Notes & Quotes: Upgrades and talking comebacks at 2026 U.S. Classic podium training

Podium training at the 2026 U.S. Classic gave the first real look at what’s coming this weekend — new skills, a few surprises, and some storylines taking shape. Here’s a rotation-by-rotation breakdown, plus the best of what Jade Carey, Katelyn Ohashi, Addalye and Audrey VanGrinsven, Amia Pugh-Banks, and Chellsie Memmel had to say afterward.

Rotation-by-Rotation Notes

Rotation 1: Leanne Wong did not warm up vault. She spent most of the rotation in her full warmups, stretching out more, before doing some basic landing drills off the vault table.

Caroline Moreau debuted a full-twisting double layout on floor.

And in a fun sighting, Oklahoma coaches K.J. Kindler and husband Lou Ball are here, coaching incoming Sooner freshman Izzy Stassi.

Rotation 2: Skye Blakely looked clean on bars while Wong sat out bars as well.

Isabella Anzola was working some clean tumbling, including an excellent 2.5 twist to punch front.

Ally Damelio’s Seitz continues to be one of the most show-stopping skills when she competes.

And Reese Esponda’s double pike dismount on beam stood out as one of the highlights of the rotation.

Rotation 3: Something seemed off with Wong. She struggled to hit skills on beam – apparently the only event she is competing this weekend. She most notably struggled with her side aerial to layout step-out, falling many times. She did eventually hit it.

Ohashi dropped her switch leap mount on beam in favor of a squat-through entry.

Blakely is so consistent on beam and looked solid here too, although the double back dismount could be cleaned up.

Tatum Drusch’s double pike on floor gets major height, and she also showed a fabulous 2.5 to punch front.

Rotation 4: Ohashi’s double pike looked excellent.

Carey debuted a full-twisting double layout off bars.

Anzola stuck a double layout off bars.

Jade Carey: New bars dismount and comeback thoughts

Carey is planning to compete her new full-twisting double layout off bars, a skill she’s been training for a few months. She’ll also do a full-twisting double layout on floor. It will “most likely” be her opening pass on Saturday — a step up from the double layout she opened with at American Classic.

Watch for an upgraded beam dismount as well after she did a watered down full twist at American Classic.

Carey hasn’t spoken directly with Suni Lee since Lee announced her own comeback, but she knew it was coming from previous conversations.

“I think we both kind of have a similar mindset of just like we still know that we have more in us, and why not? As long as we love gymnastics and can still do it.”

Katelyn Ohashi: A lost bag, a reworked floor routine, and chasing a 26.800

Ohashi had a stressful start to the week — her checked bag, including her turn shoes, didn’t make it to Hartford with her on Thursday. The bag did, fortunately, show up on Friday.

“I feel like a rookie, and my turn shoes were in my bag.”

Her leotards, fortunately, were in her carry-on.

“That’s the one thing I carry. I learned the hard way. Like everything goes in the carry-on.”

Ohashi is competing beam and floor this weekend, looking to reach the 26.800 two-event total needed to qualify for next month’s U.S. Championships. She scored a 24.650 combined (13.150 beam, 11.500 floor) at American Classic in late June, leaving her with ground to make up.

On beam, she’s swapping the switch leap mount she used at American Classic for a simpler squat-through entry.

On floor, she’s dropped to two “full” tumbling passes — a 1.5 to full and a double pike, plus a round off layout step out side pass. The change, which required some routine modifications this week with former UCLA coach Miss Val, still earns the two-tenth D dismount bonus for routines with more than two passes.

“It’s not my favorite thing, because I don’t love a two-pass routine, but this is where I’m at now, so we’re working with it.”

Despite the adjustments, Ohashi said she still feels good about her chances to hit the 26.800 mark.

“I still have a decent start value. So hoping to create some room on beam to be able to hit that mark.”

Ohashi was overheard on beam saying, “Back on podium, baby!” — and elaborated on the difference between her comeback debut at American Classic inside a gym and podium training in an arena.

“American Classic obviously is a lot more intimate. Feels like my everyday workout, whereas… there’s only one beam here. You don’t have a beam next to you, and the equipment is still relatively the same. It’s a little bouncier and a little nicer on the body, which is always great for a 29-year-old. So love that aspect, and yeah. So just feeling it out and just kind of getting the extra jitters out today.”

With qualification still uncertain, Ohashi said she’s staying grounded in the bigger picture with LA28 less than two years away.

“I mean, no matter what happens, I still have my dreams and goals… I just get to keep chugging along, and I think this was a really good get-your-feet-wet moment and year and just showing what I’m capable of.”

“Everything comes a lot faster than you ever imagine. And so, if I would have started any later, or you know, try to compete next year for the first time, I just would have felt a lot more like the need to do something. This year, I feel relaxed and just kind of taking it one step at a time.”

VanGrinsven Sisters: Training together and upgrading

Junior teammates and sisters Addalye and Audrey VanGrinsven both spoke about the comfort of training and competing alongside each other.

Addalye:

“I absolutely love it. It’s my favorite thing in the world because we’re at training, we get to rely on each other a little bit. It’s like, ‘hey, how are you doing?’ We’re the ones to check in on each other, and I think it’s a comfort for me, honestly, as older sister to have my little sister there, and I’m just so proud. I really love it.”

Audrey:

“I really love it too because she’s my comfort. Like whenever I’m having a tough day or something, I can always just go to her and ask for [her to] give me pep talks, all that stuff, and I just really love it.”

On the upgrade front, Audrey is bringing a double layout off bars and a lay-lay on beam. Addalye isn’t debuting anything new this weekend, but she is training a double layout on floor that she hopes to compete at championships.

Amia Pugh-Banks: A new opening pass and riding Pan Ams momentum

Junior Pugh-Banks is bringing two notable upgrades: a double-double as her opening floor pass – “That’s really new for me” – and a beam triple series — a back handspring to two-footed layout.

She trained only a full-twisting Yurchenko on vault in podium training but plans to compete a double this weekend.

Pugh-Banks also reflected on her recent Pan American Championships performance, where she won gold with the team as well as in the all-around, vault, and floor.

“I feel like I really hit my potential on most of my events.”

Chellsie Memmel on the wave of comebacks ahead of LA28

USA Gymnastics High Performance Technical Lead Chellsie Memmel addressed the growing list of veteran comebacks — including Carey, Ohashi, and Lee — and how the program is approaching it.

“I think well, going in for me personally and the rest of the [high performance leadership team], just we’re kind of going in with a mindset that everybody is going to come back, and then just, you know, that’s where our heads at, and then as it started happening, it’s great. I think it’s great for them. It’s great for the sport. They’ve been very forthcoming and open with communication, which is, you know, awesome. So I’m excited.”

None of the comebacks have surprised her — including Ohashi’s. Memmel said Ohashi first reached out to her after the 2021 Gold Over America Tour to ask about making her own comeback, since Memmel had already done so. The two spoke again at American Classic.

“I didn’t know if it was gonna happen.”

Ohashi’s response, according to Memmel: “The timing just wasn’t right, and now it felt right.”

Looking ahead to Los Angeles, Memmel said the program is preparing for more comebacks.

“We’re going in with the expectation that there are going to be more coming back.”

The bigger priority, she said, is managing team culture given the age gap between returning veterans and younger athletes in the program — though she noted that’s been made easier by who’s coming back.

“Those who are coming back are also just great humans and tend to be very good leaders.”

Asked about criticism that veteran athletes should step aside for younger gymnasts to have their moment — a question she’s faced herself as a returning athlete — Memmel pushed back.

“I don’t think we should tell somebody that they have to stop a sport that they love. I understand, I guess, where that is coming from of saying, you know, let somebody else but also it’s a competitive sport. And if there is the want and the drive to try again, I don’t think we should tell somebody that they can’t do something.”