Month: March 2015

USA Sweeps 2015 Jesolo Event Final Golds

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Continuing a weekend of winning, Team USA swept the gold medals in the individual event finals, and took 13 out of 14 possible medals in total. Two-time World all-around champion Simone Biles of World Champions Centre, won three gold medals, one in every final she entered. Lauren Hernandez of MG Elite also won two junior event gold medals, both adding to the all-around and team golds they each won yesterday.

In the senior division, Biles won the gold in vault, balance beam and floor exercise. Kyla Ross of Gym-Max Gymnastics won the gold on her signature event, uneven bars. Biles was the only senior US gymnast eligible for the vault finals, but the US went one-two on bars and beam and took the gold and bronze on floor.

Marta Karolyi congratulating Simone Biles. Photo by by Filippo Tomasi via USA Gymnastics.

Biles took the vault title with a 15.525 (15.9 vault 1; 15.15 vault 2). Arianna Rocca of Italy took second with a 14.500, followed and Elsabeth Black of Canada was third with a 14.2.

Simone Biles on vault. Photo by by Filippo Tomasi via USA Gymnastics.

Biles withdrew from the bars final, allowing Bailie Key of Texas Dreams to compete. (Since the USA primarily uses Jesolo as a training competition, this is the only meet where they will have a gymnast withdraw from event finals to allow another gymnast to compete.) Ross won the gold with her newly upgraded routine, scoring a 15.25. Key took silver with a 15.100. Sabrina Gill of Canada rounded out the podium with a 14.300.

Kyla Ross on uneven bars. Photo by by Filippo Tomasi via USA Gymnastics.

Biles scored a 15.25 to win the beam final. Alyssa Baumann of WOGA Gymnastics took second with a 14.55. Carlotta Ferlito took third, scoring a 14.3.

Simone Biles takes beam gold. Photo by by Filippo Tomasi via USA Gymnastics.

Biles scored a whopping 16.05 -an astronomical score on floor- to take the floor gold. Erika Fasana of Italy squeaked into second with a 14.9, edging out Aly Raisman of Brestyan’s American Gymnastics, who scored a 14.85 for third.

Simone Biles bounds her way to floor gold. Photo by by Filippo Tomasi via USA Gymnastics.

In the junior division, Hernandez won the bars and floor golds. Jazmyn Foberg of MG Elite, won the vault, and Norah Flatley of Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute, took beam.  The USA juniors also took silver in three finals and bronze in the fourth.

Lauren Hernandez. Photo by by Filippo Tomasi via USA Gymnastics.

Foberg scored a 14.600 (14.9, 1st vault; 14.3, 2nd vault) to win the vault title, with Shallon Olsen of Canada just behind her with a 14.55 for second. Ragan Smith of Texas Dreams Gymnastics took third with a 14.35.

Jazmyn Foberg on vault. Photo by by Filippo Tomasi via USA Gymnastics.

The rest of the events saw the USA go one-two. On bars, Hernandez won gold with a 14.5 and Flatley took silver with a 14.25. Rose-Kayling Woo of Canada rounded out the podium with a 4.050.

Lauren Hernandez rises to the occasion with her new bar routine. Photo by by Filippo Tomasi via USA Gymnastics.

Flatley took top honors on her signature event, scoring a 14.9 on beam. Victoria Nguyen of Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute took the silver with a 14.4. Woo took her second bronze, scoring a 13.75.

Norah Flatley impresses on beam. Photo by by Filippo Tomasi via USA Gymnastics.

Hernandez brought out a new crowd pleasing floor routine to win the floor gold with a 14.650. Smith scored a 14.250 for silver, and Megane Roberts of Canada took the bronze with a 13.900.

Lauren Hernandez performs her heart out for gold on floor. Photo by Filippo Tomasi via USA Gymnastics.

Team USA Dominates at the City of Jesolo

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Team USA continues their streak of team and all-around dominance on the international stage at this year’s City of Jesolo Trophy meet in Italy. They won the junior and senior team gold medals and swept the all-around podiums.  Two-time World all-around champion Simone Biles of World Champions Centre won the senior division, and Lauren Hernandez of MG Elite won the junior all-around title.

The first day of competition determined both the team and individual all-around standings and served as qualifications for event finals to be held tomorrow. Team USA totaled 241.3 in the senior team competition, followed by Italy (224.35) and Canada (221.75). The junior competition was held earlier in the day, where the junior team took the gold with a 229.1, followed by Canada for silver (222.45) and Italy rounding out the podium with the bronze (208.15).

Senior Team Medalists. Photo by Filippo Tomasi via USA Gymnastics
The USA junior team. Photo by Filippo Tomasi via USA Gymnastics

For the all-around competition, Biles led the seniors with an incredible score of 62.1. Bailie Key of Texas Dreams took the silver in her senior debut with a 59.5, and Aly Raisman of Brestyan’s American Gymnastics totaled a 59.1 for the bronze in her fist competition since the 2012 Olympics. In addition to sweeping the podium, the USA posted the top 5 all-around scores, and with no two per country rule in place, took nine of the top ten spots.

Bailie Key, Simone Biles and Aly Raisman. Photo by Filippo Tomasi via USA Gymnastics

Gabrielle Douglas of Buckeye Gymnastics came in fourth in her first competition since the Olympics with a 58.9, and Alyssa Baumann of WOGA Gymnastics took fifth, posting a 58.7. Erika Fasana of Italy took sixth (57.55), and seventh through tenth went back to the USA.  The order was Maggie Nichols of Twin City Twisters (57.5), Megan Skaggs of Gymnastics Academy of Atlanta, (57.15), Madison Desch of Great American Gymnastics Express, (56.9), and Kyla Ross of Gym-Max Gymnastics (56.75). Emily Schild of Everest Gymnastics made her international debut and scored a 54.95.

The USA Senior Team. Photo by Filippo Tomasi via USA Gymnastics

All of USA’s juniors finished in the top ten in the all-around in addition to sweeping the podium. Hernandez posted a 57.65 for gold followed by Norah Flatley of Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute with a 57.45 for silver and reigning National junior champion Jazmyn Foberg of MG Elite with a 56.55 for bronze. Ragan Smith of Texas Dreams Gymnastics was fifth (56.1) and Olivia Trautman of Twin City Twisters took sixth (55.2). Victoria Nguyen of Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute finished ninth (54.5).

Norah Flatley, Lauren Hernandez and Jazmyn Foberg. Photo by Filippo Tomasi via USA Gymnastics
USA Juniors with Marta Karolyi. Photo by Filippo Tomasi via USA Gymnastics

Both junior and senior event finals will be held tomorrow. In the senior ranks, Biles qualified to all four event finals in first, and Ross will join her in the bars final, Baumann in the beam final and Raisman in the floor. In the junior division, the qualifiers were Smith and Foberg on vault, Hernandez and Flatley on bars, Flatley and Nguyen on beam, and Hernandez and Flatley on floor.

Jesolo USA Team Breakdown and Training Recap – The Seniors

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USA Gymnastics opens up it’s elite season with the annual City of Jesolo Trophy in Italy. The seniors they are sending are as diverse in their situations as they are in their gymnastics strengths. From reigning world champions to returning Olympians to first time debuters, we will see the gamut in Jesolo.

Gymnastike is on the scene, and providing as many routines as possible from the training sessions in Jesolo, which you can access with a Gymnastike Gold subscription. These videos provide a look into the training sessions for the meet.

 

The Reigning World Champions

Simone Biles comes into the competition fresh off of her dominating win at the AT&T American Cup just a few weeks ago. She also comes in as the reigning two time world champion, and for now, is considered unbeatable. Joining her are three other members of the 2015 World Champion Team, Kyla Ross, Alyssa Bauman and alternate Maddie Desch. Ross declined her place at the AT&T American Cup to have more time to work on upgrades. So this is the first opportunity to see the fruits of her labor. All three will be looking to prove that they are still in the mix for this year’s worlds team despite the new competition.

Simone Biles looks as great as she looked just a few weeks ago at the American Cup. Her vault is dreamlike, her bars are solid and even better connected than in training for the American Cup. She had a few minor wobbles on beam, but was steady and confident and floor continues to be her playground as she stuck a double layout fullout with ease.

Kyla Ross brought some upgrades to Jesolo on bars. She has not showcased the pak full that she had mentioned training earlier this year, but did bring in a new combination and a new dismount. The routine: toe on + toe full + Maloney + Pak + van Leeuwen (form break here),  toe half + jaeger, double front dismount. Ross also brought in a dramatic and creative new floor routine. She continues to grow in her artistry on this event. She did not show the whip to double arabian, but had solid tumbling and dance throughout. Beam and floor are both as solid and beautiful as last year.

Alyssa Baumann will be looking to make a statement that her beam routines are what the USA needs, and that she can contribute on any event. And her training in Jesolo definitely helped to make her case. On floor she showcased three difficult turns- a Memmel, a double L turn and a quadruple turn as well as a piked full out. Her beam looks beautiful, and she does one of the most solid, upright standing arabians in the world (second only to Nia Dennis). The routine: arabian, switch ring, backhandpring step out + layout step out, switch split + switch half, full turn, front aerial, sheep jump, onodi + wolf jump, aerial, roundoff double pike dismount. Baumann completes the package of being able to represent the US on any event with a solid double twisting yurchenko on vault and a beautiful bar routine.

Maddie Desch put in solid training sessions, however she needs cleanup work on all of her events. She threw a solid DTY on vault, however landed with quite a low chest and without the flight dynamics of many of the other US gymnasts. Desch puts together quite an impressive bar routine, but will need to clean up some form issues and landing on her dismount. The same is true on beam. Desch has some great skills, but needs to work on amplitude. All in all, Desch looks solidly like she belongs in Jesolo, but will need to continue sharpening her skills and performance as the year goes on.

Senior International Debuts

Bailie Key is not stranger to the international elite scene, making her fourth appearance at the City of Jesolo Trophy. She comes into Jesolo as the reigning junior all-around champion for two years running. Key was injured and did not take part in the junior national championships last year, but her resume is long and distinguished. Her senior debut has been widely anticipated, and Key will be expected to be a major player for the podium this year. Key is competing the same delightful floor routine from last year, and she has added a double wolf turn. Tumbling upgrades are also expected but were not shown in the training videos. She brings the same strong, consistent beam routine as last year though re-worked and with a wolf full turn. Its on uneven bars that Key shows the most upgrades adding a Ricna + pak combination and a Chow + overshoot to handstand + stalder 1/1 + Ray. Her bars have beautiful flow and form with just a slight form break on her new low bar work. Her DTY on vault showed a lot more form issues than she used to have, but it was just one vault.

Emily Schild is actually a second year senior, but injury kept her out last year so this will be her senior debut. Schild showed a lot of promise at the 2013 Nastia Liukin Cup, but has never quite put it all together due to injuries and mishaps. She will be looking to give a solid performance in Jesolo. There were no training videos of Schild on vault, which has been her strongest event in the past. She showed a pretty and well done floor routine in training, but depending on the tumbling passes may be lower in difficulty than many of her US teammates. Her beam routine was clean, showing off her beautiful lines, but had some major form breaks in her back tumbling. Schild has gorgeous lines and a great swing on bars, with lots of great inbar work. However, a number of form breaks keep it from being really solid, but her full twisting double layout dismount is fabulous!

Megan Skaggs is another first year senior, and this will also be her first international assignment. She has a quick and expressive floor routine to some exotic music that is fun to watch. On both beam and bars, Skaggs has a lot of potential with difficult skills and pretty lines. However, she needs to do clean up on a lot of wobbles and form breaks. She pulled around a DTY that landed quite low.

Returning from Injury

Last but not least is Maggie Nichols, who missed out on last years world team selection camp and worlds due to injury after making a name for herself at the 2014 US competitions. Nichols has a great floor routine with a lot of energy and expression, including a piked fullin and a triple turn. She has a nice beam routine with a piked front tuck with a half and a switch ring. She had the cleanest DTY next to Ross. And where Nichols really makes a statement is on bars. She brings in seven connected skills! Toe 1/1 + Chow + pak + Maloney + overshoot to handstand + toe 1/2 + van Leeuwen. Nichols will be one to watch.

These ten world class seniors are all showing great consistency in training. While the gold is likely wrapped up, it will definitely be a battle for the other two spots on the podium. Winning, not just trophies, but helping to position them for selection to a much bigger international competition later this year.

Photo from Simone Biles Twitter.

Jesolo – The first look at Gabby Douglas and Aly Raisman

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This years’ City of Jesolo Trophy competition may prove to be one of the most exciting in this annual meet’s history. The presence of two time World Champion Simone Biles, Olympic and World Champion Kyla Ross, and the returning 2012 Olympic Champions Gabby Douglas and Aly Raisman brings quite the impressive roster to this meet.

Gymnastike is on the scene, and providing as many routines as possible from the training sessions in Jesolo, which you can access with a Gymnastike Gold subscription. These videos provide the first look to the question that is on everyone’s mind.

How will Raisman and Douglas look? Is their comeback for real? Can they compete at their former level? And the answer is a RESOUNDING yes. They look like world caliber gymnasts early in their season. They showed solid beam and bars routines, solid double twisting yurchenko on vault, and dance throughs on floor with improved artistry. There is no more room to doubt that their comeback is for real. Here are the details on their training session.

Gabby Douglas

Douglas did a double twisting yurchenko in both days of training. It is solid and powerful, but has some form issues in the air, a bit pikey coming down and some landing deductions. That being said, it is a solid vault.

On bars, there were a few issues in each routine shown, but overall it is a great bar routine. Not quite as much high flying action as in 2012, but great releases and combinations. The routine: Piked stalder full (struggled at the top on day 2 of training but hit it nicely day 1)+ piked Tkatchev + Pak (struggled with the connection on day 1 but had a great day 2), piked stalder + piked stalder half+ Endo half + Chow, dismounted with a double layout.

On beam, Douglas looked steady and confident. She hit her skills well and traveled through the routine at a nice pace. Her leaps and jumps all hit full splits and showed her former agility. The routine: Stoop mount, front pike, back handspring stepout + layout stepout, standing full, switch ring leap, front tuck, full turn, switch split + switch split half, front aerial + sissone  + split jump, back handspring stepout + back handspring back tuck (timer dismount).

Douglas brings a brand new floor presence, showing definite improvement in artistry and musicality. She did a two pass routine showing off her new routine with a Memmel turn, double arabian (added a stag jump in tumbling training), switch ring leap + split leap 3/2, a double L turn (a bit rough the first day, beautiful the second) and a Ferrari. She ended with a double back.

Aly Raisman

Raisman also did a double twisting yurchenko in both days of training. She had a little bit of leg form the first day which looked better the second day. But she had a lot of power, solid landings and overall looks great on vault.

Raisman has said that she still feels the sting of not getting an all-around medal at the Olympics. In this comeback she is definitely making a bid to be an all-around contender and is working hard on improving her bars. She had some form breaks and missed a cast handstand, but she seems to have a little better form here- feet together, toes pointed more, greater extension in her swing. The routine: Mount, Maloney + straddle Tkatchev, hop blind + straddle Jaeger, stalder, overshoot to handstand, toe full, Ray, toe 1/2, tuck double front dismount.

On beam, Raisman brought her steady, methodical routine that makes her so dependable on this apparatus. Everything was solid and powerful. She had a few small form issues, but looked clean and controlled. She also brought in a lot of new connections! The routine: Leap mount, pike front + wolf, backhandspring + layout to two feet (feet slightly apart in air) + split jump, switch leap 1/1, aerial, switch leap + switch half (really missed 180 on this) + back tuck, front tuck + sissone, 1/1L turn +1/1 turn, roundoff double back (timer dismount).

Dancing with the Stars taught Raisman more grace and it shows in her new floor routine. A great mix of graceful arm waving and her Jewish folk music along with her always powerful tumbling. The routine: 3/2 twist through to double arabian (added a front tuck in tumbling), switch full + split jump (missed hitting her splits in both jumps), double layout!, switch ring leap + split leap 3/2, full turn.

Overall, the two look just as they should at this point in the year. Some clean up work to be done, some more skills to be added, but confident, fit and ready to compete.

City of Jesolo Trophy 2015 Roster and Details

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This weekend boasts one of the most exciting meets of the spring, as it gives us a first look at many of the US gymnasts. The City of Jesolo Trophy will be held March 25–29, with team, all-around and event finals taking place on the 28-29. USA Gymnastics takes quite a large team to this meet, giving many gymnasts a chance to debut for the year as well as gain international experience. The senior squad includes 2013-14 World all-around champion Simone Biles, and 2012 Olympic team gold-medalists Gabrielle Douglas, Alexandra Raisman, and Kyla Ross. Junior 2013 Junior National Champion Bailie Key will make her senior debut.

The competition highlights competitions in both the junior and senior levels, in the team, all-around and individual event categories. As the defending Jesolo champions, the United States automatically qualify to the team and all-around finals, as does the host country, Italy on March 28. The other countries will participate in qualifying rounds March 25-27.

The March 28 competition will determine the team and all-around results in both the junior and senior divisions, and the top eight athletes, with a maximum of two per team, will advance to the event finals on March 29.  The competition schedule is:  March 25, junior team qualification; March 26, senior team qualification; March 28, junior and senior team and all-around finals; and March 29, individual event finals.

The Italian Gymnastics Federation will broadcast a livestream of the competition on its YouTube Channel,www.youtube.com/user/FGIfederginnastica.

The complete U.S. Team roster is included below.

Seniors

Alyssa Baumann, Plano, Texas/WOGA Gymnastics

Simone Biles, Spring, Texas/World Champions Centre

Madison Desch, Lenexa, Kansas/Great American Gymnastics Express

Gabrielle Douglas, Virginia Beach, Va./Buckeye Gymnastics

Bailie Key, Montgomery, Texas/Texas Dreams Gymnastics

Maggie Nichols, Little Canada, Minn./Twin City Twisters

Aly Raisman, Needham, Mass./Brestyan’s American Gymnastics

Kyla Ross, Aliso Viejo, Calif./Gym-Max Gymnastics

Emily Schild, Huntersville, N.C./Everest Gymnastics

Megan Skaggs, Marietta, Ga./Gymnastics Academy of Georgia

Juniors

Norah Flatley, Cumming, Iowa/Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute

Jazmyn Foberg, Bayville, N.J./MG Elite

Lauren Hernandez, Old Bridge, N.J./MG Elite

Victoria Nguyen, West Des Moines, Iowa/Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute

Ragan Smith, Lewisville, Texas/Texas Dreams Gymnastics

Olivia Trautman, Champlin, Minn./Twin City Twisters

*Schild and Skaggs have been added to the senior national squad, with Trautman named to the junior team.

Picture by Kim Zmeskal-Burdette Instagram

Simone Steals the Show – AT&T American Cup Results

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Simone Biles stole the show in her usual style Saturday, March 7 at the AT&T Stadium. Many wondered if such a large arena would dwarf these tiny gymnasts, but with Biles it is a wonder that even a stadium that large can contain her power and charisma. Biles won the meet by 4.5 points, with her American teammate MyKayla Skinner coming in second. Winning by points used to be a crazy thing, but with Biles it has become the norm.

Biles began the meet with one of the most impressive Amanar vaults she has ever done in competition, flying sky high and basically sticking, scoring a whopping 16.033. MyKayla Skinner turned in a clean double twisting yurchenko to score a 15.1, a departure from her normal Cheng vault, which she had trouble with in podium training. Jessica Lopez of Venezuela came in right behind her with another double twisting yurchenko that scored a 15. After the first rotation, Biles was leading by almost a full point.

Heading into the second rotation, Biles added in some of her former difficulty on bars, which she has been working hard to bring back to her former level after last years shoulder issues. She competed these with ease, and scored a 15.2 on her “weakest” event. Lopez was just behind her, scoring a 14.933 for a beautifully done bar routine full of release moves. Bars are without a doubt Skinner’s weakest event, but she worked through them well, adding in new difficulty of her own and sticking the dismount for a 14.266. Biles increased her lead to just over a point, but Lopez edged out Skinner for second.

Beam is usually the rotation that shakes up the standings, but not so today. Biles approached her routine with a calm, collected attitude, and though she had a few small wobbles, she came through with a great routine, scoring a 15.066. Ellie Black of Canada came in with the second highest score on beam with a 14.266 followed closely by Natsumi Sasada of Japan with a 14.2. Lopez fell on her backhandspring layout, but had a beautiful routine otherwise for a 13.166. Skinner had a few big bobbles, including a near fall on her backhandspring full tuck combination. She scored a 13.533, and the standings remained the same coming into the final rotation.

Lopez had a pretty routine with great lines. Her lower difficulty left her with a 13.266. Erika Fasan of Italy came through with a 14.400 for a well done floor routine with a beautiful Memmel turn and solid tumbling to overtake Lopez not only in the floor scores, but for the bronze medal. Skinner made it through her incredibly difficult floor routine for a 14.933 and the silver medal. But it was Biles of course who brought the house down. Adding even more difficulty to an already insanely difficult routine, Biles was in the rafters in her tumbling, but it is her mega watt smile and personality that bring her routine to life. She scored a 16.0, the highest floor score since 2009 when code changes decreased the start values on floor.

Simone Biles truly is a special gymnast. With big gymnastics, a bigger personality and the biggest heart around, she is one of a kind. She had hoped to start 2015 off strong. Mission accomplished.

The Latest on the Fierce Five – March 201

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Three of the Fierce Five are undoubtedly back as players in the 2015 world of elite women’s gymnastics. Gabrielle Douglas, 2012 All-around and Team Olympic Champion and Aly Raisman, 2012 Team and Floor Olympic Champion are both hoping to make their comeback debuts at the 2015 City of Jesolo Trophy competition. Both have been at multiple national team camps, and are reported to look healthy and ready to compete. Kyla Ross has never left the world of elite gymnastics, and will be looking to continue to contribute to the US team as she has since the 2012 Olympics. Raisman, Ross and Douglas are all working hard to compete at the City of Jesolo Trophy competition at the end of March.

3/5 fierce five roomies- Aly Raisman via Instagram
3/5 fierce five roomies- Aly Raisman via Instagram

“October was my first training camp back,” said Raisman in an interview with USA Gymnastics. “Gabby was literally the only one I knew at October training camp.” Raisman doesn’t know the rest of the national team that well, but they definitely know her. “They are all so nice, but they’re all so young… Training camps now are a little bit different… it’s crazy because the girls now, when they come here, they ask for my picture and I feel like they know so much information about me. It’s crazy but it means so much to me because I was the same way. I remember coming to training camp when Shawn Johnson and Nastia first came back and I was just in awe… I wanted to copy everything single thing that they did. I remember Shawn used to eat these beets (the vegetables) and so I still eat them because she ate them.”

Raisman has all her skills back and is getting into routine shape for 2015. But she is waiting for the first competition of the year to really see where she is at. “I feel like until I compete it is not going to be where I want it to be… You are only as good as your last competition, so I know I still have a lot of work to do and I still have to prove myself.”

“Aly’s skill level is getting higher and higher,” said Marta Karolyi in the same interview. “I was very pleased with her tumbling. She is improving her bars, so I am looking forward to see what is happening. She is extremely enthusiastic about this whole comeback, and it looks like she honestly wants to be there. Realizing she has to fight to make the team, but wanting [it] very much.”

Kyla Ross has without a doubt become the rock and foundation of the US team over the last two years. Karolyi went on to say, “Kyla was always a girl who was very goal oriented, very disciplined and realizes that the every day hard work is what makes you better… Kyla as a person has become more and more confident with the years and the international success that she had and gradually she became a very quiet leader.” Ross is focusing 2015 on the one thing she has lacked over the past few years- increasing her start values. Ross is known for her perfect, high execution scores style of gymnastics. But she knows to continue to be the best of the best, she has to have more difficulty. “I have been focusing on the things I lacked last year, especially focusing on my difficulty and start value.” Ross in fact decided to stay out of the AT&T American Cup this year to give her more time to work on adding new skills to her routines. Check out the whole interview.

After the 2012 Olympics, Gabrielle Douglass honestly didn’t know if she would continue on in the sport. But after going to competitions and seeing others compete, she really begin to feel the desire. Especially to accomplish what no one has ever done before – to win back to back Olympic All-Around titles. “No one has ever done it before, and that is definitely pushing me,” Douglass told USA Gymnastics. “Gabby is an extremely talented girl, said Marta Karolyi, “I love her bar work… We will have to see how she does on these other events. She is one of these girls that needs this environment.. to see what is happening with the other girls, what is everybody doing and get into the rhythm.” When Douglas thinks about her training, half measures will not do for her. “I really want to make it big and I really want to make it better than last time,” she says. Apart from the coveted Olympic title, Douglas does not have any individual international titles to her name. In addition to adding a second Olympic title, she will be looking to add more National Championship and World Championship titles along the the way. Check out the whole interview with Douglas and watch her training.

Jordyn Wieber has now officially retired from elite gymnastics. On Friday before the American Cup, she released an update on her decision to retire from elite gymnastics. For anyone who has watched her joy at working with the UCLA team, this comes as no surprise. “It was after enrolling at UCLA when I realized that the juggling act of being a student, team manager and professional gymnast wouldn’t allow me the time that I needed to continue my competitive career. I also began to realize that I felt fulfilled with what I had accomplished in my gymnastics career, and was ready to move on to the next phase of my life,” wrote Wieber. It is so wonderful to see her so full of joy and so fulfilled. “Although I’m leaving the sport I love, the principles it taught — sacrifice, maturity, perseverance and dedication — are traits that will stay with me forever.”

And so that just leaves the most famous of the five, McKayla Maroney. Maroney has been incredibly quiet over the last year. After the 2013 World Championships, she underwent yet another surgery, trying to get her knee up to par for future competition. But Maroney has been absent from the elite scene far longer than her recovery should have taken, with no communication on her status. Recently, International Gymnastics Magazine published a teaser for their April edition with an update and promise of more details to come.

IG caught up with Maroney at the All Olympia Invitational her team was hosting at the Los Angeles Convention Center. She told them that she has had a long bout with adrenal fatigue. “I’m really, really excited for this year and coming back, just because I’m now healed,” said Maroney “I haven’t felt like this in a long time. I’m feeling great.”

In the world of elite gymnastics where youth reigns, it would be quite amazing for all four gymnasts to make the 2016 Olympic team. Simone Biles has been decimating the rest of the world of gymnastics for the past two years, and there are quite a few juniors who are incredibly talented and strong competitors. But the Fierce Five are appropriately named, and there is no doubt that each one will give an incredible fight to make the team.

AT&T American Cup Live

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Live Blog of the 2015 AT&T American Cup Women

Vault

  • Vanessa Ferrari – Yurechenko  11/2 14.133Elsabeth Black -Tsuk 1 1/2 layout–Stuck 14.566
  • Jessica Lopez – Clean Yurchenko 2/2 15.000
  • Emily Little – Powerful DTY, slight hop on landing. 14.766
  • Natsumi Sasada – Clean Yur 1/1, landed came off the table to the side, landed fart to the left, but still between the lines. 13.833
  • Erika Fasana – DTY, somewhat low but clean. 14.533
  • Claudia Fragapane – DTY, slightly offline with a small hop on the landing. 14.633
  • Simone Biles – Amanar – one of the best Amanars she has performed in competition for a 16.033
  • MyKayla Skinner – In a surprise twist does her DTY instead of a full. Slightly piked down and big hop on landing but powerful. 15.100
Results after Rotation 1
1.Simone Biles 16.033
2. MyKayla Skinner 15.100
3. Jessica Lopez 15.000

Bars:

  • Jessica Lopez – Beautiful bars set chocked full of releases. piked tkatchev to pac, shaposh, tkatchev to geinger, double front dismount. 14.933
  • Emily Little – Shaposh, bail, hecht, really struggles on a cast handstand but muscles it up, double layout with a hop. 13.166
  • Natsumi Sasada- 13.500
  • Erika Fasana- 13.900
  • Claudia Fragapane – piked tkatchev, off on Church, pak, full-piroutte, beautiful double layout dismount. 12.633
  • Simone Biles – Weiler, shaposh, ,tkatchev, piked tkatchev to pak, full twisting double dismount to stick. 15.200
  • MyKayla Skinner – Shaposh to pac, toe shaposh half, Ray, full in stuck. Much improved, still form issues. 14.266
  • Vanessa Ferrari  – lots of good pirouetting on highbar, straddle jeager, full in with small hop.13.966
  • Elsabeth Black- clear hip, off on pike Tkatchev, straddle Jaeger to pak, toe on front lay half dismount 13.000
Results after Rotation 2
1.Simone Biles 31.233
2. Jessica Lopez 29.933
3. MyKayla Skinner 29.366

Beam

  • Natsumi Sasada –  Beautiful roundoff layout, front tuck, ariel, switch ring, slight bobble, full turn, front arield, sheep jump, bobbles but recoers, switch leap, switch leap, roundoff double pike dismount. Has nice clean lines throughout the routine, some bobbles break the flow. 14.200
  • Erika Fasana- back handspring stepout layout, switch to back tuck, beautiful turn combo, full turn y turn, split half, side arial, front aerial, Roundoff double pike. Nice flow and sharp dance throughout. 13.800Claudia Fragapane – 13.500
  • Simone Biles – 2 1/2 wolf, front arial, slpit leap, slight bobble on connection, backhandspring layout step out layout stepout, front arial, switchsplit, swiich half with a bobble back pike, front tuck, Full in dismount. Calm cool and collected through the routine, moved a little slower than usual. Holding her back as she walked off. 15.066
  • MyKayla Skinner –  backhandspring tuck full with a big save, switch half, front tuck, switch leap back pike, side aerial, full turn combo nicely done (1/1 leg horizontal, 1/1), roundoff double back dismount. Overall leaps looked more split, toes more pointed throughout, clean turns. 13.533
  • Vanessa Ferrari – roundoff back layout with a big bobble, split leap, split ring, front aerial sheep jump, switch half, full turn, switch ring, pretty far from her head though, roundoff double pike, small hop. Pretty work in and out of her skills, nice flow throughout.
  • Elsabeth Black – double turn big bobble but saves it, front pike, backhandrping stepout layout to two feet, lots of pretty work in between, backhandspring stepout  tuck full, big bobble, switch leap switch half, front tuck, bobble, roundoff 21/2 twist dismount. Some great work but lots of big bobbles. 14.266
  • Jessica Lopez – switch split, backhandspring stepout backhandspring layout, falls off, jump series, switch side leap, front aerial sheep jump, aerial split leap, pretty combo!, side aerial, roundoff back hand spring double twist dismount. Beautiful routine though. 13.166
  • Emily Little – front tuck, wolf turn, front aerial, spilt jump, backhandspring stepout layout step out, switch split switch side, roundoff 2 1/2 twist with a big hop. 13.633
Results after Rotation 3
1.Simone Biles 46.299
2. Jessica Lopez 43.099
3. MyKayla Skinner 42.899

Floor

  • Elsabeth Black – Dramatic music and flare to match, 2.5 through to double back, front double full,  front full 1/2 through to double pike. good landings. 14.300
  • Natsumi Sasada – 1 1/2 to front, falls back and hands down, double tuck, dbl full, dbl pike 12.200
  • Emily Little –  Piked full in stuck, full in, switch split switch side, full 1/2 steppout through to double full, wolf 11/2double turn, pike to end. Clean lines, great form on all her tumbling.13.700
  • Claudia Fragapane – double layout full almost falls but pulls it up, double arabian, falls, her famous breakdancing, triple twist, double layout to end, puts her hands down. Such a hard routine, just could not pull it out today. 11.766
  • Vanessa Ferrari – double layout lands oob, full in, double tuck, switch ring, switch full, switch ring full,  double pike to end. Beautiful choreography in this routine. 13.766
  • Jessica Lopez – triple twist, double pike, switch ring switch full, pretty choreography work, double twist, falls out of triple turn, two and a half twist to end. 13.266
  • Erika Fasana – double layout small hop, full in, double Y turn, double pike stuck, nicely done routine. 14.400
  • Simone Biles –  New pass to open full twisting double layout, the Biles to spilt leap, beautifully done, wolf turn 2/2, switch split switch full, double double, ends with a strong full in, hops. She is electric on floor! 16.000!!!
  • MyKayla Skinner – Double twisting double layout (Moors), double double, wolf turn, 1 1/2 through to 21/2, full in to end. Her jumps and leaps are still improving but not quite 180. 14.933
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Biles and Skinner Ready to do Big Gymnastics at the AT&T American Cup

Published on by Stacie FletcherLeave a comment

One of the most prestigious events for an American gymnast in the elite gymnastics calendar is the American Cup. This weekend marks the 2015 AT&T American Cup, which will be held in the Dallas Cowboys AT&T Stadium, one of the biggest venues for this important event. Simone Biles of World Champions Center, Spring, Tx and MyKayla Skinner of Desert Lights, Gilbert, Az will be representing the US women.

“I was really surprised, it was such an honor” said Skinner about being chosen to represent the US at this event. “I hope [people] realize I have become a bigger and better gymnast, I hope they can see I have been working really hard.” Skinner has added upgrades to bars and floor and hopes to debut them at the competition. She also hopes people notice how much she has been working on her flexibility and artistry. When she thinks about competing in such a big arena, Skinner says that it is “Going to be really cool. We will be more pumped and it [will be] more fun. It’s going to be different, but exciting.”

Marta Karyoli, Simone Biles and MyKayla Skinner at the 2015 AT&T American Cup. Photo via USA Gymnastics.
Marta Karyoli, Simone Biles and MyKayla Skinner at the 2015 AT&T American Cup. Photo via USA Gymnastics.

Biles, comes into the competition with more to prove than Skinner. As a two time World Champion, Biles is the heavy favorite to win.  Though she admits that the stadium could be intimidating, the veteran gymnast said in an interview with USA Gymnastics after training today, “Once you start doing gymnastics, you don’t really pay attention to how big the stadium is, you just focus on what you are doing in the moment.” In an interview earlier this week she said that “You need a big stadium for big gymnastics.” Big gymnastics is what Biles is all about. She is looking to make a great start to her 2015 year, and will be debuting upgrades on bars and floor. Already competing one of the highest start values in the world on floor, Biles looks to be adding even more with a new opening tumbling pass, while she continues to make the gymnastics look effortless.

Biles senior career has already been enormously successful, with two national and world all around titles to her name. But every iconic American champion can point to winning the American Cup, and Biles has yet to add this title to her resume. “Every time anyone says anything about the American Cup, they think of who has won it. So I think just adding my name would mean a lot to me.”

Don’t miss any of the action on Saturday. Watch the AT&T American Cup live.

11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. ET – First 90 minutes webcast on attamericancup.com/live
1-3 p.m. ET – Live on NBC (check local listings)

In the meantime, check out Biles and Skinner’s podium training highlights.

Simone Biles

MyKayla Skinner

Photos and Videos via USA Gymnastics.

 

Three Members of the Fierce Five on Jesolo Nominative List

Published on by Stacie Fletcher5 Comments

In the rhythm of the US women’s national team calendar, the City of Jesolo Trophy is the first big meet of the 2015 elite season for the majority of the national team. Each year, the team is chosen at a national team camp shortly before the competition. However, the US is required to turn in a nominative list before that, so it gives a preview of who is likely to get the call.

The nominative list has some exciting news. If all goes as planned, Gabrielle Douglas and Aly Raisman will make their first appearances since the 2012 Olympics in elite level competition.  In fact, this roster contains an all star cast. In addition to Douglas and Raisman, 2013 and 2014 World Champion Simone Biles is on the list as well as the third member of the Fierce Five and 2013/2014 World Championship team member Kyla Ross. Joining them are 2014 World Championship team gold medalists MyKayla Skinner, Alyssa Baumann and Madison Desch. Bailie Key, who made quite a splash as a junior, winning many domestic and international titles including the junior division of the Jesolo competition in 2013 and 2014, would be making her senior debut at this competition. Last but not least is Emily Schild, who made quite an impression at the Nastia Liukin Cup in 2013 as a junior and comes from the same gym as Ashton Locklear (2014 World Championship team member). The senior nominative list is:

Alexandra Raisman, Brestyan’s
Gabrielle Douglas, Buckeye
Mykayla Skinner, Desert Lights
Kyla Ross, Gym Max
Simone Biles, World Champions Gym
Emily Schild, Everest Gymnastics
Alyssa Baumann, WOGA
Bailie Key, Texas Dreams
Madison Desch, GAGE
One of the exciting aspects of the City of Jesolo Trophy is that there is also an opportunity for many talented juniors to get international experience. Just one year away from the Olympics, it is as important for many of the juniors who will turn senior next year to make a good impression as the seniors. The top juniors in the running are all on the nominative list. Of the following list, only Jordan Chiles and Victoria Nguyen are not age eligible for the 2016 Olympics.
Norah Flatley, Chow’s Gymnastics
Jazmyn Foberg, MG Elite
Lauren Hernandez, MG Elite
Olivia Trautman, Twin City Twisters
Victoria Nguyen, Chow’s Gymnastics
Jordan Chiles, Naydenov