World's Team Prediction UPDATED

You heard it here folks! My world team predictions for the good 'ole US of A!

Let's see if I end up being right, because last year I was a clueless sap who thought the team was made up of only 5 people! Imagine!

I digress...

Simone Biles
Aly Raisman
Maggie Nichols
Bailie Key
Gabrielle Douglas
Kyla Ross OR Madison Kocian (this part remains to be seen)

Alt: Kyla (if not named), Maddie K (if not named), Mykayla Skinner, Nia Dennis

The lineup for Quals if Ross makes the team (fingers crossed!)

VT: Ross, Key, Raisman, Nichols, Biles
UB: Raisman, Biles, Douglas,  Key, Ross
BB: Key, Nichols, Raisman, Ross, Biles
FX: Ross, Nichols, Key, Raisman, Biles

What do you think???

Nationals Leotard Panel

Welcome to my first ever LEOTARD PANEL! Because I am relatively new to the gymternet and haven't earned much street cred, my panel consists of myself and my two sisters! M is 24 and pretty much clueless about gymnastics and E is 16 and knows a bit more than the average joe. I don't have every leo on here, just the ones that stuck out to me in a good or bad way. Let's get to it! Note that these are randomly ordered, not by rating.

*All pictures from the PGchamps website, I do not own these images.

 Kyla Ross (Gym-Max) Day 1

G: I'm over the color pink for leotards but this one is pretty enough. I like the half detailing on the chest but I don't like the material on the sleeves-I hate mesh in any form. I'll give it a 7.5
M: I really like the color and detailing, 8 from me.
E: I'm not a big fan of the color pink in leotards and I feel like other than the design, it's kind of boring. I'll give it a 6.

Nia Dennis (Legacy Elite) Day 1

G: Something really strange is going on on the chest. It looks like the fabric underneath was split in two. The diagonal pattern is ok but the mesh is bad, I just don't get what the vision is for this one. It's a 4 from me.
M: Oh I don't like it, I dislike everything about it  I just think it's a weird design, 4.
E: Oh I don't like that at all. What is going on in the middle? I don't like the ombre, the middle or the design. I'll give it a 4.

Emily Schild (Everest) Day 1

G; I like the black/white/silver color scheme and the crystals are nice and understated. It is a little boring though so I'll give it a 7.5
M: I think it's very boring and I don't like the black and white. I'll give it a...6.
E: I really like that actually, I think it's really classic. I like the silver a lot. 7 from me.

MyKayla Skinner (Desert Lights) Day 1

G; Enough with the pink. I actually would like this in another color, even the mesh isn't terrible. I think it would have looked lovely in a shade or purple or a deep blue.
M: It's decent but I don't like the criss-cross pattern. 6 from me.
E: Again, not a big fan of the pink. And I don't like the mesh arms. That said, I do like the sparkly detailing. I'll give it a 6.

Gabby Perea (Legacy Elite) Day 1

G: I really like this leotard, the colors are great together and the desighn is just classic. 8.5
M: I like that a lot, the color combination and the classic design are working well. 9 from me. 
E: Ok, yeah I like that. I think it's really nice and I feel like it's not too crazy but enough to catch your eye. I like the blue and white and silver. I'll give it an 8.

Deanne Soza (Arete) Day 1

G: Bless you Deanne and your own personal color scheme. I love her blue and yellow leos, they stand out and always look so polished. This one is no exception, I'll give it a 9.
M: Um, I think it looks boyish but for some reason I do still like it. I'll give it a 7.
E: Um, just nothing really special about that. I'm not really a fan of blue and yellow and I feel like it's kind of boring. So I'll give it a 5.

Grace Quinn (Texas Dreams) Day 1

G: Here's a pink leo that I think works ok. I like the sleeves but they're a little abrupt, like maybe they could somehow be incorporated better. I'll give it a 7.5
M: I like the black and pink and the simplicity and how the sleeves are different. 8 for me. 
E: I don't like this. I don't like pink and black and the way it looks but if the middle was a different color than the sleeves would work. I'll give it a 6.

Jazmyn Foberg (MG Elite) Day 1

G: Jazzy and Laurie were WEARING these leo's! I love the ombre colors, 8.5.
M: Too much going on, too many colors. I don't like yellow and pink together so I'll give it a 6.
E: That's different, it reminds me of a sunset and I think it's fun and summery. And the little arm details are nice. It'll be an 8 from me.

Simone Biles (World Champion's) Day 1

G; Ugh, another one spoiled by pink. If the top was red and the bottom blue a little lighter, I'd be sold. As it is, just meh. 7
M: Simone Biles! I love Simone Biles but this leo is just ok and a lot to look at. I'll give it a 7 too. 
E: Ok, I love you Simone and I really love the pink white and blue but I would like it a lot better if it had been red instead of pink because I don't like pink as much on leo's. But overall I think it's really nice and pretty so it's an 8 from me.

Aly Raisman (Brestyan's) Day 1

G; I'm all for a nice classic white leo so this one is good but those Brestyan girls just love their mesh, don't they??? It's still an 8 though
M: Oh I actually like that, I think it's kind of cool and not something you see a lot. 8 from me. 
E: I"m not a big fan of white so I feel like the color or lack there of isn't usually super flattering. Although I think on Aly it looks alright so I'll give it a 7.

Maddie Desch (GAGE) Day 1

G: Ok, let's be honest, the only thing worst than mesh is nude mesh. Without it this would have been pretty, I like the GAGE flowers, they're unique. So it's a 6.5
M: I think it's a little too childish, I do like flowers though, 6.5.
E: Ugh, ok at first I thought the flower was a star which would have been better as a representation of the US. When I realized it was a flower I did not like it at all and I don't like the colors or nude arms. 5 from me.

Maggie Nichols (Twins City Twisters) Day 1

G: I'm not a fan. I don't like the color or the weird stomach design. I feel like besides the ombre sleeves, it's been way overdone. 5.5
M: Um, I just think it's just kind of boring and I don't know what else to say about it. 6 from me. 
E: Overall I like the design of this leo but if it were in a different color the rating would be high. So 6.

Gabrielle Douglas (Bukceye) Day 1

G: I can get behind a nice patriotic leotard and I like the base color being blue instead of the more typically used red. That being said, it's a bit plain. Even so, it earns a respectable 8.
M: I like that, I like the USA colors and it's classic and cool. 8.5
E: Um, I think this is really nice and patriotic. I like the sleeves too. It's a 9.

Bailie Key (Texas Dreams) Day 1

G: I didn't know what to think of this at first. Did I hate it, did I love it? Turns out I love it and give Bailie some mad props for having the moxie to rock this. It's a 9!
M: Well I like the fact that it's a throwback and I think the argyle is really unique but that being said, it's a little crazy. I'll give it an 8.
E: (Laughs) I think that the throwback is cute but the leo is not in the right time period and it's a little too funky. I'll give it a 5.

Alyssa Bauman (WOGA) Day 1

G: No pink for WOGA on this night and I am loving it. I love black and white, just classy. 8.5
M: Hmmm, I feel like it's just another boring one but it is classic so 8 I guess. 
E: Yeah I really like this color scheme and I think it's really nice so I'd rate it a 9.

Rachel Gowey (Chow's) Day 1

G: Ok so this one looks a bit like a swimsuit but I'm liking it. The color is nice but something about the sleeves is a little off. It's an 8.
M: Oh I like that! I like blue and green together and it looks really sporty so it's a 9!
E: I like the green and blue together and I like how it's plain up until the sleeves. Overall I think it's really classy so I rate it a 9.

Bailie Key (Texas Dreams) Day 1

G: I got a glimpse of her and thought, "She can't seriously be wearing a tuxedo leotard." And then she was and I love it. It fit her so well and just looked awesome and cool. I swear these two leotards have made me a fan of Bailie Key. 9.5

M: Oh that's kind of cool, I like the idea. 9 

E: I don't get the point of this but I suppose it's fun and quirky that she is wearing a tuxedo leotard. I'll give it an 7.

Kyla Ross (Gym-Max) Day 2

G: It's very sparkly and takes those crystals to a place they've never gone before. It's reminiscent of an figure skating costume but I like it. Tone down the sparkles and lighten up that blue it would be that much better. It's still a 9 for me.
M: Um, I don't know how to feel about it I just think there's a LOT happening. But still looks nice so I'll give it a 7.5. 
E: Ok I like hat a lot and think it's really pretty. The red and blue and the sparkles all just look really put together and lovely. I'll give it a 9.

Rachel Gowey (Chow's) Day 2

G: I really like the design and the outlining is great, even the color is ok. Still a bit overdone so I'll give it a 7.5.
M: I like that, I just like that classic look I think it look just classic gymnastics. 8 from me.
E: I like the white an I actually don't mind the shade of pink. I think the silver detail is alright. I'll probably give it a 7.

Ashton Locklear (Everest) Day 2

G: Yikes, that bubble gum pink and plain design. 4
M: I kind of like it but it is very bright so it's a 6.5.
E: Is it just pink? I'm not impressed with this at all considering it's plain and a kind of ugly shade of pink. 4.

Gabrielle Douglas (Buckeye) Day 2

G: Snooze fest. 5
M: That's nice but a little boring, 7. 
E: Ok, I love this one, I love it a lot. I"m a sucker for purple and I think everything looks really put together. Overall I'd give it a 9.5.

Brenna Dowell (GAGE) Day 2

G: Ugly nude sleeves and not a fan of the colors or even the design, it's a 6.
M: That's kind of cool, I like the swirls and like the ombre. I'll give it a 7.
E: I think the swirls are different but the sleeves just leave me with a bad taste in my mouth. With different colors and sleeves I would rate higher but it is what it is so a 6.

Mykayla Skinner (Desert Lights) Day 2

G: Oh dear, nude sleeves and a strange neckline. I looooove green but this is just wrong, 5.5.
M: I really don't like that. I don't like the color or the nude or the design. I'll give it a 4.
E: No, it's ugly! It looks like the start of some kind of hoochey dress and the nude sleeves make it even worse. I feel like using emerald green could have been done such better and been stunning but this is just not there. I give it a 3.

Maggie Nichols (Twin City Twisters) Day 2

G: This would be so nice without that plunging neckline. Red is nice but just no on that neck. 6.
M: I don't like the front, I don't like that plunge and I don't know I just don' t like it. I'll give it a 5.
E: Aw man. I love red but why ruin it with that neckline? Why is that necessary? If the neckline was an appropriate length I would have liked this, I'll give it a 6.

Alyssa Bauman (WOGA) Day 2

G: Now there is the WOGA we all know...that being said, this fit Alyssa and Madison really nicely and it was a pretty classic design so I defnitely don't hate it. I'd actually give it an 8.
M: Again I just don't like the top it just kind of looks weird but I like the color on her. 7.5 from me. 
E: Oooooh, that's different. I like how she chose white and not nude for sleeves and of course I love the purple color. This leo looks really nice on her and I'll give it an 8.

Simone Biles (World Champion's) Day 2

G: Reminds me of Chow's girls last year and I love it! Colors and design are lovely but I feel like the origin of the white part needs to be readjusted a bit. It get's a 9.
M: I like that it's classic, I'll give it an 8.5. 
E: I love you Simone and your leo is very pretty. I love the red and simple design that still catches the eye. 9 from me.

Nia Dennis (Legacy Elite) Day 2

G: Definitely better than night one, by a mile. I really like the blue and black and the design is nice enough but again, it's rather familiar. 7.5
M: Oh I like this one a lot better than her other one. I really like that swirl detailing, I'll give it an 8.
E: Um I do like the blue to black ombre but I feel like the design kind of cheapens it and is misplaced. I'll give it a 7.

Thanks to my two sisters for contributing!! What do you all think??

Nationals Night Two

Ahhh now I can breathe.

Simone was in beast mode. Beautiful beam dismount, stuck Lopez vault, stuck bars dismount, classic floor. So naturally, despite that one fall on floor, she won by 5 points. Seriously??? This girl is a champ. Can I say that I think she should add a full twist to the Biles move on floor? She definitely has room and power.

Coming in second was Maggie Nichols! She has to be sooo proud of herself, What improvement she's had. Her Amanar looked great, especially on day two. It's funny, in person, her tumbling looks so light and effortless bu tit doesn't quite translate that way on TV. I think the loud booms from everyone's landings doesn't help. They're much more magnified during broadcasts than in the actual arena. Anyway, Maggie deserves a spot on the World's team for sure. That being said, her form isn't so great and I'm a bit of a stickler about those things.

Third was Aly and she looked back to her usual self despite that scary vault. I'm torn with thinking she needs the high D-score from the Amanar but also knowing that it's done so poorly, maybe she's better off with a nice clean DTY. But even with that she still wouldn't score as well as a crappy 2.5 so oh well. I don't really love her floor routine right now. The tumbling is great of course but the choreo and music isn't as engaging as it was in London. Maybe they can tweak it a little.

Then we have Bailie and her tuxedo. This girl is growing on me. I think I can get behind her quiet gymnastics and steady form. She sort of reminds me of vintage Kyla Ross with her lower difficulty but nice execution and consistency. So yeah, I've decided I'm rooting for Bailie Key. And she had a beautiful bar routine

Gabby looked slightly better on some events on night two and slightly worse on others. Her beam was a mess of balance checks and tentativeness but her landings on floor were improved. I still hate that floor routine, something just isn't right about it. Maddie K, Ashton and Bailie can beat her on bars so she really isn't anything special there right now. I wouldn't put her in Glasgow just yet.

I barely saw Madison Kocian because the stupid NBC broadcast only showed like five of the athletes. Made me miss the blasted livestream. They showed her bars and beam. Bars looked a little worse than night one and they took out the standing full from her beam which was a safe move.

Oh Mykayla Skinner, that leo. Good grief, someone needs to tell this girl that Ireland and Scotland are not the same land. Honestly, it's just embarrassing at this point. Her vault is so ugly with that block, sorry I can't give it up. But her floor landings looked nice and she was solid on beam so good effort for her. At 7th place, I don't see her on the World's team.

 Kyla. Sigh. Same issue on bars, headcased vault and a shaky floor. That beam helped a bit but overall a disastrous night for her. Ugh, I so want her to get it together but maybe her body is just tired and needs a break. She's been training elite for so long. It's such a catch-22 with her. If she doesn't upgrade, she hits nice watered down routines but has such a low D-score it's hard to break into the top ranks. If she does upgrade, she barely hits despite having that higher D-score. I don't know the solution because I think everyone is tired of seeing the same routines she's been competing since 2012.

Brenna Dowell had a great first half of her bar routine and then got tired of something and bombed the end. But she hit all the other events so I'm a bit pissed that she wasn't named to the NT. Headgames I guess, Brenna is always the resident punching bag. If she can become consistent on bars and gain some difficulty on floor, I really think she's a contender but sadly, I see her as being alternate again.

Rachel Gowey had a nice showing, even if it was just bars and beam. Did she do the AA at pan ams? I don't know. I hope she hasn't hurt her ankle again. But she did have a great bar set night one and her beam looked solid.

Didn't see much of Bauman or Dennis so no comment there but both were named to the team so they must have done alright.

I'm going to do a leotard post this week so stay tuned!

Natinoals Night One

WHAT IS LIFE?!?

Aly, Kyla, Simone...some other people I don't care about as much.
One by one they fell...
And one by one I screamed and grabbed my face in horror until my sister had to tell me to shut up.

It was like 2006 up in here.

I know people are saying that Simone is human and humans make mistakes but darn it, I don't want Simone to be human. Especially now when there are people who I really don't want to beat her. And yeah, she still won by over a point so that was nice but still.

Anyway, let's back up...

So I had to watch the live stream because out of all of our three hundred channels, we don't get Universal Sports! After a big dramatic episode of "Hooking the Laptop up to the TV"  I finally got to settle in and watch some guy (John something or other) make a big fool out of himself. Twenty minutes later, a beautiful montage of all the US champions for the passed 25 years or so. I yelled out, "Brandy! Kim! Shannon! and so on, right up until my girl Simone.

Let's talk about her first. Simone started out fine and then there were some issues on beam and that fall on floor. And what a strange fall it was, almost like she didn't even set up her landing. Her Amanar was beautiful, stuck like a pro! She had some leg issues coming in for the landing but overall beautiful.

I screamed when Aly Raisman fell on beam, why oh why?  On the bright side, she hit a great FX but the music isn't my favorite and doesn't seem to captivate like in 2012 but it could grow on me. She landed a scary Amanar and had a typical bar routine but I think she can pull through on Saturday. Just no more falls, ok?

Maggie Nichols hit four for four. She did her Amanar vault but I don't really remember much else fro her. She's definitely the dark horse but nothing really stood out for me last night except her upgrading beam dismount that looked pretty good.

Kyla....poor girl. Issues on bars, issues on floor and just so so on beam and vault. Actually her vault can be so much cleaner. I think she only had that one upgrade on UB and took out the others. And on floor, why the hand??? Ugh, if she doesn't kick butt on night two, it is definitely the beginning of the end for her. I want her to upgrade and hit but maybe it's just not in the cards? Whether it be physical or mental, it just doesn't seem to be working out. Prove me wrong Kyla!

For some reason, I expected that Gabrielle Douglas would do alright. I don't like her floor and was glad that it was scored appropriately and she did have some wobbles on beam. Her bars were alright but not as impressive to me anymore. I don't know, I'm so torn on this girl. I'm glad that her comeback is legit and she appears to be working for it but I hate the cockiness and the trash talk of her former gym. It's just petty and unnecessary.

Another girl who seems to always pull it together for Nationals is Mykayla Skinner and pull it together she did. Her form is still atrocious and that floor, good grief but she hit so she should be happy. She only did a DTY for her second vault though which I don't see helping her at all. I don't see her making the worlds team, barring any major injuries for the other key players.

And then there was Kim Zmeskal. Or wait, Bailie Key in Kim's old leotard. And as ugly as it was in the 90's, I thought Bailie looked kind of fabulous in it last night. Still though, I can't seem to get behind this girl. She just seems blah and needs a little spark somewhere. And she needs some height on those leaps and jumps. Honestly, I think she can take this year to improve and upgrade and really take it to the next level. I don't think she's peaked yet, or at least I think she can peak again when it counts.

Let's not forget my girl Brenna Dowell! Wast hat the first time she hit four for four since 2013? I think so. I was so nervous watching her but so happy when she made it through. Her bars had a few potential scary moments but she pulled it off and that beam was GREAT for her! Floor was nice, and solid vault despite landing OOB's. I need her to pull it out for night two. You got this Brenna!

Fellow GAGE girl, Madison Desch did not have such a good night. She fell on beam and on bars which is a shame because her bars are actually quite nice. She did not go OOB's on floor which is rare so I was happy about that.

The WOGA's, I think, have had their day in the sun. Madison Kocian fell on beam despite having a nice bar set and Alyssa Bauman needs more than a nice beam set to keep her relevant.

You know who's fun to watch? Amelia Hundley, girl just goes out and has a good time. I like that she competes for the fun of it and though her difficulty is low, she makes her routines exciting with the way she showcases them.

I know I'm missing some people but these are who I remembered! I'm not going to be home to watch night two live but I'll put it on as soon as I return and will have a blog up on Sunday. I can't wait!
What did you think???

"You Should be a Gymnast!"

I cannot count how many times someone said this to me growing up. And the answer is, "Yeah, I should have been."

I know I've gone on before how I had scoliosis and subsequently had to have my spine fused together so gymnastics would have been halted around age 12 and who knows if I ever could have done well without a flexible back. But gosh, wouldn't NBC have loved that sob story if I'd made ti go an Olympic level?

And yeah, I'm talking about the Olympic level because I would have made the perfect gymnast! I had all of the right variables:

• I'm naturally short, my full adult height is just about 4'9
• I didn't get my period until I was 16! And that was without being an intense athlete
• I was flexible and taught myself some basic skills
• I live in a state with several prominent elite gyms 
• My build is muscular, think Shawn, but thinner
• I was 18 at the time of the London Olympics so I had an ok birthday for that quad

So yeah, instead of Gabby on that podium in 2012, it should have been me because, hypothetically, I am the prefect gymnast.