Seventy six meets later, the U.S. women's World team is about to be determined.
The official announcement will be made, according to USA Gymnastics, either late in the day Wednesday or early Thursday morning, right before a U.S. team conference call with the press.
The second of the two selection camps will conclude tomorrow, but the news today is that someone (based on Twitter, people believe that it was Mackenzie Caquatto) was injured. (It has now been confirmed by USA Gymnastics that Caquatto sprained her ankle landing low on her double pike dismount on beam during the selection camp.)
U.S. team doctor Larry Nassar, frustrated at seeing another world class gymnast go down with an injury, slammed the code of points that requires such a high level of difficulty from athletes.
"These athletes train so hard, it is so very sad to see one of them injured. The sport needs to change and change soon. It has reached the level that the human body can not progress beyond. The FIG rules need to change and they need to do it very soon so that the sport can survive.
It is getting to the point that too many countries can not even had a solid team to represent them at these international competitions. It is past the time for the FIG starts to take action."
So where does that leave us? If Caquatto is injured, the U.S. World team picture will change. No one knows the condition of Bridget Sloan, but if she is as close to her top condition as she said at the U.S. Championships, she could be the replacement based on her bars skill alone (which is the main reason Caquatto would have made the team.)
However, the U.S. certainly has options. Mackenzie Wofford, who withdrew from the U.S. Championships due to a foot injury, is one of the most natural barworkers in the country. She did very well at the CoverGirl Classic, but as Anne Phillips from Gymnastike pointed out, has been mostly forgotten due to her nonappearance at Nationals.
It's also worth noting also that Wofford had a 6.3 D-score on beam from the CoverGirl Classic, a start score higher than both Alicia Sacramone and Jordyn Wieber. If Wofford proven she can hit the routines, she'd be a logical replacement for Caquatto.
The new spot also provides hope for Shawn Johnson, Chellsie Memmel, Sabrina Vega and Gabrielle Douglas. Of the four, Douglas and Memmel are the natural barworkers, and Memmel's beam is quite strong as well. What Johnson brings is experience and star power. She's clean on bars, but her set may not be considered difficult enough even to lead off the team.
Other notes: Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney still seem like they will make the team if healthy. Despite bars, Raisman is too consistent, and the U.S. needs Maroney's Amanar on vault. Sacramone is valuable for her performances on three events, her leadership qualities and her healthy feistiness. Jordyn Wieber is the national champion and already considered a given for the Olympic team if she's healthy. Anna Li gives the U.S. what it needs on bars.
But the sixth gymnast? Hard to say.
Your take: All right, who's on YOUR World team? Please leave a comment below!
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