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Gymnastics Selection Explainer
A glance at the Olympic selection process for men and women: MenWhen Chosen: Moments after the Olympic trials conclude Sunday. Who: Six athletes from among those competing at Olympic trials this week. The top four will be chosen based on combined scores from U.S. Gymnastics Championships (40 percent) and Olympic trials (60 percent). The other two spots will be awarded by a selection committee. The Committee: Nine-man men's program committee will select. Members include former Olympians Tim Daggett and Chris Waller and U.S. head coach Peter Kormann. Why: Men's team wanted to leave two spots open in case a top athlete falters at one of the qualifying competitions, the way national champion Dan Hayden did in 1988, when he failed to make the team. Just as importantly, the final two spots will be used to shore up weaknesses in events where the four top scorers aren't as strong. Pros: Gives the committee flexibility, while still maintaining the sanctity of the nationals and trials. Cons: The fifth-place finisher could be replaced by someone who finished much lower, but has one specialty. This system may also deprive the men's team of flexibility. What They're Saying: "If by some chance I mess up and don't make this team, I don't deserve it. There are six other guys busting their butt to get there. If I don't earn a spot, I shouldn't be there." - Five-time national champion Blaine Wilson, a heavy favorite to make the team. WomenWhen Chosen: Moments after the Olympic trials conclude Sunday. Who: Six athletes from among those competing at this week's Olympic trials. The athletes will be ranked based on combined scores from U.S. Gymnastics Championships (40 percent) and Olympic trials (60 percent). But those rankings don't necessarily have to be followed. All six spots will be awarded by a selection committee. The Committee: National team coordinator Bela Karolyi, 1984 Olympian Tracee Talavera, longtime U.S. judge Marilyn Cross and gymnast Chari Knight. Why: Karolyi wants supreme flexibility when it comes to choosing his team. He wants to be able to blend the top all-around gymnasts with specialists in certain events. He also wants to base his decision on their progress over several months, not just their performance in two events. USA Gymnastics president Bob Colarossi says scores at nationals and trials will be factored heavily into the selection process. Pros: Gives Karolyi, one of the best in the business, a chance to practically hand-pick his team. Puts more power in his hands than the hands of judges at nationals and trials who haven't seen the gymnasts develop the way he has at his training camps. It's the way many other top countries choose their teams. Cons: Some people feel that scoring and performance at the biggest events should have some concrete meaning. Also, two members of the selection committee - Talavera and Cross - haven't watched the gymnasts progress at training camps. What They're Saying: "It's not just the shine and the glitz of one performance. You can get a lucky performance one time and end up with the wrong person." - Bela Karolyi.
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