Updated Worlds Team Predictions

With Konnor McClain announcing her injury and withdraw from the Worlds Team Selection Camp, and Kayla DiCello also looking to focus on her future collegiate gymnastics career, there is new developments in the USA possible world team.

Using Averaged US Championships Scores

When I use average US Championships scores taking out Kayla DiCello and Konnor McClain, the top three scores on each event are Jade Carey, Shilese Jones, and Jordan Chiles for vault; Jones, Leanne Wong, and Chiles for uneven bars; Ciena Alipio, Chiles, and Katelyn Jong for balance beam; and Jones, Carey, and Chiles for floor. Since we can't put 6 members on the team the lowest of those scores is Jong's beam scores. So replacing Jong's beam with Wong's beam gives a team final score of 168.7.

Vault: Carey, Jones, Chiles

Bars: Jones, Wong, Chiles

Beam: Alipio, Chiles, Wong

Floor: Jones, Carey, Chiles

If Wong is also unable to go to worlds due to an injury then the top three on each event would include Nola Matthews on Uneven Bars and then using Carey's beam score for team finals. This would give a team score of 168.35.

Using Top Scores for Each Gymnast

If using the top scores for each gymnast across all the competitions this year then the highest scoring team would include Carey, Jones, Wong, Chiles, and Alipio. This team would score a 170.85 with the following breakdown on each event.

Vault: Carey, Jones, Wong

Bars: Jones, Wong, Chiles

Beam: Alipio, Carey, Jones

Floor: Jones, Carey, Chiles

Now with Wong's injury that vault score may need to be replaced. In that case the next highest vault score would be Chiles, lowering the team score by just 0.05 to 170.80.

Using Average Scores from the Entire Year

If we take the average scores from US Classics, both days of US Championships, September Camp, and both World Cup events thus far then highest scoring team would be Carey, Jones, Wong, Skye Blakely, and Jordan Chiles with a 166.93.

Vault: Carey, Jones, Wong

Bars: Jones, Blakely, Chiles

Beam: Chiles, Wong, Carey

Floor: Chiles, Jones, Wong

This team has some potential issues though in that Wong was unable to perform on Vault and Floor at the latest competitions, so replacing her on those events would be Blakely on Vault and Carey on Floor with a score of 166.75.

Who is on the team?

So there are some clear locks for this team no matter what iterations we do. Those gymnasts are clearly Shilese Jones appearing on 3/3 teams from above and 11/12 of the events, Jade Carey on 3/3 teams and 8/12 events, Jordan Chiles who is on 3/3 teams and 8/12 events, then assuming Wong can do at least bars and beam she is on 3/3 teams and 4/12 events. The other contenders are Skye Blakely on 1/3 teams for vault and uneven bars; Ciena Alipio on 2/3 teams just for balance beam, or Nola Matthews on 1/3 teams just for uneven bars but only if Leanne Wong cannot compete.