No plus-ones or plus-twos

One of the arguments for dropping team size from five to four was that stronger nations would be able to send six gymnasts to the Olympics, even though only four would take part in the team competition. The other two spots were open to individuals, who earned the places by winning FIG World Cup series events or finishing in the top spot at continental championships.

At the Olympics, these individuals’ results counted toward everything but the team standings. In Tokyo, Jade Carey and MyKayla Skinner each earned individual spots, putting them in direct competition with their teammates for places in all-around and apparatus finals.

Each did remarkably well: Carey qualified to the all-around final and won gold on floor, while Skinner took silver on vault. The U.S. men qualified one specialist, a spot that went to pommel horse star Alec Yoder, who finished sixth in the Olympic final.

For Paris, teams that qualify to compete at the Games will not be able to send additional athletes. Provided U.S. teams finish in the top three at this year’s world championships in Liverpool or among the nine best unqualified teams at next year’s worlds in Antwerp, they will have five gymnasts in Paris, all vying for team and individual gold.

Probably fewer U.S. gymnasts at world cup events

Nations that don’t qualify a full team to the Games can still earn places for their gymnasts via the FIG World Cup series, the world championships, and the continental championships, with up to three per nation able to qualify this way.

The U.S. women, and to a lesser extent the U.S. men, have never sent gymnasts to compete on the world cup circuit on a regular basis, preferring to focus on building toward the annual U.S. and world championships. Without the carrot of an extra Olympic qualification place, as there was for Carey in 2019 and 2020, there is little reason to envision them partaking in many world cups before Paris.

Nothing is set in stone

If Tokyo results make it seem like Olympic team qualification is a lock for the USA, nothing should be taken for granted. Romania, whose female gymnasts all but ruled the sport for almost 40 years, went from team bronze at London 2012 to not qualifying a team to the 2016 Rio Games. One bad rotation on high bar took the U.S. men from 2004 Olympic silver medalists to 13th at the world championships two years later.

Moral of the story: when it comes to making the Olympics, it’s always a new day.

IN GYMNASTICS, A NEW OLYMPIC CYCLE MEANS A NEW QUALIFICATION SYSTEM

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