Gymnastics Coaching.com

UPDATE: Ana-Lia points out that, if this is the line-up, that only two of Shawn, Nastia and Chellsie would qualify to the All-around Final. That Chellsie might score higher than Nastia due to her better positions in the line-up.

As projected by Andrew Thornton on Gymnast.com:

… Bridget Sloan could end up only doing one routine in the Olympics – bars in prelims!

read the rationale on Gymnast.com

It’s for this reason that the selection of the 6th and final competitor hardly mattered. Whoever was picked would not likely compete.

On the other hand, Sloan was a good choice as she can be back-up on any appartus … in case one of the named gymnasts needs be replaced between prelims and Finals.

Since the U.S.A. will certainly qualify in the top 8 to Team finals, the goal of the preliminary competition will be to qualify athletes to AA and individual apparatus Finals. Team rank is unimportant.

Sabrina Gill of Oakville Gymnastics in Canada is one to watch for the future.

Here’s a well edited video of her first National Championships, 2008 in Calgary.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

She’s coached by Kelly and Susan Manjak. Kelly coached Kyle Shewfelt, 2004 Olympic FX champion, but is now coaching girls.

I’ve had Olympic Selection fatigue. What about you?

The girls look very happy it’s DONE.

I.G. stated that “Johnson’s coach Liang Chow is the head coach. A female assistant coach will be named at a later date.”

Congratulations to all 9 superb athletes and their coaches! The alternates should be very proud. They will be training just as hard as the selected 6. And may yet compete, … if there is another stress fracture.

The team alternates will train in Tianjin, hometown of Peszek’s coach, Peter Zhao.

photo from Steve McCain on Gymnast.com

Congratulations.

This team will win the Olympics.

They are by a good margin more consistent than China. In the end, consistency will win out over start score.

Shawn Johnson
Nastia Liukin
Chellsie Memmel
Alicia Sacramone
Samantha Peszek
Bridget Sloan

Alternates will be: Jana Bieger, Ivana Hong and Corrie Lothrop

(NBC via Sports Girls Play)

(NBC via – Gymbrooke larger images )

I’m very happy for Bridget who deserved to grab the last spot. Her comment after day 1 competition:

“I felt amazing. I thought (Friday) went just fantastic,” she said. “I needed to do well on bars and floor, which were two events at trials where I had errors. And hitting that vault really helped my self-confidence.”

Houston Chronicle

details on Live.Breath.Love Gymnastics

This is storybook.

(AP Photo/Rob Carr) – Hamm handed

Eight weeks and two days after Hamm on May 22 broke a bone in his right hand during the closing seconds of the U.S. national championships in Houston, he’s competed AA at an in-gym practice competition in Colorado.

… “I’m starting,” Hamm said, “to feel pretty good.” …

He proved he will be ready to contend in Beijing:

… USA Gymnastics officials had asked him to show readiness on only three of the six routines on the men’s program, on still rings, high bar and pommel horse. Then he went out and took part in all six events. …

… A candid review would note that Hamm, 25, of Waukesha, Wis., did not put on a championship-caliber performance.

A side step on landing marred the big air he got on his vault. He wobbled some on rings. He ran through only about half his parallel bars routine. On the high bars, he initially seemed to have stuck the landing, then lost control and slipped onto his backside.

Minor glitches all. …

This “comeback” will be one of the most interesting stories of the 2008 Olympics.

Paul Hamm confirmed – NBC Olympics

Steve McCain of Gymnast.com is at camp taking video and getting interviews. (Gymnast is a partner of USA Gymnastics.) Andrew Thornton is doing analysis.

Aside from the sad departure of Shayla Worley from contention … (she stayed at camp) … the top 5 are still a “lock” for selection:

Shawn Johnson: Status unchanged. She won three events on Day 1 and placed 2nd on bars with a strong 15.65….

Nastia Liukin: Status unchanged. She won her strong events (bars and beam) on Day 1, though I was a little surprised to hear she had trouble on the Pak salto again …

Chellsie Memmel: Status became just slightly uncertain. I’m still having trouble picturing this “whiplash” incident on her double layout (which is normally so easy for her), but I’m definitely hoping to see her at least show her bar routine on Day 2. I’m also curious to see if she’s doing the Yurchenko double full. The fact that she nailed beam at the end of Day 1 was an excellent sign, so my guess is she’s going to be okay.

Alicia Sacramone: Status unchanged. She hit all three of her events yet again, and this time managed to tie Shawn and Nastia on beam. …

Samantha Peszek: Status unchanged. This girl has hit 19 of her last 20 competitive routines and has been too solid and confident to not make this team. …

read the analysis on Gymnast.com

From this competition it would appear Bridget might be the best 6th place pick. (Shawn could end up doing Bars in 3-up, 3-count Team finals. Bridget would be a good replacement on any other apparatus if needed.)

Crouching Tiger Bridget – difficulty plus execution

The Olympic Team should be announced tonight.

Sport is hard. Timing is critical.

I feel rotten for this beautiful gymnast.

more Shayla photos on Gymbox.net

… “She’s pretty crushed,” her coach, Jeff Wood, said in a phone interview from Texas.

Wood said Worley was doing a turn skill on the beam, and when she stepped, the bone cracked all the way through.

“She got off the beam and said to the person next to her, ‘Did you hear that? I felt something pop and I can’t put any weight on it,’ ” Wood said. …

… Worley’s leg had been bothering her for about a week, but she continued to train on it.

At the camp, she focused only on the uneven bars and balance beam because of the pain in her leg. She also is one of the best the American have on the uneven bars. Wood said Worley was performing well and was actually scheduled for an X-ray after competition Friday to determine the cause of the pain.

That all changed with her beam accident.

“This ends our nine years of work. She was a cinch to be on the team because they needed the help on the bars,” Wood said. “She was heartbroken she cried quite a bit.” …

On Monday, Worley told the Sentinel she was feeling 100 percent healthy and looking forward to clinching her spot on the team. She described her confidence level as a 10 on scale of 1-10.

“I feel like I’m ready for this,” she said. …

read more – Orlando Sentinel

Playing around on grocery carts is FUN.

original – flickr

NBC posted lived coverage of day 1 of the in-gym intrasquad competition to determine the four athletes who will join Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin on the Beijing squad.

The official word is that Shayla Worley has an acute fracture of her right fibula (the smaller bone in the lower leg). …

Shayla left the competition to go to the hospital for x-rays.

… Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin had the two best performances on the first day of the Olympic selection camp. Bridget Sloan made a strong statement for her inclusion on the Olympic Team with a new vault and hitting her other three events. …

Live from the ranch – NBColympics.com

Thanks Nik. Thanks Tuesday.