Rick Mc

in praise of Olympic ‘replacement athletes’

After completing 17 workouts here in Brazil, they were as prepared as they could have been. …

“Mission accomplished!” Zmeskal-Burdette exclaimed. “Ragan, MyKayla, and Ashton walked out of training [yesterday] healthy and with heads held high, 100% prepared to step into the American Olympic lineup had they been called upon.” …

This could have been days in advance, or literally minutes, like Korea had to do after an athlete suffered an arm injury. The same intensity and focus required of the named team members is required of the replacement athletes. …

Inside Gymnastics

Congratulations to all the Olympic alternates in all sports.

Bryony Page Olympic silver medalist

Here’s a feel good story.

Bryony Page has won silver in the trampolining event at the Rio Olympics tonight. …

Page broke down in tears when she realised she was guaranteed a medal, with two athletes left to jump.

She was in such a daze that she couldn’t even see where to go to collect her medal. …

Bouncing Bryony’s amazing trampoline show: Comeback kid who missed out on London 2012 springs into shock silver place

Science of Men’s Gymnastics

A Gillette World Sport feature.

Click PLAY or watch it on Facebook.

(via Adam Patterson)

demonstration sport – Trampoline Diving

Click PLAY or watch it on Facebook.

(via Thomas Trapp)

Bars: Mustafina, Kocian, Scheder

1. Aliya Mustafina 🇷🇺 15.900
2. Madison Kocian 🇺🇸 15.833
3. Sophie Scheder 🇩🇪 15.566

Seitz 15.533
Shang 15.433
Lopez 15.333
full results

https://twitter.com/fullgymblog/status/764915279822462976

The right podium, I’d say, though I’d love to have seen Shang take home a medal. Those are critically important in China.

FIG WTC should devalue the piked Stalder as did the men a few years ago. The big release routines should be winning. They are – in reality – much more difficult.

Pommels: Whitlock, Smith, Naddour

Rule, Britannia!

1. Whitlock: 15.966
2. Smith: 15.833
3. Naddour: 15.700

Tommasone 15.6
Belyavskiy 15.4
Kuksenkov 15.233
Merdinyan 14.933
Verniaiev 12.4

full results

5 bronze 2 silver 2 gold at Olympic level between @maxwhitlock1 & @louissmith1989. You've changed this sport forever pic.twitter.com/K4vKS1we2B

— BritishGymnewstics (@BritishGymnews) August 14, 2016

I feel good for Alex Naddour. And for USA. He was fortunate today, however, to hang on to the Bronze.

.@Alex_Naddour had an AMAZING routine!

He takes home the BRONZE! #TeamUSA is SO proud of you! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/qUOuxtCl8b

— Team USA (@TeamUSA) August 14, 2016

The three least stretched circles are on the podium. Seems extension is not the priority of FIG MTC.

The new normal. No Chinese gymnasts in the Pommel final.

Vault: Biles, Paseka, Steingrueber

Yet another Olympic Gold medal for Simone Biles. Well deserved.

1. Simone Biles 🇺🇸 15,966
2. Maria Paseka 🇷🇺 15,253
3. Giulia Steingruber 🇨🇭 15,216

4. Karmakar 15.066
5. Wang 14.999
6. Hong 14.9
7. Chusovitina 14.833
8. Olsen 14.816
full results

Clearly FIG rules reward difficulty too much relative to execution. There’s too much incentive to chuck double fronts and Yurchenko triple twist despite a very low chance of landing safely. I’m embarrassed for FIG WTC. The E-score judges are ranking, not judging. Ranking in a very small range.

Just a small hop on the Amanar for Simone! #GOLD #USA #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/YpxcFd24pO

— Susie (@Gymtertainment) August 14, 2016

.@Simone_Biles does a fantastic Cheng to clinch the #gold medal on vault! #USA #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/Vva2UGx08L

— Susie (@Gymtertainment) August 14, 2016

Floor: Whitlock, Hypolito, Mariano

1 Whitlock 15.633
2 Hypolito 15.533
3 Mariano 15.433
4 Kenzo 15.366
5 Uchimura 15.241
6 Dalton 15.133

This is fantastic for Gymnastics in the host nation. Fantastic for the sport in South America.

#Rio2016 men's floor podium pic.twitter.com/8c3UMUBjJX

— The All Around (@theallaround) August 14, 2016

And fantastic for GBR. Congratulations Max.

What do you think of that @piersmorgan GOLD GOLD GOLD🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆#isthatgoodenough pic.twitter.com/0WokhS8R1Y

— Craig Heap OLY (@craigdavidheap) August 14, 2016

How many years ago would you have been laughed at for predicting GBR and BRA would win all 3 medals on FX at Olympics? 🙂

That said, overall it was a disappointing final. Some of the best guys in the world competed below average routines. Kenzo was as sure a lock for the Gold on this apparatus as we had in Rio.