NCAA scoring is a mess. Who’s going to fix it? — Other gym news — The full Jordan Chiles interview from GymCastic

This week, Rhiannon Franck wrote a midseason analysis of NCAA judging for College Gym News. Franck is a former NCAA and USAG judge (and also, NBD, a nursing professor), and her CGN series on judging is such a valuable resource for us gymnastics fans.

Franck concludes that NCAA judging is a bit of a Wild West; there are rules not followed, there are things followed that aren’t rules, and there is zero consistency. 

Scoring in NCAA is intended, Franck writes, to show the difference between a good routine and a great one, and between a great one and a perfect one. But when deductions aren’t taken, certain gymnasts are given passes that others aren’t, and there appears to be no nationwide consensus about what’s what, you end up with gymnasts getting 10s when they know they didn’t and no real idea among fans about what really sets some routines apart other than our feelings. And feelings, while valid, should not be the basis for scores, even in a subjectively judged sport.

Franck says that for true change to take place, there must be an acknowledgment that there is a problem. I personally think it will take the gymnasts themselves speaking up to effect change in judging, but I don’t know how much power they have (or think they have) to do this.

Other gym news

Balance Beam Situation brings us last week’s rankings, this week’s lineup and streaming links, and, of course, the GIFs. 

College Gym News has questions, comments, and concerns about NCAA Week 6, a preview of Week 7, a rundown of the unique skills of the NCGA-East, and, of course, the leotard rankings. 

Suni Lee told The Olympic Channel that she hopes her performance at Winter Cup is enough to punch her a ticket to the Baku World Cup. There, she said, she hopes to get her full-twisting laid-out Jaeger named for her. 

Some links to help you follow the Cairo World Cup this weekend: The event website, the live scoring, and the results. 

Jordan Chiles has withdrawn from next week’s Winter Cup with what she described as a tweaked shoulder. 

Zoe Miller also withdrew from Winter Cup with an unspecified injury. 

Denelle Pedrick’s ACL recovery is going well, she said. 

Alice Kinsella posted some training updates. 

Five at The IX: Jordan Chiles via GymCastic (the full interview) 

Last week I discussed Jordan Chiles’ interview with GymCastic and her statements about changing her floor routine. GymCastic this week posted their entire interview with Chiles in the name of transparency — and it’s a gem, so I’m going to post it here, too.