These girls made up the US National Team in 2007 (plus Chellsie Memmel). Their names link to a routine from their most recent season.
Of these 24 National Team Members from 2007, 5 of them are still Elite competitors (and in fact, all in headed to Trials), 6 are retired and 13 were on college rosters this past season. I just found this a while back and thought I'd share! :)
I found this picture on Tumblr a while back, and lost my link, so let me know if it's your pic...
I've been thinking a lot about the Olympic team lately, and this morning, I realized how much stronger a potential team could be with one retired elite: Shayla Worley.
Property of Online Athens.com
As I've been watching more and more of Shayla's college work, I keep thinking that she'd be better off quitting school and competing for the USA, rather than Georgia.
As a bars and beam specialist, Shayla could fit on the team in place of Liukin, Bross or even Ross. After all, she's healthy right now, right? While Bross has been rehabbing and Liukin's been out, Shayla's been successfully competing for Georgia. As one of Georgia's most consistent gymnasts, Shayla's one of the sole reasons that Georgia's been maintaining their strong reputation over the last few years.
Shayla maintains such strong focus when competing, that I'm really not sure why she didn't win the SEC All Around title this year. She's got wonderful skills, amazing power and never seems to miss a beat. I feel that those qualities should have earned her a spot on the 2008 Olympic Team, and should most definitely earn her a spot on the 2012 team. Maybe she could even win that AA Gold! Wieber's starting to look shaky.
To conclude, SHAYLA WORLEY FOR THE 2012 OLYMPIC TEAM! Who knows, with Shayla's history of staying healthy, maybe she could even make it to 2016!
Shayla Worley was supposed to be the star of Georgia. Unfortunately, no gymnast since Kristie Phillips failed to meet expectations so severely. This one takes the cake though, as Worley fails to mount the high bar. Last time I was in a gym, even Icould do that.
9. Peña’s Pan Ams Mishaps
After Peña struggled on her Handspring Double Front Vault at Worlds, most people in the gymnastics community thought one of two things: Either her struggles were a fluke or she’ll water down her vault. Nope. In both AA & EF Peña kept on falling/kind of landing and looks surprised when she does. I think she’s the only one who’s surprised at this point. Everyone is waiting for her to get severely injured; I hope she waters down before she does.
8. Anna accepts Alicia’s Medal
This is only number 8 because Anna handled it so well. When Alicia Sacramone tore her Achilles, Marta oddly didn’t call her in as a bar worker. She DID however, call her in to accept Alicia’s Medal on the podium. If it would have been me, I’d have punched a bitch. Too bad Anna Li seems like the nicest, most gracious person on earth.
7. Wieber wins SCAM and Afan wins Floor at Worlds (Omelianchik100)
While both Wieber and Afansayeva had great performances in their respective competitions, something’s just plain uncomfortable about a gymnast winning a competition that she didn’t qualify for in the first place. No rules were broken, but the whole situation is a little awkward.
6. Nastia’s Inside Gymnastics Interview
While I'm sure that Nastia meant well, telling the press that she gave the girls a “pep talk” that brought the “spark back in their eyes” was really uncomfortable, even if it was true. Many fans also argued that it was INCREDIBLY bad timing for her to officially announce her comeback just after the US Team competed amazingly.
5. Al Fong claims that his gymnasts will make the Olympic Team
(Property of GAGE Gymnastics)
And just when I started to think Al Fong was mellowing out… In an interview after Championships, Gymnastike asked him how he thought his gymnasts would fit into the picture of 2012. A NORMAL coach might said, “We’re gearing up for 2012 and I’m hoping that my gymnasts can do well next year.” But Al Fong is no normal coach. He said: “Two of my athletes are Olympic Eligible, and we intent to make the Olympic Team.” That’s just something you don’t say in the USA. John Geddert hasn’t said it, so Al Fong who has two good (but not great) Juniors should probably keep his mouth shut.
4. Announcer calls Aja-Monet Sims “Hallie Mossett” at Classics
(Property of Gym-Style)
This moment was incredibly awkward because everybody KNEW how awkward it was at the time. As Aja-Monet Sims prepared to salute the judges on uneven bars, (she has a really great Weiler-Comaneci combo, by the way) the announcer called Aja Monet Sims, Hallie Mossett. Aja looked awkwardly at the judges in a “Am I supposed to be here?” way, and then the judges looked back realizing how awkward the mistake was. (These were 2/3 African American Girls in the Senior Division.) The judges waited for a second before giving her the green flag, but the announcer never corrected himself.
3. Chinese wear the 2012 Champion Shirts at Worlds
As if severe injuries aren’t traumatic enough for everyone involved, after Bross dislocated her kneecap, unsure of what to do, NBC played nearly 3 minutes of reaction shots. From Nastia covering her face, Chellsie shaking her head and Carly Patterson saying, “It hurts me”, this was possibly the most uncomfortable 3 minutes of television I’ve ever seen. Maybe this raw coverage of Bross crying will help wake us up to the dangers of the sport? It was still awkward and uncomfortable.
1. Komova thinks that she won, Mom freaks I loved the 2011 Worlds AA Competition. It’s been a while since we saw such a close competition where we knew it could go either way. However, if the whole .033 difference was awkward enough, Komova was a REALLY sore loser about it. There are cultural differences, but in my opinion, no Silver medal winner was this unsportsmanlike since Khorkina in 2004. I understand that being 16 is hard, and that missing gold by only .033 is even harder. But, Mama Komova didn’t have to call foul with the judges. The situation seemed really awkward for everybody!
You all gave me great ideas! Thank you! Keep sharing your story ideas in the future!
