The Fierce Five is Golden!!

What am I loving on Wednesday?  Duh.  Gymnastics.  They women won Gold in the team competition for the first time since 1996.  There was the Magnificent Seven and now there is the Fab Five.  And fabulous they were.  They beat Russia by 5 points.   They nailed everything.  It was just such a beautiful sight to see.  Aly started crying right in the middle of her last split jump before she even finished her routine.  They joined hands and all eyes were glued on that scoreboard waiting for the final results to flash. The Russians cried tears of defeat, the Americans cried tears of joy and I cried too.  If Mj hadn't been sitting beside me I probably would have been bawling but I held it back.  It was good to see Jordan smiling and so happy after being so devastated two days ago.  And who would have ever thought Gabby Douglas would be the only Team USA gymnast to do All Around?  I never thought I'd see her in a team final on beam but it looks like things have clicked and she's got it.  What tough and talented group of girls.  How awesome must it be to be them right now.  Fab Five or Fierce Five.  They're amazing no matter what you call them.

Mckayla, Kyla, Aly, Gabby, Jordan [Photo Source Getty Images @NBCOlympic.com]

I'm also loving that Mj sat right there and watched the whole thing with me.  With all the jumping around NBC does with Olympic coverage it was hours.  He asked me questions about what was going on.  He was interested and it was pretty cool.  I had to totally unplug the day of competition because between the time difference in London and the East Coast West Coast time difference I can't risk being a spoiler alert victim.  I really like the suspense of watching the competition without knowing the results.  So there was little internet and no Facebook yesterday.  And it'll be the same on Thursday for All Around finals.  I could DVR and watch it the next day but I can't wait!  I'm so tired today but staying up was worth it.  I get a whole week of watching the best gymnasts in the world compete.  I'm on Gymnastics overload and I love it.
 
Team Final Results
USA  183.596
Russia 178. 530
Romania 176. 414
China 174.430
Canada 170.804
Great Britain 170.495
Italy  167.930
Japan  166.646

Next Up: All Around Finals 

So golden they ended up on a Corn Flakes Box!!!

Jordan is Out and Aly is In

Aly Raisman qualifies to All Around finals as the #1 for USA.  Gabby Douglas qualifies #2. [Photo Source:  NBCOlympics.com]

It was obvious that Aly was in shock and disbelief to find that she was in the #1 spot for All Around rankings after Team USA's qualification round.  So was Jordan and so was everyone else.  It was expected that the team would qualify for Team finals #1 but it was not expected that Aly would qualify for All Around finals.  It was supposed to be Gabby and Jordan according to expectation but due to the two athlete per country rule Jordan got bumped out.  Never mind that she is the current reigning World Champion and finished 4th among all the athletes in qualifications.  Rules are rules and even though she has trained her whole life for this and is obviously one of the best of the best she will not get the chance to compete in the All Around Finals.  My heart breaks for her.  She's done everything right and she deserves to be there.  But of course, so do Aly and Gabby.  Jordan made some mistakes and the judges were really hard on her on beam but even as I watched the competition nothing seemed amiss.  It's not like she fell or anything obvious.  An arched back on bars, a big balance break on beam and out of bounds on floor.  Not perfect, but neither was anyone else.  I just figured that Aly would be odd man out and was preparing to feel really bad for her because she works so hard yet never comes out on top.  Instead, Aly's hard work finally did pay off.  She rocked beam and her last event, floor was amazing.  This day belonged to her and with just one slightly off day for Jordan her dream was crushed.  We'll only see her in Team Finals and individual event finals on Floor.  I'm very happy for Aly and Gabby.  Especially Aly because has been so consistent for so many years and has improved so much on her form.  It's just such a shame for Jordan.  She seemed dazed after she saw the score board.  I think she wanted to head right out of the arena but was corralled back into the media area along with the rest of the team.  She barely held the tears back as she was interviewed afterwards.  This did not go as planned but she still has to put her disappointment aside and step up tomorrow for the team. 

Jordan Wieber burst into tears when she saw her name drop to 3rd [Photo Source:  NBCOlympics.com]

She's not the first deserving gymnast to ever be a victim of the two per country rule and she won't be the last unless it changes.  It should be about the best of the best and not the best of the best minus some athletes if their team is really, really good.  I think if you are in the top 8 but got bumped out because of the two per country rule then you should be allowed into finals.  If they must cap it at 24 then whomever is at the bottom should get bumped out.  It seems kind of ridiculous that person #24 who has absolutely no chance for an AA medal will get to compete for it but Jordan won't.  A rule that's supposed to encourage diversity and make things "fair" sure doesn't seem so fair right now.

Another upset of the games so far is Michael Phelps getting 4th place (no medal) to Ryan Lochte's win in the 400 IM finals.  I don't follow swimming but from what I can piece together it seems that Michael intended 2008 where he won 8 Gold medals to be his last Olympics but then ended up going for 2012 anyways.  It seems that while Ryan was training his butt off for the last four years Michael came into the competition unprepared and maybe slightly overconfident if you asked me.  The commentators said that he didn't get as much training in.  During the interview afterwards he seemed really distracted.  He kept looking off to the side instead of talking directly to the camera and you could tell the last place he wanted to be was in front of the camera after his first Olympic loss since 2004.

This is just two examples just in the first few days of the Olympics of how anything can happen.  It doesn't matter how good you are or how many medals you have at home if you are not THE BEST on THE DAY it counts nothing else matters.

Next Up:  Team Finals

There's Something about the Olympics

Kyla Ross dismounting, Gabby Douglas mounting [Photo Source:  NBCOlympics.com]

Aly Raisman.  Never count her out.  She wants gold.   [Photo Source:  NBCOlympics.com]

There's just something about the Olympics.  Everybody is watching.  For two weeks it's not some terrible tragedy or incomprehensible act of evil that's keeping the whole world in front of the TV.  There is so much ugliness in the world but the Olympics is something that everyone across the nation can watch and take pride in together.  It's more than just sports.  It's a metaphor for what we aspire to be.  Courageous, strong, determined, skilled.  It's the best of the best and the only thing that even comes close to the incredible talent and athleticism that the Olympics displays is the way it unites the world.  Every four years a crop of new and returning athletes from all over the fights to earn the opportunity to live out a dream.  It's the chance for athletes to compete and be rewarded for their hard work with exposure, endorsements and other opportunities that they might not otherwise get.  It doesn't matter how marginal your sport or how tiny your country.  Once you become an Olympian you also become a shining star in your own right.  Gold, Silver, Bronze or no metal at all the fact that you made it at all is the biggest accomplishment of all.  Some just want to compete and others come for medals but they are all winners.  The Olympics is the biggest competition of their life.  The pressure is intense and I think that's what really draws you in.  The culmination of years of hard work, dedication and sacrifice has come down to one moment.  Everyone wants to do their best.  Some do and some don't.  You can always expect incredible stories of victory, disappointment and of overcoming the odds. It's really magical but at times even heartbreaking.

Team USA:  The Fierce Five-Jordan, McKayla, Kyla, Aly, Gabby [Photo Source:  NBCOlympics.com]

Russian star Victoria Komova.  She'll be going for All Around Gold  [Photo Source:  NBCOlympics.com]

I used to be a gymnast and now I'm a fan.  I recorded the 1988, 1992, 1996 Olympics and everything I could watch in between on VHS tapes with a VCR.  I don't know if or when I will ever watch those old tapes again but I still have them in a shoebox somewhere.  Gymnastics is near and dear to my heart and not just every four years.  Gymnasts do things that the human body simply should not be able to do.  The acrobatic skills they do defy the laws of gravity and reason.  What sane individual does a standing full twisting back tuck on a four inch wide four foot high beam?  How is it that a person even has the ability and air awareness to do such a thing?  At a high level all sports are hard even if they don't always look it but Gymnastics is one of those sports where there is no mistaking the incredible degree of talent and sheer guts that it takes to do it.  You must do incredibly difficult and dangerous skills without fear.  And then you must do it over and over again perfectly.  I'm totally in awe of what they do and the dedication it takes to do it.  Even if no one pays attention every other year Gymnastics is always one of the most popular Olympic sports.  The Women's team competition starts Sunday.  They made the cover of Sports Illustrated and have a good chance at winning Gold.  I will be glued to the TV screen along with the rest of the world watching every Tkatchev, double twisting double back and two and a half twisting Yurchenko. 

A beautiful picture slideshow of women's podium training.  They are ready for the 2012 London Olympics.

2012 Olympics Gymnastics Pics, Recaps and Results

What is your favorite Olympic sport and why?

2012 Olympic Trials & Tribulations

Gabby Douglas wins Trials [Photo Credit:  nbcolympics.com]

Jordan, Mckayla, Aly and Gabby [Photo Credit:  Universal Sports]

The Olympic team has been named.  It almost brought tears to my eyes to see those girls crying tears of happiness, relief and sheer joy as they ran out onto the floor.  What a long road this has been for all of them.  To have worked so hard at something for so long and to finally achieve something that so few ever do is such an accomplishment.  The Olympic Games truly is an impossible dream but not for these young ladies.  Gabby beating World Champion Jordan is huge!  They will push each other to do better and if they perform to their full potential at the Olympics it could be a 1-2 USA sweep in the All Around.  They will need to hold off the formidable Russian 1-2 of Komova and Mustafina but the fact that the US has two athletes that are in serious contention for the All-Around is amazing.  They are all amazing athletes and I can't wait to see them go out there and kick some Russian, Romanian and Chinese butt!  If anyone can bring home Olympic team gold for the first time since 1996 it's them.

2012 Olympic Team

Gabrielle Douglas
McKayla Maroney
Alexandra Raisman
Kyla Ross
Jordyn Wieber 

Alternates:

Sarah Finnegan
Anna Li
Elizabeth Price 

Video of Olympic Team Announcement 

My heart aches for Alicia Sacramone and Rebecca Bross.  After taking time off after the 2008 Olympics Alicia came back to the sport and like only she could earned a spot to Worlds last year but didn't even get to compete.  She tore her Achilles in training.  Just 9 months after that she was back in action just as good as before  minus one event.  Alicia was ready and she performed well.  She did everything she could have have done but Team USA simply didn't need the two events she had to offer.  If that injury had never occurred and she was still competing floor I think she would have at least been named as an alternate.  Another victim of what if is Rebecca.  She was on track to be the next Olympic all around champ three years ago but time and injury reared it's ugly head and snatched that dream away.  The time was now and not even her six world medals could save it.  I have so much respect for how she fought back from two injuries and never gave up her dream even after being reduced to only two events and struggling so much in competitions.  On bars she fell two times and got right back up.  After the 3rd time her coach signaled to her that she needs to salute and be done.  It was sad to watch.  She fought hard but it just wasn't to be for her.  It wasn't televised but I heard she rocked her beam set.  Good for her.



There were a lot of angry fans out there who didn't even want her to try.  She had her chance and now it's time for the new generation they said.  They hated all the coverage and air time NBC was giving her when there were plenty of other athletes far more prepared and way more in contention then her.  A small part of me agrees but the other part of me says that if she or any other athlete has that burning desire to come back and give it another go they deserve that chance just like anybody else.  Nastia Liukin did herself a disservice by coming back so late.  Had she given herself adequate time to prepare this may have turned out very differently.  She was too wishy washy about what she wanted and by the time she got serious about it and decided to come back three years had passed, the clock was ticking and she ran out of time.  She either underestimated the amount of time it would take to get back into shape or was relying on some 11th hour burst of energy to get through bars.  Or maybe a little bit of both.  It was sad to see the 2008 Olympic Champion so unprepared at Nationals and Trials.  At times it was almost painful to watch as she couldn't even complete a full bar routine.  No one else could have gotten that far in the process with such weak routines.  But she is Nastia and so Marta gave her a chance and I think it's a chance that she earned and a chance that she deserved. Chelsie Memmell may have deserved the same chance just to get to Nationals but that's not Nastia's fault.  What you've done in the past however, will never be enough to earn your way onto an Olympic team and she knew it.  Her trademark elegance and beauty was still there but the skills and execution were not.  She gave her best and her best simply wasn't good enough this time but I respect and admire that she was not afraid to tarnish that perfect 2008 Olympic Champion image.  That took a lot of guts.  She really was chasing fools gold and even with defeat right around the corner she kept trying and hoping until the bitter end.  Although she didn't make the team what she did epitomizes the courage and strength of an Olympian.  She fell hard onto her stomach off of bars but through the pain she got back up and I was so glad to see her finally stand up that bar dismount and then finish strong on beam.  She went out with class, dignity and to the screaming adoration of 18,000 fans just as an Olympic Champion should.

UPDATE:  How did Team USA do at the Olympics?

Those Olympic Odds

The Summer Olympics in London are only two months away!!! I am so excited. Most people only pay attention to gymnastics during the Olympics but because I'm always obsessed with all things Gymnastics I've been looking forward to this for a while.  The Visa Nationals (June 9-10) and US Olympic Trials (July 1) are the big competitions leading up to it and Olympic competition begins on July 28th.

[Photo Source]  Seven Olympic Dreams in 1996

In the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta there were Seven.  Who can forget the Mag 7 team Gold and Kerri Strug's heroic vault?  For team finals 6 gymnasts competed on each event and 5 scores counted.  In the 2000 Sydney Olympics they reduced the number on each team to 6 with 5 gymnasts up on each event and 4 scores counting.  In Beijing 2008 they kept the number on each team at 6 but they changed the format to only 3 gymnasts up on each event with all 3 scores counting.  Very unforgiving as there is literally  no margin for error plus that often means less Olympic action for each gymnast.  And now, for London 2012 they have reduced the  number to only 5 with the same 3 up 3 count team finals format.  Obviously, everyone can't be an Olympian but Seven gives a decent number of gymnasts that chance.  But only Five? Even to reduce it by two spots is major.  Each reduction from 7 to 6 to 5 basically cuts someone's Olympic dream.  The IOC says the cuts were made to encourage diversity and more participation from other countries.  Limiting athletes per team allows more individual slots from other countries.  But still, Five is just too low.

[Photo Source] 2011 World Team:  Ana, Jordan, Mckayla, Sabrina, Aly, Gabby.
All six are going for the 2012 Olympics but only five spots are available.

It is mind boggling to me that only five female gymnasts will get to the Olympics this year.

The 2011 World Team Medalists~The whole Gold medal winning World Championship Team is trying for a spot but there are only two that I consider to be a sure thing.  Jordan Wieber the current USA #1 and reigning World All Around Champ is all but guaranteed a spot as long as she doesn't get injured.  Aly Raisman is another World medalist that is almost guaranteed because she has great difficulty, is consistent and has proven herself time and time again.  The way I see it there are really only three spots that are up for grabs!  Out of the remaining four who made up that team I'd say Gabby Douglas has the best chance, Ana Li is a long shot and McKayla Maroney and Sabrina Vega fall somewhere in between. 

[Photo Source]  So beautiful! She Nailed that beam routine 2 weeks ago.

The Veteran /Comeback group~  So what about a gymnast like 2007 National Champ Rebecca Bross?  After two back to back injuries she still hasn't given up in this.  Three years ago she was the one everyone thought would be next in line to be the All Around Champion in 2012 but things have changed and that won't happen now.  She got injured, she's out of time and has been reduced to only two events; Bars and Beam with her Beam routine being pretty shaky.  I can't imagine how difficult it must be for her to continue training so many hours per day six days a week when with only two events and the fact that she is barely getting back into competition the odds are really not in her favor.  Two time Olympian Alicia Sacramone is back and only plans to do Vault and Beam whereas at the last Olympics she did those events plus floor.  She's also coming off of an injury and hasn't competed in a while but can usually be counted on to be consistent.  Her odds are better then Rebecca's in my opinion.  2008 Olympic All Around Champion Nastia Liukin has come back to the sport after three years with her best two events Bars and Beam.  She nailed her  beam two weeks ago at the Secret Classic showing us this comeback is for real.  Her beauty is unmatched on those two events and I'd love to see her in the Olympics again.  Not being All Arounders and doing the same events you already know that at best only one of those three girls has any chance of making the team.  And there is also Bridget Sloan; a member of the 2008 Olympic team and the 2009 World All Around Champion who has been mostly out of commission ever since. I think she's planning four events.  Shawn Johnson (2008 All Around silver medalist) decided to make a comeback after blowing out her knee skiing and was supposed to be competing but just announced her retirement on Sunday. 

Right there alone, that's ten athletes battling for only five spots.  On top of that there are a few up and comers who are not veterans and who were not part of that World Championship team last year that also have an outside shot.  It's the World Champions who have proven themselves to be ready right now and want their turn VS the veterans with great past accomplishments who still think they have what it takes VS the exciting newcomers with amazing talent, nothing to lose and everything to prove.

Only Five gymnasts.  More dreams will be crushed then will come true.  Who will make it?

The 2012 Visa Nationals Women's Day 1 can be seen Live Friday 5pm West Coast  here at Universal Sports online and on Sunday the Finals will air on NBC at 1pm West Coast time.  Both days will remain viewable on Universal Sports online.

UPDATE:  Who made the 2012 Olympic Team?
UPDATE:  The Mag 7, where are they now?

Team USA is Golden

Team USA Gold  [Source:  USA Gymastics.com]

If you follow gymnastics this is no longer breaking news but the US women won team gold at the World Championships last week in Tokyo.  They did am amazing job!  Every single one of them stuck every single routine through the qualifying competition and final competition.  Alica Sacramone tore her Achilles in podium training so she was out.  This was a real  blow to the team but they didn't let it affect them.  Russia was second China finished third and the Romanians were in fourth.  It's a very unforgiving format with three gymnasts up on each event and every single score counts.  Every other team had breaks but not USA.  They were like perfect little dancing flipping machines and could not be stopped.  They aired the Team Final and the Individual All around competition last weekend on NBC so I got four hours of gymnastics over the weekend.  Universal Sports aired the event finals but unfortunately we don't get that channel for free.  I would have been willing to pay the $19.99 to watch it live on Universal  Sports online but with the time difference between here and Tokyo I would not have gotten to sleep.  The Pan Am Games start soon.  I'm hoping that will be televised as well.  Could it be possible that I would actually get to watch 4 competitions on TV in the same year?  We'll see.  Nastia Liukin (2008 Olympic All Around Champion) officially announced her comeback.  By this time I just thought she was stringing the media along for the last 2 years saying "we'll see" when she really meant "no way" but it looks like she's really doing it so it'll be interesting to see how she does.

Chusovitina, Maroney & Thi Ha Than Phan [Source:  USA Gymnastics.com] 

I have to point out that the Vaulting silver medalist is married, has a child and is 36 years old!!  In a sport where those in their early 20's are ancient this is amazing and very cool.  Her name is Oksana Chusovitina and she started out competing for the Soviet Union, then Uzbekistan but has represented Germany for the last five years.  She was competing back in 1989 before most of her current competitors were even born.  She will be going for her 6th Olympics next year. 

Team USA Medals (Women's)

Team:  USA, Gold

All Around:  Jordan Wieber, Gold

Vault:  Mckayla Maroney, Gold

Beam:  Jordan Wieber, Bronze

Floor:  Aly Raisman, Bronze

Visa Gymnastics Championships 2011

Jordan Wieber wins it. Photo Source:  Universal Sports

This past weekend was Visa Championships.  I excitedly watched Women's Prelims on Thursday night.  The finals were on Saturday night but I didn't get to watch it until first thing Sunday morning.  Prelims were kind of a mess.  There were so many falls and mistakes-which isn't too surprising when you consider that these girls are doing things that people shouldn't physically be able to do.  These athletes are incredible, but even still if Team USA gymnasts were to perform that way at Worlds OR the Olympics for that matter there is no hope for a medal.  There is still time to improve and the final day was much better.  It seemed like everyone got the jitters out.  With Marta Karolyi watching it was their last chance to show her something good and so they did.

Jordan Wieber basically blew out the competition.  She is the only gymnast who hit 8 for 8 and did solid routines over both days.   It is a testament to her good gymnastics but also a testament to the fact that most everyone else performed miserably.  She won by 6 points!  She could have fallen 3 times off of her last event, the beam and still won.  She's been American Cup Champion twice already and now she finally can add National Champion to her resume.  

Rebecca Bross had a really bad day one and an even worse finals.  She was actually showing some improvement but after a falling on her beam dismount again and a bit of a sloppy floor routine she twisted into the ground on an under rotated vault and screamed in pain as she landed and grabbed her knee.  I feel so bad for her.  She was fighting so hard to get back in the game and now this.  That's the harsh reality of gymnastics and as the camera panned around the arena it looked like you could cut the silence with a knife and people were shaking their heads.  What is there to say?  It's a terrible thing and it could happen to any gymnast at any moment.  She won this meet last year, placed 2nd All Around at World Championships in 2010 and 3rd in 2011 (six world medals all together).  She was basically on her way to the Olympics.  Then she had to have leg surgery but she recovered and during her comeback is slammed with another injury.  As they carried her out of the arena I couldn't help but wonder if she should have been competing all four events.  Her gymnastics was looking a little rough up to that point-maybe she tried to do too much too soon. 

Ally Raisman [Photo Source:  Universal Sports.com]

McKayla Maroney was all over the place on day one but she really improved on the second night.  She is so graceful and has such beautiful form.  Her Amanar (2 1/2 twisting Yurchenko) vault was the highlight.  It's the hardest vault being done by anyone in the world right now and she just about stuck it.  Jordan Wieber uses the same vault.

Ally Raisman was one of the few that was solid on day one and she was solid on day two as well until the half way point when she went to beam right after Bross got injured.  She seemed really rattled by what happened and actually put her hands down on the beam (which counts as a fall) but she came back and did great on floor.  That one mistake edged her out of 2nd place which is unfortuanate because she one of the most consistent out of everyone and I thought she deserved the Silver. 

Chelsie Memmel did very well but on her last event after falling, re mounting then falling again on bars couldn't finish the routine.  She spent the remainder of the night with an ice pack on her shoulder.  I REALLY wanted to see her in the top three so I was disappointed to see her falter but she did a great job.  She showed everyone that she is back and a serious contender.  Her dance on floor could definitely use some work.  She basically does a series of connected poses and doesn't really seem to dance through the floor movements as she should.    Her strength is her consistency and power.  

Sean Johnson definitely improved from Cover Girl Classic.  She looked so much more confident and solid.  She still needs to add in floor and get her difficulty level up but I'm much more impressed with what I saw at this meet and glad that she's on her way.  I love her attitude.  She realizes that she may never again be the Sean Johnson who won a gold medal on beam at the Olympics and almost won the All Around.  She is Ok with that and just wants to compete and be in the mix again.  She didn't stop smiling the whole night.  She and Memmel were both named to the National team along with Alicia Sacramone who had a good meet as well.  Her 2nd vault was low, and she had a few balance checks on beam but overall she was solid as usual. 

Final results listed here at Inside Gymnastics.com.  Jordan Wieber 1st, McKayla Maroney 2nd and Alexandra Raisman 3rd.  I can't wait to see who makes the World team.

UPDATE:  2011 World Championships

2011 Cover Girl Classic

Chelsie during podium training
[Photo Source:  Universal Sports]

Gymnastics doesn't get too much TV time.  I'm lucky if I get to watch it twice a year so I was thrilled to be able to watch the Cover Girl Classic live online on Universal Sports.  It's the first big competition of the Elite gymnastics season and there are three comebacks that should make the line up between now and next year's Olympics in London very interesting.  Chelsea Memmel and Alicia Sacramone put the word Women's back in Women's Gymnastics.  They are so strong at the ripe old age of early 20's and it's just great seeing these ladies in action.  Alica's comeback isn't really and truly a comeback because just a year ago she was at this meet after not competing since the 2008 Olympics.  She ended the year by making the World Team and has been off the radar since then after the season ended.  She's just that good that whenever she decides she wants to go to an Olympic or World Championship, she just trains and makes the team like it's nothing.  I'm most impressed with Chelsea.  She made an aborted comeback attempt in 2009 that didn't quite pan out but I think she's really going for it this time.  She did all four events and could use a little bit of clean up in form but looked so solid in all of them.  She has always been such a strong competitor and injuries are the only thing that has ever held her back.  I was at the 2003 World Championships in Anaheim where I saw her win her first World gold medal on bars.   She was on the 2008 Olympic team in Beijing along with Sean and Alicia but due to an injury was limited to only one event-uneven bars.  She has the bad luck of always getting hurt before the Worlds or Olympics and has battled back from so many injuries that I can't believe her body is still letting her do this.  I really hope she can hang in there injury free and make it to 2012.  If anyone deserves to be on that team she does.  Non gymnastics fans might remember Sean Johnson most from Dancing With The Stars which she won in 2009 but her much bigger accomplishment is winning Gold on Beam and the Silver in the All Around, Floor and at the 2008 Olympics.  She only did two events (beam and bars) at Cover Girl and fell on both.  She was admittedly very nervous and scared but I think she'll get better at Nationals next month.  I can't even imagine the pressure she must feel.  I takes a lot of guts for a high profile gymnast like her to make a comeback after three years off of gymnastics with so many eyes watching her every move.  Aly Raisman won the All Around, Chelsie placed 2nd and new comer Sabrina Vega was 3rd.  Very few actually competed all around so this competition seemed to be less about winning and more about warming up for Nationals.

Alicia Sacramone and Sean Johnson during podium training [Photo Source:  Gymnastike]

Missing from the lineup was the 2010 All Around National Champion Rebecca Bross.   She is coming back from an injury (ankle) like so many and couldn't get it together in time.  She was there but scratched at the last minute.  It will also be interesting to see what reigning All around Olympic Champion Nastia Liukin decides to do.  She's been on the fence for a while about if she will go for 2012.  I really like it that a lot of NCAA Collegiate gymnasts are doing Elite during and/or after their Collegiate careers.  They bring so much competition experience with them and it's good to show that "older" girls can still be competitive and that Elite gymnastics isn't just for teenagers.  In addition to the comeback ladies there are many established gymnasts (like Bross) and new up and comers who want their shot at the Olympics too.  The saddest thing is that there are only five spots available down from six.  There just isn't too much Olympics to go around.  There will be many highs, lows and heartbreaks along this journey and I'll be watching glued to the TV screen or internet as might be the case for any coverage I can get.

See full competition results here at InternationalGymnast.com.

Make It Or Break It: Gotta Love It

Poor Underdog Emily,
Rich Mean Girl Lauren,
Talented Payson, and
Determined Kaylie

Make It Or Break It is so over the top fake.  They probably hire various gymnastics insiders to consult with and then do the opposite.  No one has died and come back yet but it's drama is on par with any daytime TV soap opera.  It follows four teenage Elite gymnasts as they vie for an Olympic berth in the 2012 Olympics.   Their fictitious journey is filled with bizarre gymnastics politics and sub par level 10 skills.  The constant back stabbing, secret romances and affairs among athletes, coaches and parents is nothing like the real gymnastics world.  No elite gymnast would have time to work at a pizza place to help her flaky mom pay the bills at home.  And really, how much money could Emily be contributing anyways with a part time minimum wage job?  You can't be considered an Olympic contender with a only a full twisting yurchenko or handpring front pike as your vault or a double twist for your beam dismount.  You also would never have the president of the National Committee appoint herself as your club coach on the spot in a dramatic show of power in front of everyone.  Oh, and late night training sessions alone without coach supervision is probably no no at most Elite gyms across the nation.  I also doubt anyone's coach would ever ask them to do their floor ex dance in the parking lot on a huge tarp with paint bottles in hand to see what kind of pretty art results as a tool for improving dance.  I could go on and on.  That being said.  I LOVE this show. 

I am a gymnastics fan so if there is a TV show based on gymnastics no matter how loosely, or even if it's geared for people 15 years younger then me I'm going to watch it.  The story lines can be downright aggravating and roll your eyes dramatic but I still look forward to each and every episode.  If it were any other kind of show I would not even like it.  But this is Make It Or Break It and it's about gymnastics and therefore I love it.  They have already had Nastia Liukin and several past gymnastics greats guest star as themselves.  The season finale will feature legendary coach Bela Karolyi playing the role of The Rock team coach Sasha's dad. There are some glimmers of reality. Like Payson's dad working out of state while the rest of the family stays in Boulder for her training.  It also gives you a glimpse of the dedication and sacrifice that is required to be an Elite gymnast.  The tricks are watered down but the awesomeness that is gymnastics is still on full display. It's such a beautiful sport.


As a longtime lover of gymnastics I was super excited that there was going to be a show about my favorite and little publicized sport.  I didn't realize it was going to be this unrealistic but what can I expect?  Television and movies are notorious for distorting the truth and adding drama to increase ratings and entertainment value. The acting is good, it is well produced and I love checking out their cool leo's and warm ups so as long as it's on I plan to watch it in all of it's over dramatized glory.

Can't Miss Gymnastics

Rebecca Bross

"Gymnastics is on." I hear Mj yelling out to me while I am in the bathroom getting ready for my eye doctor appointment. Oh crap. How could I have forgotten about this? "I'm canceling my eye doctor appointment." Mj thought I was joking but I was serious. Without hesitation I went into the kitchen called up the doctor office and told them I couldn't make it and that I would call to reschedule. Then, I settled down to watch the American Cup for the next two hours.

I love gymnastics. It's my favorite sport in the whole world. It only comes on about 3 times a year and I wasn't about to miss this one. Mj has learned not to mess with me when my sport is on. He gave up the remote without me asking because he knew I absolutely would not tolerate flipping back and forth between channels on commercials.

Rebecca Bross won first place as expected. She may not have the artistry of Nastia Liukin but very few do. What she lacks in artistry she makes up in power, difficulty and consistency a la Carly Patterson. She narrowly missed being a World Champion last year and even though the Olympics is two years away she is expected to contend for the All Around title there. When you think about it she's actually next in line. In 2004 Carly won. In 2008 Nastia Liukin took the throne. What do these gymnasts both have in common aside from winning Olympic gold? Both trained at WOGA in Plano Texas and so does Rebecca. She is also trained by Nastia's dad/coach Valery Liukin. 2012 is really Rebecca's turn to win the Olympics when you think about the lineage of Olympic champions in her gym. She got to watch Carly and Nastia train their butts off, kick butt at the Olympics, and cash in on all of the wonderful rewards that come to those who win Olympic Gold. She probably wants it so bad for herself she can taste it. It seems as if it is her destiny to win it next and she is on her way. Carly and Nastia are among the many great gymnasts who have won the American Cup and now Rebecca is too.

So much pressure goes along with all that destiny but she is a solid competitor and if she stays injury free it can be hers. There are world class gymnasts all over the world training day in and day out for that very same goal. The competition will be fierce and destiny or not she will have to fight for it just like everyone else.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the competition even though I had to blow off my eye doctor appointment to do it. It's all about priorities.

UPDATE:  Rebecca Bross's Olympic Journey

Nastia Liukin Just Won't Quit

Nastia Liukin just won't quit. She has 14 World and Olympic Medals, 5 of them from the most recent 2008 Beijing Olympics. She is the reigning Olympic All Around Champion which is the dream come true of any Elite Gymnast. She has endorsements up the yin yang to the point where she is pretty much a millionaire. She has all kinds of amazing opportunities being handed to her right and left. Her entire year after the Olympics were a whirlwind of appearances, star studded events, photo shoots and travel. And yet...she returns to the gym. Back to the blood, sweat, tears, and pain. Back to 6 hours of training 6 days a week at the gym where it all started. At the age of 20 in a sport where girls are considered practically over the hill veteran by age 18. In a sport where whether or not you continue depends upon if your body will hold up to the pounding. Gymnastics is hard. Injuries, surgeries, and working out with pain is all part of the package and yet she just can't get enough. I cannot even imagine having all of the discipline and dedication to deal with all of that day in and day out. How does she find the motivation when she has already achieved so much? She has already spent a lifetime in the gym and she wants to go back when most Olympic All Around Champions take their gold medals and run.

Going into the Olympics she wasn't even truly the favorite due to injury, "age", and the hot shot dynamo Shawn Johnson who was winning everything in site leading up to the main event. She fell all over the place at 07 Nationals and placed second to Shawn in 08. Nastia would not be denied. She kept fighting and her determination paid off. I was rooting for her. I favor artistry over raw power in gymnastics. Nastia is absolutely beautiful on every event. Breathtaking. She makes acrobatics that should not be humanly possible look easy. You can't take a bad picture of her. I am in awe of her talent. She was clearly born to do this. All you have to do is take one look at her in action to see that and I am thrilled to get to do just that again. She is only focusing on two events to start out but the sky really is the limit for her. The road to London 2012 starts with USA Nationals August 12Th in Dallas and with the heart of a champion Nastia is leading the charge.

 2012 UPDATE on Nastia Liukin's Comeback story

Click here for another great Nastia video that illustrates her determination and beauty over the years. I absolutely get goose bumps just from watching it.

Read article: Nastia On October 2009 Worlds
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The Women's All Around portion of the 2009 US Nationals will be televised on Saturday August 15th on NBC.