I got the chance to see some of the closed podium training for FIG women at USA Championships Monday night.
First off, I should say it is an honour to be able to watch the American girls. They have so much depth! It’s staggering.
Congratulations to USA Gymnastics and all the coaches who were able to bring athletes up to this level of competitiveness.
I was happy to see Nastia Liukin looking healthy and stronger than a year ago.
Of course Shawn Johnson remains the favourite. She has an unusual body type (super muscular) and atypical technique on many skills. But what a dynamo!
Here’s a typical news story leading up to the meet:
Johnson, Liukin favorites for worlds team
By Robert Falkoff / WCSN.com
One way or the other, the United States women’s gymnastics team figures to head for the world championships in Stuttgart, Germany, with a “super seven” type of roster.
The question is whether that roster will represent more of the old or more of the new. With a deep pipeline of talent, Team USA officials will be watching with keen interest this week at the Visa Championships in San Jose as its established members try to fend off the next wave of ambitious competitors for those coveted seven spots on the world team that travels to Germany.
“It’ll be very interesting to see the competition between the two generations of gymnasts,” said Martha Karolyi, the women’s national team coordinator.
Among those who have already made a mark on the world stage are Nastia Liukin, Jana Bieger, Natasha Kelley, Chellsie Memmel and Alicia Sacramone. But 15-year-old Shawn Johnson has quickly burst into prominence as the leader of the next wave after winning the all-around at the recent Pan American Games. Then there are intriguing names like Samantha Peszek, Ivana Hong, Amber Trani and Bridget Sloan to throw into the mix.
The top two in the all-around at the Visa Championships gain automatic invitations to make the Stuttgart trip. Five other gymnasts will be selected to travel immediately after the Visa Championships and a final world championships lineup of six — plus one alternate — will be turned in shortly before the competition.
“We have to look for readiness,” Karolyi said. “After we finish [the Visa Championships], we’ll have three days left over to train as a team before we depart for the world championships. Certainly, we’ll be looking for the gymnasts which have the routines which are world-class routines. But also, we have to look to the fact that these gymnasts are very consistent with those routines and are able to perform them under high pressure situations. Those will be the criteria which have priority.”
Two of the bigger storylines at the Visa Championships revolve around Johnson and Liukin. Can Johnson continue her meteoric rise in the senior division? Can Liukin regain top form after battling back from a nagging ankle injury? …
Watching training yesterday Shayla Worley was by far my favourite American gymnast. By far the most beautiful and artistic.
Her name is not mentioned in the WCSN article. Perhaps a simple oversight.
If i was Marta Karoli — and thank God I’m not under the pressure of that responsibility — I’d name Shayla to the team for sure.
Shayla Worley – wallpaper
Shayla Worley – official website
Gymnastics Coaching.com 