26 Feb 5 Key Takeaways from Winter Cup!
5 Key Takeaways from Winter Cup 2024
By the Inside Gymnastics Team
With the tremendous success of the U.S. women and men at the 2023 World Championships, Team USA is primed for Paris, fielding their most decorated group of athletes in history. As the pressure rises and insurmountable excitement builds, these athletes are about to embark on the journey of their lives and we cannot wait to see how it all plays out. At this point in the season, we see as many as 14 contenders for both the women and men vying for those five coveted spots with
the opportunity for anyone to capitalize and surprise all of us. We certainly detected an Olympic year energy around the Louisville Convention Center for Winter Cup and it will only build from here. And knowing this is gymnastics and everything can change overnight, the 2024 Olympic Trials promises to be one of the most
incredible competitions we’ve ever seen.
1. Kayla DiCello is On A Mission!
We’ve had the opportunity to get to know Kayla DiCello through interviewing her a number of times for the magazine since 2019 and with each conversation, it’s clear that DiCello is dedicated, driven and among the most determined in the sport today. You hear it in her voice and then you see it in her actions.
After a rough U.S. Championships last year that could have dimmed the spirits of some, DiCello made it her mission to bounce back stronger than ever. And she made quick work of it. Weeks later at Selection Camp, she earned a spot as an alternate on the 2023 World Team, and was named to the 2023 Pan American Team where she ultimately was crowned Pan American Games Champion – the first major senior international All-Around title of her career!
“That was pretty exciting,” she told us following the competition. “I was just happy with everything. I mean, it was kind of going the way I wanted. I was hitting my routines, doing what I know how to do, and so just being able to win All-Around was just the best feeling.”
Fast forward to February, and DiCello is continuing to hit on all cylinders. In fact, she’s revved up even more, upping her D-score values and showing sets that are backed by a calm confidence that comes from solid training and numbers in the gym.
DiCello is one of those athletes that can be dependable on every event for Team USA – perhaps even as a lead off athlete to set the tone for the team at the Games. With the title in Louisville signed and sealed, she’s showing the selection committee that she means business, checking off Winter Cup with a win and making sure everyone knows from now until Paris, it’s Game On.
For more on DiCello’s win, Click Here!
2. Even Olympic Champs Have Bad Days…
After all that 2020 Olympic Champ Suni Lee has endured over the last year, it’s remarkable that she’s even back on the competition floor and on a path to challenge for a spot on the 2024 Olympic team. After a kidney illness cut her NCAA season short at Auburn last year, Lee has been on a roller coaster of a ride. At one point, swelling from her illness was so bad that the uneven bars great couldn’t even get in her grips to chalk up. She also found herself battling not only the physical ailments of the illness, but the mental anguish that comes along with it that resulted in some depression. Just to make it back to a competitive level is an achievement. But Lee not only made it back, she learned new skills along the way, including a full-twisting Jaeger release on uneven bars that will be named for her if she completes it in a World Cup or the Olympics.
In podium training at Winter Cup, Lee was looking confident and sharp as she landed skill after skill and did it with her typical polish and style. But in competition, she struggled. Two falls on uneven bars followed by another on beam left the Olympic Champ looking temporarily dismayed and audiences stunned. We wish everyone could have seen her in podium training to know just how sharp she actually looks and to know that the potential to make this 2024 Olympic team is absolutely, without a doubt, a real possibility.
But the day reminded us that even the greatest athletes in the world are, indeed, human. How she responds is the true mark of a champion and Lee is already putting the meet into perspective and moving forward.
“It obviously wasn’t what I wanted, but in all honesty, I think that it’s good that it happened here rather than somewhere else. Like, you can’t get anywhere without failing,” she said.
For athletes of all ages and levels, this is an important reminder. We all have bad days, even the defending Olympic Champion. But how we brush ourselves off and pick up the pieces is how we’ll make our mark – a sentiment echoed by her coach Jess Graba following the meet who noted even an Olympic Champion makes mistakes.
“It’s just a day. This is a day. I told her after she came off, ‘You’re not going to make this without making mistakes.’ … She’s doing stuff that nobody else has ever done, and so how do you expect to go out here and not make a mistake?”
With time, continued healing and a focus on her overall health, we have no doubt Lee will be back and a contender for this team. Count on it.
Beautiful full twisting Jaeger from Suni!!! #WinterCup pic.twitter.com/h3XM2CGX9U
— Inside Gymnastics (@InsideGym) February 23, 2024
3. Olympians Yul Moldauer and Shane Wiskus Lead the Way + A Star is Born!
On the men’s side, a pair of Tokyo Olympic teammates led the way and showed that they’ll be top contenders for repeat spots in Paris. Yul Moldauer and Shane Wiskus went 1-2 and both showed polished routines with an international look – sharp execution and attention to detail. Wiskus has been sidelined periodically this quad with injuries, but showed he’s back in top form physically and looked completely in the zone mentally. Moldauer, whose back-to-back titles also mark his fourth Winter Cup All-Around title overall, brings so much to the table, not only with his fantastic scores, but the intangibles he brings as the clear leader of Team USA. His passion is present in everything he does and the way he can elevate those around him is uncanny. Let’s Gooooo!
The other top highlight on the men’s side was the stellar performance of Curran Phillips. With his vault-parallel bar-high bar trio that was absolutely world-class, he could deliver big for Team USA on all three of those events in an Olympic team finals, not to mention the possibility of bringing home some individual hardware. His p-bar set is currently our favorite routine on that event in the world – the unique composition, the intricate combos and superior execution just deliver a picture-perfect set.
Broadcast commentator John Roethlisberger noted he didn’t understand how judges could find eight-tenths of deductions in the set, and we absolutely agree. It was stellar. Phillips has been on a steady path with impressive performances on the U.S. scene and internationally, but this felt different – a breakout moment that demonstrated just how valuable he could be in the efforts to bring back some Olympic hardware from Paris!
4. Trinity Thomas is Back!
Perhaps one of the most intriguing storylines leading up to Winter Cup was the return of Trinity Thomas to Elite gymnastics. The 2022 NCAA All-Around Champion, 34-time NCAA All-American, and NCAA Career 10.0 co-leader (28) for the University of Florida, Thomas knew that she had more in her, and some unfinished business to take care of. After a string of injuries derailed a previous run at a spot on the Olympic team, she knew that she had to give it another go. With her engaging yet humble personality and high-flying gymnastics, Thomas has always been a fan favorite. When she tied the NCAA record for the most 10s ever, social media erupted with one of the biggest gymternet celebrations ever! And her introduction in Louisville at Winter Cup generated the largest crowd reaction of anyone there.
“She looks a little nervous,” someone commented on social media. Well, heck yeah, wouldn’t anyone in that position be nervous? Your first return to Elite competition and with the Olympic Games just five months away? Anyone would, of course, be feeling the butterflies. But Thomas is a gamer and despite a setback tweaking her ankle not too long ago, she came to play! Flying high on uneven bars to start the day, Thomas showcased just what propelled her to be one of the greatest collegiate gymnasts ever – a determined mindset and rock solid gymnastics. Her effort delivered a top 4 performance in her first event back – just wow! She’s now qualified for the upcoming U.S. Championships in May where she’ll have updated sets with more skills she’s been working to add back into her Elite repertoire. The stage is set for Thomas and we can’t wait for her to shine even more!
You can read much more about Trinity and her journey in our next issue and on InsideGym.com
5. Gabby Douglas’ Return Isn’t a Matter of If, It’s When…
We visited with Gabby Douglas at WOGA in Plano, Texas on January 19 to catch up with her on her return to the sport and outlook for the year. Following a glimpse at her workout that day, we were able to chat with her extensively and can share that she looked sharp on bars and beam in particular, and very much in the zone in training. Her signature stylish lines and the textbook execution that helped propel her to the top of the sport are absolutely intact. And her outlook on the sport and her approach is as positive and optimistic as we’ve ever seen. Fans were giddy at the prospect of seeing her return at Winter Cup, but a positive COVID-19 diagnosis just before the event derailed her planned return – she was slated to compete vault, beam and floor in Louisville. She’ll have other opportunities to showcase her skills to the National Team staff and pave her path to Paris. Should she successfully petition, the first could come in April at a National Training Camp or the American Classic in Katy, TX. She’ll also need to be in competition in May at the Core Hydration Classic.
Photos by Lloyd Smith for Inside Gymnastics
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