- Apr 14, 2017
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I predicted:
1. Panthers (Peaking at right time with new changes)
2. Orange (clean but literally edged out by tiniest margins.)
3. SE (featuring a bobble they have never had all season in an element that usually hits)
Weird that we'll never know! At least we know everyone is coming back in the gym feeling that "unfinished business" feeling and being super hungry. Hoping that there IS a next season sooner than later.
I feel like maybe Worlds being cancelled was a blessing in disguise for CSP since I don’t think SE was destined to win this year. Their routine favored streamlined, clean choreo in favor of difficulty which is great if they could hit both days, but they couldn’t. They finally did it at NCA, but even then there was a very VERY near-miss in the circle part. You could argue that was a testament to their focus — they pull it together when it REALLY counts — but I think it’s more likely it was just luck that they didn’t have a bobble on day 2, and you can’t count on luck six weeks before Worlds.
And if they lost again this year, I really think a lot of their stronger athletes would’ve jumped ship. The emotional exhaustion of just barely losing Worlds year after year would have taken its toll. And those girls would be looking around and realising that the common denominator is her.
It really breaks my heart since I love their routines. I don’t know where the disconnect is. I think it’s partly lack of training because those girls are obviously strong enough to learn double ups, etc... and yet they aren’t. And I think it’s also a slightly outdated choreo style. She keeps harkening back to the 2010-2014 years when they dominated with innovative choreo that traded on clean lines (read: lots of stretches). And I get the reasoning behind that. But I think she’s forgetting the talent level back then wasn’t as high as it is now. What dominated back then won’t necessarily translate in today’s LAG.
If it’s tough to watch them be edged out every year, I can’t imagine what it must be like to live it. Hopefully next year something changes. She’s only got two more years to win Worlds with her daughter on SE, which I think is something she really, really wants. And if something doesn’t change, that’s not happening.
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