|
Nastia Liukin wins All-Around Title, Bars and Beam at 2005 Visa Championships
CLICK HERE FOR SIX PAGES OF FANTASTIC PHOTOS!
Dreams came true for top Junior and Senior gymnasts in the home of US Gymnastics in the finals at this weekend’s Visa Championships Finals in Indianapolis. Previous winners had included gymnastics legends Mary Lou Retton, Kim Zmeskal, Shannon Miller, Dominique Moceanu and Olympic All Around Champion Carly Patterson. Now it was the US Olympian’s turn to watch new stars emerge at the Visa Championships, as the promotional videos said in the fantastic build up “ Who’s Next?”
For 15 year old Nastia Liukin of WOGA, the expectation could have proved a burden, but this young lady is very focused and born to be a Champion. Daughter of Valeri Liukin who won 4 medals at the 1988 Olympics and mother Anna who was the World Rhythmic Champion in 1987, Nastia has achieved so much already. The two time Junior National All Around Champion had already won the All Around Title at the US Classic last month, and became the first American gymnast to compete a quadruple twisting somersault in competition. Thursday night’s preliminary contest saw Nastia in 3rd position , going into the meet on 37.515, a tenth behind Jana Bieger from BOCA Twisters, whose mother and Coach is a three time Olympian, and Chellsie Memmel, the World 2004 UB Champion and Olympic Alternate. Nastia had hit the highest score on UB in Prelims with an intricate routine earning a 9.750, but an unusual error on beam with a wobble and missing her wolf full after the Onodi cost her the bonus dropping her score to 8.783. She was 0.80 behind Chellsie going into Saturday’s finals but what a contest we had in store!
Tonight's scores were combined with Thursday's scores to determine individual national champions. The top 12 athletes were named to the senior national team. "It was important to come back and show people that I'm strong," Liukin said. "I was definitely pretty far behind. Everyone was telling me, 'Don't give up,' but it was hard, I'm a fighter and I won't give up."
Before a capacity crowd, Nastia moved into second place after the first rotation. Her intricate uneven bars routine with near-perfect handstand positions and a high layout Gienger, scored 9.766. On the balance beam, she corrected the errors she made on Thursday to score 9.800, over a full point higher than her prelim score. Liukin took a commanding lead at the halfway point, finishing with 9.600 on floor, despite not including her quadruple twisting somersault and opting for the safer triple instead, and a huge 9.483 on vault. Her total score of 38.649 gave her a winning combination of 76.164, more than a point behind silver medallist Chellsie Memmel of M&M Gymnastics on 75.797, and Jana Bieger from BOCA with 74.680 to win bronze equalling her bronze at Junior Nationals last year.
This was a great performance from Chellsie who was competing in only her second all-around competition since February 2004, after a fot injury had forced her to miss much of the 2004 season, before becoming World Uneven Bars Champion and Olympic Alternate. After Prelims Chellsie said "It feels great, but it feels even better to be back as an all-around gymnast," Memmel said. "It’s so much fun to compete all-around. I love it.” and after Finals she said “ To take second is still a really great finish in the all-around, I guess that you can't make any mistakes and that's what happened.". Chellsie earned identical stores of 9.666 on bars during both days of competition to win silver and she also won silver on beam and bronze on floor in the individual apparatus finals. "We came here, our goal was to be first or second," Memmel's father and coach, Andy, said. "We were in first, dropped to second. Nastia is a great competitor and so is Chellsie. It was fun to watch."
Jana Bieger of BOCA Gymnastics finished third, with 74.680 points. She was third on vault and bars after performing superbly in both prelims and finals. Her Prelims resulted in her finishing in top four positions in three events, and was another great performance from Jana who placed second on UB and third on Floor at the US Classic.
In addition to the all-around, Nastia Liukin won gold on bars and beam in the Individual Apparatus Finals and silver on floor. After landing her vault safely to wrap up the win, Liukin's father and coach, Valeri, swept her up in a big hug."Being a senior means you're the best in the whole country," said Liukin, "Winning seniors is definitely a big step up."
Her mother Anna was the World Rhythmic Champion in 1987 but cannot bear to be in the building when her daughter competes. "She never watches," Valeri Liukin said. "We have to call her and tell her it's over." this time, Nastia delivered the news by text . I said, 'Mom, I won. I love you. "
Alicia Sacramone of Winchester, Mass./Brestyan's Gymnastics won the Individual Vault and Floor titles. Sacramone's 9.900 on floor was the first score of 9.900 or better in the women's division of a U.S. nationals since 1996 and was a huge favourite with the crowd . I honestly didn't know," Sacramone said. "It felt like a good routine but when I saw the score, my face was like, 'Oh my God.' My jaw dropped. My eyes got really big. I was really excited." Another excellent performance from Alicia who won bronze in the All Around at US Classic.
The crowd loved the Visa Championships as the “Who’s Next?” question was answered. Nastia Liukin looks set to join those gymnastics legends one day if she maintains these great performances and stays injury free. As the medals were awarded, past Champions and Olympians applauded a great performance from an exceptionally gifted young lady and fantastic performances by this new generation of US Senior gymnasts.
Following the Championships eight athletes were named to the senior national team in addition to Liukin, Memmel, Bieger and Sacramone. They are: Kassi Price, Plantation, Fla./Orlando Metro, Kristina Comforte, Burr Ridge, Ill./Illinois Gymnastics Institute, Annie DiLuzio, Folsom, Calif./Byers Gymnastics Center, Kayla Hoffman, Union, N.J./Rebound Gymnastics, Sarah Shire, Sweet Springs, Mo./Great American Gymnastic Express, Jacquelyn Johnson, Westchester, Ohio/Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy, Brittani McCullough, Corona, Calif./Southern California Elite Gymnastics Academy, and Hilary Mauro, Westchester, Ohio/Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy
2005 U.S. Senior National Team
Nastia Liukin, Plano, Texas/World Olympic Gymnastics Academy
Chellsie Memmel, West Allis, Wis./M&M Gymnastics
Jana Bieger, Coconut Creek, Fla./Twisters Gymnastics Academy
Alicia Sacramone, Winchester, Mass./Brestyan's American Gymnastics
Kassi Price, Plantation, Fl./Orlando Metro
Kristina Comforte, Burr Ridge, Ill./Illinois Gymnastics Institute
Annie DiLuzio, Folsom, Calif./Byers Gymnastics Center
Kayla Hoffman, Union, N.J./Rebound Gymnastics
Sarah Shire, Sweet Springs, Mo./Great American Gymnastic Express
Jacquelyn Johnson, Westchester, Ohio/Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy
Brittani McCullough, Corona, Calif./Southern California Elite Gymnastics Academy
Hilary Mauro, Westchester, Ohio/Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy
|
