little things, she says. There were a couple handsta from LAM's blog
Relive the final moments of a riveting qualifying hour for the Spanish GP as
Lewis Hamilton grabbed pole position. The world champion had wrecked his first
lap at the start of Q3 with a mistake to leave him staring another defeat to
team-mate and title leader Nico Rosberg in the face.But in sublime fashion,
Hamilton hit back in the final seconds of the qualifying hour to claim his third
pole of the season - while Daniel Ricciardo, restricted to just a single lap in
Q3, just pipped new Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen to third on the grid.
Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Daniel Ricciardo give their thoughts on
qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix Watch the Spanish GP live on Sky Sports
F1. The race starts at 1pm on Sunday, with build-up underway at 11.30am. Or
watch the race without a contract for £6.99 on NOW TV. Also See: Conclusions
from Qualifying Watch: Verstappen the real deal SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Five spots.
Five plane tickets to Rio. Thats whats up for the taking at the U.S. Olympic
gymnastics trials in San Jose this weekend. From afar, thats the story, the
tension.But up close, the reality is far less dramatic.Entering this weekends
competition, which began Friday night at the SAP Center in San Jose, California,
and continues Sunday evening, four of those five spots were considered to be all
but locked up by three-time world champion Simone Biles, 2012 Olympic floor
champ Aly Raisman, reigning Olympic all-around champion Gabby Douglas and
16-year-old newcomer Laurie Hernandez.That leaves one spot for an athlete who
can contribute a high-scoring bar routine -- the weakest event for the
collective four women named above -- during the team competition in Rio. And
because the team selection is based on the discretion of national team
coordinator Martha Karolyi and a selection committee, a gymnast doesnt need to
place in the top five at trials in order to make the team. Instead, the final
decision is based on more intangible criteria that includes past results,
consistency in practice, and how the athlete fits into the team dynamic.That
fifth and final spot will likely go to one of two women: Madison Kocian of
Plano, Texas, the 2015 co-world champion on bars, and Ashton Locklear, the bars
champion at the 2016 Pacific Rim Championships and 2016 U.S. national champion
in that event.At the start of Fridays competition, the potential for either
gymnast to make the team seemed almost identical. Both women own recent titles
on the apparatus at international competitions and consistently put up the
highest scores on bars of any current American gymnasts. Either would give a
strong U.S. team an even greater advantage to win gold in Rio.In San Jose,
Locklear was the first of the two women to compete on bars, in the second
rotation, and she made a strong statement to the selection committee that her
name should be called Sunday night. Her score of 15.750, the best of the night
until that point, was higher than her winning score at nationals in June, higher
than her score at Pac Rims, and higher than Kocians winning score at the World
Championships.Im really confident, Locklear said. Ive done so well at past
competitions and won so many times, and I feel like Im building a good record
for myself.If shes named to the team, Locklear would be the first Native
American gymnast to compete for the U.S. at the Olympics. A member of the Lumbee
Tribe, the largest in North Carolina, Locklear wears a Lumbee pin on the strap
of her competition bag and carries a dream catcher with her that was given to
her by a member of the tribe.ddddddddddddts a great feeling knowing theyre
cheering for me back home, Locklear said. Its very unique and it means the world
to me that I have their support.Locklears score set the bar in San Jose. But
Kocian says she didnt notice.I didnt see [Locklears] score before I competed,
Kocian said. I try to focus on myself. Thats all you can control. What she does
doesnt affect what I can do. If I let my mind wander to anyone else, you dont
have 100 percent focus on yourself, and thats when you start making mistakes.In
the next rotation, as Locklear prepared to mount the balance beam, the only
other event in which she competes, Kocian completed her bar routine and was also
awarded 15.750. It was a tie. At least in the literal sense.The scores dont
really matter to the selection committee right now, Kocian said. Its what you
have been doing in practice throughout the week and your consistency. After
tonight, my confidence has increased.Soon after the crowd celebrated Kocians
score, Locklear fell from the beam.I dont think I fell once this week in
training, so its frustrating coming into a competition like this and falling,
Locklear said. I have to turn the page. Beam is not my specialty, and that is
not what they are looking at me for. I showed them that I have a good bars
routine, and Ive had good bars in the past. They know I have a good record.But
so too, does Kocian, who backed up her impressive bar routine with solid
performances in each of the other three rotations and finished sixth in the
all-around. Kocian also competes a bar routine with a higher difficulty score
than Locklears, which leaves more room for mistakes -- and for improvement.They
tied on bars, but [Kocian] had some other routines that could be useful in a
team situation, Karolyi said. Right now, she is placing well in my eyes.Still,
Locklear believes if the selection committee focuses not on her fall on beam --
where she is unlikely to be asked to contribute in Rio -- but only on her
strength and consistency on bars, she has a legitimate shot at the final
spot.Its the little things, she says. There were a couple handstands I missed,
and my dismount might have been a little low. I could have done better.As the
Lumbee Tribe watches from North Carolina, shell have one final opportunity to do
so on Sunday. Cheap
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