U.S. Women Invited to 2013 World Selection Camp

Aug 19, 2013 by Anne Phillips

USA Gymnastics announced today the women who will be in contention for the 2013 USA World Championships team. Invited athletes will attend a World Selection camp which runs from September 9-18 at the US National Team Training Center, the Karolyi Ranch. The final team will be announced at the conclusion of the training camp, just before the group heads to Worlds.

The 2013 World Championships will take place in Antwerp, Belgium September 30 thorugh October 6. Being the year following the Olympics, this is an individual World Championships. There will be no team competition; only all around and event titles will be awarded.

Four female athletes will be selected to represent the USA at Worlds. However, only three athletes may compete on each event. Tthe team will be made up of both all arounders and event specialists.

The 2013 P&G Championships women's competition concluded Saturday in Hartford, CT with Simone Biles taking the meet's elusive all around title. Kyla Ross won bars and beam while fellow Fierce Five member McKayla Maroney won vault and floor. These three are the definite front runners for the team.

2013 USA Senior National Team. Photo by Melissa Perenson.

The athletes expected to attend 2013 World Selection Camp are:
Simone Biles of Bannon's Gymnastix
McKayla Maroney of AOGC
Elizabeth Price of Parkettes
Maggie Nichols of Twin City Twisters
Abigail Milliet of Denton Gymnastics
Mykayla Skinner of Desert Lights
Kyla Ross of Gym-Max
Maddie Desch of GAGE
Brenna Dowell of GAGE
Peyton Ernst of Texas Dreams
Kennedy Baker of Texas Dreams

Lexie Priessman of Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy and Madison Kocian of WOGA were also invited to the Selection Camp, but will not attend due to injury. Priessman withdrew from the Championships with a strained achilles tendon, while Kocian withdrew after injuring her ankle during night one of competition in Hartford.

There are two athletes, Maddie Desch and Abigail Milliet, who will attend the camp but are not currently members of the National Team. Should they be selected to the World Team, they will be added to the National Team roster.

U.S. women's National Team Coordinator Martha Karolyi reveals what she is looking for in Worlds selection in our interview following the women's P&G Championship finals:

Click HERE to watch more video of the 2013 P&G Championships