Chellsie Memmel: Is This Really The End?

Nov 12, 2012

Upcoming Championships Finalize Memmel Decision

Jun 4, 2012

Memmel Fails to Advance to Visa Championships

2008 Olympian and veteran on the American gymnastics scene Chellsie Memmel will end her run for a second Olympic team after failing to meet the qualification guidelines to compete at the 2012 Visa Championships, the second competition in a series of meets that will decide the London Olympic team. Memmel made a brief comeback to elite competition this year, competing at Saturday's Secret U.S. Classic on the balance beam, her first appearance in 2012.  After looking proficient in warmups, Memmel suffered a disastrous set at the Classic, falling off the beam twice.   Memmel's first fall came on one of her signature skills: a front with a half twist, or barani.  Memmel remounted and again faltered on a swingdown skill that she attempted to connect to a standing arabian salto.  The resulting score was a devastating 11.95.  The minimum score needed to advance to Visa's as a one-event specialist was a 14.0. Memmel put in a petition to continue on in the selection process, but that petition was declined by Martha Karolyi and the other members of the Olympic selection committee. "When you make these decisions as a selection committee, you have to put your sentiments and your heart on one side and the objective criteria is what you have to go by," Karolyi said. "Even before the meet started, we discussed and agreed upon expecting at least a 14.0 for anybody who's doing one event. She tried her best, but that time was not sufficient." Click here to watch the full interview with Karolyi Memmel's petition denial came as a shock to her fans, who have rallied behind her and even started an online petition to allow Memmel to compete in St. Louis. Late Saturday, Memmel tweeted this message out to her fans:  "I want to thank everyone so much for the support! I really appreciate it!" At this time, a failure to advance to the Visa Championships marks the end of the road for Memmel, in what she has said will be her final go as an elite gymnast. More links: - Chellsie Memmel showing a floor routine during podium training - Memmel on bars during podium training - More Chellsie Memmel videos

May 26, 2012

Raisman defends Secret U.S. Classic Title

2011 World Team member and defending U.S. Classic Champion Aly Raisman successfully defended her all-around title on Saturday at the Secret Classic in Chicago, Ill. Raisman hit a total of 60.35 to top first-year senior Kyla Ross (59.8), who was last year's junior Classic winner.  Raisman's highest score came as the result of her Amanar on vault (15.65), a skill she has become more consistent on this year.   Raisman also impressed on floor exercise, scoring a meet-best 15.35 with her powerful tumbling lines (1 1/2 to double arabian punch layout; double arabian pike to split jump).  Raisman shared top honors on beam with Jordyn Wieber, scoring a secure 15.0 in the last rotation to clinch the title. Kyla Ross had an up-and-down day to finish second, starting out with a tentative routine on the balance beam (14.7).  Ross competed well on floor (14.35) but stumbled sideways on the landing of her Amanar on vault (15.3).  Ross finished the meet with a tidy uneven bars set for a big 15.45, the second-highest score of the night on the event. Finishing in third was Kennedy Baker of Texas Dreams (56.8), whose solid work on bars (14.6) and beam (14.35) pushed her ahead of 2011 World Team member Sabrina Vega (56.4). 2011 World All-Around Champion Jordyn Wieber competed on two events, tying with Raisman for the beam title with a 15.0.  Wieber began the meet with a sluggish set on the uneven bars (14.25), missing a pirouette and jumping forward out of her double layout dismount. Nastia Liukin, Olympic all-around champion in 2008, made her comeback official with a gutsy routine on the balance beam.  Liukin scored 14.9 for a set that included a switch half-Onodi-sheep jump connection and a 2 1/2 twisting dismount. U.S. bar stud Gabby Douglas started out the night with a stuck routine on her best event (15.7), winning the bars title.  Douglas ran into trouble on beam, however, reaching down and grabbing the apparatus after her flight series.  On floor exercise, she hit her tumbling lines and scored 14.85 with a deduction for going out of bounds.  Douglas sat out of vault, after reports of repeated failed Amanar attempts in podium training. Newcomer Sarah Finnegan also skipped vault, but made the most of the other three events, putting up big numbers on beam (14.9) and floor (15.2).  Finnegan charmed the arena on floor exercise, tumbling a double arabian pike and whip immediate double arabian to finish in second on the event. 2011 World Vault Champion McKayla Maroney stole the show on vault, debuting a solid Mustafina (15.6) in addition to her usual lofty Amanar (16.1).  Elizabeth Price of Parkettes also showed a dynamic Amanar, but lacked a bit of control on her landing (15.65).  Price finished fifth in the all-around standings (55.45). Rebecca Bross struggled out of the gate, sitting down her Patterson dismount off beam (13.2), but came back strong on bars in the last rotation, hitting her new routine (including a Maloney 1/2 transition) to score 15.3. It was a tough night for veteran gymnasts Chellsie Memmel and Anna Li.  Memmel competed only on the balance beam and fell twice in her routine, resulting in a disastrous 11.95.  Li successfully debuted a new skill, a hop 1 1/2, but came off the bar on the jaeger she did in connection with it (14.15).  Li came back well on the balance beam, but balked on a pair of tumbling passes to score only 11.85 on the floor exercise. As of now, Memmel's petition to next month's Visa Championships has been denied, meaning this is most likely the end of the road for the veteran of three Olympic cycles. The qualified gymnasts now have only two short weeks to prepare for the next major test in the 2012 Olympic selection process, the Visa Championships, which take place June 7-10 in St. Louis, Mo. RESULTS All-Around 1. Aly Raisman- 60.35 2. Kyla Ross- 59.8 3. Kennedy Baker- 56.8 4. Sabrina Vega- 56.4 5. Elizabeth Price- 55.45 6. Brandie Jay- 55.0 7. Brianna Brown- 54.05 8. Anna Li- 53.5 Vault 1. McKayla Maroney- 16.1 2. Raisman/Price- 15.65 3. Kyla Ross- 15.3 Uneven Bars 1. Gabby Douglas- 15.7 2. Kyla Ross- 15.45 3. Rebecca Bross- 15.3 Balance Beam 1. Wieber/Raisman- 15.0 2. Liukin/Finnegan- 14.9 3. Kyla Ross- 14.7 Floor Exercise 1. Aly Raisman- 15.35 2. Sarah Finnegan- 15.2 3. Douglas/Vega- 14.85 Full results can be found HERE.

May 26, 2012

Simone Biles claims Junior Title at 2012 Secret Classic

Simone Biles of Bannon's won the junior competition at the 2012 Secret U.S. Classic, scoring 58.15 to top Madison Desch of GAGE (57.35) and Amelia Hundley of CGA (57.25) in Chicago, Ill. Biles was hot out of the gate, hitting a massive Amanar vault for a 16.05 and the lead after one rotation.  She made it through bars (13.5) and beam (14.05), albeit tentatively, and hit a fantastic floor routine (14.55) to clinch the win, including a double layout immediate stag jump.  Madison Desch was the leader after three events, performing big skills throughout the competition.  She began on beam where she showed a new series, ending in a full-twisting back layout.  Her score of 14.55 was the high score of the day.  On floor, Desch mounted with an impressive whip immediate double arabian to stag jump (14.55) and vaulted a double-twisting Yurchenko (14.7).  Bars was Desch's weak event, but her 13.55 was enough for second place. Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy's Amelia Hundley finished just shy of Desch in third place.  Hundley was solid through all four events, opening the meet with a strong Yurchenko double twist (14.45).  Hundley hovered around the 14 mark all day, scoring 14.1 on bars, 14.45 on beam (standing full) and 14.25 on floor. Hundley's teammate from CGA, Lexie Priessman, finished fourth (57.05) after nearly sitting down her Amanar in the first rotation (14.15).  Lexie bounced back on floor exercise, hitting a double-double mount and posting the high score of 14.65. Reigning U.S. Junior Champion Katelyn Ohashi only competed two events at the Classic and suffered an uncharacteristic fall on her full-twisting layout on beam.  Ohashi impressed on bars with a new routine, earning a 14.95, the highest score on the event. The Secret Classic serves as the final qualifier to the 2012 Visa Championships, June 7-10, in St. Louis, Mo.   Gymnasts who scored above a 52.5 in the all-around qualified to Visa Championships.  Ariana Guerra, Polina Shchennikova, Megan Skaggs and Lauren Hernandez met the qualifying score, joining the 17 additional gymnasts who have already qualified. 2012 Secret U.S. Classic Junior division final results   All-Around 1.  Simone Biles, Spring, Texas, 58.150 2.  Madison Desch, Lenexa, Kan., 57.350 3.  Amelia Hundley, Hamilton, Ohio, 57.250 4.  Lexie Priessman, Cincinnati, Ohio, 57.050 5.  Bailie Key, Coppell, Texas, 56.600 6.  Peyton Ernst, Coppell, Texas, 55.000 7.  Ariana Guerra, League City, Texas, 54.050 8.  Veronica Hults, Allen, Texas, 53.300 9.  Polina Shchennikova, Arvada, Colo., 53.050 10.  Megan Skaggs, Marietta, Ga., 52.550 11.  Lauren Hernandez, Old Bridge, N.J., 52.500 12.  Maggie Nichols, Little Canada, Minn., 52.400 13.  Ashley Foss, Towaco, N.J., 52.250 14.  Lacy Dagen, Pleasaton, Calif., 51.850 14.  Ashton Kim, Westlake, Texas, 51.850 16.  Amanda Huang, Roswell, Ga., 51.250 17.  Taylor Lawson, Macungie, Pa., 50.900 18.  Alexis Beucler, Findlay, Ohio, 50.700 19.  Shannon McNatt, Houston, Texas, 50.650 20.  Nicole Lehrmann, Cedar Park, Texas, 50.550 21.  Taylor Krippner, Houston, Texas, 49.100 22.  Katelyn Ohashi, Plano, Texas, 28.900 23.  Jessica Wang, Chino Hills, Calif., 25.450 24.  Meredith Sylvia, Macungie, Pa., 12.750   TOP 8 Individual Events: Vault 1.  Simone Biles, Spring, Texas, 16.050 2.  Madison Desch, Lenexa, Kan., 14.700 3.  Amelia Hundley, Hamilton, Ohio, 14.450 4.  Bailie Key, Coppell, Texas, 14.400 5.  Peyton Ernst, Coppell, Texas, 14.250 6.  Lexie Priessman, Cincinnati, Ohio, 14.150 7.  Maggie Nichols, Little Canada, Minn., 13.950 8.  Lacy Dagen, Pleasaton, Calif., 13.850     Uneven bars 1.  Katelyn Ohashi, Plano, Texas, 14.950 2.  Polina Shchennikova, Arvada, Colo., 14.400 3.  Ariana Guerra, League City, Texas, 14.100 3.  Amelia Hundley, Hamilton, Ohio, 14.100 5.  Lexie Priessman, Cincinnati, Ohio, 13.950 6.  Bailie Key, Coppell, Texas, 13.900 7.  Peyton Ernst, Coppell, Texas, 13.700 8.  Veronica Hults, Allen, Texas, 13.600     Balance beam 1.  Madison Desch, Lenexa, Kan., 14.550 2.  Amelia Hundley, Hamilton, Ohio, 14.450 3.  Lexie Priessman, Cincinnati, Ohio, 14.300 3.  Veronica Hults, Allen, Texas, 14.300 5.  Bailie Key, Coppell, Texas, 14.150 6.  Simone Biles, Spring, Texas, 14.050 7.  Lauren Hernandez, Old Bridge, N.J., 14.000 8.  Katelyn Ohashi, Plano, Texas, 13.950     Floor exercise 1.  Lexie Priessman, Cincinnati, Ohio, 14.650 2.  Simone Biles, Spring, Texas, 14.550 2.  Madison Desch, Lenexa, Kan., 14.550 4.  Amelia Hundley, Hamilton, Ohio, 14.250 5.  Bailie Key, Coppell, Texas, 14.150 6.  Lauren Hernandez, Old Bridge, N.J., 13.900 7.  Ariana Guerra, League City, Texas, 13.600 8.  Megan Skaggs, Marietta, Ga., 13.400 8.  Alexis Beucler, Findlay, Ohio, 13.400 8.  Ashley Foss, Towaco, N.J., 13.400 The Senior Competition begins at 5 p.m. CST and will be broadcast on Universal Sports.  Gymnastike will be providing LIVE UPDATES throughout the competition.

May 26, 2012

2012 Secret U.S. Classic Live Stream and Coverage

The Olympic season kicks off for the top female gymnasts in the United States with the 2012 Secret U.S. Classic.  Gymnastike will be on hand in Chicago bringing you live updates, videos, interviews, scores and more from all of the Olympic hopefuls. The top story to watch will be the return of 2008 Olympic All-Around Champion Nastia Liukin, who will compete for the first time toward her goal of making a second Olympic team.  Reigning World All-Around Champion Jordyn Wieber is also competing, in what will be her first step toward earning Olympic gold in London.  Wieber will be joined by her teammates from the 2011 World Champion U.S. women's team, as defending champion Aly Raisman, World Vault Champion McKayla Maroney, Gabby Douglas and Sabrina Vega are also scheduled to compete.

May 23, 2012

List of Gymnasts to Compete at 2012 Secret U.S Classic

USA Gymnastics has released the list of gymnasts to compete at the Secret U.S Classic on May 26.

May 23, 2012