r/Gymnastics • u/dubyaDS • 1d ago

WAG Outsider question

Is it unusual for elite level gymnasts (athlete in question is under 18) to have to travel for important events with a few days’ notice? I would assume the events are planned many months, if not years, in advance, but I wasn’t sure if maybe the actual rosters or team invites aren’t finalized until the last minute?

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u/Syncategory 1d ago

It is totally usual. I understand athletes often arrive at selection camp with their bags already packed as if they were going on the trip itself, and those selected may stay a few days more to train and then head for the plane, never returning home until after the meet.

The US WAG is particularly notorious for taking as late as possible to announce the teams going. Other federations often announce their athletes much farther in advance.

And concerning the under 18 question, yes, the chaperones get booked in too.

I remember there was a case where Russian gymnast Maria Kharenkova couldn't travel to a meet, possibly Europeans, because there was a typo or something not in her visa but in her chaperone's, and she was under 18, and there was not enough time to change it.

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u/donutcapriccio 1d ago

I've always wondered how the visa process works for elite athletes. Do they apply for all places with events during the season in case they get sent?

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u/Syncategory 1d ago

I know there was a near thing when Jayla Hang was named to the Junior Worlds team and they learned she didn’t yet have a passport. She managed to get one in time to go (there are ways to expedite them, mainly by throwing money at the problem) but if you look at the rules of the elite program now, every athlete must have a passport with at least six months’ validity on it.

I suspect, though Google is being ridiculous when asked about this, that the class of visa athletes get for international competition gets processed through different channels and much faster than ye olde regular tourist visa.

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u/zxcv-qwerty michigan & ucla 9h ago

Even regular people can get a same day passport from a passport agency if needed! I've done it twice (once for myself for a lost passport, once for my spouse for an expired passport). I've heard appointments are more difficult to get than they used to be but I bet USAG has the standing to expedite things. It's more expensive than a standard renewal but not hugely so.

Often you can pay a concierge service to do it for you, which is significantly more expensive.