Bridget Sloan verbally agreed to the University of Florida. Bridget recently had shoulder surgery and knows her elite days may well be behind her. She may join the team for next season, as they do have an open scholarship and she graduates from high school in a few months. This is certainly an upset in the recruiting world, as Jay Clark has been gunning for Sloan for some time. He connected with her and his gymnasts certainly wanted her on the team as well. This definitely keeps the talent pouring into Gainesville and continues the power shift in the SEC.
It has also been reported that Ivana Hong has verbally agreed to go to Stanford. Ivana had been between UCLA and Stanford for several years, but Mama Hong is a Stanford alum who wanted the same for her daughter. Ivana may also attend next year, as she too knows that her Olympic dreams may be a stretch at best. Ivana was accepted into Stanford academically.
Alexe Gilles switched coaches to Yuka Sato and Jason Dungjen. This is their third high-profile student. Unfortunately, the move may have come about two years too late. Alexe was a talented skater in 08/09, but has racked up two years full of bad performances that have likely eroded her confidence. She was overshadowed in Tom Z's house of negativity. Yuka will likely force her to become even more independent. There are those who have thought Alexe's skating suffered in part due to her twin sisters absence.
Florida practice update. Macko will be back on beam at Regionals. Marissa King continues to sound far more intelligent than the rest of the gymnasts in the NCAA.
Suzanne Yoculan and Kevin Copp preview this weekend's upcoming regional showdown between UGA and UCLA. Suzanne lets it be known that she thinks UCLA should emerge victorious. Both teams have struggled with momentum, which will make it interesting. UCLA has to end on beam, which (as always), is an extremely inconsistent event for them. Part 1 Part 2
Catalina Ponor was given four months to get back into physical shape. She officially rejoins the National Team Training Squad on Friday.
Ask The Bruins
KJ Kindler is tweeting training videos again.
Megan Ferguson and Natasha Kelley on beam:
Melanie Root on floor:
Marissa didn't sound all that intelligent to me in that video.... ???
ReplyDeleteShe is always well spoken. The other gymnasts usually sound like they went to school for about an hour a day.
ReplyDeleteI guess the part I was thinking of was "resting a little bit mentally from competing and physically from competition" ... and i mean she repeated herself twenty million times with the same NCAA banter ... "focusing on the team" yada yada
ReplyDeleteside note: wow it was kind of distracting when macko was being interviewed with the divers there and especially the guy who was ... well ... adjusting himself
[Yuka and Jason] are slowly becoming a refuge center...a place to evacuate to when everyone else around you has given up hope.
ReplyDeleteWhat can we do to get Agnes to leave Tom Z?? He should be banned from coaching skaters with a future. Yuka & Jason or Frank would welcome her with open arms...
ReplyDeleteI don't blame bridget for wanting a school with better competitive prospects than Georgia. Anyway on a more shallow note I predict Sloan will take up tanning and be even more orange than Macko and it will look really weird.
ReplyDeleteIvana Hong going to Stanford isn't much of a surprise. She'd be better off cutting her losses since she's never going to be strong enough as an AAer or bars/beam specialist to make it in 2012.
Marissa sounds much better spoken than most gymnats she just needs to slow down a bit.
Macko looks so fucking frightened when she is being interviewed. Its like Martha is behind the camera or something!! Geez girl, its ok be happy for a second!
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking its just Marissa's British accent
ReplyDeleteNice to see an intelligent athlete getting into a school like Stanford. I hate seeing basketball and football players at good schools who can barely read. Thankfully Ivana and many of the other gymnasts in the NCAA (at least, many of the former elites) can read.
ReplyDeleteAwww, I know I'm in the minority here, but I will miss Bridget in the elite scene. I actually wanted her to win the Worlds AA in 2009. She wasn't the flashiest gymnast, but I loved her steady, clean gymnastics (not counting beam and her flexed-feet tkatchevs).
ReplyDeleteSooo....what is everyone hearing about the future of these gals as elite??? (Hong, Chelsea Davis, Sloan, Macko, Shapiro?). Are they going to retire from elite, or defer and try to make it to 2012. I think only Sloan has a real chance - and it's a distant one considering her rep as lazy and out of shape. The others are too injury prone. And Macko - Marta wouldn't let her within 100 feet of the team. Or will they try to do NCAA and elite at the same time?
ReplyDeletePonor got her ass into shape in four months b/c she wanted it and went after it. Maybe a few US ladies might take notice, although it is if they want it.
ReplyDeletePeter Oppegard just came to s. korea for yuna's training
ReplyDeleteI admire Alexe Gilles's competitive drive. This will sound weird, but I wish athletes with more talent than her had as much drive as she does. Detroit will probably be a happier place than Tom Z land.
ReplyDeletePonor is awesome for making a comeback. I root for all comebacks.
Unless Bridget isn't going to be able to recover from this shoulder surgery fully, I imagine she'll try for 2012. Her potential score on bars is just too high (sad but true) compared to the other US girls to count her out. Plus, who wants to live with that type of regret of starting college during an Olympic season. It's simple enough to just defer a year.
I don't like to pick apart what the gymnasts say in interviews in front of a camera. With a camera in my face, I'd be nervous and sound rather unintelligent even though I am college educated. Not everyone has it in them to give articulate interviews no matter how smart they are.
A few US girls are starting to push towards the mid 6's now in terms of bar D-score. Do you think Bridget can upgrade further? I'm not so sure.
ReplyDelete"And Macko - Marta wouldn't let her within 100 feet of the team."
ReplyDelete???
I mean, I'm not sure Macko has any real chance at 2012, but why would Marta specifically not want her on the team? I mean, realistically, at 2010 worlds she probably delivered (other than maybe Becca considering her injury) the best performance for the US in terms of fulfilling her potential.
Anony at 10:06: She is not skinny, she is not fierce, can't dance and she is way too happy. And please tell me where she would fit into the lineup? With Sacramone and Johnson coming back (possibly Liukin) and a slew of highly talented juniors, she has no chance.
ReplyDeleteohhhh bridge is deferring ....
ReplyDelete"A few US girls are starting to push towards the mid 6's now in terms of bar D-score."
ReplyDelete______
Pushing towards the mid 6's and actually getting there are two different stories. Getting a mid 6 D-score and executing well enough to make that D-score worthwhile are also two different stories. Sure, Wieber has upgraded, but she's counting on that one handstand pirouette actually being anywhere near vertical, which it's really not. Sloan has made the last two Bar Event Finals at Worlds, so it would make no sense to count her out now. And for herself personally (which is really all that matters), no matter what happens with 2012, at least she'll have that closure to her elite career before NCAA gymnastics and no "what ifs" or "coulda shoulda wouldas".
I hope Yuka and Jason put Alexe on a strict diet, to begin with. Lose the extra fl.. Everything else can come later.
ReplyDelete