Every single Nationals leotard ranked

Except podium training because I am but one person. Here we go!

And the winner is....

Olivia Dunne Day 2. This is perfection. Black makes the best background, and the mesh is pretty with not too many sparkles. The design is so original and striking, and perfectly proportioned. This is a dream and has nothing I would change. 10/10

Honourable mention

MG Elite Day 2. This was the best photo without pesky obscuring medals. Stunning colours, and I love how the fade is vaguely vertical, it's unusual. Somewhat celestial. Gorgeous sparkle patterns on this too. 9.5/10

Read on for the rest of the 63 leotards in total...

Seniors

Bailie Key- Day 1

I like the idea behind it. It's mental but cool. It's far too loud to actually like the leotard itself though, there's nothing pretty about it. 4/10

Day 2

She looks good in black. Again this is fun rather than nice - it could have been that also but the tux thing kills it. 5/10

Aly Raisman - Day 1

Beautiful. Love white, love the sparkle pattern and she looks stunning it it. A classic. 8.5/10

Day 2

I love the body of this, lovely sublimation and the sparkles over the white is eye-catching. I like the sweeping red/blue lines framing the top of the body but the actual red/blue swirly things on the shoulder are a bit off. Maybe just some plainer sparkles there would have this perfect. I want to see this as the TF leo...7/10

Lauren Navarro - Day 1

This could have been amazing but it just wasn't quite there. The top of the bodice seems a bit ridged or something, there's something off-putting about it. There's also too much sheer fabric going on-plenty on the low back too. 7/10

Day 2

The sparkles on the bodice looked a little cheap or something, I would have preferred if they were randomly scattered too. Love the neckline/sleeve pattern - very unusual. White is almost always a winner. 8/10

GAGE Day 1

There aren't many redeeming features here, except for the wearer of course. Very garish colours, ugly flower thing and nude mesh is the WORST. 2/10

Day 2

No no no, no to nude mesh! Much better colours but the white and black swirls add nothing to this and I hate how it looks angrily chewed up at the top of the bodice. 2/10

Nia Dennis - Day 1

Gorgeous colours. I like the ombre, the sleeves and the halterneck effect. I do NOT like the amount of mesh right on the chest, it's just wrong and it ruins the whole thing. The random white spray...I'm not sold on it. Could have been prettier. 4.5/10

Day 2

Stunning colours, and so beautiful on her. The cuffs are not good though. This is another meaningless swirl that adds nothing, something is needed to break it up, but not an ugly swirl. 5/10

WOGA Day 1

White and black is always good on paper. I hate the pattern though, especially the top left where it sprouts up onto the mesh. 5/10

Day 2

Inoffensive. Not my favourite shade of pink/purple but fine. I don't like the dip in the bodice, I'd prefer if it was less jarring. The criss-cross pattern on the white is cool. Overall though it is pretty boring. 5.5/10

Simone Biles - Day 1

I'm torn about this one. I don't think the black/white ombre worked with the pink. The pink swirl IS nice but reminds me of a jellyfish. It did look good on the floor though. But the colours together..hmm. 6/10

Day 2

I love this colour red, and the white bit breaks it up perfectly. Could have done without the mesh, and the sparkles were a bit too concentrated on the cuffs. A good leo for quals, but overall a little dull. 6/10

Maggie Nichols/Twin City Twisters - Day 1

This looked better in motion. I liked the sparkles, they don't look good in a still image though. Unusual pattern but it worked. Not a great shade of pink, a bit too barbie. Loved the neckline, border, and sleeves. 6/10

Day 2

It's red, and the sleeves are cool. The deep V is not nice and it's filled with...nude.mesh. 3.5/10

Kyla Ross - Day 1

The WOGA leo that I don't like is not any better in purple. This purple doesn't make for nice mesh either. 2/10

Day 2

SO much better! So striking and amazing use of sparkles. Looked great in motion. To be super fussy, I would have liked it more in less metallic/shiny fabric. 7/10

Gabby Douglas - Day 1

What a classic leotard. Gorgeous colours, actually nice swirly bit. To be very picky, I'd have preferred if the top and sleeves were solid, I don't think brightly coloured mesh works. 7/10

Day 2

I'm a sucker for purple, but it's not as nice. The white accents set it off nicely but they make it too 'typical GK' and remind me of the mountain range leo the whole world wore a few years ago. Not pleasant memories. Still though, purple. 6.5/10

Everest - Day 1

I still really like this, but it seems a bit dull now. Probably spoiled for choice at Nationals. 8/10

Day 2

And now for something completely different! This is much too bright for me, makes it garish. I find myself wishing the purpley bit was navy and the pink/coral a few shades darker. 5/10

Mykayla Skinner - Day 1

I'd have liked this more slightly darker, and again not a fan of bright mesh. It is lovely though, love the criss-cross. 7/10

Day 2

Blah blah hatred for nude mesh. Also the reason for this particular shade- although it is pretty! I love the sheen off it too. The v is a bit too jagged or angular for my liking. 5.5/10

Amelia Hudley/CGA - Day 1

The wearer makes it amazing. I love the colours and sparkles but even with the teeth that I'm not sold on, it's a bit dull. 5/10

Rachel Gowey - Day 1

I could have lived with the blue, it's nice. Gym names emblazoned front and centre not so much. Lime green accents even less. 3/10

Day 2

I've always liked this leo and purple IS the way to my heart. It's a bit boring though. 6.5/10

Megan Skaggs - Day 1

It would have been nice to have a choice of photos. Anyway, this had too much going on and I didn't like how mismatched it was. Elegant sleeves with super-bright 'fun' bodice...nah. 4/10

Day 2

An overkill of ombre...it's quite childish looking, or like a training leotard. In competition form, there's too much cloud-like swirl. The colours are pretty though. 4/10

Olivia Dunne - Day 1 (see winner for Day 2!)

Loses an automatic point for the pink, although she works it so well. The heart is amazing! And was so glittery in the arena. Very unusual, very adorable. 7.5/10

MG Elite - Day 1 (see honourable mention for Day 2)

MG totally won the prize for best ombre anyway. This was fantastic, and I really hate banana yellow. Worked so well and was really fun, and suited both girls with their quite different colouring. 8/10

Texas Dreams junior army - Day 1

Pretty, but much like Simone Day 1...sometimes for ombre the colours really need to relate more for it to work. Overall a jarring effect 6/10

Day 2

Very Frozen. The white on top of the teal works very well, and the teal is beautiful. The sparkle symbol thing though is a bit too big and overpowering, I'd prefer it either smaller or thinner. 7/10

Deanne Soza - Day 1

Always with the surprises, this one. It's not a colour combination I'm especially fond of, but it's fairly pleasant. I really like the body of it. Overall, it has a nice athletic look but it's a bit dull and I'd like to see her break free of her gym colours, even just once. 5.5/10

Day 2

The front is so pretty. Look, a swirl that works! It could have been my favourite of hers but the shoulder had to go and have a weird dark bit that wasn't needed. 7/10

Trinity Thomas - Day 1

I love the 'midnight!' feel of this. The way the two colours meet on the sleeves is a little odd though. 7/10

Day 2

A bit too sheeny-shiny for me and I didn't like the swirls. A bit boring. Too similar to her day 1 leo too. 5/10

Twin City Twisters junior - Day 2

I'm glad they weren't wearing Maggie's day 2 leo but I'm a little tired of TCT always churning out this style. It's a beautiful colour, looks good on white, and I like the band of sparkles..but, surprise me. 6/10

CGA - Day 2

Nice and athletic, with complementary colours. Nothing special though. 6.5/10

Gabby Perea - Day 1

Nice in theory. The teal at the neck is a bit too 'sudden' though, and the swirls aren't great. Overall it is pretty. 6.5/10

Day 2

Nah, not digging the flames. Again like Trinity, if you're going to bring 2 leotards it's a bit boring when they're so similar. 5/10

Maile O'Keefe - Day 1

This is my least favourite of all. The shade of pink I least like, overly shiny...and random things on the front that add nothing. A flashback to early last quad in a non-good way. 1/10

Day 2

Most improved to day 2! The colour is absolutely stunning and goes nicely against white. Not too many sparkles, just enough. Saved from boringness by the colour and material of the blue. 8/10

Jordan Chiles - Day 1

What an improvement different colours make to this leo. The purple makes a great contrast to the black, and the vine-like pattern at the top is so striking. 7.5/10

Day 2

Very athletic. Great use of patriotic colours, the accents break it up nicely. Another great leo for team finals. 7/10

Sydney Johnson-Scharpf - Day 1

Yet another shy and retiring choice from this wallflower. On paper, it is awful. Garish, ugly twisty bit, cheap looking. She definitely gives it some bonus points by managing to pull it off. The louder the better for her. 4/10

Day 2

Never let it be said she doesn't stand out from the crowd. I've voiced my opinion on the mesh hole already, although this seems less transparent. The spray is better in black. The colours although yet again she works it well are nowhere near as attractive as the pink and purple version. 5.5/10

Emily Gaskins - Day 1

This could have been fine, although I am tired of same old same old from GK but then this awful slime green accident happened on the side and stole several points from it. It's hideous. 3/10

Day 2

This is a weird one and I'm not sure what to make of it. The way the raspberry body sits on it and is split along the sides is unusual. I would have liked more definition, an obvious border. The black neck, side and sleeves are nice with the evenly spaced sparkles- very night sky-but I'm not convinced the two work together. 6/10

Parkettes - Day 1

I, a massive purple fan, am bored by this. It's inoffensive but doesn't have enough going on. I'm not sold. 5/10

Day 2

Nicer shade shown here, super pretty. The sleeve ombre is great too. It's still dull though, ain't nothing going to work wonders with that. 6.5/10

Elena Arenas - Day 1

Quite a pretty colour, and not one we see very often. The sparkle pattern is just gorgeous. Overall though it looks a bit lacking, like it was unfinished as a concept. Maybe it just needed something else to draw the eye...cuffs or colour detail perhaps. 6/10

Day 2

Hmm, spooky orange and black! Sleeves are pretty. I don't think the orange shade, especially so metallic, does anything for her. And I hate this type of Gk swirl so that's a no too. 2.5/10

Margzetta Frasier - Day 1

This is what you call a well balanced leotard, it has everything. Love the detail at the top of the bodice, and the cuffs. It's not the worst pink shade, but it's a bit barbie. Dark purple or blue would have been better. 7/10

Day 2

Really not a fan of these pinky/orange tones and she looks like she's being strangled. The silver and the black don't even go with the weird pink. 3/10

Buckeye juniors - Day 1

This was so much better in videos. Love the ombre, sleeves and this accent really makes it. I'm a black mesh fan, the back of it with the design is beautiful too and the flash of color at the neck...fabulous. 8.5/10

Day 2

Here though, is how it can go wrong. The ombre is still good, better even but it's way, way too low in the front and the flamey bit is weird. Ruined by the plunge. 4/10

Morgan Hurd - Day 1

I'm not a fan of this shade of blue, and less so in mesh form. Again the design is fine but a little uninspiring. 5/10

Day 2

Pink overkill, not a fan of that mesh shade at all. I'd like to see this in a different colour. The front is too low although it's not the kind of mesh where that would matter. 2/10

TIGAR - Day 1

This reminds me of a strawberry sundae. Another generic GK leo with nothing to really get behind. 4.5/10

TIGAR - Day 2

I love this bodice shape. The sparkles and accents are perfectly proportioned. I like the sleeve colour. Not sure how the two shades really go together, it would have been better if the bodice shade was a lighter shade of the sleeves, rather than brighter. 6/10

All photos copyright John Cheng/USAG.


Well, that took forever. This is obviously taste based and I'm no panel, and I won't be repeating this any time soon! Maybe once a year. What were your picks? Do you have exactly the opposite opinion to any of these? Who is the most ombre of them all? If I missed one after all that, it's kinder to not let me know perhaps..