Reigning Olympic Champion Nastia Liukin and many of the USA's top gymnasts will begin their 2012 competitive season on May 26th at the Secret US Classic and Gymnastike will be on-site for coverage.

At last year's Classic, we saw the return of Olympic beam Champion Shawn Johnson (video). Johnson plans to make her 2012 debut at the Visa Championships as US National team coordinator Martha Karolyi has waved the Classic. 

The Classic is the first major competition of the elite season and is the final qualifier for the 2012 Visa Championships. It will serve as a tune up for the Olympic hopefuls as they prepare for June's Championships and Olympic Trials. 

Below is the information from USA Gymnastics:

INDIANAPOLIS, May 15, 2012 - Nine current and former World Championships gold medalists are expected to compete in the 2012 Secret U.S. Classic, including reigning World team and all-around champion Jordyn Wieber of DeWitt, Mich./Gedderts' Twistars USA. The Secret U.S. Classic, which is sponsored by Secret Clinical Strength Antiperspirant/Deodorant, will be held May 26 at the University of Illinois-Chicago campus' Pavilion and is the final opportunity for female gymnasts to qualify to the 2012 Visa Championships in St. Louis, Mo., June 7-10.

Wieber is joined by fellow 2011 World team champions Gabrielle Douglas of Virginia Beach, Va./Chow's Gymnastics and Dance; Anna Li of Aurora, Ill./Legacy Elite, alternate; McKayla Maroney of Laguna Niguel, Calif./AOGC, who is also the World vault champion; Alexandra Raisman of Needham, Mass./Brestyan's American Gymnastics, floor exercise World bronze medalist; and Sabrina Vega of Carmel, N.Y./Dynamic.

2008 Olympic all-around champion and two-time World balance beam champion Nastia Liukin of Plano, Texas/WOGA, is scheduled to compete for the first time since the 2009 Visa Championships. Liukin's 2008 Olympic teammates Chellsie Memmel of West Allis, Wis./M & M Gymnastics, the 2005 World all-around champion, and Bridget Sloan of Pittsboro, Ind./Sharp's Gymnastics, the 2009 World all-around champion, are expected to compete as well. Also in the field is six-time World medalist Rebecca Bross of Plano, Texas/WOGA.

Brandie Jay of Colorado Springs, Colo./GK Gymnastics, and Grace McLaughlin of Allen, Texas/WOGA, who along with Sloan won the team gold medal at the 2011 Pan American Games, are expected to compete.

In the junior division, reigning U.S. junior all-around champion Katelyn Ohashi of Plano, Texas/WOGA, is set to compete along with fellow 2012 Kellogg's Pacific Rim Championships team gold medalists Amelia Hundley of Hamilton, Ohio, and Lexie Priessman of Cincinnati, Ohio, both of whom train at Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy. Junior national team members Madison Desch of Lenexa, Kan./Great American Gymnastics Express, and Bailie Key of Coppell, Texas/Texas Dreams, have also registered for the event.


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