she doesn't look terribly muscular b/c she was suffering from an eating disorder that does not lend it self to muscle strength. She was also performing on an injured ankle. You can tell with every landing that she is in pain. I think she was a young girl with the weight of the world on her shoulders. She's not a traitor for writing a book. She's a hero for speaking the truth. If you don't like what she has to say, don't read her book. It's a choice you are free to make.
Please don't throw the word "hero" around lightly... it's not to be wasted on this shit. She was an elite sportsperson, boo hoo, that's what you get when you want the gold.
It is interesting to read her book and then see this...At this point she probably weight 96 pounds and she wasn't eating a thing. Yet she doesn't look it which is quite strange. She also doesn't look that muscular.
You know, I have also believed Gymnasts look so normal, as in, they looked like me in build, and then when you see college gymnastics, the girls look SO big in comparison.
THEN it dawned me that actually the college gymnasts are normal and healthy, when you really see any elite gymnast it would become apparently just how thin they are...but when everyone is so thin they its all relative.
The US elites seem to have gotten bigger in recent years - somewhat taller and/or more muscular than they were in the early-mid 90s. In fact, I think most countries - with the exception of the Chinese, whose gymnasts may or may not be underage - are fielding larger gymnasts today. This can only be a good thing - they are athletes, after all.
Of all as a former gymnast I can say that all those with poor toe pointe should not be wearing those shoes as it makes a pointe look worse. But considering the poor quality of gymnast the usa was producing at this time this girl was good. Zmeskalfan if you do not care about being outted why bring it up. Zmeskal was overtrained and injured by the poor training system at karolyi's. By the time she made it to the olympics she was already out of her peak.
Oh yes, anyone that knows gymnastics knows the Soviets would have beaten the pants off of everyone there in '84. They had one of the strongest teams ever.
I doubt Mary Lou would have won AA if the likes of Yurchenko, the young Shushunova and especially Mostepanova had been in LA. She beat the Romanians - but the US girls were allegedly being marked up in the Soviets' absence. And Romania still took the team gold.
Also, Retton was nowhere to be seen at the Worlds the following year. It's rumoured she was encouraged to retire after the Olympics, so the US wouldn't suss that the Emperor had no clothes.
I think ML didn't want to compete. Remember, though, she did win the American Cup in '85 (for what that's worth).
It is really hard to say how the Americans would have done. Julianne McNamara had an international reputation and some real difficulty. I agree that ML probably would not have medaled but she did go 8 for 8. Who is to say how the Soviets would have done? With the overscoring of that meet it would not have taken much to knock out a "better" athlete (Szabo, for example).
The Romanians were also hugely overscored at the Olympics. MAry lou didnt train after the OLympics and was in so shape to go to Worlds, plus the lucrative deals made it hard to train and to risk losing , and in turn losing the deals. She would have won a vault medal and a floor medal at the 85 worlds easily and given how poor everyone did, she could have taken the AA bronze
@metsdudenj Seeing that one of the most fantastic floor workers(Oksana Omelianchik) was there and scored a perfect 10, no, I don't think that Mary Lou could have medaled. Yes, she was very good, but once she got out of the US and lost the home field advantage, she would not have had as great of scores.
@afgymnast96 Well, I dont think Retton could have bested the two Soviets, but she could have bested the East German gymnasts pretty easily, so I think she could have gotten a floor bronze, AA bronze, and vault silver had she been in optimum shape for these worlds.
I only brought it up because people keep messaging me saying "HAHA Jennifer called you out" All Im saying is im sure she was a great person. But to me she wasnt on caliber compared to our other US champs of the 80's. Shes a great level 10 gymnast. But not elite
Yeah so I was OUTED....WHO CARES. No I dont know much about Jennifer. Not saying she was a bad gymnast....just meant when you look back at most other US Champs, shes low on the list of greats. And Yes I do think Zmeskal was better for all those people who wanna say "WAS ZMESKAL ANY BETTER"? Yes she was....and Im sorry jennifers feelings got hurt. Not my job 2 make her feel better. Im simply stating my opinion that I dont think she was very good. Others love her and thats cool 2! 2 each their own
Ummmm . . . how many of you snarky people are national champions too?
It's *really* easy to be an armchair athlete. It's a lot harder to get out there and do it yourself. And a whole lot harder to actually freaking win. Don'tcha think?
She was elegant and had great presence. We are a little harsh on her, I agree, but she really needed to beef up her routines and get the ankle rehabed. I guess at Goodwill she had to water down a few routines, but probably figured it was her only chance to compete in a huge event like that, so she went but not healthy. She did the same here, she had little power in her tumbling.
BTW, recently they posted the US USSR dual meet and it showed Jens routines. She had a good floor with new music "Romeo and Juliet" with only one double twist. Her beam had a double back dismount and her bars were better also. So, she did show that with a rested ankle she could do well. Unfortunately, I think with the dismal 86 season she had, she never quite caught up and missed the Pan Am team finishing 8th in the AA. Too bad, a healthy Jennifer Sey could have made that 87 WC team
I cant understand why they didnt rest her ankle. She was basically performing on one leg in most of her routines. At the goodwill games in 1986, ahe was an embarrassment,placing 20th out of 24 gymnasts, and the sad thing is, she didnt fall on any of her routines! Her beam routine scored 9.25 without a fall. Shoushounova fell and got a 9.4
do you even know what she was going through most of her gymnastics career? && also remember this was in like 1986, alot has changed since then, and comparing her to other girls back then, she is very very good.
Yeah I think you are right, plus Phoebe Mills and Kristie Phillips were still juniors. My favorite gymnast of that time was Joyce Wilborn, boy would she have been a great event specialist for the USA. In fact, she won the only major international medal for the US from 1985-1987 for her Goodwill Games bronze. You go Joyce!
Well, her performance at Championships of the USA was definitely a career high. Overall she was much cleaner and didn't have any big breaks. Also Kelly Garrison was out with an injury, and I think Sabrina Marr may have also been out due to injury. That's my assessment anyway.
I read her book it was awesome.
madhatter0alice2 6 days ago
what waz her score??????
horsechic251 1 year ago
whats the name of the floor music ?
Brittt3000 1 year ago
@Brittt3000 "Nine to Five"
metsdudenj 1 year ago
@metsdudenj Thank You!
Brittt3000 1 year ago
I wonder if she could of thrown a double layout
FLACSC74 2 years ago
I read Chalked Up, and I think she mentioned this meet. She did have an ankle injury
JoeJonasIsSOOHawt 2 years ago
She's rather sluggish in her tumbling.
trashywilma 2 years ago
@trashywilma
Dont you think everyone in this era was sluggish (barr a few soviets)
Everyone seemed so flat footed and heavy in their tumbling....
tomsk14 1 year ago
I think she was competing with like two broken legs, poor little thing. She's cute.
julietheshepard 2 years ago
Uh no, she might have had a torn hamstring but she wouldn't be able to walk with tow broken legs, much the less tumble.
csurvivor7 2 years ago 2
@csurvivor7 depends where its broken, could just be a hairline fracture, still would be hugely painful though
deathblessme 1 year ago
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This is so gross, very weak routine even for 1986
FLACSC74 2 years ago
Well she had an ankle injury and also had broken her leg the year before.
Lyssenk0 2 years ago 8
she doesn't look terribly muscular b/c she was suffering from an eating disorder that does not lend it self to muscle strength. She was also performing on an injured ankle. You can tell with every landing that she is in pain. I think she was a young girl with the weight of the world on her shoulders. She's not a traitor for writing a book. She's a hero for speaking the truth. If you don't like what she has to say, don't read her book. It's a choice you are free to make.
CampbellScot 3 years ago
Please don't throw the word "hero" around lightly... it's not to be wasted on this shit. She was an elite sportsperson, boo hoo, that's what you get when you want the gold.
88chalky88 3 years ago
It is interesting to read her book and then see this...At this point she probably weight 96 pounds and she wasn't eating a thing. Yet she doesn't look it which is quite strange. She also doesn't look that muscular.
jaszmina9 3 years ago
You know, I have also believed Gymnasts look so normal, as in, they looked like me in build, and then when you see college gymnastics, the girls look SO big in comparison.
THEN it dawned me that actually the college gymnasts are normal and healthy, when you really see any elite gymnast it would become apparently just how thin they are...but when everyone is so thin they its all relative.
tomsk14 3 years ago
The US elites seem to have gotten bigger in recent years - somewhat taller and/or more muscular than they were in the early-mid 90s. In fact, I think most countries - with the exception of the Chinese, whose gymnasts may or may not be underage - are fielding larger gymnasts today. This can only be a good thing - they are athletes, after all.
stonedgroovemama 2 years ago 2
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traiter book writer.
ApolytonGP 3 years ago
It's spelled traitor. If you cannot spell that obviously you would not be literate to read the book.
shewentoverthere 3 years ago 3
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No1ZmeskalFan,
You should be shot for your youtube name alone. Kim Z can suck a fart out of Amy Scheer's ass!
MRHA
mrhearingaid 3 years ago
Leave Jenn alone...
MRHA
mrhearingaid 3 years ago
Kim Z was the shit. I dont care what you say. I will take a bullet for Kim any day. Ur an asshole any damn way.
No1ZmeskalFan 3 years ago
ew i never saw someone suck a fart
metsdudenj 2 years ago
jumps and leaps by the Americans in the 80's were pitiful. They are so much higher, more energetic, full 180 degrees now, simply gorgeous
apluskel 3 years ago
her feet are pointed but her toe point if god awful
apluskel 3 years ago
Of all as a former gymnast I can say that all those with poor toe pointe should not be wearing those shoes as it makes a pointe look worse. But considering the poor quality of gymnast the usa was producing at this time this girl was good. Zmeskalfan if you do not care about being outted why bring it up. Zmeskal was overtrained and injured by the poor training system at karolyi's. By the time she made it to the olympics she was already out of her peak.
quequisiera13 3 years ago 4
Um Mary-Lou Retton was pretty darn good!
csurvivor7 3 years ago
But if the soviets had attended the 1984 olympics there is no way mary lou would have won.
shewentoverthere 3 years ago
You really don't know that.
csurvivor7 3 years ago
Oh yes, anyone that knows gymnastics knows the Soviets would have beaten the pants off of everyone there in '84. They had one of the strongest teams ever.
TuesdayPillow 3 years ago
They might have won team gold but Mary Lou had a very good chance to win some individual golds.
Also the fact is that they weren't there. Plus Americans beat the Russians!
csurvivor7 3 years ago
mary lou only won one indiv. gold - the aa - and she would not have had a chance had the soviets been there.
violaroadkill 3 years ago
I doubt Mary Lou would have won AA if the likes of Yurchenko, the young Shushunova and especially Mostepanova had been in LA. She beat the Romanians - but the US girls were allegedly being marked up in the Soviets' absence. And Romania still took the team gold.
Also, Retton was nowhere to be seen at the Worlds the following year. It's rumoured she was encouraged to retire after the Olympics, so the US wouldn't suss that the Emperor had no clothes.
stonedgroovemama 3 years ago
Maybe she wasn't going to get gold but possibly a silver or bronze. Look she was good, it's not like she wasn't a good gymnast.
csurvivor7 3 years ago
I think ML didn't want to compete. Remember, though, she did win the American Cup in '85 (for what that's worth).
It is really hard to say how the Americans would have done. Julianne McNamara had an international reputation and some real difficulty. I agree that ML probably would not have medaled but she did go 8 for 8. Who is to say how the Soviets would have done? With the overscoring of that meet it would not have taken much to knock out a "better" athlete (Szabo, for example).
dancingRJ 2 years ago
I agree btw, but just in response to the last bit, I think thats quite standard. You cant get better than a AA gold,
Podkopayeva, Patterson, Amanar, Gutsu....
They all retired immediately after their golds too I believe.
tomsk14 2 years ago
gutsu retired because of problems after soviet breakup, patterson & podkopayeva because of injury.
violaroadkill 2 years ago
The Romanians were also hugely overscored at the Olympics. MAry lou didnt train after the OLympics and was in so shape to go to Worlds, plus the lucrative deals made it hard to train and to risk losing , and in turn losing the deals. She would have won a vault medal and a floor medal at the 85 worlds easily and given how poor everyone did, she could have taken the AA bronze
metsdudenj 2 years ago
@metsdudenj Seeing that one of the most fantastic floor workers(Oksana Omelianchik) was there and scored a perfect 10, no, I don't think that Mary Lou could have medaled. Yes, she was very good, but once she got out of the US and lost the home field advantage, she would not have had as great of scores.
afgymnast96 1 year ago
@afgymnast96 Well, I dont think Retton could have bested the two Soviets, but she could have bested the East German gymnasts pretty easily, so I think she could have gotten a floor bronze, AA bronze, and vault silver had she been in optimum shape for these worlds.
metsdudenj 1 year ago
@metsdudenj It could have happened.
afgymnast96 1 year ago
I brought it up cuz people keep telling me about it....
No1ZmeskalFan 3 years ago
I only brought it up because people keep messaging me saying "HAHA Jennifer called you out" All Im saying is im sure she was a great person. But to me she wasnt on caliber compared to our other US champs of the 80's. Shes a great level 10 gymnast. But not elite
No1ZmeskalFan 3 years ago
Never got excited over this gymnast.
TuesdayPillow 3 years ago
Yeah so I was OUTED....WHO CARES. No I dont know much about Jennifer. Not saying she was a bad gymnast....just meant when you look back at most other US Champs, shes low on the list of greats. And Yes I do think Zmeskal was better for all those people who wanna say "WAS ZMESKAL ANY BETTER"? Yes she was....and Im sorry jennifers feelings got hurt. Not my job 2 make her feel better. Im simply stating my opinion that I dont think she was very good. Others love her and thats cool 2! 2 each their own
No1ZmeskalFan 4 years ago 3
You should read her auto biography 'Chalked up'
She competed in Elite gymnastics and didn't even wear grips on the bars!
csurvivor7 3 years ago 3
She reminds me a lot of Kim Kelly. They had similarly sluggish gymnastics...and they both came from Parkette's.
Lyssenk0 3 years ago 2
Ummmm . . . how many of you snarky people are national champions too?
It's *really* easy to be an armchair athlete. It's a lot harder to get out there and do it yourself. And a whole lot harder to actually freaking win. Don'tcha think?
rothrock2000 4 years ago 4
She was elegant. Why do you all have to be so mean? I always liked her.
reads4fun 4 years ago
She was elegant and had great presence. We are a little harsh on her, I agree, but she really needed to beef up her routines and get the ankle rehabed. I guess at Goodwill she had to water down a few routines, but probably figured it was her only chance to compete in a huge event like that, so she went but not healthy. She did the same here, she had little power in her tumbling.
metsdudenj 4 years ago 3
BTW, recently they posted the US USSR dual meet and it showed Jens routines. She had a good floor with new music "Romeo and Juliet" with only one double twist. Her beam had a double back dismount and her bars were better also. So, she did show that with a rested ankle she could do well. Unfortunately, I think with the dismal 86 season she had, she never quite caught up and missed the Pan Am team finishing 8th in the AA. Too bad, a healthy Jennifer Sey could have made that 87 WC team
metsdudenj 3 years ago
I cant understand why they didnt rest her ankle. She was basically performing on one leg in most of her routines. At the goodwill games in 1986, ahe was an embarrassment,placing 20th out of 24 gymnasts, and the sad thing is, she didnt fall on any of her routines! Her beam routine scored 9.25 without a fall. Shoushounova fell and got a 9.4
metsdudenj 4 years ago 2
Yeah this girl is probably the worst US champ ever....shes terrible
No1ZmeskalFan 4 years ago
do you even know what she was going through most of her gymnastics career? && also remember this was in like 1986, alot has changed since then, and comparing her to other girls back then, she is very very good.
horsegirl04 3 years ago
Yeah I think you are right, plus Phoebe Mills and Kristie Phillips were still juniors. My favorite gymnast of that time was Joyce Wilborn, boy would she have been a great event specialist for the USA. In fact, she won the only major international medal for the US from 1985-1987 for her Goodwill Games bronze. You go Joyce!
metsdudenj 5 years ago
Well, her performance at Championships of the USA was definitely a career high. Overall she was much cleaner and didn't have any big breaks. Also Kelly Garrison was out with an injury, and I think Sabrina Marr may have also been out due to injury. That's my assessment anyway.
svenskkille29 5 years ago
Someone pls explain to me how this girl managed to win the 86 US title. Did everyone else have a broken leg?
metsdudenj 5 years ago
it was an off year!
WHATTHEBUCKSHOW 4 years ago
That is the meanest thing I have ever read on youtube.lol and I have said some mean things.
FireDannyAinge 4 years ago 2
Because Hope Spivey had a fall on beam. The won "the Romanian way". Everyone better fell.
Lyssenk0 3 years ago
Thanks for posting this. Had wondered if Jennifer performed again after her fall from bars at 85 Worlds.
gwynell 5 years ago
was that first tumbling pass supposed to be a double layout?
gw2012ogm 5 years ago
No, it was a layout pike double back. She couldnt do a layout for both somersaults. In fact, she couldnt do much of anything on any apparatus.
metsdudenj 4 years ago