Gym Chat

BACK IN ACTION!

2010-12-14T15:35:00.000-08:00

Well, hello there gym fans! It's your friendly blogger friend Kayleigh here, with some good news - I'm back to blogging! I know it's been a while, but I am back and ready to rock. However, Gym Chat is no more. You can now head on over to Tumblr and find me at my new blog, Fantastic Gymnastics!

Thanks for the ride, Gym Chat. It was fun, but I'm moving on... and I hope to see you all there!

NCAA Super Six Live

2010-04-23T15:07:00.000-07:00

I know I suck... badly. More on that later.

Here's some live commentary on the Super Six final!

6:08 - Touch for rotation 1 just started - I'm game! Rooting for UCLA or Oklahoma to pull this one out. :)

Nastia Essay

2009-11-10T18:00:00.000-08:00

This was an essay for my sports psychology class... it's on Nastia Liukin and how she's my role model for many many reasons. I thought I'd share it with you guys, seeing as it's, uh, gymnastics related. Haha.

Nastia Liukin – My Hero

Nastia Liukin is twenty years old and has already accomplished more than the average person will in their entire life – not only does she have five Olympic medals, she’s been featured on TV shows and video games, modeled for Max Azria, and designed a line for Vanilla Star jeans. Many might say she’s just a lucky girl… but without the hard work and long hours she put in at the gym, she would not have the story she has today.
Anastasia “Nastia” Liukin was born on October 30, 1989 in Moscow Russia. Her father, Valeri Liukin, was the 1988 Olympic champion in the team and high bar competitions – her mother, Anna, was the 1987 world rhythmic gymnastics champion in the clubs. Whether Nastia wanted it or not, gymnastics was in her blood – and it just so happened she wanted it more than anything else in the world. When Nastia was just two years old, her family up and left Russia to start a gymnastics facility in the United States, taking former Russian gymnast Evgeny Marchenko with them. Their gym, WOGA, opened in Plano, Texas in 1992. Unable to afford a babysitter for little Nastia, her parents would bring her to the gym with them and let her play. Nastia quickly fell in love with gymnastics, begging her parents to let her try. Sure enough, they put her in a class and she progressed with great speed. Though Valeri and Anna had not intended for their daughter to become a gymnast, it was happening before their very eyes. Nastia quickly moved through the levels and made it to junior elite. She qualified to her first national championships, where she did well enough to make the national team. The next two years at nationals, she was the back-to-back all-around champion. Had she been just one year older, she likely would have made the Olympic team traveling to Athens. However, she set her sights on Beijing, still four years away.
Nastia’s first year as an elite was full of highs and lows. She won her first senior national title, and easily made the team that would be traveling to Melbourne, Australia for the 2005 world championships. There, she missed out on the world all-around title by the slimmest of margins - .001 – to teammate Chellsie Memmel. Not to be discouraged, Nastia looked to the beam, bars, and floor finals. She won two of the three – bars and beam – and earned a silver on floor. One year down, three to go.
2006 was off to a great start. Nastia won her first American Cup and another senior national title. Then, disaster struck – an ankle injury that would require surgery. She rehabbed the injury quickly enough to go to 2006 Worlds, but she would only compete bars. She earned a silver medal for her efforts in Denmark. 2 years down, 2 to go. Halfway to Beijing.
2007 was a hard year. Nastia opted to sit out the first half of the year to let the ankle injury heal as much as possible before nationals. She only started doing the pounding events again – vault and floor – a week before nationals started. It was not her best showing, counting many falls and mistakes, and new competition was emerging in the name of Shawn Johnson. Nastia lost her first national championship in four years, ending the meet in third place. Many people ruled her out for 2008, saying she was “too old”, “too broken”, or “too inconsistent”. She still qualified to the 2007 worlds team, and vowed to make an impact there. She helped team USA earn only its second world title, and qualified to the all-around competition. Things were looking good until beam, where she fell and ultimately gave the title away. Shawn Johnson went on to become world all-around champion, while Nastia sat in fifth. Nastia still had bars and beam finals, and she wanted nothing but gold. She surprisingly lost out to Russian Ksenia Semenova in the bars final, but beam turned out to be her shining moment. She was again world champion. Just one year to go until Beijing.
2008 proved to be one of the greatest of Nastia’s life. The year began with nationals, where an uncharacteristic mistake on floor ultimately gave Shawn Johnson the title. On to Olympic Trials, where (again) mistakes put Nastia in second place. Shawn looked nearly unstoppable, having only lost one meet since the beginning of 2007. Since they’d finished one-two at Olympic Trials, Shawn and Nastia were automatically named to the Olympic team. Who would win?
Beijing brought tears, joy, and heartbreak. Team USA went in looking only for the gold, but wound up with the silver, losing out to home team China. Nastia and Shawn were both qualified to the all-around final, and tensions mounted. If neither of the girls made mistakes, the competition would be even – it would go to whoever performed and executed their skills better. Ultimately, Nastia was the better gymnast that night, performing near flawlessly on vault and floor. She was on top – Olympic champion. What she’d worked 19 years for. In her own words… “I was physically and mentally more prepared than I have ever been in my life. I was so ready to be there and to have the best performance of my life. And I was excited. I think that is the most important thing. I was excited and confident.” She is living proof that if your have confidence and belief in yourself, you can do anything, no matter what everyone else says. Nastia wound up leaving Beijing with five medals – all around gold, team, beam, and bars silver, and floor bronze. She tied with Mary Lou Retton and Shannon Miller for the most medals earned in one Olympic games.
After Beijing, Nastia took a bit of a break, taking time to model, design, and appear on tv shows. In January of 2009, she started to get back into the gym. By July, she was in competition shape on beam, and appeared at the 2009 US Classic and US Nationals. She was in contention to make the worlds team, but felt she should withdraw in favor of someone who was more prepared. She’s now taking another break and setting her sights on the 2010 season.
When asked how Nastia accomplished what she did, she replied, “Set goals for yourself. I always set daily, weekly, monthly, and longterm goals. Strive to achieve them! Whether it be running a mile every day for a month, or winning a gold medal at the Olympics, setting goals has played a huge role in overcoming obstacles and achieving success in my life and my sport.”
Nastia is a great example of sports psychology at its finest. She’s the definition of mental toughness. When people were doubting whether she would even make the Olympic team because of her ankle injury, she came back and proved each of them wrong, making the team and doing the best of any competitor. She sets goals and strives to achieve them. She’s also a good sport in everything that she does. And that’s why Nastia Liukin, 2008 all-around Olympic champion, is my hero and my role model. ☺

Kyla Wins Jr. Pan Ams

2009-11-07T17:10:00.000-08:00

Supposedly... according to Bogwoppit over at the Chalk Bucket.

The US Women were strong, finishing 1-2-3-4.

1. Kyla Ross
2. Sabrina Vega
3. Alexandra Raisman
4. Bridgette Caquatto

They were all sporting (ugh) the pink leo. BLAH. Can't we at least wear American colors, ladies? The pink is old. I never want to see it again. Unless it's on Nastia. But NO ONE ELSE! :]

(ps - new layout on the way)

Shannon Has Her Baby Boy! :D

2009-10-28T19:12:00.000-07:00

His name is John Rocco Falconetti... and he was born this evening at 6:46 PM, weighing in at 7 lbs 11 oz.

See HERE for more!

Congratulations! :D

Ryazanov Killed in Car Accident

2009-10-22T19:20:00.001-07:00

WOW.

I'm in shock.

He was only 22, and had just won the bronze in the men's all-around in London.

Click HERE to see what the Gymnastics Examiner has to say.

Rest in peace.

Montage Contest

2009-10-17T11:59:00.000-07:00

I'm having a montage contest through my youtube... check it out and enter! :D

Finals Day #1 - Live Blogging

2009-10-17T04:49:00.001-07:00

VAULT:

8:33 - Kayla, the current leader, will be 4th up. She's rockin' the old flame leo - you go girl!

8:34 - What's with all the sleveless leos? Not a fan.

8:35 - Myzdrikova of Russia will be first. Nice 1/2 on... uh, something off. 14.275 for the first vault. Sloppy yurkchenko double, stepped out of the corridor, so there will be a penalty. 2'd vault - 14.1. Average -14.225

8:40 - Kaeslin vault one - very nice front layout 1 1/2. Very close to stepping out, but she saved it. Score: 15.075.

8:44 - Kaeslin vault two - nice yurchenko 1 1/2, decent landing. Very nice.

8:46 - VT2 Score - 13.975 Average - 14.525

8:46 - Hong Un Jong, reigning Olympic champ, falls flat on her butt on her amanar. Make it to your feet, Kayla! 14.425. Jeez... that seems a bit high to me.

8:48 - Un Jong's VT 2 - Falls again! Oh my. No medal for her, I'd assume. Wow. Second vault - 14.100. Average: 14.262

8:49 - Kayla is up... lovely front 1 1/2! Little bit loose, but solid all the same. 15.200.

8:50 - How much do I want to see her first world medal be a gold?!

8:51 - Vault 2 - Yurchenko double... STUCK. GO KAYLA! Vault 2: 14.975. Average - 15.087!

8:54 - Elsa Garcia... coming off of her win of the Longines prize for elegance yesterday. Good yurchenko 1 1/2. Back step on the landing, but a nice, clean vault. 14.000.

8:56 - Second vault... Ooof. Rough fall... kinda flat on her face. She seems to be taking it in stride. :P Her hair looks funny after that one... she's too cute! Score on that one - 12.575. Average - 13.287

8:58 - Brittany Rogers of Canada - nice yurchenko double. 14.425.

9:00 - Brittany's 2'd vault - yurchenko 1/2 on 1/2 off. Decent... stepped out of the corridor. Score: 13.975. Average: 14.2

9:02 - Kurbatova: very high, powerful yurchenko double. Biggest threat to Williams so far. 14.725.

9:03 - Second vault for Kurbatova... 1/2 on, front pike 1/2 off. A little bit of a sloppy landing... buckled her knees alot. Score on the second - 13.95. Average: 14.337.

9:05 - Dufournet - uh, what just happened? Universal sports just totally passed over her first vault. :P 14.275

9:06 - Dufournet - yurchenko 1/2 on layout 1/2 off. Very clean... she's definitely one to watch out for! Score 2: 14.625, Average: 14.450.

KAYLA WINS! :D Unreal. What a story this girl has. Crazy.

Final results for vault;

1. Kayla Williams
2. Ariella Kaeslin
3. Youna Dufournet

Bars later!

Live Blogging

2009-10-16T10:33:00.000-07:00

AA Finals Live Blogging!

1:33 - USA girls in the pink. Gack. Sorry, but Nastia is the only one who can pull this off and look good, IMO.

1:35 - Lauren Mitchell will be leading off on vault.

1:36 - Yang Yilin just took a nasty spill on her dismount during her touch on bars.

1:38 - Nice DTY from Lauren Mitchell. Step on the landing. 14.400.

1:40 - Porgras VT - Nice clean full twisting yurchenko. Lacking difficulty, but clean nonetheless.

1:41 - Decent routine for Kaeslin on UB. 13.875.

1:42 - Bross VT - Nice! Forward step on the landing, but should be a decent score. 14.525.

1:44 - Yilin UB - lacked some height on the releases, beautiful pirouette work. WOW, fell right on her head on that dismount. Saw that one coming! Bye bye title! 13.950.

1:46 - Clean DTY for Kurbatova. 14.625

1:48 - Lovely bar routine from Tsurumi! 15.050

1:48 - Bridget on vault - clean... step back on the landing. 14.825.

1:50 - Linlin - she's so stinkin cute... however, I still have a hard time believing she's 16. :P 14.225

1:51 - Dofournet on bars - sloppy, but great double layout dismount. 14.600.

1:52 - Loved Tamirjan's mount on beam - otherwise it looked very rushed. 14.125

1:54 - I LOVE the UK leos. Downie's tumbling is quite clean looking and nice to watch. She stuck her double pike cold. Very nice. 13.525.

1:56 - Rough fall on Semeynova's pak salto. Wow... two botched bar routines in a row.

1:58 - Galante on beam. WOW, awful leotard for Italy. Looks like zebra print sleeves and turquoise flowers on the bodice? Yeesh. Sloppy routine. 13.625.

2:01 - How many people can use the same music? Mattie Larson, Dasha Joura, now Becky Wing too... 12.550 ouch.

2:03 - First rotation complete.

2:05 - Becky Downie on VT - nice, clean DTY! 14.5

2:07 - Porgras will lead off on bars.

2:08 - Clean routine from Porgras. 14.675.

2:08 - Yilin on beam. She looks shaky. 14.225. I have a feeling this will turn into the Bridget-Becca-Porgras show. :P

2:10 - Tsurumi on beam. Beautiful skills and dance, albeit an itty bit shaky. 14.800.

2:12 - Bross on bars - Please no meltdown!

2:13 - WOW, GREAT routine for Bross. Very big on her releases and stuck the (huge) dismount cold! 15.075.

2:14 - Dufournet on beam - I don't know whether I like the fact that she stopped in the middle of her Onodi or not... I think I like it??? :P 14.450.

2:17 - Kurbatova UB - nice bars set. 14.700.

2:18 - Love Tamirjan on floor - you can tell she has training in ballet. She could present it more, but she's on her way! 13.600.

2:20 - DEAR GOD BRIDGET POINT YOUR TOES! Other than that... good routine for her! :P 14.800.

2:22 - Decent routine from Semenova. Missed the score... sorry. :S

2:24 - Linlin UB - she is so tiny! Nice routine! 13.900. I think this is a bit low, personally.

2:26 - 13.950 on vault for Rebecca Wing.

2:30 - I want to see Lauren Mitchell take the bronze... she had a good bar routine. Slight hop on the dismount. 13.625.

After 2:

1. Tsumuri
2. Sloan
3. Bross

2:33 - Koko on floor - oh my gosh, I love her. So clean! Stuck her 2 1/2 to front layout. Her dance is gorgeous. Lovely routine. 13.725.

2:35 - Bross on beam. Standing arabian - solid as a rock. Side somi (gack). Lands the dismount! As long as she doesn't botch floor, she'll be world champion. 15.300.

2:38 - Dofournet isn't very expressive on floor - get this girl a choreographer. :P 13.300.

2:40 - Kurbatova BB - fall on BHS back layout. 12.850.

2:42 - Tamirjan VT - so-so DTY. Holy leg separation! 14.275 (overscored, IMO).

2:44 - Sloan on BB. Baby wobble on back layout and full turn, but she made the front tuck. Ooh, she's shaky. Nice double pike dismount. 14.000. Ouch.

2:48 - Linlin beam - touched her hands on the beam on her front pike. She's shaky too. Foot slipped on her layout, but she stayed on. Fell on her sheep jump. I think it's safe to say the chinese will be leaving without a medal. 13.500.

2:51 - Yilin floor - I can't tell if her dance is artistic or if it looks like she's spasming. :P She isn't finishing her passes either (she's not raising her arms after she lands, I mean... she just moves right into the next part of the routine). This bothers me. 13.700.

2:53 - Downie - rough fall on her first Tkatchev. Bummer. :[ 13.600.

2:55 - Porgras waiting to go on BB... long wait beforehand. Judges are still working on Mitchell's score. Where was Mitchell's routine, anyhow?

2:59 - About time. Porgras on BB. She has lovely lines. Falls on her layout. Congrats Becca, it's yours unless you completely choke. 14.125.

After 3:

1. Bross
2. Sloan
3. Tsumuri
4. Mitchell
5. Porgras

3:02 - recap of Mitchell's beam routine - 15.100!

3:06 - Not feeling any of these floor routines. Come on, girls... make me watch! Kurbatova - 13.300.

3:08 - Dofournet on VT - interesting, different vault. 14.300.

3:09 - Sloan on floor - come on girl! Nice triple. Nice full in pike and dance. GO BRIDGET! Nice layout 2 1/2. LOVELY double pike! Love her! Aaaaah! 14.200, actually one of the higher scores of the day.

3:11 - Semenova - blech vault. :P

3:15 - Kaeslin VT - 15.125 (wowie!)

3:16 - Mitchell on floor. Nice double arabian. OOB on full-in pike. Turn in wolf (very cool). Clean routine all-in-all, but that out of bounds is going to cost. 14.025.

3:19 - Tsurumi on vault. Clean yurchenko full... unfortunately she'll lose the difficulty points, but a great meet for her! 13.600. Lauren Mitchell will wind up in 4th if Becca doesn't completely bomb.

3:21 - Porgras on floor. Messy legs on first pass. Lovely balletic lines and dance! Stuck double tuck. She's definitely one to watch in the future. 14... something too quick for me to catch. :P

3:24 - Bross on floor. If she lands on her feet, she wins.

She fell on her 2 1/2!!!!!

Bridget or Becca?

Bridget or Becca?

BRIDGET OR BECCA?!?!?!

Becca gets 12.875 - BRIDGET WINS!

BRIDGET WINS!

BRIDGET WINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Final results:

1. Bridget
2. Rebecca
3. Koko Tsurumi!

Prelims - Results, Pics, Notes, and Quotes!

2009-10-14T18:44:00.000-07:00

To no one's surprise, Becca and Bridget are both headed to AA finals. Surprisingly, though, there's 4 places between them - Rebecca led the AA, with Bridget in 5th!

Oh, such dramz.

Anyhow, Bridget fell on beam. Give her just that point back, and she would have been at least third. Who knows what Friday will bring?

In addition, Bridget and Rebecca are headed to bars finals - surprised? Me too. ESPECIALLY Bridget - who woulda thunk it? Not I! Of course, He Kexin stole the show with a score of 15.975 - a whole .925 ahead of Bross, who is in second with a 15.050. Barring no injury or meltdown, I think we know who will be the bars champ. :P

Says Bridget, "Bars were the highlight of my day. After beam, I wanted to do everything as cleanly as possible. My floor was a little rough and as I moved to vault and bars, I knew what my priorities were. This was a good learning experience for me. Every day I learn a bit more and (today) I learned a lot. I’m very excited to come back Friday and show them what I can do.”

Bross is also headed to floor finals - score 13.95. Kayla WIlliams is first reserve for that.

Speaking of Kayla... guess who's at the top of the vault charts? Though it's by a very slim margin - 14.812 to Hong Un Jong's 14.787 - Kayla couldn't be happier! “I had billions and billions of nerves,” said Williams about her first international event and World Championships, “but I think I handled it pretty well. I think I channeled my nerves into making my routines better. I was nervous on floor because it was my first time out.

“I did well on both (vaults), but especially my second one, the Yurchenko double full,” said Williams. “I think that is the best I can do. I am really proud of how I did, and I hope when I come back to finals, I can learn from this and do even better.”

Very excited for her... what a story!

Finally, Ivana qualified to beam finals, with a score of 14.400 - good enough for 4th place. She bombed bars, but I'm glad she didn't let that affect her on beam. Baby steps! :]

Oh, Bross is 1st reserve for beam as well. Woohoo.

A full list of qualifiers can be found below;
http://www.usa-gymnastics.org/PDFs/Results/09artisticworlds_wq_101409.pdf

Pics can be found all over the web... some links below;
http://usagymnastics.zenfolio.com/p363723007/h32887b71#h4107442 (US Women)
http://www.insidegymnastics.com/content/show/09WorldChamps.aspx?articleid=649&zoneid=53 (Inside Gym)
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/galleries/gallery/1001046.html?spill=1 (Charlotte Observer)
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/10/artistic_gymnastics_world_cham.html (The Big Picture - GREAT pics!)

More to come - and expect the gossip to start flying!

No Worlds for Ksenia Afansyeva

2009-10-10T20:04:00.000-07:00

Ksenia Afansyeva is reportedly out of worlds with a back injury. I feel your pain, Ksenia! :[

What a bummer... she really had a shot at bringing the all-around title back to Russia. Of course, there's still Semyonova, who also has a decent shot... but it definitely is a blow to their chances.

Only 6 days to go until the all-around final. And I will be in school while it happens. UGH.

Domi!

2009-10-09T19:40:00.000-07:00

"Hi, my name's Dominique Moceanu. Remember me? I was the cutsie at the '96 Olympics with the scandalous Devil Went Down to Georgia floor music. Anyways, I just had 2 kids... but no worries, I can still do double fulls on floor and back tucks on beam! I'm just awesome like that!"

XD

Seriously, though... that's relatively awesome. I'll be lucky to still touch my toes when I'm 28. :P

The gymnastics part starts at about 5 minutes. Worth the watch!

Mohini...

2009-10-05T15:31:00.001-07:00

has evidently given birth to a baby boy! Tristen Jai Barry was born Friday, October 2'd at 5:32 PM, and he weighed 7 lbs. He's 19 1/2 inches.

I didn't even know she was pregnant!!! Jeez!

Congrats to the family! :]

(via mandusky at the IG forum)

Good Luck Team USA!

2009-10-05T11:42:00.000-07:00

Let me know what you think! Good luck to Bridget, Rebecca, Ivana, and Kayla!

Worlds Team

2009-10-03T19:09:00.000-07:00

According to live.breathe.love.gymnastics:

The 2009 Worlds team has not changed from the nominative roster;

Bridget Sloan
Kayla Williams
Rebecca Bross
Ivana Hong

Alternates: Kytra Hunter and Mackenzie Caquatto

As for the other girls... they've been given assignments as well! Jana and Kytra are going to the Croatia World Cup, and Mackenzie and Cassie will be going to the DTB World Cup.

So excited to see how everything shakes out. Should be an interesting worlds!

Rumors???

2009-10-03T18:27:00.000-07:00

From The Couch Gymnast:

A commenter said that Hong's facebook says she is headed to London. Someone on IG Forum reported that Sloan's does too. So, what will the final announcement say? Just what it says on the Nominative roster? Those two, Williams and Bross. Probably.

What I expected. We shall see.

I WANT OFFICIAL WORD, DANGIT!

EDIT: 9:32 PM

"@bridgetsloan: alright we're ready..but the question is, is London ready ? =]"

Obviously Bridget is in... but who is "we"?

EDIT: 10PM

WHAT THE HECK IS TAKING SO LONG?

Almost Here!

2009-10-03T14:06:00.000-07:00

I'm talking about the worlds team selection, of course! According to Kim Zmeskal Burdette, anyways

@KimZB0217 - "Final verification before World Team is selected will begin in 1 hour... Go USA! I'm so proud of you ALL!
about 1 hour ago from Tweetie"

Which means said verification should be starting right about... now.

I CANNOT WAIT ANY LONGER.

Pet Peeves -Part Uno

2009-10-03T11:11:00.001-07:00

There are many, many things I could go on and on about that are wrong in the sport of gymnastics today - but there are a few that really irk me.

1. The Side Somi

(No, Nastia, even YOU, the 2005-2008 patron saint of graceful gymnastics, can NOT make this look good)

Ah, the side somi. WHY would anyone look at this and say, "gee, that's attractive! I think I'll put that in my routine!" I don't care who you are, it's ugly. Do an aerial or something instead. Chellsie Memmel got the hint... her aerial is beautious!

2. Flexed Toes (I'm looking at you Bridget!)

This is one thing that I just don't understand. How can you go to throw a Tkatchev, for example, and get a deduction because your friggen' toes aren't pointed? I don't get it. It's one of the first things you learn in the sport. It's not much more of an effort, so just DO IT ALREADY!

3. The Cowboyed Front Tuck

Is it really that hard to pull your legs into a real tuck? (I can answer that - no, it's not. :P ) Just like the side somi, THIS IS NOT ATTRACTIVE. End of story.

4. Arm-Flailing Dance

Come on, people, can we be a little original here? Make up some real dance, not "arm here, pose, arm here, another pose, arm waves, skill". Be unique! I love Alicia to death, but she's definitely guilty of this one.

5. The Un-180 Degree Split

One word (or is it two?); oversplits. Do them.

More to come.

Rio Gets the Games

2009-10-02T16:20:00.000-07:00

Good. I was hoping Rio would get it!

This is the Olympic of the babies now... i.e. Lizzy Leduc. Even my friend Shantel... who isn't far behind Lizzy. She'll be 10 this year, and she's competing level 8 or 9 this season. She's crazy. Look for a potential talk with her in the future!

Go Rio!

New Layout

2009-10-02T16:01:00.000-07:00

Just in time for worlds! I know this one was long overdue, so sorry for that. Let me know what you think!

Also, I plan on making this site a whole lot more interesting - not just news posts, but more commentary and fun posts. I'm also hoping to broaden my horizons and get more involved with international gymnastics - so keep your eyes peeled for that!

I'm hoping to get a fun post up tonight. :D

Latah,
-Kayleigh

MEMMEL TOO?!?!

2009-10-02T14:23:00.000-07:00

Memmel withdraws from 2009 World Championships Team selection
10/02/2009

2008 Olympic team silver-medalist Chellsie Memmel of West Allis, Wis., has withdrawn from the final selection process for the U.S. Team for the 2009 World Championships, Oct. 13-15, in London, England. Memmel, a former world champion, has been working her way back into competitive gymnastics after ankle surgery in late 2008.
“I have run out of time, and I am not quite where I want to be gymnastics-wise,” said Memmel, who is coached by her father, Andy. “I haven’t been able to do the number of routines and repetitions that I need to represent the USA at the highest level. Also, I thought this would make it easier for Martha and the selection committee in naming the team, because we have so many talented gymnasts who deserve the chance to go to London. My Dad and I met with Martha, and she is very supportive of this decision.

“I am going home and will spend the time getting my routines ready for next year.”

Shoot. Me.

My new team;

Bridget
Kayla
Rebecca
(Kytra? Ivana? Cassie?)

We'll know tomorrow... :O

Izbasa Injured, Out Of Worlds

2009-09-18T14:34:00.000-07:00

From International Gymnastics:

2008 Olympic floor exercise champion Sandra Izbasa of Romania was injured in Buzau on Thursday, but witnesses say it could have been a lot worse.
Izbasa, 19, was tumbling a piked full-in back-out on floor exercise when her right Achilles' tendon snapped on the takeoff.

"I didn't know what happened," Izbasa told IG. "I heard a pop and thought it was the floor."

Izbasa said she felt like she was only one meter above the floor, and that she pulled the skill around as best she could.

"If there is something gratifying, is that it's better mentally because this injury could have been a tragedy and we were all scared," said Nicolae Forminte, Romanian national coach.

Izbasa was taken to University Hospital in Bucharest for evaluation. She also has a fracture in her right foot, and her left arm will be in a cast for three weeks because of a stress fracture. She will have surgery on her Achilles' tendon on Monday.

The injury will keep Izbasa out of the 2009 World Championships in October, and she will likely be replaced by alternate Gabriela Dragoi. The other three team members are Anamaria Tamarjan, Diana Chelaru and Ana Porgras.

That sucks. The poor girl is gonna look like she's in a full body cast! >.<

Fame Montage Teaser

2009-09-17T10:59:00.000-07:00

Should I finish it??

It's on '09 Visas, if you hadn't figured that out from watching it. Hehehe.

New Theories for the World Team

2009-09-16T18:24:00.001-07:00

With Sam and Nastia out... who's in?

Well, to start, here are the 9 moving on to the second camp;

Jana Bieger
Rebecca Bross
Mackenzie Caquatto
Ivana Hong
Kytra Hunter
Chellsie Memmel
Bridget Sloan
Cassandra Whitcomb
Kayla Williams

Here's my theories...

1. Bridget Sloan - obviously a lock for all-around. Not much else needs to be said.

2. OK... Rebecca Bross. Eck. Even though I'm not crazy about her, she has the D scores for all-around.

3. Kayla Williams. I have a very hard time believing she won't make the team now... especially hearing rumors of her competing a laid-our rudi and an amanar at the camp!

4a. IF Chellsie Memmel is indeed ready on bars, she's my final pick. We have ZERO bars specialists without Nastia (boy do we need her back). And she's solid as a rock on beam, so there's potential there as well.

4b. If Chellsie isn't ready, I'd send Ivana. But I'm really hoping Chellsie is ready!

Thoughts?

cries

2009-09-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., Sept. 15, 2009 – 2008 Olympic team silver-medalist Samantha Peszek of Indianapolis, Ind., has formally withdrawn from the selection process for the women’s 2009 World Championships Team. Peszek was selected to participate in the second of two selection camps but has decided to decline the invitation so she can undergo shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum.

“I’m disappointed that I won’t be able to compete for a spot on the USA World Championships Team,” said Peszek. “The decision was a tough one to make but one that will enable me to get healthy and ready for next season.”

Peszek, a high school senior and gymnast at Sharp’s Gymnastics, was a member of the 2007 Pan American Games Team and the World Championships Team that won gold medals. She has given a verbal commitment to compete for UCLA in the future. Peszek is coached by Marvin Sharp.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! *sob*

I'm so disappointed. I really wanted to see her on the team. :[

Nastia Withdraws from Worlds Selection Process

2009-08-31T13:41:00.000-07:00

From USAG:

“I have given a lot of thought to this since the 2009 Visa Championships,” said Liukin, who competed in the Visa Championships in Dallas earlier this month. “Getting back into the gym and competition has been a major goal for me this summer, and I have worked hard to balance my training and obligations. This past year has been wonderful and a whirlwind. With the selection process for Worlds beginning next week, I realized I need to take some time to get myself where I need and want to be competitively. Competing at a World Championships is an incredible experience, and I look forward to supporting my teammates as they prepare for London.

“The 2012 Olympics in London remain an important goal for me. I have more to accomplish in this sport.”

I totally respect her decision. Good for her for being mature enough to not just say "why not, even if I'm not ready".

So I'm standing by my prediction... Bridget, Sam, Ivana, Kayla. Thoughts now?

Musings.

2009-08-27T13:44:00.000-07:00

So uh... Bridget Sloan won nationals! Yay!

Yes, I realize that it's old news by now... Sorry about that. I just finished celebrating my 16th birthday and going back to school, so I kinda have an excuse. Lol.

In any case, guess what's in about 2 months???

WORLDS! YAY!

So on USAG's site, they posted about the selection process. Basically, there's two camps - one Sept. 8-12, the second Sept. 30-Oct 4. 16 girls were invited to the first camp already, essentially the senior national team. After that, no less than 8 girls will be invited to the second camp. So essentially, all 16 girls could go through to camp numero dos, but that probably won't happen.

So... who's it gonna be?

Here's my idea;

1. Bridget
2. Samantha
3. Kayla
4. Ivana

Now I know some of you are like, "WTF Kayleigh, WTF?" But let me explain!

1. Bridget should obviously be on the team, as national champ and the gymnast with the highest all-around score this year at any meet.
2. I can't imagine Samantha not being put on the team. She was solid as a rock at nationals - her confidence is ridiculous, and I really think she could medal on beam.
3. Kayla... I'm iffy between putting her or Nastia on the team. Kayla could potentially medal on vault and floor both... but how would she do with the international judges?
4. This one came down to Ivana and Rebecca... and when it comes right down to it, I think Ivana is the better gymnast. I don't understand the obsession with Rebecca - she's got big skills, yes, but they aren't clean, IMO. I think Ivana would definitely go over better with the international judges. And could Rebecca handle the pressure of worlds already? I'd have doubts.

Thoughts???

Nationals LIVE BLOGGING!

2009-08-13T17:39:00.000-07:00

-Rebecca looks good! Her bars were awesome!

-LOVE Bridget and Samantha's leos. And their vaults were great!

-Poor Jana. Oh my.

-Kytra Hunter's floor = <333. Her tumbling is phenomenal!

-Not Ivana's best on bars. She saved that dismount!

-Thought Kytra deserved more than 14.4.

-NASTIA IS NOT DOING BARS. >:[

-Nice stuck dismount from Jana.

-Alicia is cute. :]

-Bridget's bars = W.O.W.

-Are the girls not like, adorable? Loved the Nastia/Bridget/Sam moment. :]

-Not crazy about Rebecca Clark's floor. Not enough choreography.

-Not crazy about the GAGE leo, actually. What's with the V?

-So happy to see Chellsie back! Iffy illusion, but overall, a GREAT routine!

-13.8 for Chellsie?!?!?!?!

-Kayla Williams... wow. Awesome floor.

-Not a bad beam set for Ivana!

-Not the best beam for Nastia, but it definitely could've been worse.

-That clip of the girls watching Nastia was SO cute. :]

-Sam's standing full to back pike = ROCK. Awesome routine!!!

-NOOOO BRIDGET NOO. What a flukey fall!

-Just from checking scores, Kayla Williams got a 15.0 on vault. Let us see it!!! :P

-Am I the only one who isn't crazy about Rebecca Bross?

-Wow. That SUCKS for Rebecca. If Ivana hits (which is asking alot)...

-How is Rebecca winning over Ivana?!?!

-Good double layout on floor for Jana. Still, something about her looks... off to me.

-I actually really like Sam's floor routine. Great tumbling!

-You know why we're having all these lock-kneed landings? Because this new code is making the girls try to stick, and it is DANGEROUS. Stupid, stupid rule.

-Surprisingly enough, not a bad score for Bridget after a not so great routine. 14.3.

-Still not crazy about Rebecca.

-Love love love Ivana's floor! <33

-HATE HATE HATE the new rule for floor, if that wasn't obvious enough. :P

Good meet so far...

1. Rebecca
2. Ivana
3. Bridget
4. Kytra
5. MacKenzie

100th Post, New Layout, and Nationals News!

2009-08-13T06:13:00.000-07:00

100 Posts here at Gymchat! How excited am I that I've actually kept with this?

I'm in the process of making a new layout... probably no theme this time, just something pretty. :]

But now, the BIG stuff. Nationals!

Click Here for videos from Gymnastike from women's podium training and interviews with the guys after the night 1 competition!

Click Here for pictures from senior women's podium training!

Click Here for pictures from junior women's podium training!

Inside Gymnastics has a complete section covering nationals, including notes from Nastia, pictures, daily takes, and articles.

Results and Quick Hits from all sessions can be found at USAG's Website

Senior competitions from women's day 1 and 2 and men's day 2 are being webcast via Universal Sports HERE.

So, you're set with links! Now to discuss last nights competition...

Jonathan Horton is leading the all-around, with David Sender and Tim McNeill rounding out the top 3. I would really like to see David win it this year, as he has announced that this meet will be his last hurrah. I talked with him for a bit at last year's Olympic Trials (just kinda ran into him in the stands), and he really does seem like a genuinely sweet, awesome guy. His vault (a yurchenko double pike) scored a whopping 17.050. Crazy.

Women's day one is in store for today... bummer that the junior competition isn't being broadcast, but at least we have quick hits!

Alicia to Return?!?!

2009-08-06T19:20:00.001-07:00

http://www.insidegymnastics.com/content/show/newsarticle.aspx?articleid=561&zoneid=1

Holy crap.

Speechless.

SENIOR Nationals; Participants and Stats

2009-08-05T17:39:00.000-07:00

First of all, let's clarify some people who will NOT be competing.

-Shawn Johnson. She hasn't even gotten back into the gym, so NO.
-Jordyn Wieber has pulled out of the competition. HUGE opportunity here for the rest of the juniors. Jordyn won last years junior title... and quite honestly, she (barring any major mistakes) probably would have won it again.
-Alicia Sacramone, as she is retired (OR NOT! See below post).
-Shayla Worley, as she has retired from elite gymnastics to focus on her upcoming NCAA career at Georgia.

Now... the playing field!

SENIORS;

Kaitlyn Clark

Kaitlyn hasn't made the national team yet. She was injured before the US Classic last year, and had to compete some watered down routines at nationals. She finished 16th. She did finish 3d AA at the Covergirl (US) Classic this year.

Mattie Larson

We all know Mattie. She made a decent play at the Olympic team last year. Many believe she would have gotten one of three alternate positions if she hadn't injured herself at the training camp. She did pretty well during the European tour, but is injured once again. She probably won't be competing all-around, but rather focusing on bars and trying to make the worlds team (which I have doubts about, but who knows?).

Samantha Shapiro

Much as I wish this girl would WAX HER EYEBROWS, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, she is a pretty gymnast. Unfortunately, she's injured as well. Again, she'll focus on one or two events and try to make the worlds team as a specialist.

Jana Bieger

The girl who went from a world silver medalist... to a nobody. Jeez! How does that happen? She choked at the Olympic selection camp competition... twice. But for some reason, she hasn't given up hope. She didn't do fantastically at the 2009 Us Classic, but she was sick. Hopefully we'll see a much healthier, cleaner Jana at nationals.

Olivia Courtney

This girl won the US (Covergirl) Classic this year! Granted, she WAS the only one to hit all four events, and that won't happen again at nationals. But still, she has a legit shot at placing top 5-7.

Mackenzie Caquatto

Mackenzie only competed the first day of competition at Olympic Trials, and only competed bars at the US Classic this year. I'm not sure what the plan is for nationals, though I doubt she'll do all-around.

Samantha Peszek

Sam! She's back and ready to rock. Despite a torn labrum in her shoulder, she's (supposedly) competing everything but bars at nationals (and worlds, if she makes the team). Glad to see so many of the Olympians coming back, even if only on a few events. :]

Bridget Sloan

If you ask me... this girl's got it. She's posted the highest AA out of any elite competitor in the world so far this year (59.6 at the American Cup), and she's consistent. I have a feeling she'll be making the world team as well.

Rheagan Courville

Does not have much of a shot... her score at the US Classic was a 52.7. To qualify to senior elite, you have to score 52.5. Talk about just squeaking by! Still... good for her! And who knows, she may surprise us!

Kytra Hunter

2008 JO National Champion. She also won floor at the dual meet with Germany during the European tour. Floor looks like her best shot for a medal.

Georgia Dabritz

Just qualified to senior elite earlier this year. Can't find much dirt on her. She was the 2007 US Challenge champion... but that's about all I can find.

Rebecca Clark

The next one from GAGE. Earned a bronze medal on bars and a 7th place finish on beam at the US Classic. She did not compete floor. She was 6th place at nationals last year as a junior.

Cassandra Whitcomb

Cassie was the bronze medalist in the AA as a junior at last years nationals. She's been on the national team for 2 years. She trains at Cincinnati Gymnastics under Mary Lee Tracy. She won bars and was 4th AA at this years US Classic with a 54.7. She has a decent shot at placing top 10.

Kimberly Jacob

She qualified to last years nationals and has a full ride scholarship to Bama... that's about all I've got! :P

Annette Miele

OK, I REALLY can't find anything on her. Really, all I got was that she was 11th AA and 3'd on VT after day 1 of nationals last year as a junior. :P

Morgan Steigerwalt

Trains at the infamous Parkettes. She was 10th AA at the 09 US Classic with a 52.5. Her best score was 14.15 on floor, which got her 4th place. Wouldn't expect her to place very high.

Rebecca Bross

Trains at WOGA... supposedly the next Nastia! Her bars are great! Unfortunately, the girl is plagued by injuries. She only competed bars at the US Classic this year, where she scored a 13.15 (with a fallen, watered down dismount). Not sure if her plan for nationals is AA or just certain events. If she does AA, she definitely has a legitimate shot at medaling.

Ivana Hong

Ivana... what to say? She's now training with Papa Liukin at WOGA, after leaving GAGE (with quite the controversy!). She's a beautiful gymnast... she's just inconsistent! If she can pull together a good, consistent meet... she has a shot at being national champion. Unfortunately, that seems to be asking alot. I just really want to see her go 4 for 4!

Alaina Johnson

Finished 12th AA at the Olympic trials. Haven't seen much on her since then, so no word if she'll be doing AA.

Anastasia “Nastia” Liukin

Well... it's Nastia! The Olympic champ! She WILL NOT be doing all around. Bars and beam she has confirmed, POSSIBLY floor, but not vault. She looked good on beam at the US Classic a week or so back... and from what we saw from the videos of training, she's pretty much back on bars as well! Very excited to see what she does. And I DEFINITELY want to see her new floor routine... aghhh!

Brooke Parker

Finished 8th AA at the US Classic this year. She also was 7th on bars and 8th on beam. She was 19th at last years nationals.

Kayla Williams

Talk about crashing onto the scene! Ever since she won JO Nationals earlier this year, she's been talked about like crazy! Lots of people are billing her as "the next Sacramone"... and many are talking worlds for her! Her vault and floor sets are amazing... she does a triple full AS A SIDE PASS. Ridiculous. :P She finished 5th AA at the US Classic this year and should be a force to be reckoned with, at least on vault and floor, at nationals.

Chellsie Memmel

She is... crazy! Everytime you think she's down and out, she comes back! I don't know if she'll be doing all-around, but if she does, she DEFINITELY has a shot! She was 3'd at nationals AND Olympic Trials last year. She has yet to win a national title... could this FINALLY be her year?

Juniors coming soon!

Covergirl Classic Thoughts

2009-07-27T07:43:00.000-07:00

- Nastia's looking fierce! I can't wait to see what she does at nationals. And for the love of God, she better not make us wait until worlds, maybe even next year, to see her new floor routine! :P

-Jana... oh my. I really do feel bad for her. She just can't catch a break. It doesn't help that USAG just treats her like shit, either (we don't need you, NO YOU CAN'T GO COMPETE FOR GERMANY, WHAT IF WE NEED YOU?!?!) . She did not look good on anything. She was getting over the flu, too. I hope she can pull it together for nationals.

-Ivana's bars, for the most part, are looking much better. The tkachev could still use to be a little higher, and she's still typical inconsistent Ivana, but she really does look better.

-I LOVE LOVE LOVE Olivia Courtney's floor routine! The dance is very unique, and her tumbling is killer. Very very nice.

-Amanda Jetter looks pretty dang good for only having a month and a half to train. Her bars are great!

-Poor Rebecca Bross. Seems like she's constantly injured! Her bars looked pretty good, though. Her releases are HUGE.

-Jana's bars kinda sorta make me want to cry.

-Olivia Courtney's barani on beam = awesome.

-Sam Peszek's standing full +back pike on beam = WIN. And then... OUCH. That fall made me wince. Other than that, she really nailed it.

-Kayla Williams... WOW. Her floor looks much better, IMO. Who does a triple full as a side pass?!? And her vaults... nuts! She really has a legit shot at making the worlds team if she does well at nationals. She's filling Alicia's shoes nicely.

-Sabrina Vega... what a cutie! She definitely has a bigger fan base after this meet. She was just so stinkin' adorable with that mega-watt smile and her clean routines. :]

-Sam's vault looked good. And how much do I love that leotard, by the way? Her hair was kind of distracting though... haircuts are a wonderful thing, m'dear.

-Ivana's new floor music makes me go hmm. Something just doesn't click. I think it's just too slow.

ALL-AROUND:

1. Olivia Courtney
2. Ivana Hong
3. Kaitlyn Clark
4. Cassie Whitcomb
5. Kayla Williams

Corrie Lothrop Injured

2009-07-22T10:57:00.000-07:00

Inside Gymnastics is reporting via twitter that Olympic alternate Corrie Lothrop tore her achilles yesterday.

InsideGym(Sad) BREAKING NEWS: Olympic alternate Corrie Lothrop @corbear326 tore Achilles yesterday; details coming soon to insidegymnastics.com.

Serious bummer. She had some potential. I'm interested to see whether she comes back from this. Utah needs her! :[

"I Wanna Throw Up A Rainbow When I See You"

2009-07-22T10:49:00.001-07:00

Hahaha. This was a promo for the ESPYs. I love how she just plays along, it's great.

"If I got a 9.5 on the uneven bars... would you go out with me?"
"No, because that's a terrible score in the new system."

LOVE. HER.

Montage!

2009-07-20T12:31:00.000-07:00

HEY!

Guess what?!?

I made my first REAL montage in like, 50 million years!

Let me know what you think! :D

Shawn and Nastia Each Win an ESPY

2009-07-16T14:13:00.001-07:00

Shawn Johnson won "Best Female Olympian"
Nastia Liukin won "Best Female Athlete"

Congrats to both girls! Winning an ESPY is no small feat! :D

You can watch the broadcast on ESPN on Sunday, July 19th at 9 PM.

Shayla Retires from Elite Gymnastics

2009-07-15T09:58:00.000-07:00

2007 World Championships team gold medalist Shayla Worley announced she is retiring from elite gymnastics and moving on to another chapter in her life, her collegiate career at the University of Georgia.

“After a lot of thought and talking to my family and coaches, I decided it would be best for my body and my gymnastics career to prepare for my collegiate season. I plan to start at the University of Georgia and compete on the Gym Dogs gymnastics team in the fall of 2009.”

Worley, 18, from Orlando, Fla., trains at Orlando Metro with coaches Jeff Wood and Christi Barineau. Worley’s biggest accomplishment in her elite gymnastics career was helping the U.S. women’s team make history by winning the first ever women’s gold medal at a World Championships outside the United States.

“The 2007 World Championships gold medal stands out in my mind for many reasons,” said Worley. “It was the best team ever, we made history, and it was an amazing feeling to accomplish something that big!”

Worley also sites being on the national team for the past seven years as another major accomplishment. She finished second all-around at the 2007 Visa Championships and third all-around at the 2005 Visa Championships in the junior division. Worley also finished second all-around at the 2006 Tyson American Cup. She made a run for the 2008 Olympic Team, but an injury during the selection event in Houston dashed her hopes for a team berth.

Worley added, “I wanted to try for another World Championships because I didn’t get to make the Olympic Team when I was injured at the Selection Camp. But another Worlds is not going to fill that void for me, so I decided to move on to the next chapter in my life. I’m now looking forward to competing in front of 10,000 people at home meets and winning a national championships title!”

When asked what she plans to study at the University of Georgia , she is undecided.

“I’m not quite sure yet what I’ll study. I will take general classes as a freshmen, but I may be interested in the entertainment field.”

I'm still having trouble picturing her as a collegiate gymnast, but that's just me. It doesn't help that I'm... uh, not her biggest fan, I guess you could say. XD

She will be missed though.

US Classic Roster

2009-07-14T18:13:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Live.Breathe.Love.Gymnastics for this!!! :]

CHALLENGE JUNIORS:

Baely Rowe Auburn Gymnastics Center Inc.
Sara Shipley Boca Twisters
Kathryn Carlisle Buckeye Gymnastics
Brianna Brown Cincinnati Gymnastics
Lexie Priessman Cincinnati Gymnastics
Claire Hom Desert Lights Gymnastics
Stefani Catour Desert Lights Gymnastics
Rachel Sine Girls Boys In Co-Operation G
Claire Hammen GK Gymplex
Alexandra Gremillion Gym-Max Gymnastics
Megan Kyle Gym-Max Gymnastics
Danielle Ramirez Gym-Max Gymnastics
Heather Foley M and M Gymnastics
Aja-Monet Sims Orlando Metro Gymnastics
Bridget Dean Orlando Metro Gymnastics
Annie Masenheimer Parkettes National GYM Center
Gracie Cherrey Perpetual Motion GYM Center
Dominiquea C Trotter Rebound Gymnastics Inc.
Devin Sheridan SCEGA Gymnastics
Maggie Nichols Twin City Twisters

CHALLENGE HOPES:

Taylor Worthington Aim High Academy Inc
Nicole Steele Auburn Gymnastics Center Inc.
Heather Swanson Boca Twisters
Shynelle Agaran Boca Twisters
Nia Dennis Buckeye Gymnastics
Adeline Helland Denton Gymnastics Academy
Emily A Milliet Denton Gymnastics Academy
Arianna Ruth Desert Lights Gymnastics
Courtney Loper Desert Lights Gymnastics
Tara Catour Desert Lights Gymnastics
Zoe Martin Desert Lights Gymnastics
Cydney Crasa Exper-Tiess Gymnastics
Jacqueline Lowe Exper-Tiess Gymnastics
Morgan Alfaro Gym-Max Gymnastics
LaNiesha-Jopre Irvin Gym-Max Gymnastics
Savana Sparks Gymnastics Power
Amanda Bertorello LaFleur’s Gymnastics Largo
Kaitlin M Green LaFleur’s Gymnastics Largo
Caroline Caponi M and M Gymnastics
Skyler Memmel M and M Gymnastics
Brianna Winfrey MGA Gymnastics
Mikayla Magee MGA Gymnastics
Rachel Dickson Michigan Elite Gymnastics Acad
Destinee Davis Naydenov Gymnastics Inc.
Courtney Cowles New England Gymnastics Express
Jazmyn Estrella Parkettes National GYM Center
Jessica Wang Precision Gymnastics
Julianna Drapkin Rebound Gymnastics Inc.
Kami Amemiya-Shows SCEGA Gymnastics
Kristyn Hoffa SCEGA Gymnastics
Emma Slappey Starlight Gymnastics
Hailey Leonard Starlight Gymnastics
Allison Cary Texas Dreams Gymnastics
Ashton Kim Texas Dreams Gymnastics
Katherine Campbell Texas Dreams Gymnastics
Ariana Guerra Woodlands Gymnastics Academy
Bailie Key Woodlands Gymnastics Academy
Emily Oglesby Woodlands Gymnastics Academy
Macy Toronjo Woodlands Gymnastics Academy
Hayley Bolanos Woodlands Gymnastics Academy

CLASSIC: JR ELITE:

Morgan Smith Brandy Johnson’s Global GYM
Alexandra Raisman Brestyan’s American Gymnastics
Talia Chiarelli Brestyan’s American Gymnastics
Asi Peko Brown’s Gymnastics-Las Vegas
Mackenzie Brannan Capital GYM Super Center
Amanda Jetter Cincinnati Gymnastics
Amelia Hundley Cincinnati Gymnastics
Margaret Teets Colorado Aerials GYM Center
Caitlin Atkinson Cypress Academy of Gymnastics
Abigail Milliet Denton Gymnastics Academy
Emily Milliet Denton Gymnastics Academy
Raven Helland Denton Gymnastics Academy
Mykayla Skinner Desert Lights Gymnastics
Dare Maxwell Dynamo Gymnastics
Keely McNeer Elite Gymnastics
Krystine Jacobsen Excalibur Gymnastics
Jordyn Wieber Gedderts Twistars USA
Claire Boyce Great American Gymn. Express
Katelyn Ohashi Great American Gymn. Express
Brenna Dowell Great American Gymn. Express
Rebecca Clark Great American Gymn. Express
Danielle McNair Gym-Max Gymnastics
Kristen Nogaki Gym-Max Gymnastics
Kyla Ross Gym-Max Gymnastics
McKayla Maroney Gym-Max Gymnastics
Nicolette McNair Gym-Max Gymnastics
Jordyn Beck McCrackens Gymnastics and Swim
Carinne Gale Monarch’s Natl GYM Training Ce
Bridgette Caquatto Naperville Gymnastics Club
Alyssa Shermetaro Olympia Gymnastics Academy
Braie Speed Olympic Hills Gymnastics
Lauren Marinez Orlando Metro Gymnastics
Kellie Wanamaker Parkettes National GYM Center
Madeline Hanley Parkettes National GYM Center
Sophina DeJesus SCEGA Gymnastics
Lauren Beers Southern Tier Gymnastics
McKenzie Wofford Stars GYM Training Center-Hous
Ericha Fassbender Stars GYM Training Center-Hous
Rachel Daum Stars GYM Training Center-Hous
Kiana Winston Texas Dreams Gymnastics
Gena Pitts Texas Dreams Gymnastics
Katelyn Haworth Texas Dreams Gymnastics
Kennedy Baker Texas Dreams Gymnastics
Napualani Hall Texas Dreams Gymnastics
Kara Lovan Triad Gymnastics
Grace McLaughlin WOGA Gymnastics
Madison Kocian WOGA Gymnastics
Briley Casanova WOGA Gymnastics
Sophia Lee WOGA Gymnastics
Elizabeth LeDuc Woodlands Gymnastics Academy
Ashley Lambert World Class Gymnastics

CLASSIC: SENIOR ELITE

Georgia Dabritz Ace Gymnastics Inc.
Jana Bieger International gYM
Brooke Parker Capital Gymnastics Natl Center
Cassandra Whitcomb Cincinnati Gymnastics
Kiersten Wang Colorado Aerials GYM Center
Rheagan Courville Elite Gymnastics
Britney Ranzy Excalibur Gymnastics
Kayla Williams Gym Nest Inc.
Corrie Lothrop Hill’s Gymnastics
Kytra Hunter Hill’s Gymnastics
Mackenzie Caquatto Naperville Gymnastics Club
Olivia Courtney Orlando Metro Gymnastics
Annette Miele Parkettes National GYM Center
Morgan Steigerwalt Parkettes National GYM Center
Kaitlyn Clark Precision Gymnastics
Samantha Peszek Sharp’s Gymnastics Academy
Sarah Persinger Southeastern Gymnastics Center
Kimberly Jacob Superior Gymnastics
Alaina Johnson Texas East Gymnastics
Anastasia Liukin WOGA Gymnastics
Ivana Hong WOGA Gymnastics
Rebecca Bross WOGA Gymnastics

How freaking excited am I for this meet??? So many big names. Lizzy Leduc and Jordyn Wieber competing in the junior elite portion, Ivana in her first meet with WOGA, Nastia's return to competition, Kayla Williams, Samantha Peszek, Corrie Lothrop, Jana Bieger... it's going to be such an interesting meet. And I won't be able to watch the live streaming because I'll be at Kennywood. AGGGGGH.

In any case... If I WEREN'T at Kennywood, I would watch. Will you?? :]

Hilarious

2009-07-14T09:11:00.000-07:00

Not sure when this was, but I found it whilst surfing youtube and thought it was pretty dang funny. XD

The Most Addicting Game EVER.

2009-06-19T12:48:00.000-07:00

http://mossnews.com/vault.htm

Vaulting Adventures, I think it's called. It's so much fun. I swear, one time and you'll be hooked. Thanks to Tsuk the Pain for finding this!

News news news...

2009-06-17T07:25:00.000-07:00

I know I've been slacking lately. I'm off of school now, so hopefully I can update more often! Lots of news to catch up on here...

1. Shawn and Nastia are both nominated for the Teen Choice Awards! They are both nominated for choice female athlete, and additionally, Shawn is nominated for choice female reality star for Dancing With the Stars. She'll be up against Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian, and some chick from America's Next Top Model. Good luck to both!

2. Now, some of the most RIDICULOUS news I think I've heard in a long time. The FIG is adding a "kiss and cry" zone to artistic gymnastics. You know, like in figure skating competitions where they'll go and sit with their coaches while waiting for their scores? Yeah. WHY, FIG, WHY? This is completely and utterly pointless. Not to mention that it is going to cast a bad image on the sport. FIG is killing the sport of gymnastics. Murdering it.

3. Dasha Joura is out for the rest of the 2009 season. She needs surgery to repair a ruptured ligament she acquired during podium training in Beijing last year. Bummer. I hope she can make a recovery. :/

4. "Make It or Break It" is set to premiere on Monday on ABC Family. It will be interesting to see how this show turns out. I'm being optimistic for the moment. :]

5. Evidently, a bunch of changes are being proposed in the NCAA gymnastics world. One being that the format of meets is changed to 6 up 6 count, the other being that in the NCAA team finals, only 4 teams compete rather than continue with the Super Six. Hmm. Not sure how I feel about that.

6.

This is relatively tasteless... and somehow relatively humorous at the same time? Hmm.

7. I'm working on a new layout. Should be a good one. ;)

College Update!

2009-05-25T10:17:00.000-07:00

It's time for a college update!

Quite a few gymnasts have committed to colleges lately. Here's a few;

Samantha Peszek - UCLA. We've known this for a while... but I think it will be a great fit for her AND UCLA. They needed a big name after Tasha left last year. She'll begin competing in 2011.

Amy Borsellino - Arkansas. She was a former elite, but dropped back to L10 to fully concentrate on getting a scholarship. Will begin in 2010.

Randy Stageberg - Florida. Yay! I love Randy. I think she'll be great at Florida! She'll start in 2010.

Stephanie Stoicovy - George Washington. She trains at Lakettes, which is about 2 hours away from my house. She competed in our home meet this year, and DANG, the girl can flip. She had us all watching. :] She'll compete in 2010.

Christa Tanella - Georgia. Christa always seems to have a happy-go-lucky attitude. Should work out well at Georgia. She'll begin in 2010.

Shayla Worley - Georgia. I still can't picture her doing college gymnastics, let alone at Georgia... but we'll see. 2010 for her as well.

Natalie Beilstein - Michigan. I've also seen her compete twice... once at the WPIAL high school competition that I competed in, and then at our tri-state team championships. Holy cow. Not only can she do the moves, she can do them cleanly. She scored... I believe a 9.8 on vault at team champs. And it deserved it. She should help out Michigan's team substantially. 2010.

Makayla Stambaugh - Oregon State. I don't know that much about her, other than that she has fantastic lines and is very pretty to watch. 2010.

To be continued...

SHAWN WINS.

2009-05-19T19:58:00.001-07:00

AMEN.

Coming Soon to Gym Chat

2009-05-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

Coming soon to a Gym Blog near you!

1. A New Layout! Summer is coming soon, so it's time for a new, sunny layout.

2. Thoughts on NCAA Nationals. Aired today on NBC, so whenever I get the chance to watch it again, I'll post my "Things I Loved" a la FX Finals in Beijing.

3. A Youtube! Gym Chat will have its own youtube featuring routines, montages, fluff, and more! There will also be posts here once a month for you guys to post your favorite videos so that they can be favorited and added to the page.

4. Secretive new pages that are still only in my brain. If anything becomes of them, I shall let you all know.

--

Keep voting for Shark!

USAG is being lame and not posting scores from the France friendly exchange, which makes me sad. I'll hunt and see if I can find them somewhere else. In any case, they pretty much slaughtered Germany last weekend - 232.4 to 219.7. Jeez. Bridget won AA (yay!), followed by 2008 Olympic Alt. Corrie Lothrop. Where's Mattie? I miss her and hope she stepped up yesterday in France! :]

As always, subscribe, comment... let me know I'm not blogging to the air. XD

Some Actual News...

2009-04-26T14:24:00.000-07:00

Two posts in one day, woohoo!

1. Samantha Peszek has verbally comitted to UCLA. I think that they need her right about now. Time to regroup and recompose after that heartbreaker of a tie at NCAA's.

2. Gymnasts have been selected to compete in friendly dual-meets in Germany and France on May 1st and 8th, respectively. Those gymnasts would be Bridget Sloan, Bridgette Caquatto, Mackenzie Caquato, Olivia Courtney, Kytra Hunter, Mattie Larson, Corrie Lothrop, and Sabrina Vega. USA is going to wipe up, I'm thinking.

3. Keep voting for Shark! They got their first 10 of the season with an awesome cha-cha last week. Keep it up guys! :]

New... Montage?

2009-04-26T14:17:00.000-07:00

I don't really know what else to call it. XD

It's a bunch of pictures with quotes to inspire all of you gymnasts out there to go out and do your best! I know it worked for me, at least (I had my sectionals yesterday; qualified to states with a 35.3 AA, won beam and took bronze in everything else. :D)! Let me know what you think!

Georgia Wins 5th Straight Championship

2009-04-18T18:20:00.000-07:00

The Georgia Gymdogs won their 5th straight NCAA Championship yesterday scoring a 197.825, marking their tenth title. They are the first team to hit double digits in championship wins. Unreal.

Courtney Kupets let the way with two 10.0's (vault and bars) and two 9.95's (beam and floor), giving her a 39.9 all around. Double unreal.

Bama took second with a 197.575 and Utah took third with a 197.425.

Pretty crazy stuff right there. Courtney Kupets will be competing on all four apparatus in event finals. Oh, she also won the all-around title, too. Holy crap.

On a completely separate note... congratulations to Cassandra from my gym for winning floor and all around, as well as taking a silver medal on beam, at level 9 region 7 championships! Good luck at eastern nationals, girly! :)

A Few Things

2009-04-14T16:20:00.000-07:00

*New layout. I wasn't digging the old one, so I replaced it.

*If you read this blog and you are a member of blogger, please follow Gym Chat! All you have to do is go to the bottom of the page and click the link that says "Subscribe to Posts". I'd kinda like to know who is reading this (so, uh... cough cough... a comment now and then would be nice too!)... besides my awesome reader Kate, who has commented like, 15,000 of my posts. Hehe.

*Continue to vote for Shawn on Dancing with the Stars! I feel like the judges are so tough on her... more so than any of the other competitors. Does anyone else feel the same way? In any case, she needs our votes! :]

Adios Amigos!

New Leotards from GK

2009-04-14T15:20:00.001-07:00

Gk put up a whole bunch of new leos for sale this past weekend! 'Tis their summer collections, and some of them are really cute!

From the Nastia line...

Oh I see wat u did thar.

From the Shawn line...

Good God she is BUILT. Her head looks entirely too small for the rest of her in this picture. Anyhow, much improvement in this set than the last, IMO. I love the peace sign one above and the one that has "love" in that 60's type font on the front.

There's a new Adidas line with 4 leos that are just so so, nothing horribly exciting. Although one does look like a christmas tree...

Uhh... you're 4 months late there, GK!

There's also 2 new sets from GK's summer essentials. One set is blue and orange leos, the other red white and blue. Again... nothing of too much excitement.

Which are your favorites from the new line?

Apologies

2009-04-09T05:03:00.000-07:00

I suck. On to the updates.

-Shawn has been doing fantastically on Dancing With The Stars! She's consistently been at the top of the group in scores (although for some reason is never at the top... who is Gilles anyway? And what's his appeal?), and seems to be a top contender for the title. She is now working on week six's dance, which will be either the rumba or the jive. Which do you think she should compete? To vote for Shawn, call 800-VOTE4-09 (800-86834-09), text the word “VOTE” to 3409 (AT&T mobile customers only) or visit the “Dancing with the Stars” Web site. VOTE FOR SHARK! :]

-NCAA Championships are set! Here's your list of teams;

Louisiana State University
Oregon State University
Pennsylvania State University
Stanford University
University of Alabama
University of Arkansas
University of California – Los Angeles
University of Florida
University of Georgia
University of Illinois
University of Oklahoma
University of Utah

Also, event winners and all around winners got to advance as well (if not already part of a qualifying team).
ALL-AROUND:
Rebecca Best, Ohio State University (Central Region)
Christina Lenny, Kent State University (Central Region)
Kelley Hennigan, University of Denver (North Central Region)
Jessica Lopez, University of Denver (North Central Region)
Adrianne Perry, University of Missouri (Northeast Region)
Sarah Shire, University of Missouri (Northeast Region)
Sarah Curtis, University of Michigan (South Central Region)
Elise Wheeler, Southern Utah University (South Central Region)
Meghan Morris, West Virginia University (Southeast Region)
Kylie Stone, University of Nebraska (Southeast Region)
Veronica Porte, San Jose State University (West Region)
Thomasina Wallace, San Jose State University (West Region)

EVENT WINNERS:
Taylor Seaman, North Carolina State University (Southeast Region), floor exercise
Kylee Botterman, University of Michigan (South Central Region), floor exercise
Sarah Tomczyk, University of Arizona (South Central Region), floor exercise
Becky Bernard, University of Michigan (South Central Region), uneven bars.

NCAA Championships are set to begin on April 16th at the University of Nebraska!

-Nastia and Shawn are two of the five finalists for the AAU Sullivan Award! Fan voting has ended and it remains in the hands of the AAU officials. Cross your fingers. :]

-New layout is coming soon... within a couple hours, I'm hoping! :]

March Layout!

2009-03-06T19:26:00.003-08:00

Sorry I never got a new layout up for last month... but March is up! I hope you like it. :]

Updates Ahoy

2009-03-06T18:31:00.000-08:00

I know, I know. I'm sorry. I actually have a weekend off though, so I'm catching up tonight baybay!

- Unless you've been living under a rock for the past couple of days, you know that Jordyn Wieber won the ScamCup. Many are saying that it should've gone to Bridget Sloan; I personally haven't had the chance to watch it yet so I can't really say. What do you think?

- You can now see the full book of Nastia's shoot with Max Azria - the rest of the pictures are fantastic! I highly recommend looking at them if you get time. http://maxazria.com/spring2009 (click on Collection, then Image Book).

- Nastia, Shawn, and Jonathan are all three nominated for the AAU Sullivan Award! You can vote for any of the three at usatoday.com. The winner will be announced on April 15th.

- The Gymnix International is this weekend in Quebec - for our senior girls, set to compete are Mattie Larson (yay, Mattie's back!) and Samantha Shapiro. Also, Danell Levya and Tim McNeill are set to compete for the men. The US of A is also sending a junior team, including Kamerin Moore, Jordyn Wieber, Hallie Mossett, and Sabrina Vega. Good luck to all! :]

- Shawn is set to make her dancing debut this coming Monday at 8pm! Be sure to watch Dancing With The Stars on ABC and vote for Shawn!

Phew. Lot's of typing there. I'll try and keep up now - the worst of my meet season is over! I have one regular meet next weekend, then sectionals in about a month (and states a month after that, as long as I make it!). So we should be good from here on out. Hehe! :]

Oh Nast...

2009-02-13T13:43:00.000-08:00

Hey Nastia, nice drape! -_-

Our favorite AA champ was a part of the Red Dress show. I'm pretty sure Carly was in this same show in 'o5.... however, I'm 99% sure that Carly didn't wear the tablecloth we used for Christmas dinner.

new layout coming ASAP... I just haven't had the time to make it yet. I have WPIAL's tomorrow (for high school gymnastics... it's like a sectional championship for all the schools in western PA) and then I've got tri-state team championships on Sunday. Lots of pressure meets this weekend, so wish me luck! :S

Shawn To Put On Her Dancing Shoes

2009-02-09T04:42:00.000-08:00

Shawn just joined the cast of Dancing With the Stars.

What the hell, Shawn? XD

Listen, this is gonna be cool, and I have a feeling that she'll do really well! But what about "I'd love to compete in 2012!"? I'm assuming this means no nationals/possibly worlds this year.

In any case, good luck Shawn! :]

Revisiting Izbasa's Olympic FX

2009-01-28T18:22:00.000-08:00

I wound up watching this routine again today, and was reminded of what a great routine it really is. The landings are incredible, the dance is decent, and it connects with the crowd.

And I love her music! :]

Hong Heads to WOGA

2009-01-26T14:01:00.001-08:00

Couldn't have seen this one coming from a mile away! Here's the article from IG;

World gold medalist Ivana Hong will make the move to Plano, Texas-based WOGA to train under Valeri Liukin as soon as her right ankle heals enough to resume training, she told Inside Gymnastics earlier this week.

In the past few months, Hong, who turned 16 in December, has sampled several clubs across the U.S., but settled on the WOGA, home of the last two Olympic all-around champions, after a successful trial run in early January.

“You know, four years ago when we were looking for a gym it was GAGE and WOGA, and it was really close between them,” Hong revealed. “[This time,] I tried some other gyms too and [picked] WOGA [because of] their training schedule and Valeri is just a wonderful coach, and Nastia is there—we all know each other so well. I just thought that was a really good fit.”

After Hong moves to Texas she plans to live, at least at first, with another WOGA gym family, so that her oldest sister, Isabelle, a high school senior, can graduate with her class in Blue Springs, Mo. Whether her mother and younger siblings join her in Texas at some point is yet to be determined. “Right now we’re not too sure where everyone is going to be,” Hong said of her close-knit family, which will soon be spread over three states.

Hong, an alternate for the 2008 Games, plans to make the move to Texas “in the next month or two,” perhaps following the February National Team training camp, or even sooner if she gets the all clear from her doctors.
“We’re planning on it soon, because I have to start training—actual training,” Hong said of her timeline.

Hong said she first fractured her tibia in December 2007 but a premature return to the gym as part of her efforts to make the U.S. Beijing Olympic team, kept the injury from ever healing fully and, by the time Hong competed at last summer’s U.S. Championships and Trials, she says she was in constant pain.

Now, Hong is working with doctors to make sure she’s fully healed before getting back in the gym. Surgery was scheduled last October, but later canceled when the injury finally began to respond to treatment, which includes daily electric stimulation. (A scan in mid-January revealed the fracture was still there, but healing.)

Olympyn!

2009-01-19T13:31:00.000-08:00

Hey Chells, you spelled it wrong!

Just kidding.

Chellsie "makes her status as an Olympian official" (thank you, USAG) with her fabby-poo new license plate.

Cute pic, so I thought I would share.

Happy Birthday!

2009-01-19T06:27:00.000-08:00

Happy 17th Birthday Shawn! :]

New Montage

2009-01-15T11:20:00.000-08:00

I don't know if any of you would be interested in this, but I'll post it anyhow. The montage above is of yours truly... I really like the way this turned out. Let me know what you think! :]

Stunning.

2009-01-10T19:48:00.000-08:00

That's the only word I can think of after seeing this picture. :P

Fun on Picnik

2009-01-03T20:02:00.000-08:00

So I've become relatively obsessed with making pretty pics on Picnik lately, and I thought I would share them. Let me know if you use them for something... www.photobucket.com/gymchat

Here's a few of my favorites:

The Newbies

2009-01-01T19:09:00.000-08:00

Well friends, it's a new year... and you know what that means!

Yes, that's right. We've got a group of newbies on our hands. No longer forced to stay in the lonely world of junior elitism with no tv coverage or acknowledgment whatsoever, these are your new SENIOR ELITES of 2009!

Note: I'm not sure how many of these girls will actually be competing Sr. Elite this year. If I have any misinformation here, please let me know!

REBECCA BROSS: Let's face it; this is your new "it girl". The new Nastia of '05, or Shawn of '07. She's already won a junior national title and four Pacific Alliance medals, among various other titles. She actually reminds me alot of Nastia 4 years ago; just a few months shy of being able to compete at the Olympic Games, they both train at WOGA, and they both got that prestigious jr. national title. The girl has skills, no doubt about it, and she's going to be a tough competitor. Barring injury or burnout, she's got a decent shot at '09 Worlds and the 2012 games.

ALEXANDRA CHRISTENSEN: Alex unfortunately doesn't have a website, so I have to go by what little information there is on her on Gymdivas.us. Alex won the all-around and uneven bars titles at her level 10 regionals in 2005. In 2006, she qualified to Jr. Elite. She decided to compete at the Elite Zone Meet, but wound up injuring herself... and as far as I know, she hasn't done anything since (?). She trains at Exper-Tiess.

ALEXIS CARROLL: Alexis only qualified to jr. elite in 2008, so I doubt she would compete sr. this year... but I don't know. Her major accomplishment at this point in time is a silver medal at the US Challenge as a jr. pre-elite. We'll see what 2009 brings.

KAITLYN CLARK: Kaitlyn seems to be one of those girls who just can't catch a break. When she finally qualified to her first national meet in '07, she tripped on the chalk box on her final floor pass. After qualifying for the third time to elite, she injured her knee at a camp while preparing for the US Classic. She did compete at nationals this past year with watered down routines and placed 16th AA and 4th on VT. Poor girl still hasn't made a national team. Maybe this will be her year. She trains at Precision Gymnastics.

REBECCA CLARK: Rebecca is GAGE's next Olympic hope, I'm sure. She shows some promise. She nabbed a 6th place AA finish at '08 Nationals and is a two-time national team member. She also competed in a friendly-meet in Italy, and she was also a member of the gold medal team from the '08 jr. Pacific Rim Championships. She's one to watch.

SHERIESE CLARK: Sheriese is a 4-Time TOPS team member. She qualified to junior elite in 2007, and continued competing as a junior through 2008. She doesn't have a website, so not much info on her.

ANNETTE MIELE: Annette qualified to junior elite in the summer of '06, and has been competing there ever since. Again, no website. Fail. -_-

BROOKE PARKER: Brooke is currently training at Capital Gymnastics. 2008 was her first try at junior elite and she qualified for nationals.

What is with these junior elites not having websites?!?! Lamecakes. -_-

SAMANTHA SHAPIRO: Here's another one to watch. She's already got some major competitions under her belt, and her gymnastics is absolutely beautiful... not to mention unique! Sam was a member of the 2008 Pacific Rim gold medal team, and she also received a gold medal on the bars and a silver medal in the all-around. She also competed in her third national championship and won golds on bars and beam, and a silver all-around. She will definitely be vying for a spot on that 2009 world team, and will be a threat for 2012. However, I will not be able to fully appreciate her gymnastics until she waxes. her. eyebrows. -_-

CASSIE WHITCOMB: Cassie is another relatively accomplished junior elite. She's the 2006 Gymnix International champion. She competed at nationals in 2007, but was sidelined afterwards due to a surgery. She returned full-force in 2008. She placed 3'd at the US Classic AND Nationals. Watch out for her!

PHEW. Two hours later. Haha. If I missed anyone, be sure to let me know and I will add them in. :]

New Year, New Layout!

2009-01-01T15:32:00.000-08:00

I must say, I rather impressed myself with this layout. :P

Let me know what you think! :]

-xoxo
Kayleigh

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2008-12-31T21:55:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year from Gym Chat! I hope everyone has a blessed and wonderful 2009. I'm just crossing my fingers and hoping that it's a better year than 2008. :P

Within a few days, I'll be reporting on the new senior elites this year. Don't miss it! :]

With love...
Kayleigh

Well.

2008-12-22T07:53:00.000-08:00

I guess I'm a little slow on the uptake, because this was posted a month ago on Sam's official website.

Sam has moved gyms from DeVeau’s to Sharp’s Gymnastics in Indianapolis. Her coach is now Marvin Sharp.

Sam’s coach at DeVeau’s, Peter Zhao, is moving to China to help out with his family business, so Sam needed an elite coach in order to accomplish her goals for 2009. Sam was at DeVeau’s for 14 years and was coached by Zhao for 8 years.

Sam is looking forward to training with her Olympic teammate Bridget Sloan and being coached by Marvin Sharp!

Hmm. I wonder how that will work out for her. Only time will tell...

Shawn and Nastia Heart Uggs

2008-12-13T06:44:00.001-08:00

So Shawn and Nastia made some pretty Ugg boots for UGG Australia’s sixth annual Art & Sole Collection, which raises money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Who's do you like better? I can't really decide. I think Nastia's are classier, but I like Shawn's too! :]

Aww!

2008-11-28T13:48:00.000-08:00

Justin proposed to his girlfriend at one of the shows, and someone got the moment on camera! :]

So cute. Oh how I love Justin Spring.

(ps... another post will be coming later tonight that's chalk-full of (eheh, no pun intended there folks!) montage-y goodness!)

New Layout Up!

2008-11-27T13:41:00.000-08:00

Now that didn't take long!

But I was inspired, seeing as the holiday season is now officially upon us. Hoorah!

Enjoy the new layout, guys. :]

Happy Turkey Day!

2008-11-27T12:56:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving! Hope the turkey and the pumpkin pie is delicious. :]

And to those of you getting up tomorrow at 4AM like I am... I wish you all the best of luck in your bargain hunting. :]

New layout coming ASAP...

Love,
-K

Happy November!

2008-10-31T19:16:00.000-07:00

Hola everyone!

A new month, a new layout. And now, we're getting into the Thanksgiving swing of things with a fabulous fall layout. I'll make the matching banner ASAP, I swear.

And maybe if something EXCITING would happen in the gymnastics world would happen, I'd post. But nothing is going on, so here I sit. I'm gonna have to dig to find something. I can tell you guys that I'll have a report from Cleveland after the tour stop there on November 6th... I'm so excited! The 2004 tour was a big reason I started competing, so I hope this will energize me in the same kind of way...

One thing I know... you can expect to hear about it HERE! :D

-xoxo
Kayleigh

New Layout is Up!

2008-10-16T12:10:00.000-07:00

I stayed home from school today since I wasn't feeling 100%, so I made the layout for October! Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I thought I would highlight that in the layout. :]

As always, stay tuned for any info that happens to pop up in the gym world. You'll see it here, I promise!

Oh, and be sure to head back over to cccam's blog, as she has returned to her amazing sarcasm-ness! Good to have you back in the blogging world! ;)

-K

Well...

2008-10-06T18:30:00.000-07:00

I'm quite sorry I haven't posted since the Olympics - I really don't have an excuse. I just didn't post, I won't lie. I hope I still have people out there that are reading! :)

Nothing much of importance has happened in the world of gymnastics lately. The FIG did investigate the ages of the Chinese team and they said that they were legit. Surrrrrrrre. I still don't get how you can look at He Kexin and say, "Oh, she looks 16!" -_-

But enough on that.

I'm working on a new layout - I'll hopefully have it up by Friday. I'm thinking a halloween or autumn type theme... And then comes Christmas! The time when every little gymnast wants Santa to bring leotards and grips down the chimney. Get excited, fools... only 79 days, 3 hours, and 25 minutes until the big day!

I'm sleep deprived. I'm going to bed now.

-xoxo
Kayleigh

Things I've Loved About Floor Finals

2008-08-17T20:06:00.000-07:00

1. Shawn ROCKED her routine. And she held on to first for a good while as the first athlete to compete - jeez!

2. Jiang Yuyuan's floor routine. I can't get over how playful and fun it is - it really does bring the crowd to it's feet! That's what gymnastics should be. Even if she is Chinese... and I do quite loathe them and their lying ways. Oh... and her smile scares the living crap outta me. -_-

3. Anna Pavlova's double layout. Holy cow... it's actually quite pretty compared to most other gymnasts'. Actually, Anna Pavlova's whole routine up until the fall was awesome!

4. Cheng Fei blowing it TWICE tonight. I really dislike her.

5. Nastia's opening pass. Especially when it's compared to her second pass. -_-

6. The fact that Nastia's routine is so based on ballet! Everyone in the competition should watch and learn, because THAT's what gymnastics should look like!

7. Sandra Izbasa's stuck first and third passes. But the first WAS sloppy. :(

8. While Sandra Izbasa doesn't have the best form, her routine was REALLY good. Her landings were the best of anyone in the competition.

9. Shawn didn't even flinch when she realized she got silver. It amazes me that she has that kind of sportsmanship. That's why she has the fanbase that she does!

Expect a similar post for beam and bars finals as well. :)

Nastia Gets GOLD, Shawn Gets SILVER!

2008-08-15T09:54:00.001-07:00

WOW.

To anyone who stayed up until the boonies of the morning to watch, what a great AA Final!

I'm so glad that Nastia won... of course, I feel bad for Shawn too, but she still got a silver! That makes ShawNastia the first US women to go 1-2 in the All-Around Final.

AWESOME job to both! :D

Sigh...

2008-08-13T10:36:00.000-07:00

Well... if you didn't know by now, China won the team portion of the Olympics.

Alicia Sacramone fell on beam AND floor... and I was ready to shoot her. Isn't she supposed to be the team leader? :/

Well... let's hope that this all plays out like 2004. Team silver, AA Gold!

A Couple Updates

2008-08-10T07:05:00.000-07:00

I've been on vacay for the past week, so I wasn't able to post much (the internet at the hotel was dial-up... never again, friends). So here's a few things I missed;

1. Chellsie is only going to be competing bars at the Olympics. That sounds OK to me... bars is where we need her most!

2. It's a Hamm-less Olympics! Morgan pulled out a few days ago. He was replaced by Sasha Artemev.

3. Speaking of the men's team, they already competed in qualifications. They finished in 6th place, which moved them forward to team finals. I hope they can pull it together, it would be great to see them finish on the podium after such a tough quad.

4. The women's qualifications have also already happened (stop reading if you want to watch the TV airing!). The USA finished 2'd to China. China finished with a 248.275, and the US with a 246.800.

Uh oh. :/

Uh Oh.

2008-08-03T16:34:00.000-07:00

BEIJING, Aug. 3, 2008 – U.S. Olympic gymnast Chellsie Memmel has injured her ankle in training. Memmel is still expected to compete in the Olympic Games.
“USA Gymnastics is monitoring Chellsie on a daily basis,” said USA Gymnastics president Steve Penny.

That's from USAG's website. Hopefully everything will be OK... I would not be pleased if she had to pull out and be replaced by Jana. :/

On the other hand, I'm VERY excited that Raj is going to the Olympics! :D

!@&#&@^@!

2008-07-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/gymnastics/news?slug=ap-gym-hammout&prov=ap&type=lgns

NOOOOOOOOO!

Paul Hamm is out. He withdrew from the team... he felt his hand didn't get better in time. :(

All I'm gonna say is this; IT BETTER BE RAJ.

*cries*

This Video is Really Cute!

2008-07-21T18:32:00.000-07:00

Thank you to for this really cute video! It's the national team girls talking about hair and makeup.

It's nice to see that they're just like us! I know that I'm always concerned about what to do with my hair and makeup before a meet... and I'm sure I'm not the only one!

New Layout!

2008-07-19T19:07:00.000-07:00

In anticipation of the upcoming games, and in light of tonight's announcement of the USA Olympic Team, Gym Chat has a new layout! I hope you like it. As always, let me know what you think and if you're having any bugs with it.

-Kayleigh

USA's Olympic Team!

2008-07-19T18:08:00.000-07:00

Your USA Team:

1. Shawn Johnson
2. Nastia Liukin
3. Chellsie Memmel
4. Samantha Peszek
5. Alicia Sacramone
6. Bridget Sloan!!!

Alternates:

1. Jana Bieger
2. Ivana Hong
3. Corrie Lothrop

My thoughts: I think that this is going to be a really strong team! I'm so happy to see Bridget snag that sixth spot. I'm also super happy for Chellsie and Alicia for sticking around. They finally made it! :D I think that Jana and Ivana are where they should be. It's a simple fact that we can't risk having someone fold into the pressure there, and that's exactly what happened here. And Corrie Lothrop... never really expected her to even get alternate, did we? I was surprised, but she did have a really good meet. I wonder if she'll try for 2012?

Well... what are your thoughts?

Live From the Ranch - Part 2

2008-07-19T14:32:00.001-07:00

I'll be updating this post as the night goes on.

From NBC Sports:
-------------

4:27pm: Just got the announcement that Paul Hamm is on the Olympic Team. The women are warming up.
-------------

4:43pm: Mary Lou Retton is here, talking to reporters.
-------------

4:53pm: Start lists have been distributed. These line-ups are subject to change.

Vault: Ivana Hong, Chellsie Memmel, Bridget Sloan, Corrie Lothrop.

Bars: Ivana Hong, Chellsie Memmel, Bridget Sloan, Mattie Larson, Nastia Liukin, Jana Bieger, Samantha Peszek, Chelsea Davis, Shawn Johnson. (Everyone but Sacramone and Lothrop.)

Beam: Chelsea Davis, Shawn Johnson, Samantha Peszek, Alicia Sacramone.

Floor: Alicia Sacramone, Jana Bieger, Nastia Liukin, Corrie Lothrop.

(Kayleigh's thoughts - Looks like Martha has everyone where they need to be. Especially bars!)
-------------

5:03pm: Shayla Worley is here, in the training room.
-------------

5:13pm: The girls have gathered in a circle, Alicia Sacramone is leading the pep talk. Shayla Worley dropped her crutches and has joined the huddle.
-------------

5:22pm: Alicia Sacramone is on floor. After a nearly flawless full-twisting double and Arabian double, she had a low landing on her 2 1/2, front layout. Closing double pike was a little short again.
-------------

5:26pm: Jana Bieger stepped out of bounds on her full-twisting double layout and looked like she did on her final double pike. Her double layout was landed perfectly.

(Kayleigh's thoughts - Yes, you step out of bounds Jana! That way I have more reason to not like you! -_-)
-------------

5:30pm: Nastia Liukin went out of bounds on her third pass. A back 1 1/2 to Rudi. Everything else was landed perfectly, especially her first pass of a double front.
-------------

5:35pm: The final competitor on floor, Corrie Lothrop, continued the string of strong floor routines. She did a 2 1/2 twist into a front full for her first pass and a full twisting double tuck for her second. Big cheers as she finished. The athletes are now getting ready to rotate to their second event.
-------------

5:39pm: Unofficial scores on floor: Sacramone, 15.4; Bieger, 15.0; Liukin; 15.4; Lothrop 14.85.
-------------

5:45pm: Ivana Hong took one step back on a Yurchenko double full.
-------------

5:48pm: Chellsie Memmel just did a Yurchenko double full, stepped back. She has a large cheering section here.
-------------

5:50pm: Bridget Sloan vaulted a high Yurchenko double full with a small step on the landing. A bigger, better vault than yesterday.

(Kayleigh's thoughts - Go Bridget, go Bridget, It's your birthday... XD)
-------------

5:52pm: Corrie Lothrop vaulted a Yurchenko double full with a step back.
-------------

5:53pm: Vault scores: Hong, 14.95; Memmel, 14.65; Sloan, 15.1; Lothrop, 15.2.
-------------

5:56pm: The gymnasts are warming up on uneven bars. Bela Karolyi is still pacing and greeting people.
-------------

6:02pm: Alicia Sacramone and her coach, Mihai Brestyan, are deep in conversation.
-------------

6:03pm: Ivana Hong hesitated on a handstand on the low bar and had a low landing on her dismount. landing so far away from the high bar that she took a step off of the mat.

(Kayleigh's thoughts - Oh Ivana... at this rate you'll be seriously lucky to get alternate.)
-------------

6:05pm: Jana Bieger is sitting in the corner of the gym behind the vault with her mom, back turned to the rest of the competitors. Mattie Larson is getting a back rub from her coach.
-------------

6:06pm: Chellsie Memmel's cheering section was very vocal through her entire bar routine. A little bit off on a pirouette and a small step on her dismount.
-------------

6:09pm: Bridget Sloan caught her toe-on Tkatchev a little close to the bar.
-------------

6:10pm: As soon as Mattie Larson's name was announced, her cheering section starts up.
-------------

6:12pm: Bars scores so far: Hong, 14.85; Memmel, 15.9; Sloan, 14.9.
-------------

6:13pm: Larson takes a small step back on ehr Arabian double front dismount.
-------------

6:16pm: Nastia Liukin had problems with her Pak salto (back flip between the bars) during her warm-up, but had no problems during the competition. Steppped to the side on her dismount.
-------------

6:19pm: Svetlana Boguinskaya is here, sitting in the front row of the bleachers. Liukin got a 16.65 on bars. Bela is still pacing.
-------------

6:22pm: Jana Bieger fell on her a stalder-Tkatchev. Stuck her dismount, but she walks away without even looking at her mom and goes back into the corner, sits down and faces the wall.

(Kayleigh's thoughts - Well. That'll do it. Can you say c-h-o-k-e? I'm thinking it's Bridget's to blow now.)
-------------

6:26pm: Big smile from Samantha Peszek after her dismount. Shayla Worley was cheering her through every move.
-------------

6:29pm: Chelsea Davis hit a great bar routine, very quick swing and great handstands. Almost stuck her dismount, but circled her arms after she landed.
-------------

6:33pm: Shawn Johnson hit her usual solid bar routine, stuck double-double dismount.
-------------

6:35pm: The girls who have finished competing have joined Shayla Worley on the sidelines.
-------------

6:37pm: More bars scores from the longest rotation: Bieger, 15.0; Peszek, 15.4; Davis, 15.1; Johnson, 15.75. Coach Marvin Sharp was talking to Bridget Sloan about her bar routine, looked like he was saying something about her piroetting skills -- which weren't completed in perfect handstands. Again, it's hard to see the angles as we're in back of the bars.

(Kayleigh's thoughts - How is it the Jana scored higher than Bridget with a fall? I didn't think their difficulty was too far apart...)
-------------

6:41pm: We're down to the final four routines of the night: Sacramone, Johnson, Davis and Peszek.

(Kayleigh's thoughts - And then it's the time we've been waiting for for 4 freakin' years! :D)
-------------

6:45pm: Chelsea Davis hesitated on the connection between her front aerial, back handspring, layout. The rest of her routine was solid.
-------------

6:49pm: Shawn Johnson's front pike on beam is much improved. She didn't wobble except for a slight waver on her full turn. And that turn, her trouble spot on beam, was also improved -- she held her leg up at the end long enough to probably get credit for the skill. Really, no wobbles. It's like she's magnetic.

(Kayleigh's thoughts - "It's like she's magnetic"... I think I just died a little inside! XD)
-------------

6:51pm: Davis scores a 15.2.
-------------

6:53pm: Samantha Peszek wobbles after her standing full, so it's not connected to the back pike. Everything else is solid, including a front pike and double pike dismount. She had a great competition, even though she said her first two days of practice were very rough.
-------------

6:58pm: Alicia Sacramone finally connects her front pike mount to the back tuck. Had to save her flip flop layout. Big cheers when she lands, but she doesn'tn look happy. Samantha Peszek almost tackles her with a hug. The gymnasts get a standing ovation from the crowd.
-------------

7:03pm: Shawn Johnson, 16.3. Samantha Peszek, 15.7, Alicia Sacramone, 16.2.
-------------

7:06pm: Martha Karolyi exits, saying 'The clock is ticking.'
-------------

7:09pm: Shayla Worley is talking to the media. "[My leg has] been sore and bothering me for a while. I keep hoping I'm going to wake up and it's a nightmare. It's devastating. It's still my team."
-------------

When the meet ends, the athletes are going to the Clubhouse here at the ranch while the committee meets.

Oh boy guys, we're getting close! Look out for the new post with your official US Olympic Team within the hour! :D

Quick Hits from Camp

2008-07-18T21:01:00.000-07:00

http://www.nbcolympics.com/gymnastics/news/newsid=152042.html#narrowing+down

^You can read details of routines from camp there.

It sounds to me that Bridget had an awesome meet. Jana fell on bars (that'll hurt BIG TIME.), so I can pray that Bridget will get the spot now. :)

Chellsie apparently got whiplash after her double lay on floor. She sat out vault and bars, but came back to do a great beam set for a 15.9.

Mattie seemed to hit. Hopefully she'll get an alternate spot... I don't see any way that she'll get that sixth spot, but alternate would be awesome for her first try!

The team will be named on Sunday. I'll be waiting. :)P

I THINK I JUST DIED A LITTLE INSIDE.

2008-07-18T20:37:00.000-07:00

I was just surfing through youtube... I came across a montage by ClayBabe6 that was called "I Will Remember You"... so I clicked on it.

The info said that SHAYLA BROKE HER LEG. AT SELECTION CAMP.

Apparantly (I found this in a comment, so take it for what it's worth) she was doing a turn on beam and something just popped. Wow. That poor girl just can't get a break.

This obviously means that her Olympic dream is being cut short. Much as I dislike her, I can't help but feel bad. :/

Oh my gosh, PLEASE no Jana now... Bridget FTW!

I'm Dying Here...

2008-07-17T06:50:00.000-07:00

Because we're being COMPLETELY uninformed of what is going on at the camp. Boo.

They aren't going to tell us anything until the team is named. BOO.

Is anyone else just dying to know who it's gonna be?

And finally... who do you think should get that 6th spot?

Do Gymnasts Everywhere a Favor

2008-07-15T06:53:00.001-07:00

And vote for Shawn as Choice Female Athlete in the 2008 Teen Choice Awards! :D

She's listed under the "Other Stuff" catagory with a bunch of other athletes, including people like Serena and Venus Williams. Let's make Shawn number 1 and bring some attention to our favorite sport!!!

Faster Than You Could Say Double Twisting Double Back

2008-07-10T12:52:00.000-07:00

The new layout is up! I hope you guys like it.

Also, thank you to the always fabulous Gymnweb for the great pictures. :)

Oh Carly... PLEASE follow your dentistry dream...

2008-07-10T12:04:00.000-07:00

I think the music video speaks for itself. -_-

I'm SO SO Sorry!

2008-07-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

I'm well aware that I haven't posted since June 19th, but please understand that things have gotten slightly crazy. This summer has been completely nutty so far, with the trip to Philly, which was AMAZING, gymnastics camp, and everything else. I know that there's no excuse, but just bear with me here. I promise you that in the lead-up to Beijing, you'll see all the news here first.

Well... besides on USAG.com... they tend to post there first. But that's beside the point! :)P

I'm working on the July layout as we speak. It's going to be awesome!

Love,
Kayleigh

Shawn Article...

2008-06-19T04:13:00.001-07:00

I just found this really good article about Chow's flooding and what Shawn was thinking... take a minute to read it.

Flood doesn’t slow Johnson
PHILADELPHIA (AP)—Go home and rest, Shawn Johnson’s coaches insisted, there was nothing to worry about. Her gym would be safe from the fast-rising river, and nothing was going to disrupt her training in those last few days before the Olympic trials.

When Johnson woke up in the middle of the night, though, and found that her parents still weren’t home, she knew something was wrong. She drove to the gym, and found water from the Raccoon River lapping at the parking lot and volunteers stacking sandbags around the building.

By the next morning, there was a foot of water inside the gym.

“We definitely haven’t been hit as hard as others. In some cities, houses have completely gone under,” Johnson said Wednesday after her practice at the Olympic gymnastics trials. “(But) it’s hard to see our own gym go under water and to know a lot of equipment was damaged. We’re there every day of our lives, basically, so it’s kind of like seeing your home go under.”

There are all kinds of obstacles athletes encounter on their way to the Olympics: injuries, fatigue, doubt, financial hardship.

Mother Nature, though, isn’t usually on the list.

Johnson and coach Liang Chow’s relatively smooth road to the Beijing Olympics was in disarray late last week after floods ravaged Iowa. Yet for as much as it tested their resolve, it reminded them even more of their strength.

“It’s a real warm feeling, having these kind of people behind you,” Chow said. “It’s a bad flooding, but it was a great effort, a great community effort, a great (reminder) of people’s hearts. It was just tremendous.”

Johnson and teammate Nastia Liukin are considered the favorites for gold in Beijing. They were 1-2 at the national championships two weeks ago, and few are expecting anything different at this week’s trials, where the top two earn automatic bids to the Olympic team. The rest of the six-woman squad will be chosen July 20.

All Johnson had to do was stay her consistent self, and that trip to Beijing was hers.

Then the rain began to fall.

Johnson lives in West Des Moines, and neither her nor Chow’s home was threatened. But the gym, Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute, is in an industrial park only a few blocks from the Raccoon River, and Chow kept one eye on the water and one on Johnson while she trained last Thursday afternoon.

“I dismissed all the classes early,” said Chow, who coaches Johnson with his wife, Li Zhuang. “It’s not life-threatening, it’s not close to that, it’s that water is coming to the parking lot. Li was teaching Shawn on beam and she was trying to squeeze every last minute. I said `Li, we have to finish up class RIGHT NOW.”’

As the water level climbed higher and higher, parents, city officials and people Chow didn’t even know began showing up at the gym. They filled sandbags and piled them outside the building in a makeshift barricade. They wrapped plastic around the outside walls. They hauled mats and balance beams and vaults and uneven bars off the floor, carrying them up to a balcony where the water wouldn’t touch them.

Johnson wanted to help, but Chow and Li shooed her away. They were leaving for the Olympic trials in four days, and she needed to rest.

“I wanted to help so bad,” Johnson said. “My coaches wanted me to be as safe as possible. They didn’t want me wasting energy. I understand that, but it’s really hard to stand back and watch when you’re normally helping and in the activity.”

When a city engineer surveyed the area and assured Chow the water wouldn’t rise beyond the parking lot, the coach breathed a sigh of relief. He left the gymnastics floor intact, moved some mats back down to the ground floor so Johnson would be able to train Friday morning and went home.

“I slept pretty good,” Chow said. “I got there early in the morning (Friday) and oh my gosh, the parking lot is full of water, up to my hips. … I was thinking, `There is no worse timing than this.’ The Olympic trials are coming up and I was thinking about Shawn’s training.”

Said Johnson, “When you think flooded you think, `OK, there’s water on the ground.’ But we went there and it’s waist-deep throughout the whole gym and the parking lot was even deeper. It was crazy. People actually brought out canoes.”

Training was out of the question. Not only was there a foot of water in the building, but the gymnastics floor was ruined.

“I was most worried about where I would train. I felt almost guilty thinking about that, just kind of selfish,” Johnson said. “Being that close to trials and seeing, I don’t know, almost my place slip away, it kind of scared me. … I helped get things cleaned up at first and then Chow just told me not to worry about it, don’t stress out, we’ll have a place and you’ll definitely be ready.”

While Johnson trained Friday and Saturday at Iowa State, about 30 miles north of her hometown, a small army of volunteers—parents, other gymnasts, Johnson’s high school classmates—began the massive clean up. They hauled equipment out to the parking lot to dry in the sun, hosed down mats and scrubbed floors.

They even rebuilt the gymnastics floor—though that led to one more bit of drama. Johnson’s father, Doug, a carpenter, tore his right biceps while he was rebuilding the floor, and will have surgery to repair it next week.

The volunteers worked so quickly Johnson was able to train in her own gym again Sunday.

“It really touches your heart, warms your heart,” Chow said. “You feel like this is my family, this small community of people is just wonderful. … They’re just trying to help us and to help Shawn achieve our goal. I feel like not only our community, but the state of Iowa is behind us.”

And Beijing in front of them.

Good, right? Gotta love her. :)

And with that said...

Who do you think it will be? Shawn or Nastia? Or could someone from behind pull out in front and surprise us all? It's highly unlikely, but ANYTHING can happen. And yours truly will be there to witness it! :D

Which means I probably will not be able to blog until Monday when I get back... I'm leaving in about an hour, so no posts today either. So until Monday...

Go Shawn!

Chow's Gymnastics is Flooded...

2008-06-15T13:31:00.001-07:00

If you didn't already know, there's been some serious flooding problems over in the mid-west for the past week or so. Well... I was just browsing The Chalk Bucket, and Jamarie there said she was watching the news and they said that Sahwn Johnson's gym is indeed flooded. That truly stinks for her, what with trials starting for her on Friday. I guess she'll be training at Iowa State University until Chow's is functional again. :(

I hope this doesn't mess with her mind. She's worked too hard to let something like this affect her.

In Other News, the Pope is Catholic!

2008-06-14T13:40:00.000-07:00

Shawn (as expected) won the Senior US Nationals last week (yeah, my bad. School's out now, so I should be able to post things when they actually happen. :P). Saint Nastia came in second, followed by Chellsie in 3'd. Yay! Samantha came in 4th, Ivana in 5th.

The rest of the results are as follows:

6. Jana Bieger
7. Mattie Larson
8. Corrie Lothrop
9. Randy Stageberg
10. Mackenzie Caquatto
11. Olivia Courtney
12. Alaina Johnson
13. Christa Tanella
14. Britney Ranzy
15. Ashley Stott

Which means Ashley missed making it to Trials by just two spots. Bummer. :(

Anyways, individual event medalists - A Sac wins vault, as usual. Saint Nastia wins bars in a landslide, as well as beam. Shawn got floor. :)

So there's your '08-'09 national team. All of them are proceeding to trials (oh. em. gee. I leave for that on Thursday! *dies*). So here's your complete list of competitors for next weekend:

*Jana Bieger
*Mackenzie Caquatto
*Olivia Courtney
*Chelsea Davis
*Darling Hill (I still don't like your new name, dahhling!)
*Ivana Hong
*Alaina Johnson
*Shawn Johnson
*Mattie Larson
*Nastia Liukin
*Corrie Lothrop
*Chellsie Memmel
*Samantha Peszek
*Britney Ranzy
*Alicia Sacramone
*Bridget Sloan
*Randy Stageberg
*Amber Trani
*Shayla Worley

Mmkay... I think I'll go die now. Just to warn you, I may update from trials... so if you want to watch it on tv without spoilers, I'd avoid this blog. :P

Part 2

2008-06-06T07:38:00.000-07:00

ROTATION 3

Vault -

Mattie Larson does a DTY with a small step on the landing. 14.900
Corrie Lothrop also does a DTY and steps on the landing. 14.700
Jana Bieger does a Yurchenko 1 1/2 pretty solid. Step on the landing. 14.500

Bars -

Alaina Johnson does a solid routine for a 14.050
Randy Stageberg also does a good routine for a 13.250. Lacking in the difficulty department. She only has a 5.4 start for difficulty.
Britney Ranzy hits her routine, has two steps out of her double-layout dismount. 13.300.
Saint Nastia Liukin becomes the first American gymnast to score a 17... and that was with a step on the landing! She wound up with a 17.050.
Shawn does a great routine, only taking a very small step on her double-twisting double-layout dismount. 15.400.
Christa Tanella takes an extra swing before her overshoot. 13.550.

Beam -

Olivia Courtney does a good routine, but stumbles out of her double-pike dismount. 14.600.
McKenzie Caquatto does a good routine. 14.800.
Chellsie Memmel hits a GREAT routine, and sticks her double pike. Yay! 16.050. Glad to see she's back and still good. :)
Amber Trani also does a decent routine, just a step on the dismount. 14.850.
Ivana Hong hits a strong routine for a 15.250
Kimberly Jacob hits a really nice routine, even sticks her handspring full. Then she went and fell on her double-pike dismount. Boo. 13.850.

Floor -

Darlene "Darling" Hill (what's up with the whole "Darling" thing? Not a fan, personally...) does a nice, solid routine, but is a little short on her double pike. 15.100
Alicia Sacramone also does a good routine, but steps OOB. 15.500, which still got her second place.
Samantha Peszek steps out on her double double, and has a few steps out of her other passes. 15.200.
Ashley Stott has LOADS of OOB's. She stepped out on her apparantly super-high arabian double front, landed out on her 1 1/2 through to 2 1/2 layout, and stepped out on her double-pike. Ouch. 14.150... there was .7 of out of bounds deductions!

ROTATION 4

Vault -

Darling Hill does a Yurchenko 1 1/2, but takes a BIG step OOB. 14.300
Alicia Sacramone does a good handspring Rudi, just a small hop on the landing. Her second vault was a Yurchenko double, again having just a small hop on the landing. 15.900.
Samantha Peszek also does a Yurchenko double and almost sticks it, but takes a small step. 15.000.
Ashley Stott does a Yurchenko double and had just a tiny hop. 14.600.

Bars -

Mattie Larson falls on her stalder chaposh, and has a step out of her 1/2 in front out dismount. 14.200.
Corrie Lothrop falls on her stalder 1/2, and steps out of her full twisting double-tuck dismount. 14.000.
Jana Bieger does a pretty solid routine for a 15.450.
Katelyn Mohr falls on her tkatchev, which hurts her score in a big way. Her A score is only 5.4... she got a 13.350.

Beam -

Randy Stageberg has a solid routine, but has a large step out of her double-pike dismount. 14.500.
Saint Nastia does a very nice routine and just steps out of her dismount. 16.100.
Shawn Johnson sticks her fantastic handspring handspring layout to two feet, my favorite thing ever. She stepped out of her roundoff full-in dismount. 16.000.
Christa Tanella falls TWICE - once on her side semi, and once on her dismount. Her foot slipped a la Nastia at 05 nationals. 12.350. Ouch.

Floor -

Chellsie Memmel does a really good routine that earns her a 15.100. Oh, she's back (sorry cccam! :P)
Amber Trani steps OOB on her arabian double-front, but the rest of her routine was pretty good. 14.100.
Ivana Hong does an OK routine. She was a bit low on her 1 1/2 to front full, and had a small "shuffle" (thanks USAG, for that wonderful quote... :P) on her double-pike. 15.150.
And to finish out the meet... Olivia Courtney does a pretty decent routine for a 14.450.

So there's your day 1 of nationals. It's going to be broadcast June 7th at 4pm. Set your TiVos!!!

Is This Really a Shock?

2008-06-05T18:24:00.000-07:00

Jordyn Wieber is definately leading the junior nationals, and Shawn is in the lead for the seniors. Here's some quick hits from USAG...

FIRST ROTATION

Vault -

Ivana Hong does a double twisting Yurchenko, steps over the OOB line. 14.500
Chellsie Memmel does a Yurchenko full with a small step on the landing. 13.900
Amber Trani also does a double twisting Yurchenko and steps out. 14.100

Bars -

Sam Peszek does a clean routine, small step on the dismount. 15.150
Ashley Stott does a nice routine up until her full-in layout dismount. Falls. 13.150
Bridget Sloan does a nice routine, hop on the dismount. 15.750 (where'd that come from... and holy cow, could we possibly use her for Beijing if she hits like that?)

Beam -

Corrie Lothrop hits a solid routine for a 14.600.
Jana Bieger scores a 14.950 with a decent routine.
Katelyn Mohr also does a decent routine... but she doesn't have much difficulty in there. 14.150

Floor -

Shawn Johnson hits a good, clean routine for a 16.050. Just a small step on her full-in.
Randy Stageberg has a few steps out of her passes, scores a 14.600.
Britney Ranzy actually does a nice, clean routine for 14.600. Again, lacking in the difficulty department.
Saint Nastia was a bit off... stepped out of her first pass, fell OOB on her double front, and stepped out of her 2 1/2 lay... and still managed a 14.250. Only on American soil, my friends...

SECOND ROTATION

Vault -

Britney Ranzy's first vault was a DTY. Small step. Second vault was a Podkopayeva, had a small hop. 15.050.
Saint Nastia Liukin does a Yurchenko 1 1/2 and sticks it. Praise the Lord! 14.900
Shawn Johnson does a Yurchenko 2 1/2 and has a step. Gets a 16.000

Bars -

Kimberly Jacob doesn't start in the best of ways - she falls on her jaeger. Other than that, she had a step on her dismount. 12.850. Ouch.
MacKenzie Caquatto does a good routine, just a step on her full-in dismount. 14.400
Chellsie Memmel does a great routine complete with a stuck double-front dismount. 16.000. Yay, she's back!
Ivana Hong also does a good routine, and she stuck her dismount as well. 14.950.

Beam -

Alicia Sacramone hits a good routine. Small step on her double-pike dismount. 15.700
Bridget Sloan also does a decent routine. Step on her double-pike dismount. 15.200
Samantha Peszek nails her standing back-full to back pike... which is quite possibly one of my favorite skills that anyone out there right now can do. Also steps her double-pike.

Floor -

Jana Bieger goes OOB on her first pass, a double layout full. She hits the rest of her passes for a 15.050.
Mattie Larson has a great routine, including a stuck double-pike. 15.450.
Corrie Lothrop has a good routine as well. She needs a bit more difficulty if she wants to be competitive, though. 14.650.

Expect Rotations 3-4 tomorrow morning. :)

US Women's Nationals Begin Today

2008-06-05T04:26:00.000-07:00

The 2008 Visa Championships begin today. The junior women start at 1pm, and the seniors take the floor at 7pm. It looks like everyone who has some sort of name in gymnastics is there. Chellsie is back, Nastia, Shawn, Shayla... and Jana is back as well. Media day was yesterday, and there's a bunch of pictures on USAG's website.

Can't wait! It should be an interesting nationals, especially considering what's at stake. Remember, nationals counts as 20% towards the Olympic team selection.

You can find the main page for nationals HERE

Expect results posted tonight, for juniors at least.

New Layout is Up!

2008-06-01T06:59:00.001-07:00

In honor of this month's Olympic Trials (which I happen to be going to! *dies*) and such, I thought I'd make a banner and a layout to support it. Let me know if you have any problems with it, and let me know what you think!

-xoxo
Kayleigh

New Layout Coming Tomorrow

2008-05-31T06:01:00.001-07:00

Just to let you guys know, I'll be posting a new layout every month. Tomorrow being June 1st, I'll be putting a new one up. It should be VERY cool, I'm excited to put it all together. :)

-xoxo
Kayleigh

Gym Chat has a Myspace!

2008-05-24T11:29:00.000-07:00

I'm proud to say that Gym Chat now has a Myspace!

In an attempt to attract more readers, I've started a myspace at www.myspace.com/gymchat for people to learn about Gym Chat and what it is.

If you have a myspace, feel free to add Gym Chat as a friend, and spread the word around!

US Classic - Seniors

2008-05-24T07:51:00.000-07:00

So the Senior US Classic was a pretty empty field. There was only one score above a 15 in the entire competition. None of the major players such as Shawn or Nastia were there, since they've already qualified to nationals. With that said, Ashley Stott of SCEGA won the all-around by .2 over Corrie Lothrop.

ALL-AROUND

1. Ashley Stott

VT: 14.550 (5)
UB: 14.200 (5)
BB: 14.950 (1)
FX: 14.550 (3)

AA: 58.250 (1)

2. Corrie Lothrop

VT: 14.900 (2)
UB: 14.700 (1T)
BB: 13.700 (6)
FX: 14.750 (2)

AA: 58.050 (2)

3. Randy Stageberg

VT: 14.800 (4)
UB: 14.150 (6)
BB: 13.450 (7)
FX: 15.300 (1)

AA: 57.700 (3)

Individual Event Medalists

VAULT:

1. MacKenzie Caquatto - 14.950
2. Corrie Lothrop - 14.900
3. Britney Ranzy - 14.850

UNEVEN BARS:

1. Corrie Lothrop - 14.700
1. Christa Tanella - 14.700
3. MacKenzie Caquatto - 14.500

BALANCE BEAM:

1. Ashley Stott - 14.950
2. Sarah Persinger - 14.300
3. Christa Tanella - 14.150

FLOOR EXERCISE:

1. Randy Stageberg - 15.300
2. Corrie Lothrop - 14.750
3. Ashley Stott - 14.550

Full results can be found HERE

New Layout

2008-05-23T18:26:00.001-07:00

I finally discovered that you can change your layout pretty easily through Pyzam, so I changed GymChat's look! Hope everyone likes it. Let me know if you have any problems with it...

On a side note, the Senior division of the US Classic is happening as I type. Expect results tomorrow.