Messy Day 1 at Visas

Everyone knows the team competition at Worlds is going to be a close one. The team champions will likely be those who go out and hit as close to 12 perfect routines as possible. Putting together a US team that can do that is the job of Martha Karolyi. And her gymnasts didn't help her out much on the first day of the national championships.

Rebecca Bross seemed to be fighting an uphill battle back from her ankle injury. Uncharacteristic mistakes on bars and beam left her in the alien spot of 10th at the half way point. A clean, if not stellar performance of her new floor routine and a vault just about to her feet left her a bit closer to contention in 4th place at the end of the evening. But that is the face of an unhappy defending champion.

Last years Comeback Kid Alicia Sacramone wasn't as seamless as we have seen her in recent past. Her vaults were too overpowered and both had big steps, and a fall on her floor routine (reminiscent of her team final fall in beijing) might seed a few doubts in the mind of Mama Martha as well. Her team-mate Aly Raisman had one of the cleanest nights of all, playing safe on her vault with a double-twist rather than a dodgy amanar. Consistency is the name of the game when it comes to punching a worlds ticket.

Olympic Veterans Chellsie Memmel and Shawn Johnson had solid evenings but they will still need more numbers and more difficulty to prove they are worthy of international competition. Shawn had one of the best saves of the night to stay on the beam!

Even Jordyn Wieber, predicted champion and wearing a gold leotard for good measure didn't have a perfect evening, a large wobble on balance beam and a less than perfect bars showed even she is human but her superior difficulty has left her infront and half-way to the 2011 National title.

It wasn't the coming out party for the new faces either, Sabrina Vega, McKayla Maroney and Gabrielle Douglas all had events they would rather forget, and in the junior event Katelyn Ohashi leads after night one after favourites Kyla Ross and Lexie Priessman also had to count falls.

Martha will not be a happy lady tonight!

Senior AA results (Top 12)

1. Jordyn Wieber, DeWitt, Mich., 59.850
2. Alexandra Raisman, Needham, Mass., 58.000
3. Chellsie Memmel, West Allis, Wis., 57.350
4. Rebecca Bross, Plano, Texas, 56.900
5. McKayla Maroney, Laguna Niguel, Calif., 56.300
6. Mackenzie Caquatto, Naperville, Ill., 56.000
7. Bridgette Caquatto, Naperville, Ill., 55.600
8. Sabrina Vega, Carmel, N.Y., 55.250
9. Grace McLaughlin, Allen, Texas, 54.700
10. Sophia Lee, Plano, Texas, 54.450
11. Brandie Jay, Ft. Collins, Colo., 54.300
12. Gabrielle Douglas, Virginia Beach, Va., 53.450

Top Vault - Alicia Sacramone - 15.500
Top Bars - Anna Li - 15.050
Top Beam - Chellsie Memmel - 15.250
Top Floor - Jordyn Wieber - 14.900

Junior AA results

1. Katelyn Ohashi, Plano, Texas, 60.950
2. Sarah Finnegan, St. Louis, Mo., 57.900
3. Kyla Ross, Aliso Viejo, Calif., 57.500
4. Lexie Priessman, Cincinnati, Ohio, 56.450
5.= Kennedy Baker, Flower Mound, Texas, 56.300
5.= Brenna Dowell, Odessa, Mo., 56.300
7. Amelia Hundley, Hamilton, Ohio, 55.550
8. Kiana Winston, Fort Worth, Texas, 54.750
9. Mykayla Skinner, Gilbert, Ariz., 54.700
10. Brianna Brown, West Chester, Ohio, 54.550
11=. Madison Desch, Lenexa, Kan., 54.450
11=. Ericha Fassbender, Katy, Texas, 54.450

Top Vault - Lexie Priessman 15.650
Top Bars - Katelyn Ohashi 15.050
Top Beam - Katelyn Ohasho 16.100!
Top Floor - Katelyn Ohashi 14.900