Tag: #olympics

sports

Is Gabby Douglas going to the 2020 Olympics?

LEWA EVANS

U.S. gymnast Gabby Douglas was the star of the 2012 London games, becoming the first African American gymnast to ever win gold in both the team and individual all-around at the same Olympics. But, in 2016, Douglas’ Olympic experience didn’t go as smoothly in Rio De Janeiro. Unfortunately, she failed to qualify for the individual all-around competition and then finished seventh overall in the uneven bars final.

To add to this, she was also criticized on social media for not placing her hand over her heart during the playing of the U.S. national anthem and later for not appearing to support her teammates Simon Biles and Aly Raisman during their all-around final events.

Douglas stated…”I have no regrets coming back for a second Olympic team,” she said after the uneven bars final. “It’s been an amazing experience. It’s been teaching me a lot.”

Douglas walked away from Rio with a gold for the team all-around event for the second time in a row. Since gymnasts typically retire young, Douglas is not expected to return to the Tokyo games in 2020.

Unfortunately, I also believe it is true the Douglas will not return to the 2020 Olympics. Sometimes gymnasts that train at the Olympic level get burnt out, resulting in them only being able to compete in one or two Olympic games. I do believe Douglas was burnt out in the 2016 games, so its highly unlikely she will be returning to the 2020 games in Tokyo. What do you guys believe? Do you agree that Douglas is officially retired and not returning to try and make the 2020 Olympics?

 

sports

Is Aly Raisman heading to the 2020 Olympics?

LEWA EVANS

Aly Raisman has a good shot at making it onto the 2020 U.S. Olympic Gymnastics team. At 23, she’s still in top shape: she has competed in two previous Olympic games and shows the leadership to be the captain once again.

Raisman herself loves the sport… “It has been wonderful for me, I’ve been very fortunate to do so well in it.”

However, lately, Raisman has gotten attention for the statement she delivered during  Larry Nassars sexual abuse hearing. Over a period of four days, more than 150 young women and their parents addressed the former doctor, confronting him about his abusive behaviors towards them. Judge Rosmarie Aquilina sentenced Nassar to 175 years in prison. Additionally, Nassar was sentanced to an additional 25 to 40 years in a separate case in Michigan’s Eaton County.

Raisman has now become a voice for change in the sport. She has stated she won’t rest until there is an independent investigation of both USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic Committee, as well as Michigan State University, where Nassar worked as a sports physician from 1997 to 2016.

Both the USOC and USA Gymnastics have said that they support investigations into their organizations.

For now, Raisman says she would like to focus on bringing justice to this case. She believes that doing that is way more important than earning another gold medal.

Personally, I believe that if Raisman didn’t have this case to worry about, she would be fully capable of going back to the 2020 Olympics due to her drive and love for the sport. What do you guys think? Do you believe she’d be able to make a comeback and make it to the 2020 Olympics?

 

 

 

sports

Is Laurie Hernandez going to make a comeback?

LEWA EVANS

Olympic gymnastics champion Laurie Hernandez plans on competing in 2019, according to her agent.

Hernandez has not competed since taking team gold and balance beam silver at the Rio Olympics.

Hernandez stated that she hoped to compete in 2018 but would not rush a comeback. Hernandez since decided not to compete at the U.S. Championships this August.

I personally have not heard of Hernandez training or practicing anytime soon. I think it will be harder for her to come back because she has taken a long break from gymnastics and its hard to get back in shape and be on the same level that she once was after such a long break. I believe that she should start her come back soon. The more she puts it off, the more she’s not going to want to come back. Hopefully she starts to get back into her normal training again soon. What do you guys think? Do you think she will have a tough time coming back since she took a long break? Are you rooting for her to come back?

sports

Simone Biles update!

LEWA EVANS

Five months into her return to full-time training and 19 months since her last competition at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Simone Biles is amazed at what she can accomplish.

Biles, is working every day but Sunday at the family-owned World Champions Centre in suburban Montgomery County alongside new coaches Laurent Landi and Cecile Canqueteau-Landi and her new training partner, 2016 Olympic team alternate Ashton Lockler.

She won’t compete again until late July, but as her time in the gym increases while red-carpet walks, award shows and promotional appearances decrease, Biles and Landi agree that things are going remarkably well.

 

Landi, said Biles has shown she can perform her Rio routines at a top level while also working in new elements.

  Detailing event by event progress, Biles has added an extra half-twist into the foam practice pits on each of the two vaults she performed in Rio and on floor has added a forward tumbling salto skill to fulfill a new requirement in the International Gymnastics Federation’s scoring system.

Her floor music is a Middle Eastern motif — “different than anything I have done but still fast and upbeat” — and her balance beam is about the same as the one she performed in Rio, with the addition of a half-turn on one of her opening moves.

For uneven bars… “It’s still not typically my favorite event,” Biles said. “I have to put in the extra work on that event. Bars is more mental.”

Landi said Biles’ Rio routine on bars, updated to deal with changes in the code of points scoring system, is good enough to get her to finals at major events.

Overall, I think Biles is doing great. Its extremely hard to come back to the gym after being in the Olympics. I knew that she would do great because she is an extremely talented gymnast. I hope she continues to work hard and master her new skills even more.