Shawn Johnson

Chellsie Memmel Nastia Liukin

The 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials- took place in , at the Wachovia Center, June 19-22. The event was a huge success with great and enthusiastic crowds at all of the competitions and live coverage on NBC of the men’s and women’s finals competitions. The U.S. Women named Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin to the Olympic Team and named 10 additional gymnasts to make up the Olympic Training Squad which will attend a selection camp in , , on July 16-20 where the final members of the team will be nominated to the U.S. Olympic Team pending USOC approval.

By Luan Peszek - Photography by John Cheng

hawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin went one-two at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials with two-day totals of 127.650 and 125.850, respectively. “This is only the beginning,” Johnson said. “I am justS overwhelmed with joy. I am so happy. This moment is all worth it.” “I am really ecstatic to be named to the team,” Liukin said. “I can’t believe it’s here. This is a dream come true..” and Samantha Peszek finished third and fourth, respectively, in the all-around with scores of 124.800 and 123.250. Hong rounded out the top five at 120.950. “I came in hoping for the best,” Memmel said. “I didn’t start off well on , but just kept going. I totally felt the crowd behind me, especially on .” “I’m most pleased with floor today because I improved my landing on the double Arabian,” Peszek said. “It’s great to go to camp because it will unite our team and get us ready to

Samantha Peszek USA GYMNASTICS JULY • aUGUST 2008 11

Chelsea Davis Corrie Lothrop

compete together.” 31.950, and showed incredibly high leaps Seven-time World Medalist Alicia and jumps and a two-and-a-half twist Sacramone had the top score on vault for dismount. her rudi over two days of competition with Johnson also had the top score on floor a score of 31.90. Johnson was second with with a 32.300, followed by a three-way her two-and-a-half which scored tie for second between Peszek, Liukin a 31.850 and Excalibur’s Britney Ranzy was and Memmel, all with a score of 31.15. third scoring 30.35 for her double twisting Johnson and Peszek both mounted with a Yurchenko. double twisting double back, while Liukin On bars, Liukin had the top score of mounts with a front full to front double full 32.850, followed by Memmel and Jana Bieger and Memmel mounts with a pike double with scores of 32.55 and 31.35, respectively. Arabian. Liukin has a 7.7 start value on bars and on At the conclusion of the competition and before a crowd of the first night had a 9.0 execution score. 13,920, 10 women were invited to the 2008 Women’s Olympic Memmel’s routine included a jam to a stuck Selection Camp, July 16-20 at the Women’s National Team double front. Bieger was consistent both Training Center in Huntsville, Texas: Jana Bieger, Coconut nights, using a full twisting double back as Creek, Fla./Bieger International Gymnastics; Chelsea Davis, her dismount. Lakeway, Texas/Texas Dreams; Ivana Hong, Blue Springs, Johnson had the top score on beam with a Mo./GAGE; Mattie Larson, /All Olympia; Corrie 32.450. Her routine is stacked with difficulty Lothrop, Gaithersburg, Md./Hill’s; Chellsie Memmel, West including a standing full twist and full Allis, Wis./M&M Gymnastics; Samantha Peszek, , twisting double back dismount. Memmel Ind./DeVeau’s; Alicia Sacramone, Winchester, Mass./ finished second with a 32.10. Her routine Brestyan’s; Bridget Sloan, Pittsboro, Ind./Sharp’s; and Shayla includes a front salto with a half twist and Worley, Orlando, Fla./Orlando Metro. standing Arabian. Liukin took third with a For more on this event turn to pg 54 and pg 56! 12 USA GYMNASTICS JULY • aUGUST 2008

Kevin Tan

Morgan Hamm Joseph Hagerty

The 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Gymnastics The U.S. Men were nominated to the U.S. Olympic Team pending USOC approval at the U.S. Olympic Trials. The members include: Joseph Hagerty, Paul and , Jonathan Horton, Justin Spring and and three alternates, Alexander Artemev, and . By Luan Peszek - Photography by John Cheng or selection of the men’s Olympic Team, the men’s and to the Olympic Team after no athlete met program committee weighted the two days of Visa the minimum requirements for automatic qualification, as Championships competition as 20% each and the two outlined in the selection procedures. To be automatically named days of U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Gymnastics as 30% to the team, an athlete needed to finish in the top two in the each to determine the final results. Team Chevron’s Jonathan combined, weighted all-around rankings from the two selection Horton,F who is from Houston, finished first in the weighted, events, as well as place in the top three of six events using the Justin Spring combined all-around rankings from the Visa Championships combined results. and U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Gymnastics, using the formula “I’ve worked my whole life for this, to make the Olympic mentioned above. Joseph Hagerty finished second in the overall Team,” said Horton, who competes for Team Chevron. “All rankings followed by Raj Bhavsar in third and David Durante of these athletes have pushed me to where I’m at today. I was in fourth. just having fun out there today. I’m more confident with my Horton also had the highest all-around score during day gymnastics then I’ve ever been before.” two of Olympic Trials competition with a 91.650, followed 2004 Olympic all-around champion Hamm broke the fourth by Durante with a 90.95 and Bhavsar with a 90.20. Alexander metacarpal in his right hand on the first day of competition at Artemev had the highest all-around score during day one of the 2008 Visa Championships, May 22-24 in Houston, and filed Olympic Trials with a 90.650, followed by Horton with a 90.55 a petition to the Olympic Team, which was accepted. “I have and Bhavsar with a 90.500. a lot of work to do to get healthy and show the committee I’m The five-man men’s selection committee named both Horton ready,” said Hamm, who competes for Team Chevron.

USA GYMNASTICS JULY • aUGUST 2008 15 David Durante David Sender won the Visa Championships all-around title but was injured during training prior to the Olympic Trials and was not able to compete at the Trials. Looking at the individual events from the weighted, combined rankings of both the Visa Championships and the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, Hagerty was the top gymnast on floor exercise, followed by Horton and Sean Golden. On , Artemev was first, followed by Yewki Tomita and Guillermo Alvarez. The top three on were Kevin Tan, Horton and Bhavsar. On vault, Golden was first followed by Justin Paul Hamm Spring and Bhavsar. Spring was the top score on with Bhavsar in second and Durante in third. Hagerty had the highest score on high bar with Morgan Hamm second and Spring in third. The men’s Olympic Team was nominated on June 22, just prior Raj Bhavsar to the women’s team. Members include: Hagerty, Morgan and Paul Hamm, Horton, Spring and Tan. The three alternates include: Artemev, Bhavsar and Durante. “The competition at the Trials this week has been incredible, and What’s Hot? the USA has fielded a very strong Alexander Artemev team for ,” said Steve Penny, Sequins! president of USA Gymnastics. “The U.S. men are medal contenders. :PVSXBSNVQTXJMMTQBSLMF The men’s selection committee was very thorough in its deliberations to BOETIJOFXJUI(5.‡TOFX determine the best combination of men to represent us in the Games. DVTUPNTFRVJOEFTJHOT(JWFVT We also want to express our thanks to the gymnasts who have spent a call at  and years pursuing their dreams and for what they have contributed to our MFUVTIFMQZPVSUFBNTIJOF success.”

Qty 12 Xtreme Sequin Package $89 Front Package #159 includes: For full results and more on this event turn to pg 54 and pg 57! d9USFNF8BSNVQXJUIMFGUDIFTU embroidery and full back 1 color sequin design d.FTI4MJOH#BHXJUIFNCSPJEFSZ

Back See our full selection of gymnastics apparel online at gtmgymnastics.com 16 USA GYMNASTICS JULY • aUGUST 2008 or call 1.866.514.1857 for a FREE catalog! "%(/ 54 USA GYMNASTICS JULY • aUGUST 2008 Photo - John Cheng

Pictured Left to Right Top Row: Chellsie Memmel, Jonathan Horton, Justin Spring, Alicia Sacramona, Kevin Tan, David Durante, Morgan Hamm, Alexander Artemev, Paul Hamm, Joseph Hagerty, Raj Bhavsar. Middle Row: Samantha Peszek, Nastia Liukin, Shawn Johnson. Bottom Row: Corrie Lothrop, Shayla Worley, Bridget Sloan, Chelsea Davis, Ivana Hong, Jana Bieger, Mattie Larson

USA GYMNASTICS JULY • aUGUST 2008 55 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Gymnastics (Women) U.S. # Name Club Day 1 Day 2 Total 1 Shawn Johnson Chows 64.000 63.650 127.650 2 Nastia Liukin WOGA 63.500 62.350 125.850 3 Chellsie Memmel M-n-M 62.250 62.550 124.800 4 Samantha Peszek DeVeaus 61.850 61.400 123.250 5 Ivana Hong GAGE 60.850 60.100 120.950 Olympic 6 Jana Bieger Biegers 60.100 60.500 120.600 7 Mattie Larson All Olympia 59.550 60.150 119.700 8 Chelsea Davis Texas Dreams 59.300 60.000 119.300 9 Corrie Lothrop Hills 59.400 59.750 119.150 Team 10 Olivia Courtney Orlando Metro 57.400 58.300 115.700 11 Randy Stageberg Excalibur 57.300 57.800 115.100 Trials 12 Alaina Johnson Texas East 56.050 55.800 111.850 13 Alicia Sacramone Brestyan 46.950 47.200 94.150 14 Shayla Worley Orlando Metro 44.800 44.300 89.100 Women’s Results 15 Bridget Sloan Sharps 45.000 43.050 88.050 16 Darling Hill Will Moor 42.600 44.150 86.750 17 Britney Ranzy Excalibur 43.100 29.750 72.850 18 Amber Trani Parkettes 41.900 29.000 70.900

Olivia Courtney

Alaina Johnson Randy Stageberg U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Gymnastics (Women) U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Gymnastics (Men) # Name Club Day 1 Day 2 Total 1 Shawn Johnson Chows 64.000 63.650 127.650 #1 = 2008 Olympic Team Trials - Day 2: 30% 2 Nastia Liukin WOGA 63.500 62.350 125.850 #2 = 2008 Olympic Team Trials - Day 1: 30% 3 Chellsie Memmel M-n-M 62.250 62.550 124.800 Men’s #3 = 2008 Men’s Visa Championships - Day 2: 20% 4 Samantha Peszek DeVeaus 61.850 61.400 123.250 #4 = 2008 Men’s Visa Championships - Day 1: 20% 5 Ivana Hong GAGE 60.850 60.100 120.950 6 Jana Bieger Biegers 60.100 60.500 120.600 Place Name Gym #4 #3 #2 #1 Score 7 Mattie Larson All Olympia 59.550 60.150 119.700 1 Jonathan Horton Team Chevron 89.45 91.00 90.55 91.65 90.750 8 Chelsea Davis Texas Dreams 59.300 60.000 119.300 2 Joseph Hagerty Team Chevron 89.75 90.55 90.35 89.25 89.940 9 Corrie Lothrop Hills 59.400 59.750 119.150 3 Raj Bhavsar Team Chevron 89.70 88.55 90.50 90.20 89.860 10 Olivia Courtney Orlando Metro 57.400 58.300 115.700 Results 4 David Durante Team Chevron 88.80 90.15 88.80 90.95 89.715 11 Randy Stageberg Excalibur 57.300 57.800 115.100 Guillermo Alvarez 5 Alexander Artemev Team Chevron 88.60 89.55 90.65 88.15 89.270 12 Alaina Johnson Texas East 56.050 55.800 111.850 6 Guillermo Alvarez Team Chevron 88.80 89.15 88.35 88.80 88.735 13 Alicia Sacramone Brestyan 46.950 47.200 94.150 7 Tim McNeill Berkeley 85.85 89.75 73.70 73.45 79.265 14 Shayla Worley Orlando Metro 44.800 44.300 89.100 8 Justin Spring Team Chevron 60.80 60.30 77.05 76.85 70.390 15 Bridget Sloan Sharps 45.000 43.050 88.050 9 Morgan Hamm Team Chevron 61.05 60.90 60.85 60.00 60.645 16 Darling Hill Will Moor 42.600 44.150 86.750 10 Kevin Tan Team Chevron 58.75 61.40 60.65 58.55 59.790 17 Britney Ranzy Excalibur 43.100 29.750 72.850 11 Sean Townsend Team Chevron 0.000 0.000 88.05 86.90 52.485 18 Amber Trani Parkettes 41.900 29.000 70.900 12 Yewki Tomita Team Chevron 43.75 41.75 55.90 45.10 47.400 13 Sean Golden Team Chevron 46.15 47.10 46.75 47.50 46.925

2008 Olympic Men’s Gymnastics Team Joe Hagerty, Rio Ranchero, N.M./Team Chevron Morgan Hamm, Waukesha, Wis./Team Chevron Paul Hamm, Waukesha, Wis./Team Chevron Jonathan Horton, Houston/Team Chevron Justin Spring, Burke, Va./Team Chevron Kevin Tan, Fremont, Calif./Team Chevron

Replacement athletes are: Alexander Artemev, Lakewood, Colo./Team Chevron Yewki Tomita Raj Bhavsar, Houston/Team Chevron Sean Golden David Durante, Garwood, N.J./Team Chevron

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