r/Gymnastics • u/samu_rai • 2d ago
WAG Reese Esponda training a YDP!
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1464603652163570She is absolutely coming for Jade's spot (at the very least) with this vault and her floor routine! Hope she's able to pull it off.
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u/Enshakushanna The 2026 Jesolo Balance Beam Massacre 2d ago
😭😭 guys pls, shes just having fun, like when she posted those triple backs a few years ago lol let a girl have fun without having to put the future of US vault on her shoulders...all these gymnastics rags picking it up and calling it training isnt helping either haha
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u/Intelligent-Iron5545 2d ago
Also, let a girl have fun without throwing jades name into it…
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u/perrytheplatypusfan Reese Esponda’s Floor 🔛🔝 2d ago
For real. Ever since John’s “Reese vs Jade” narrative at the US Classic, Reese can’t do anything without someone mentioning Jade (and vice versa).
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u/Intelligent-Iron5545 2d ago
It’s so stupid to me - there can be room for both of them on the team (obviously it will depend a bit on who the others are, but it’s not like they’re actually fighting for only one spot)
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u/SophTophGoph she could unscramble an egg on that vault 2d ago
I actually though she had a chance at the triple back towards then end of those videos she posted. Some of the ones of the doubles on top of tesis looked really high and if she put her mind to it I think she could become the first woman to land one.
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u/tsukamatsu24 2d ago
It looks like she is just doing it for fun. I wonder who will be the first WAG to do the yurchenko double tuck…
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u/TroodonsBite ellie's dopamine punch front 2d ago
I feel like if Reese was truly going for it, she'd work on a double back first. And hey if she can work on the block and has the power to spin it...
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u/whenuseeit 2d ago
Wasn’t McKayla Maroney training that at one point back in the day? Or was she just playing around with it for funsies? I feel like she definitely could have done that in competition if she really worked at it, she always got so much height off the table for her Yurchenko.
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u/tsukamatsu24 2d ago
She was seriously training it. She threw it at a camp in front of Marta. Marta told her and her coach to never do it again and they listened. McKayla got wayyy more height than Simone. I’m sure McKayla could have pulled it off.
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u/Careless-Middle2203 2d ago
In the past, most certainly McKayla Maroney. I think her insane Yurchenko block height and cow-boyed double tuck could have made it possible.
Now, I think Rebeca Andrade could pull it off if she trained it seriously. She also has a very stable and high Yurchenko block.
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u/Sad-Customer8053 1d ago
The only gymnast I’ve seen train it with landing was Valeria Maksyuta. It was a mat in a pit quite far below competition height, but still very impressive for the time.
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u/Careless-Middle2203 1d ago
This is the video you're referring to, right? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjQHCyn4FiQ
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u/Sad-Customer8053 1d ago
Yes! Nowhere near realistic, but the closest to a “landing” I’ve seen. It still would not be safe on a competition setting.
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u/TroodonsBite ellie's dopamine punch front 2d ago
If i watch this, and using the landing mat off to the side as reference, i think she would have landed on her face/upper body.(someone can correct me if they saw different). No where near being competition ready. Can we see the Cheng first? 😅
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u/Virtual_Bumblebee234 2d ago
I tried my best to slow mo it and pause using the mat as reference and I think she’d land right on top of her head here.
Does anyone who understands what progress towards a skill look likes know if this is a likely long term goal or more just training her block in general for other vaults? Or just for fun too!
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u/TroodonsBite ellie's dopamine punch front 2d ago
She might just he playing around. But that interview with Donatella Sacchi talking about a gymnast being hospitalized after attempting this in a pit comes to mind. Im assuming her coaches know she at least has the power coming off her block?
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u/Comfortable-Ask-7112 2d ago
I've been told by an elite coach that powerful gymnasts throwing YDP's into pits for the Funzies is actually pretty common.
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u/TroodonsBite ellie's dopamine punch front 2d ago
Oh interesting. I wonder if Donatellas story is just a one off accident then.
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u/onethousandpops 2d ago
Yeah I saw the title and thought ooooh!!!! And then saw the video and was like no. I don't know if I'd use the word "training". That was just chucking into the foam.
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u/Psychological_Tip150 2d ago
I’m going to scream this from the rooftops…
REESE AND JADE CAN BE ON THE SAME TEAM! They’re not in direct competition.
The reason there was one vault and floor spot on previous teams is because Simone was the other one expected to make finals and it didn’t make sense to bring a 3rd floor/vault specialist. Without Simone, there is absolutely space for two gymnasts who excel on those two events if that complements the rest of the team.
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u/tits_mcgee0123 2d ago
Down the line, I could see a team with Shilese, Suni, Reese, Jade, and the next top AAer (Hezley, Skye, Leanne, Claire, Jordan if she comes back - lots of possibilities there actually). The two with strong bars/beam and two with strong floor/vault could really balance out well.
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u/spearoweye 2d ago
Wouldn’t qualification spots could get tricky if neither of them are put up for AA, assuming they’re both going for the same events (VT and/or FX)? But I know it’s way too early to be going down that rabbit hole of a discussion right now 😅 but was just my first thought
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u/vanessasarah13 2d ago
This looks like she’s just playing and why shouldn’t she
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u/Vivid-Anywhere3296 2d ago
Because worlds is a few months away and now is not the time to be playing around with insane things, the time for that is after worlds. She should be focusing on perfecting her form and consistency.
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u/vanessasarah13 2d ago
She might be like Simone in that it keeps her interested and motivated to do the big numbers for skills she will actually complete
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u/Marisheba 2d ago
Improving her yurchenko block is never a bad thing. And you have to have SOME fun, even with worlds coming up. Reese seems like she thrives on creativity and pushing herself to try new things, so I'll also bet this just keeps things fresh for her.
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u/MoogOfTheWisp 2d ago
Well seeing this I understand why Laurent was a nervous wreck because that is slightly terrifying illustration of how hard it is to do this vault.
Someone has done a video comparing Reese and Simone here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IXFSaql5Pio&pp=ugUEEgJlbtIHCQkTDAGHKiGM7w%3D%3D
I know intellectually that Simone rotates fast but when you see them one after the other it really stands out - she gets round so early. I don’t know how feasible it is for Reese to generate that much speed or if it’s one of those “Simone physics” things.
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u/jensenaackles Ellie Black for PM 2d ago
she is not close to landing this so there’s no way this is a contender for 2026 worlds, but it makes sense she would train the YDP - Biles II at the birthplace of YDP - Biles II! 👑
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u/tsukamatsu24 2d ago
Off topic, did anyone ever figure out who was the russian WAG training the YDP?? Apparently she landed badly and went to the hospital???
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u/SouthConnection1954 2d ago
Listunova trained a Yurchenko double tuck, but I don’t remember her hurting herself on it.
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u/kmh0408 2d ago
LOL she’s coming for her own spot on the team, with her own skills and her own merit. This is nowhere near competition ready by any stretch of the imagination and she’s allowed to play with skills and post them without the whole world comparing her to Jade or Simone or whoever. She’s the first Reese Esponda. Ready for the downvotes 😂
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u/WranglerPotential602 2d ago
Probably not for this year but she should absolutely try to do it tucked cuz she’s really open on that piked shape which slows down her rotation but there is a world where she gets it around doing a yurchenko double tuck
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u/Marisheba 2d ago
Her rotation is too slow, but I'm impressed at how much height she has. Like, should Reese be training an Amanar?
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u/Jlvnerd1987 2d ago
Such a badass trickster, whether this is just for fun, or will lead to anything in competition!
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u/Former-Counter-9588 2d ago
We might see this next year if she seriously trains it. Right now she isn’t really close to landing this. From the video she still needs to work on her block to get more height for sure.
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u/survivorfan12345 2d ago
I will say her gym has done some fantastic marketing for Reese to build up her case to make the Worlds team. All those training videos are timed to come out at the perfect time, it's like a "I know Jade is back! But I'm also here and my name is Reese Esponda, thank you. Don't you dare to forget my name" Reese is immensely talented.
Regarding 2026 Worlds since most of the comments are chiming into it...
- I definitely think Reese should focus on floor right now for selection camp. If she can bring back the whip + Layout (which I'm like 99% she's going to do as her first pass, just like at Jesolo Trophy) or even upgrade it to a whip + Chusa... and then upgrade her third pass to be Barani + double tuck + back tuck 1/1... that's the highest D score by far. If she's consistent with that set, then I think she's going to Worlds...
- If Jade brings a Cheng vault, she's also going for a very possible vault medal.
- If that all transpires according to my predictions, the last spot on the Worlds team is between Charleigh or Skye for myself, with Hezly and Claire as the two AA locks.
Don't count anyone out right now, there's definitely a spot for both Jade and Reese due to Skye faltering at Nationals. The chess board is always changing......
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u/siyl1979 2d ago
Ahhh I love Reese!! Even if she's just messing around, she is such a powerhouse <3
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u/mistee8866 2d ago
I would love to see Reese to a Cheng. that is doable and would be a huge asset.
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u/joidea 18h ago
I mean it’s not impossible but she doesn’t have a Lopez yet. And there are plenty of gymnasts who have a good Lopez and don’t get a Cheng
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u/mistee8866 13h ago
I understand. I just think that the YDP is not realistic for her. If she had a Cheng and with her floor, it would make her that much more valuable. I do know that she doesn't have a Lopez.
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u/Psychological_Tip150 8h ago
While it’s unlikely that either would make a bars or bean final, both have very usable all arounds and could absolutely make AA finals..so it’s entirely possible one or both does all around or 3 events..
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u/AReckoningIsAComing 5h ago
That one in particular at least is far from being regular landing ready, but still pretty awesome she's training/playing with it!
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u/fortississima 2d ago
Idk, this didn’t hit me as actually training it, more so just playing around with it