Olympic Trials

[waggy]

Anyone watching any of this? I've caught small bits here and there.

Got to see the Womens 200M semis today. The final tomorrow is going to be good. I kinda like Allyson Felix. Not necessarily as the winner, though her form is impressive, I just kinda like her.. Found out today she was one of the girls that was in the tie for 3rd in the 100M, which still isn't resolved. Justin Gatlin thinks they should mud wrestle for it..

[BBC 08]

Watched it for the first time tonight since someone I swam with at the real St. X was swimming in the 200m breast final. After having the fastest qual time, Clark Burckle finished second tonight and is going to London. My entire facebook feed is blowing up with fellow friends and classmates congratulating him. The Olympics run in his family's blood line since his older sister Caroline, an 04 grad in HS like myself, swam in the 08 Olympics in Beijing.

I was not the greatest of swimmers in HS but one of my close friends from HS had this to say about him:

My senior year at St.X I lost my relay spot to a sophomore Clark Burckle. Now he is headed to the Olympics.


Now it's my time to attempt to shit on the fake St. X located in Cincinnati. How many Olympic swimmers do you guys have this year? Man do I hate Cinci St. X swimming.

[GoMuskies]

Man do I hate Cinci St. X swimming.

Good St. X has won, what, 23 straight Ky. state championships? And in that time, they're what, 1-22 against Evil St. X in head to head meets. I'm with you: Cincy St. X swimming is the devil.

[BBC 08]

Good St. X has won, what, 23 straight Ky. state championships? And in that time, they're what, 1-22 against Evil St. X in head to head meets. I'm with you: Cincy St. X swimming is the devil.

It's 24 now. I am proud to have been apart of numbers 13 to 16.

[Titanxman04]

It's 24 now. I am proud to have been apart of numbers 13 to 16.

You can swim?!?

Dude, you were the team manager. I have seen you in the water....the best way I could describe your swimming skills is something along the lines of a one legged dog in choppy lake water. Mostly sad, almost adorable, but scary as hell.

[UnCaged]

As I love Americuh, I've been watching quite a bit of the trials. All of the track and field, a good amount of the swimming and gymnastics was on tv at one point...but I believe I was busy picking lint from my belly button so I didn't pay attention.

Really impressive showings in the middle distance stuff, super excited for the 1500 finals and the 100m finals.

[Emp]

Just back from the trials. Had an nephew in the 1500 and a future niece in law in the Steeple (Delilah!) Neither made the team, but it was awesome inside a stadium crammed with enthusiastic track and field fans.

Our family rented a house about 400' from Pre's Rock, and there were nonstop pilgrimages up and down the hill most hours of the day and night.

The US is silly overloaded with sub 4 milers right now, and Nick Symmonds (questionable choice of gf aside) laid down an 800 mark that makes him a medal favorite.

Had a chance dinner encounter with Brooks (the UO guy who got his A qualifier on the last throw of the event) and Rome from the discus. HUGE men. Interestingly, Brooks still has all his hair, an unusual trait for throwers these days.

John Carlos (black fist salute in 68) was at a big outdoor bar where most of the runners were hanging out on Friday night, and he was a mellow, thoughtful and funny guy.

[GoMuskies]

I wanted to see Bobby Curtis get it done in the 10,000 meters....but he came in a disappointing 10th. Too bad.

[waggy]

I thought Elizabeth Price belonged on the womens gymnastics team. They didn't show all of her exercises, but they did show beam and it was way better than the judges credited her for. She's a very fluid athlete. I wouldn't be super surprised if there is a late change that puts her on the team (she's an alternate now) ahead of someone else. Maroney being the one most likely replaced imo.

[waggy]

Also Allyson Felix is hot, and way too fast for DC Muskie to get her in his trunk.

[LadyMuskie]

I thought Elizabeth Price belonged on the womens gymnastics team. They didn't show all of her exercises, but they did show beam and it was way better than the judges credited her for. She's a very fluid athlete. I wouldn't be super surprised if there is a late change that puts her on the team (she's an alternate now) ahead of someone else. Maroney being the one most likely replaced imo.

Completely agree! Price was far superior to Maroney and was in 4th place when the competition was finished. Maroney finished 7th. The system of picking the team instead of the gymnasts earning the spots is so shady.

The real kicker is that Price's coach has been screwed by the Karolyis and USGF before. In 1992, when all you had to do was make the top 6 to go to the Olympics, Kim Kelly from Parkettes, the same gym as Price, was subjected to a second "secret" Olympic Trials at the Karolyis ranch in Texas. After this secret Olympic Trials Kelly lost her spot to Karolyi's own Betty Okino. The 92 team went on to be completely underwhelming in Barcelona winning only the bronze, and Kim Zmeskal, the reigning world champ, who was supposed to beat Svetlana Boginskaya for the gold, was so terrible that she didn't win a medal save the bronze team medal. In fact, none of Karolyi's girls won any individual medals in Barcelona (or Atlanta 4 years later). Instead, a barely known Shannon Miller competed with a barely known Tatiana Gutsu for the gold, and was the only American to come home with any individual medals.

Since those games, USAG has been run, more or less, by Marta Karolyi (Bela's wife) who gets to make the final decisions about who goes and who stays home. There is a lot of respect for the Karolyis in the elite gymnastics world since they coached Nadia Comaneci and Mary Lou Retton, but not a lot of love.

I have had the opportunity to meet the Karolyis, however, and off the floor they're very engaging people. Bela, in particular, is a hoot. I just wouldn't want to have to deal with them when it comes to gymnastics.

[waggy]

Very interesting Lady. Do you know if the alternates stay/workout with the team prior to going to London, and do they travel with the team to London?

[LadyMuskie]

I believe that the alternates go to London, but I don't think they're considered Olympic athletes unless or until a member of the team steps down. So, I don't think they get to stay in the Olympic Village or train with the rest of the team unless they're called up. I would imagine that they get to go to the competitions, but I'm guessing they don't get to be anywhere near the floor.