Aliya To Compete After All

Aliya will compete two events at Nationals (UB/BB); both are watered down sets and won't feature any planned upgrades. She's only been out of the hospital (a rehab trip) for two weeks so we might witness her looking less than stellar, shall we say. Personally, I thought she made the right decision the first time around to miss Nationals, but this is her choice so we should support her and not be cranky if what we see does not impress (especially since Pacific Rims will be at the same time and you know how people love to compare Russia vs. America at every opportunity). I can't say I understand why she feels compelled to appear before she is able to make an impact on results, but I will be very upset to see her become subject to base comments, and the coarsest criticism, if her performances are poor. After all, what can we expect from someone who's had 5 months of a gymnastics break, surgery in November, and a return to full training in late January? She's Russia's supergirl, for sure, but isn't in shape to fight for anything right now- which is why this development surprises me. I assumed everyone by this point was reconciled to her situation and appreciated that when she did finally emerge it would be a comeback worth the wait.

She is supergirl, ready to save everyone.
But who saves Aliya?
source: weloveyoualiya.tumblr

I mean,  I'm sure this didn't come about without Aliya's explicit approval, but it seems to me the administration just get's nervous when she's not in the room, ya know? Wasn't the point of missing Nationals to open the year on a more dynamic & confident note whenever she acquired the means to do so? If I'm honest, I think my issue boils down to an exasperation over growing so used to seeing our gymnasts compete within a limited capacity. There's always some reason they're restricted in what they can do, always some reason fans can't ever see the best of their capability. When was the last time we got to see Aliya actually show up with stamina, strength, upgrades, confidence, stability...everything... so that we could accurately determine where she was in relation to the international field? It's always, 'she could upgrade before the final if she's feeling better' or 'don't worry, she's preserving her health for when it matters' at important competitions. But now that she finally has the chance to just work on getting better, a team panic commences, simply because she's out of the spotlight! I don't see Biles' coaches itching to have her attend every meet on the calendar just to prove she's still on top of USA's AA depth, so why should a girl of Aliya's reputation fall to the circumstance? Going to Nationals to do things she's already done, as if she's some newbie who's got to fight for a team spot, is counterproductive and a waste of precious time. Please understand this is just my opinion and I don't expect anyone to take it to heart because I'm venting (which I swore I'd stop doing lol) and these are just thoughts I want to get off my head. Befuddled, frustrated, concerned, I'll always support Aliya no matter what and I still believe her latest comeback will be fruitful.

But fear has replaced strategy on this team.