Post Pac Rims

The US finished competition at the Pacific Rim Championships last weekend and as expected, absolutely destroyed the competition.  Each girl did something to alter their status on the Olympic Team, and I've outlined that all below!

Simone Biles

Andy Wong

In a way, Simone did absolutely nothing this weekend.  Going into this weekend, Biles was as close to a lock as one could be, and did absolutely nothing to change that sentiment in Marta Karolyi's eyes.  The only thing that changed about Bile's stock was the chances of Biles winning another gold medal this summer.  Biles debuted the longly anticipated Cheng vault, and it looks GOOD.  If you look in Russia or North Korea, you can see Maria Paseka and Hong Un Jong shaking just a little bit.  The only way Biles does not make the Olympic Team is *knocks on wood* she gets injured.


Brenna Dowell

Inside Gymnastics

Brenna Dowell stayed pretty much status quo over this weekend.  While she hit great sets on all of her events in the Team Final, placing fourth in the All Around, she fell on her best event again in bars finals, once again proving she can not hit twice in a row.  Twitters users were calling for Dowell to not compete in prelims so that she will hit in team finals.  However, I think all the good she did this weekend, like hitting a decent beam routine, placing fourth all around, and winning the floor silver, means less because she showed she is still not consistent.

So we bring Brenna to Rio, don't let her do bars in prelims, so she'll hit in finals? Sounds like a plan to me

— DoubleDoubleGymBlog (@DoubleDoubleGym) April 11, 2016

Inside Gymnastics

Laurie Hernandez
While many people, myself included, think that Hernandez still has a lot to prove, she was still pulled from event finals.  Karolyi believed that she did not need to see more from her, and as she has a minor injury, they did not want to aggravate it.  Whether or not the injury played a huge part in this decision, pulling her from event finals says a lot none the less.






Ashton Locklear

AP

Ashton Locklear could be a bars medalist in Rio this summer, but that does not matter if she can not do a prelims-worth beam routine.  This weekend, Ashton showed that even if it does not come close to her bars set, she stayed on the beam, which is what you need as a leadoff.  Locklear's biggest downfall is that she only trains bars and beam, and with only five spots, it is much better to have an all arounder.  Whether or not Marta Karolyi wants to take that risk will be seen this summer.










Aly Raisman

Team USA

It seemed that Aly Raisman has proved herself enough this spring, but Karolyi left her in event finals this weekend.  Raisman proved once again she is sturdy and reliable, and can be trusted on whatever event they need her to be.  Even her bars look much improved, her vault looks still as good as it will, her beam looks stronger than ever, and her floor is still heads above most of her competitors.  Raisman just continue to improve her stock to make her second Olympic team.

Lloyd Smith

Ragan Smith
Ragan Smith showed that she has what it takes to be a perfect alternate.  Smith was originally the alternate, and then was called in when Maggie Nichols tore her meniscus, and ended up hitting all of her events and winning the beam gold medal.  Her first day of competition was not has crisp and clean as she has hit in the past, but the first year senior hit well.  She did her job, and I believe that her stock went up.