Announcement of the 2008 US Olympic Team

Provided by NBCOlympics

The USA Women's Olympic Team;

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

Alternates
Jana Bieger
Ivana Hong
Corrie Lothrop

Congratulations to these gymnasts and all who made this selection camp!

The Women Going to Olympic Trials

Are (in no particular order)....

1. Shawn Johnson
2. Nastia Liukin
3. Alicia Sacramone
4. Samantha Peszek
5. Jana Bieger
6. Ivana Hong
7. Mackenzie Caquatto
8. Corrie Lothrop
9. Randy Stageberg
10. Britney Ranzy
11. Chellsie Memmel
12. Alaina Johnson
13. Shayla Worley
14. Chelsea Davis
15. Darling Hill
16. Bridget Sloan
17. Mattie Larson
18. Olivia Courtney
19. Amber Trani

Congratulations to all of these gymnasts for their hard work and determination!

Women's US Nationals Stuff! [Wed]

Okay, so podium training started yesterday and has continued through to today. Here are some information and rumours coming through about the girls so far.

Tuesday: June 3 Training

1. Ashley Priess hasn't been seen at Podium Training, and her name has been taken off the official start list for the event. =[
2. Bridget Sloan is looking really good on bars. She has apparently fixed her foot form problem, has great handstands, and has a full twisting double layout dismount.
3. Shayla Worley has been rumoured with a back injury and it's not official whether she'll be competing her not, but she has still praticed at training, her beam looks great and she was doing individual skills on bars: no tumbling so far.
4. Nastia's vaults have gotten better, and her beam and bar sets look solid.
5. Shawn Johnson's new music apparently isn't a Mozart/Beethoven piece, but one that sounds more "hollywood." She did the Amanar twice and looked solid on the other events
6. Ivana Hong's DTY (double twisting yurchenko) looks great, and she also has a double front on floor.
7. Chellsie's working on a 7.2 bar set. She has brought back her Dos Santos on floor and has returned to her 2005-2006 routine.
8. Sam Peszek's vaults looked iffy and troubled. She had a great double double on floor but had trouble with her 5/2 + Layout Full pass.

Wednesday: June 4 Training

1. Shawn Johnson looks strong. Struggled on her switch leap, layout stepout, back pike pass on beam. Just did skills on bars.
2. Alicia Sacramone has the same routine as she has had for the last two years, same tumbling and everything. She just did timers on vault.
3. Chellsie Memmel is looking like a lock for the team. She did her 2006 routine, only with better form. She's hitting everything on all events. She has a Yurchenko 1.5.
4. Shayla Worley looked miserable, not hitting any of her events. She doesn't look like she'll be on the team now.
5. Ivana Hong's DTY's still look great. She is having problems with the double front on floor. She also is missing her connections on beam.
6. Samantha Peszek is looked ragged. She upgraded floor (3/2 through to a Double Pike), but is inconsistant.
7. Amber Trani has her DTY back, very Nistor like.

Sloan Fever!

Lately, there has been a craze going on about Bridget Sloan.
She was named alternate to the 2007 Worlds Team, but nobody really noticed her until the Good Luck Beijing Event. I totally blanked on her when making the "USA Pickle" post, so she deserves a post.

She can really do good in Beijing, especially being the 3rd floor worker;

She has nice bars, but needs to upgrade her combinations for her to be in Team Finals for bars. If she works on that, she could possibly be the missing puzzle piece USA has been looking for.