 4 Years Later series on Jordyn Wieber here.

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Comments

  1. So Aly shouldn’t be in AA but Gabby should? It should absolutely be Simone, Aly, Laurie. Bars aside, Aly is amazing. Not everyone can be amazing at everything like Simone. Her bars have gotten better. Geez. What does she have to do to prove she has earned it?!

    Reply

  3. Answering your Latina/Hispanic question, I\’m fairly positive that 1984 Olympic team member Tracee Talavera was of Mexican heritage?

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  4. Surprised at the criticism of Aly doing the all around. She\’s one of the toughest and most consistent gymnasts out there, and her work ethic & sportsmanship are nothing short of inspirational. Woman\’s got TRUE GRIT

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  5. On the topic of AA gymnasts in contention for bronze who can break 58, I think the only gymnast you forgot to mention was Wang Yan. Assuming she goes clean, she\’s the most powerful Chinese gymnast since Fei, so vault and floor are set. She can be brilliant on beam and Chinese bars are Chinese bars so though Wang Yan relative to her compatriots is lacking on bars, she\’s still quite good. But like, she\’s problematic so idk but she has the ability

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  7. Aly\’s AA score speak for itself. She absolutely deserve an AA spot in qualification. She\’s more than compensate her relatively low bar score on all other 3 events and she improved on bars tremendously. Add to her AA scores the work ethic she has and her good attitude it\’s more than enough to give her an AA spot. She always work hard, giving all she\’s got and improving herself, not only when she absolutely needs to .

    In addition, though Laurie is a fantastic gymnast (!!!) all her scores in trials were super inflated. In reality, Aly and Laurie AA scores should have been much more closer to each other making them both equal contenders for the second AA spot in the AA finals.

    Truly hops Aly and Laurie will get to do AA in qualification!

    Reply

    • My sentiments exactly! Aly gives 100% all the time, not just when it counts. She leads this team with grace and humility. She may not be gifted on bars, but bless her for never giving it up and striving to improve. To say it\’s a subpar level 10 routine is not only insulting, but wrong. I don\’t know what what with her faults (as they were better at championships), but if she had landed them in bounds and not had her floor OOB on day 2, then her and Laurie would have been much closer with equal scoring.

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      • Absolutely. Aly scored 15.25 on her vault, which is fair. It\’s low for an amanar, as it should be because of her legs and landing. Her bars was 14.3-14.4 which is what she got all though 2012 and 2015/2016 domestically and internationally. Her beam was fair. They didn\’t count her layout or turn connection). And her floor was fair considering her landings and then the OOB on day 2. Laurie got huge vault scores for what is not a great vault. Higher than Gabby and Brenna. Then her day 1 bars….yeah not a 14.9. Beam was fair day 1, but crazy day 2. And then her day 1 floor was super high considering she bounced out all of her landings.

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  8. As always, great podcast! Loved the cookie break!!! Hilarious!! And Jennifer at the end…hilarious! And Russia is trash on floor……HILARIOUS!! Maybe the Rio fans will get trash from their dirty water and throw it on the floor as Russia performs.

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  9. I except Gabby making the team because of her bars and back-up ability on the other events, but if they try to put her in all-around at the expense of Aly after Aly came in 2nd at Nationals and 3rd at trials (while Gabby got 4th and 7th), I will be very upset. Gabby doesn\’t deserve an all-around spot without SIGNIFICANT improvements. I very much want all-around to be between Simone, Aly, and Laurie. I could understand Laurie being left off since she has the least experience, but I will be very angry if they try to leave Aly out.

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  11. I think it\’s time for Jessica to admit to being a shameless Gabby stan and be done with it! There\’s nothing wrong with it, but I think she should stick to praising Gabby instead of putting down Aly…like don\’t say Aly shouldn\’t get to do AA because she has bad bars, and instead just say \”Aly shouldn\’t because my favorite is Gabby and I like her bars better!\” Both statements aren\’t really good arguments and both are opinions, but one doesn\’t put down other athletes in favor of your favorite, if that makes sense.
    I\’m with Lauren in all of this though! I think Aly and Laurie have earned their AA spots.
    You guys should definitely listen to the NBC broadcast though, because there were many bad moments (ie Al calling Simone Gabby more than a couple times, and the narrative about Gabby starting Night 2 as \”maybe her last competition\” to \”Gabby\’s stock went up after that beam routine\”) that should be addressed with a Jessica rage.
    Also I really enjoyed hearing Cordelia\’s sensible thoughts, especially as someone close to an athlete with similar experiences. I love this podcast, and laughed a ton. Thanks to everyone!!

    Reply

    • AGREED. I’m glad the others in the podcast came to Aly’s defense at the end, and called out Jessica’s “Because that bar routine doesn’t belong in the AA” excuse as LAME. Such a BS, weak, meaningless argument. If we’re going to base who competes AA at the Olympics on this logic, there would be maybe 5 athletes total competing. I love how when they brought up Nastia’s vault as a similar example of a gymnast competing AA with a weak event, Jessica’s response was “But she stuck the crap out of it”. Love how a gymnast she loves can have an excuse, but not Aly. It’s obvious she likes Gabby better than Aly, so just admit that and move on.

      Reply

      • Yep. Aly’s bars in 2012 and 2015/2016 are usually 14.3-14.4. That’s respectable. Sure it’s not 15+, but neither is Gabby’s floor. Laurie’s vault should not be a 15+ vault.

        Reply

  12. Based on the comments, I thought there was going be major Aly bashing on the episode. All that happened was Jessica respectfully said she didn\’t think Aly should be in AA b/c of her bars, everyone respectfully disagreed.
    Even in the heat of the moment I can\’t believe that Skinner\’s family & coaches was upset she wasn\’t on the team. 1st no ever said that the team was going to chosen based on trial standings. Skinner had been a senior since 2012, she had many opportunities to prove she\’s a consistent dependable competitor (unlike alternates Ebee & Smith). I think Maggie should have gotten her alternate spot because she\’s way more consistent.

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  14. I find you people crazy who are saying that this gymnast proved themselves because they did good at this competition??? Really? No Marta isn’t going to care what you did 2 weeks ago she is going to use the training camps as the barometer of who is looking the best now who’s bringing their A-game now to decide who should have those spots to compete for the all-around competitionnot. Its not going to matter about the Olympic trials it’s not going to matter about P & G’s it’s going to matter about who’s hitting at the camp leading up to the games. and from what I have heard and what even Aly Raisman has said is that the camps are more stressful than the actual Olympics so the camp is going to be the deciding factor so let all your magical unicorn feelings go about who did what at this competition it’s not going to matter what matters now is the training camp that’s who’s going to cut the weak from the strong…. if Gabby Douglas doesn’t get it together at Camp I guarantee you that she will not be given an all-around spot to try to qualify… So we’ll see whose place is what at the actual Camp competitions when it really really really matters as we’re getting closer to the moment…. and if somebody is left out if somebody is put up that was unexpected it’s because of how they performed at camp and leading up to the competition. But to say that this gymnast did so good at the Olympic trials … that they should be given a shot at the all-around is a little premature

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  15. I was pulling for Skinner as she was absolutely on fire at Trials, but her behaviour since then has been indefensible. She retweeted an image of the team with her photoshopped in place of Gabby. Screencap link here in case she deletes: http://imgur.com/J4K0D9a

    I\’m not even pro-Gabby being on the team, but this is just bad sportsmanship.

    I hope the powers that be at Utah can whip her attitude and her image into shape. USAG failed to do that by not even giving her a public slap on the wrist after the n-word incident. At the very least, someone should be explaining to her that taking out your grievances publicly on other athletes tends to reflect more poorly on you than it does on them.

    Reply

    • I know! OMG. It’s going to be so awkward at camp if Gabby or the other girls saw any of her stuff on social media. She’s acting like an entitled brat. And honestly, her coach should have known better and better prepared her for disappointment. Everyone could see what the team was going to be for months now, even if we don’t agree with it.

      Reply

      • Yes, her retweets were bad. She has no sportsmanship whatsoever. And she posted a pic on Instagram captioned something like “yeah my bars were good.” There are so many other gymnasts who are more humble than her. Maggie would have loved to be in her spot.

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  16. Thank you soooooo much for giving us this podcast every week & for giving us multiple this week.
    Seriously, it always makes me smile.
    Adding to the Aly conversation…..
    She is amazing and such a hard worker…..but when I\’m not thinking about individual success and when I\’m purely thinking of the best team line up for qualifications, I would leave Aly out on bars. Lauren was saying how Mykayla & Madison would balance each other out (if Mykayla was on the team). Well for this team, Aly and Madison balance each other perfectly also (Madison on bars Aly on the other 3). That being said, I would love to see Aly in the All-Around. lol. She has definitely earned it, but it\’s hard to fit her bars in the qualifications puzzle.

    Reply

    • The team doesn’t need Gabby’s bar routine in qualifications, they need it in finals. They are going to qualify to finals no matter who competes what events, so they CAN put Aly up on bars in quals, giving her a chance to make the AA final.

      Reply

    • You get to drop a routine in qualifications. So I agree, just use Gabby in TF. If she can’t mentally handle that and perform for her team when it counts, then she shouldn’t be there. Aly’s bar score when she hits usually gets 14.3-14.4 at home AND internationally. So even if they had to count it, it wouldn’t be the end of the world.

      Reply

  17. Friendly reminder that Aly has outscored Flavia this year on bars. I look forward to Jess\’s rage when Flavia makes AA finals because her bars score doesn\’t belong there.

    Reply

    • Aly\’s averaged a 14.107 on bars this year. The average bars score in the 2015 Worlds AA was 14.133. Totally doesn\’t belong. . .

      Reply

      • That’s counting her fall though. Normally her bars are 14.3-14.4 domestically AND internationally. So according to your logic then nobody out of the top 8 competitors deserves to be in the AA because many of them get sub 14s on floor and beam. Ridiculous.

        Reply

    • I get that things could change at the camps, and that Aly could be scored lower internationally than at home, but I think at this point, it\’s totally fair and justified to say that she should get to fight for a spot in the AA.

      She has scored over a 59 in the all-around 6 times this year, with 2 scores over 60 and only 1 score below 59.5, which was at Classics when she fell on bars. She has beaten Laurie in head-to-head competition 3 times, and came in behind her twice. Those are pretty good odds that she could be second in the All-Around qualifications in Rio and COULD ABSOLUTELY FIGHT FOR A SILVER OR BRONZE MEDAL IN THE ALL-AROUND ITSELF.

      Why are these scores suddenly not relevant to the conversation of the All-Around just because it\’s Aly? It\’s like, oh, she\’s got a 60.5 AA score, but it doesn\’t count because her bars aren\’t as good as Gabby\’s. Like, is bars suddenly the most important score in gymnastics? It\’s just confusing.

      Reply

      • Agree completely. Plus I just dont feel like someone (Gabby) who puts in the bare minimum to get by and make the team should be rewarded. And historically, Aly is the one scores the closest internationally compared to how she does at home. I forget who did the comparison chart but it showed that at the Olympics Aly either scored higher or about the same as she did at Nationals/Trials in 2012. All the other girls scored lower at the Olympics. If Laurie and Aly both get the chance, it’s a total toss up. Either could beat the other on a given day. So as much as I love Aly, I know Laurie could be her. and that’s fine. But Aly should get the chance.

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  18. \”If you\’re still listening…who ARE you and tell us WHY??\” Bahahahahahahahahahahahaha Freaking love you guys! That\’s who! It\’s like I\’m in the room with you laughing the whole time. Minus the wine. I wish I had wine.

    Reply

  20. Mykayla Skinner, bless her little heart. She definitely needs some cultural diversity training after yet another unsophisticated, racist tweet. I hope she learns from her mistake! #TwoStrikes

    Reply

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