PH: Horton, Mikulak, Leyva, Orozco
RG: Dalton, Leyva, Orozco, Horton
VT: Leyva, Orozco, Mikulak, Dalton
PB: Mikulak, Horton, Orozco, Leyva
HB: Mikulak, Orozco, Horton, Leyva
FX: Orozco, Leyva, Mikulak, Dalton
Would you put Horton up first on horse or is that just asking for trouble?! Personally, in terms of momentum, I'd bury him like Mirela Tugurlan on compulsory beam.
You have to put Horton up first on pommels. He's clearly the weakest one besides Dalton who obviously needs to sit this event. Ultimately it won't matter because it's just Prelims.
ReplyDeleteWhat I hate is that we are so set on using Orozco as an all arounder (I find him highly overrated) over Mikulak, which forces us to have to use Orozco's weak FX and V in Prelims and sit Horton on those events... And Horton will in all likelihood be needed to at least do V in Finals. He's experienced enough to pull it off but it's just a crappy situation trying to juggle 6 events on a 5 person team.
You clearly don't get the point of AJ's comment. Turgalan was the weakest on beam on the '96 Romanian team and they put her last on beam to hide her and prevent her from not getting the team off to a horrible start. There are so many newer fans on here who don't get these references and really just should not comment.
DeleteHave to say I don't agree with this whole "Mikulak should do AA, Ross should do AA" line of thought. I'm in love with the guy too, but there is such a thing as earning status over time. Let's just imagine the ankle thing hadn't happened, and he straight up won Trials. Then it could have been up for discussion. What he's accomplished is great as is.
DeleteI completely understood the Turgulan reference. Back then, scores carried over. Now with Prelim scores getting wiped out, it's really not critical for the US to try to hide Horton in the pommel horse lineup. Let him get it over with and focus on his important events.
DeleteReally it was such a shitty compulsory beam rotation for Romania that Turgalan going last was just the icing on the cake.
ReplyDeleteIt is a very Romanian thing to do though. Didn't Martha put Gabby up last on beam in prelims at Worlds last year?
I'm sorry but I am so over Horton. He needs to just go away after these games. He's lucky that he's there as it is.
ReplyDeleteIt also pisses me off that Mikulak isn't getting a shot at the All Around. I think there's a chance he could have beat out Leyva or Orozco for a spot in AA finals.
Aunt Joyce is right. I wouldn't have Horton starting on PH. He's so bad on the event it could start the guys off rocky if he makes a mistake.
That said, I hope the guys go out there and rock it. I'd love to see them on the podium at the games!!
You saved my life today with this Mirela Turgalan reference. Perfection.
ReplyDeleteHaha, same here (although this grew to be a pet peeve of mine, since almost everyone does it, including even AJ sometimes, as above: Tugurlan, not Turgalan). Also, in defense of Mirela, I actually don't think she did any worse than the other Romanians minus Marinescu, until she missed a step entirely right before the dismount.
DeletePutting up Horton is risky considering it's not only the first one of PH, but the first routine of the Games.
Your OCD is appreciated!
DeleteCould you guys help me understand why will they not use Mikulak on Rings?
ReplyDeleteIs it because he has the lowest possible score?
Wouldn't it be discarded anyway? (It is 4 compete/3 count, right?)
I also think he should have a shot to the AA.
I'm wondering why Mikulak is going first on High Bar, where he is very strong. I guess they are going for a strong lead-off routine there, I'm just afraid he won't get as high of as he could have going later in the line-up. I have no inside info, but it seems obvious to me USA gymnastics has wanted Leyva and Orozco as the two to compete in AA finals and they don't want to take the risk of Sam knocking one of them out. I find Orozco a bit boring too.
ReplyDeleteI agree. After the way USAG built up Orozco/Leyva the couldn't risk having Sam coming from nowhere at beating them for a spot in the AA.
ReplyDeleteMikulak also shouldn't be lead off on high bar either. My line up would be Orozco Horton Mikulak Leyva for HB. Unfortunately it looks like Sam got Kyla Ross'd.