choosing the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team

Gymblog predicts this Team:

1. Paul Hamm
2. Jonathan Horton
3. Kevin Tan
4. Justin Spring
5. Morgan Hamm
6. Sean Golden

Alt. 1: Raj Bhavsar
Alt. 2: David Durante

But admits it’s a bit of a shot in the dark.

Perfect 10:

1. Paul Hamm
2. Jonathan Horton
Justin Spring
Sean Golden
Joseph Hagerty
Raj Bhavsar
Kevin Tan

Now that Jonathan and Paul are booked to Beijing, the 5-man selection committee must “build” the rest of the team around them.

Let’s assume that Kevin Tan will be approved next.

Who has the best apparatus to compliment those three?

Andrew Thornton thinks all these guys are still under consideration:

Morgan Hamm
Raj Bhavsar
Sasha Artemev
Joseph Hagerty
Justin Spring
Sean Golden
David Durante

Yewki Tomita

Gymnast.com

Andrew feels the next obvious candidate is Raj Bhavsar, who had a brilliant trials and a brilliant year. (Raj just missed out in 2004 so many, including myself, are rooting for him.)

In that case, the final spots will be chosen based on what Raj brings to the team. OR … is there a better selection of event specialists without using a strong all-arounder like Raj?

No one wants to consider the possibility. But what is the back-up Team if Paul cannot compete all apparatus. Specifically, what if Paul is not ready to do Pommel Horse in Beijing?

Does that skew the selection at all?

Should they keep Yewki though the next stage just in case he will be needed on Pommel Horse?

More speculation: Sports Illustrated

… I hope the computer analysis helps the selectors tonight.