Hello, and welcome to Gymnastics Insider!
The U.S. elite season kicked off in earnest this week with U.S. Classic, the annual cobwebs competition (results, routines playlist, broadcast replay).
The thing about U.S. Classic is that it is far from being a full representation of the program, and leaves you wanting so much more. Luckily, nationals are coming Aug. 4-10 (qualifiers), so we will soon get more information that will no doubt confuse us even further.
In the meantime, we have Reese Esponda (54.900), who took the all-around title with four solid routines. She started on bars, where she had a break in her toe full, but kept her cool and was fabulous for the rest of the routine, including her gorgeous piked gienger. Her lovely beam featured a roundoff bhs stepout mount and a triple wolf turn. She moved on to floor, competing a double double landed with her chest down and her trademark whip half to double tuck. Finally, her DTY had messy feet at the end but was hit.
It was a great day for her. One thing that struck me about Esponda was her composure; she had the comportment of someone who was talking herself down the whole time. Whatever she was doing, it paid off. Not only did she win all-around gold and beam bronze, she also beat Jade Carey on floor with a 13.950.
This is obviously great news for Esponda, and I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer (womp womp), but this doesn’t necessarily mean she’s America’s Next Top Gymnast. Depending on who’s healthy at nationals, she could very well go back to being buried in the results list.
For example: Jade Carey (54.050) came in second, but she was not at full capacity in this competition. Far from it.
On beam, she had a lot of errors but it was good for a first outing. On floor, she competed her FTDLO with a hop back, but it was clear she has the height for more; her full-in was too easy for her, too. Then, she did a double tuck that looked like she could have landed on a chair.
Her DTY was flared with just a tiny step on the landing; her Lopez was similar. By this point, I assume she was incredibly bored. On bars, she had small form errors throughout but her FTDLO was awesome, with just a tiny hop back. Carey’s back, but she’s saving the hard stuff for later.
Speaking of veterans, Skye Blakely won bars and beam with two beautiful sets. Bars (14.100) was everything we’ve come to expect from her aside from split legs on a toe full, and her double front half was excellent.
On beam (14.250), she put her leg up on her standing full, but her front handspring front tuck combo was glorious and she just had a step on her double tuck. It’s refreshing to watch her leaps because I think, oh right, that’s what 180 looks like. Give Blakely all the medals.
Congratulations, you’ve made it to the Katelyn Ohashi portion of this newsletter. She was the star of this show.
Ohashi looked so confident on beam, including with her beautiful bhs stepout loso combination. She had a couple of small wobbles, including on her wolf turn, but walked away with a 13.200. Her floor had just two passes and her D was only a 4.8. But she executed well, including a stuck double pike, for another 13.200.
She definitely won the applause-o-meter portion of the competition. Unfortunately, her 26.400 total was shy of the 26.800 needed to qualify to nationals. USAG also confirmed to Forbes that there will be no petitions to nationals, leaving Ohashi’s future unclear.
One more old timer before we get back to the all-around: Leanne Wong only competed on beam to save her wrist. She looked nervous to me, and I wonder if she was thinking ahead to future skills where she would have to put her hand down, because instead of connecting out of her side aerial, she just hopped right off the beam and got an 11.900. Time is short before nationals, but hopefully she can get some serious healing done before then.
Moving back to the all-around, Zoey Molomo had an excellent day, earning a 53.900 with four solid routines to nab bronze. She started on floor, where she was short on her DLO and super short on one of her leaps. But I appreciated the height she got on the rest of them, and stuck her double tuck cold. She did an Yurchenko 1.5 that had knee form in the air but was landed well with only a hop forward.
On bars, her D was low but she hit, nearly sticking her front double tuck. Her coach lost her shit, which is always a delight. Finishing on beam, she had a wobbly side aerial loso, and a double back with just a small hop.
Clearly Molomo has a lot to contribute here. She has plenty of experience both at home and internationally, and has been overshadowed by others all this time. I wonder if she could add a second vault to her arsenal to make herself more competitive.
First-year senior Isabella Anzola showed incredible poise here to come in fourth with a 53.100. Her beam was a highlight; the only real visible error was a step on her double pike.
Moving on to floor, I felt for her ankles on her DLO, but she had great extension on her leaps, all of which is on brand for WOGA. She competed a FTY that was seriously piked down at the end (Valeri made a face). Still, it looks like she could fit another twist in.
She finished on bars, where she was super short on her clear hip half and again on her stalder full. Then, on her maloney and stalder, she had to muscle up to a handstand, and she had large leg separation on her pak. It just looks like she’s not strong enough for this routine yet, or perhaps was just tired from, well, everything.
The junior national silver medalist was not on my scorecard before, but here she showed that she has great potential. Onward to nationals!
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Errata
- Meet your handstand contest winner!
- “How fun is life?” asks Katelyn Ohashi. You do not want to hear my answer. https://www.instagram.com/p/DbGPCF_FCtG
- Wong lent her leo to Elaina Sliney for the day. Entrepreneur, elite athlete, philanthropist … is there anything she can’t do?
- Morgan Hurd took gorgeous photos at the competition.
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games have begun (roster, live results)! For gym, there is a tight, tight schedule — all women’s competitions will be held over four days, with no break days in between. This obviously not ideal, and it’s also not fair, as the dudes did qualifications yesterday and therefore get a much-deserved rest day today.
With that off my chest, here’s your schedule (all times UK).
Saturday, 10:00 a.m. — Team final and qualifications
Sunday, 6:00 p.m. — All-around final
Monday — Vault (1:45 p.m.) and bars (3:40 p.m.)
Tuesday — Beam (1:50 p.m.) and floor (3:38 p.m.)
Twelve teams and 58 athletes will compete on the women’s side. In the team final, expect Canada and Australia to fight it out for the top two spots, with England and Wales to follow.
Lia-Monica Fontaine is the top talent on Team Canada, and maybe the whole competition, having scored a 54.350 at nationals this year. She (and the rest of her team, for that matter) struggled at Pan Ams, so hopefully we’ll get to see her reach her full potential internationally here. Star veteran Ellie Black will be there as well, albeit with watered-down routines.
Top all-arounders Breanna Scott, who scored a 53.265 at Australian Championships earlier this year, and Georgia Godwin, the reigning Comms champion, lead Team Australia.
National silver medalist Ruby Stacey leads England, which is operating without some of its top talent, including Taeja James, who has withdrawn from the competition. Ruby Evans, the British national champion, will compete for Wales here, along with Abigail Roper.
Incidentally, all three of the four top teams will compete in the same subdivision, which competes at 6:20 p.m. Follow Wales in the previous subdivision at 3:45 p.m.
For the all-around, in addition to those already mentioned, look out for Tiana Sumanasekera, who will be there representing Sri Lanka after recently switching her nationality from the U.S. And I’m rooting for South Africa’s Caitlin Rooskrantz, African Champs all-around silver medalist and the top all-arounder from Africa to compete.
How to watch, you ask? From the looks of it, this event will be largely inaccessible to all except the select few who have subscriptions to TNT Sports. I’m afraid we’ll have to rely on socials for this one, guys.
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Training leo roundup
Look at Team England’s beautiful training leos! Team Canada also shared training highlights. Here are Australia’s podium training leos.
Wales, too.
More news
Nadia Comaneci says that Romania has the cash to pay for their ongoing CAS battle over the 2024 floor bronze medal, Forbes reports. Surely, the matter can be resolved before the start of the next Olympics, right? Right?
George Washington gymnastics alum Sarah Zois called her former coach an “abuser” in an Instagram story. If you’re unfamiliar, Reddit has some background, though I can’t vouch for it.
Jayla Hang chatted about her comeback struggles with Inside Gymnastics. She had wrist surgery, and developed an allergy to the screw that was inserted. Yikes.
For those who speak French, Elena Colas was featured on French TV.
Simone Biles and Laurent Landi were photographed together. Biles posted an IG story with the caption “always good to catch up” which means whatever you want it to mean, Frank.
Five at the IX: Sunisa Lee discusses comeback
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