Gymnast of the week recently took a look at three gymnasts that were inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame; this week gymnast of the week looks at a gymnast that was inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame in May, Kristen Maloney.

Maloney began her training at a young age at Parkettes National Gymnastics Training Center in Pennsylvania and remained there throughout her elite career. Maloney burst onto the gymnastics scene in 1993 at her first international event, the 1993 Heathrow Gold Cup where she won the all-around, vault, and bars title. From 1993-2000 she was a crucial member of the U.S. women’s national team, and later, after the 2000 Olympics became a Bruin, competing for UCLA.

After the 1993 Heathrow Gold Cup, Maloney participated in the 1996 Olympic Trials, but unfortunately did not make the team. Although she did not make the team, she went on to prove herself to the gymnastics community in the years to follow. At the 1997 American Classic she won the all-around title and at the 1997 National Championships she placed second on vault and third on floor. In 1998 at the International Team Championships she placed first on bars, floor, as well as the all-around and helped the U.S. women to the team gold medal. Also in 1998 Maloney won the gold medal in the all-around at the Pacific Alliance Games, lead the team to a gold medal finish, and at the Goodwill Games won the gold medal on balance beam. Later in 1998 and in 1999 Maloney became the U.S. all-around champion, while also winning a gold medal on vault and second place finish at the 1999 International Team Championships.

The year 2000 was Maloney’s year to shine as an elite gymnast. She started off her season by becoming the U.S. National Champion on vault and floor and won the silver medal in the all-around. She also qualified for the 2000 Sydney Olympics where the team originally won 4^th place, but after 10 years was rewarded the bronze medal after controversy with the Chinese gymnastics team.

Although Maloney had much success during her elite career, after the 2000 Olympics she went on to compete for the UCLA Bruins. While at UCLA Maloney competed 2 out of 4 seasons due to leg injuries, but during her two seasons, she proved to be an excellent collegiate gymnast. In her first year she won All-American honors on balance beam and finished third place at the NCAA Championships, helped the Bruins to its second-consecutive NCAA team title, and became the first Bruin to score a perfect 10.0 on balance beam. In her final season as a Bruin, Maloney showed that serious injuries could not hold her back and hit the gymnastics scene with more effort than ever. She received All-America honors on uneven bars and at her last gymnastics competition, the 2005 NCAA Championships she placed second on bars and in the all-around and captured the gold medal on vault and balance beam.  

After the 2005 NCAA Championships, Maloney retired from competitive gymnastics but did not retire from the sport all together. After college graduation she worked as a gymnastics coach in California, where she coached British national team member, Shavahn Church. She then moved to Europe where she worked with Cirque du Soleil, returned to the U.S. and taught preschool in New York. After teaching preschool, Maloney accepted the assistant coach position at the University of New Hampshire gymnastics team and just completed her first season this year.

Here is Maloney's gold medal winning floor routine from the 2000 USA National Championships. This was the most difficult routine being done in the world at the time and ranks as one of the most difficult floor routines of all time. 



And here is Maloney's perfect 10.0 floor routine from the 2005 NCAA Gymnastics Championships!