July 20, 2008 - Chellsie Memmel, Alicia Sacramone, Bridget Sloan and Samantha Peszek are going to the Olympics.
Memmel, who four years ago suffered heartbreak at the Karolyi ranch when she fell short of her Olympic dreams, is bound for Beijing, this time as a full-fledged member of the USA Gymnastics women’s 2008 Olympic team.
After a comback from injury, Memmel, 20, from West Allis, Wis., was named Saturday night alongside defending world champion Shawn Johnson, nine-time world medalist Nastia Liukin, 2007 world team members Alicia Sacramone and Samantha Peszek.
Considered locks after strong showings at nationals and Olympic Trials a month ago, Memmel, Peszek and Sacramone looked even better during the final selection process to earn spots on the team. Memmel had finished third at both the nationals and Olympic trials while Sacramone kept proving her value on vault and Peszek had finished a sturdy fourth at nationals and the trials.
That left one more spot up for grabs as 12 girls gathered at the Texas ranch, where they’ve come nearly every month for the last three years for team training.
Bridget Sloan, an alternate on the world championship team a year ago, upgraded herself with an impressive performance at the two-day camp. Sloan, 16, from Pittsboro, Ind., recovered from March knee surgery with pizazz and steady improvement. A sparkling vault and competent work on the uneven bars earned her the final spot.
Shayla Worley was expected to be in the mix, too, but she suffered a fractured leg Friday and had to hear the final line-up from the sidelines.
Alternates are 18-year-old Jana Bieger, who missed a starting spot with a couple of ill-timed falls, 15-year-old Ivana Hong of Laguna Hills, who was a member of last year’s U.S. world championship team, and 16-year-old Corrie Lothrop of Gaithersburg, Md.
“This is the strongest team we could pick,” national team coordinator Marta Karolyi said. “But it was hard. I was tearing up; my voice was choking out the words. This is the hardest part of the job because it’s been 10 years of hard work for some girls and you’re ending that dream.”
By now, we all know that the selection process is a heart-wrenching, sometimes subjective process that causes intense emotional and physical pressure. So, to those who made it - Way to go. Good luck in Beijing!
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