What We’re Talking About
Gymnastics deserves to be treated with respect. That means giving the sport the best opportunity to succeed. The way to do that is not to have all of the conference championships on the same day, and many of them at the same time. You have all weekend for teams to compete, spread out the schedule and let the fans watch more gymnastics instead of making them choose and limiting viewership.
On that front, we attended a meet this past weekend and were met with a slap in the face. Heading into the final routines all the scores disappeared inside the arena! They were replaced with advertisements. Ridiculous! That meant if you wanted to know the team scores you needed to pull out your phone and stare at your tiny screen instead of watching what was happening inside the arena. This is unforgivable! Can you imagine any other major sport where at the end of the game (or meet) the scoreboard was intentionally shut off?
The logistics of the sport withstanding, the excellence on the floor continued. Seven more gymnasts posted perfect 10s, including: Makayla Maxwell, Mya Hooten, Chae Campbell, Emma Malabuyo, Gabby Wilson, Haleigh Bryant, and Mia Takekawa. This week also included the announcement of the AAI finalists (best senior): Kyla Bryant, Derrian Gobourne, Lexi Graber, Ona Loper, Trinity Thomas, Natalie Wojcik.
Feelings
- At any point in time you should be able to look around the arena or on your television screen during a gymnastics meet and know the score.
- While the conference championships don’t matter for most teams, seven of the nine meets will have at least one team trying to advance to the regionals. This should be the storyline of the broadcasts.
- Fisk made a great choice with their head coaching pick, Corrine Tarver Wright.
- Good for the Minnesota men for continuing to fight for their program.
- All the theaters in the U.S. should be screening Olga.
- Every decorated gymnast should have a sendoff like Kohei Uchimura.
- And Kenzo Shirai’s still got it.
- This is not directed at anyone specific, but if you’re a commentator and you say a routine is great, but don’t point out a single deduction; then the score comes up revealing multiple deductions taken… you haven’t done your job.
- You should subscribe to your local newspaper. It’s the Indy Star’s and OC Register’s of the world (along with GymCastic, of course), that continue to stay vigilante and break stories within the gymnastics world.
Facts
- 11,691: The average attendance of home LSU gymnastics meets this season, leading the nation for the first time ever.
- LSU also put up their highest score of the season, a 198.125 to best No. 4-ranked Utah.
- They were also the only team to score a 198+ this week.
- Michigan had their first ever sellout crowd for women’s gymnastics this week, bringing in 12,707 fans.
- Mia Takekawa became the first gymnast in Illinois history to score two perfect 10s in her career.
- Jade Carey score a 9.95 on every single event this week for a 39.800.
- Amazingly, it’s tied for her third best meet of the year.
- Leanne Wong had an even better meet. She posted a 39.850; scoring a 9.9750 on two of the four events, the others were 9.950s.
- Her teammate, Trinity Thomas, won the uneven bars title with a 9.975. It was her 96th event title, setting a Florida record.
- Chae Campbell posted a perfect 9.95 for the second week in a row.
- And then was perfect again on floor.
- And Emma Malabuyo put up the first perfect 10 of her career.
- Makayla Maxwell vaulted her way to her first perfect 10 as well.
Award(s)
- Best Ensemble Cast: UC Davis (every gymnast doing a different vault and dance/movie-themed floor routines).
What’s On the Socials?
Jessica Was Right Post!
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Norah Flatley (UCLA) – 2022 UC Davis @ UCLA
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Quotes
“If (Liukin) is under investigation and they know about it why are they sending him with minors out of the country?” ~ McKenzie Wofford, former WOGA gymnast
Wofford spoke with the OC Register about former Olympic Champion and WOGA coach, Valeri Liukin, who is under SafeSport investigation and will accompany the U.S. delegation to a competition in Stuttgart later this month.
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“I can still move and will convey to younger gymnasts how to pursue techniques in ways only I can offer…I want to be the one who knows most about gymnastics. I want to research it, popularize it and increase its value within society.” ~ Kohei Uchimura, The King
King Kohei discusses his continued involvement in the sport as he was celebrated in his gala event, “Kohei Uchimura the Final”
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“When it originally happened, I was like ‘Oh my gosh, is it me? Am I the problem?’ I came from a cut program to a cut program.” ~ Kylie Reese, Resilient University of Anchorage Alaska Gymnast
Kylie explains how she took a leap of faith in going to UAA after her program at Seattle Pacific was cut… only to land in Alaska to find our her new program was on the chopping block.
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What? You want even more? Be sure to check out our new College & Cocktails episodes for Club Gym Nerd members on Friday nights right after the competition. Then we give the sober analysis on Monday after we’ve allowed the data to penetrate our feelings.
This column was composed and compiled by Steve Cooper, Editor, GymCastic; as performed by hosts Jessica O’Beirne and Spencer Barnes.