Twelve U.S. women have been invited to the first of two World team selection camps at the Karolyi Ranch in Huntsville, Texas, USA Gymnastics announced Tuesday.
The 12 world finalists are: Rebecca Bross, Mackenzie Caquatto, Chelsea Davis, Kytra Hunter, Amanda Jetter, Mattie Larson, Alexandra Raisman, Alicia Sacramone, Samantha Shapiro, Bridget Sloan, Morgan Smith and Cassie Whitcomb.
The first camp will take place Sept. 13-18, with finalists being invited to attend a second camp Oct. 3-6. The 2010 World Championships begin Oct. 17 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Six gymnasts and an alternate will make up the traveling squad.
Given her first place finish at the 2010 U.S. Championships two weeks ago, Bross, who is also the reigning World silver medalist in the all-around, should be a lock. As should Larson, who finished second.
Sacramone has made an effective comeback on vault and balance beam and looks even better than she did at the Olympics in 2008, which makes a strong case for her inclusion on the team.
As for everyone else, things are up in the air (no pun intended).
Despite being the reigning World all-around champion, Sloan is the biggest question mark of the group. She has only performed three routines in competition since winning her world title and has fallen on two of them. After two lackluster performances on balance beam at the U.S. Championships, Sloan knew she had work to do, and promised to get back in the gym and do it.
But in order to make the World team, she's going to have to prove to Martha Karolyi that she can perform better than she did in Hartford, and on all events.
Raisman, a first-year senior, has competed well all season, and finished third all-around at the U.S. Championships. Hunter, fourth all-around for the second straight year at nationals, is a dynamic vaulter and tumbler, and is deferring enrolling at the University of Florida in order to pursue a berth on the World team.
The U.S.'s biggest hole in a three-up, three-count team finals situation would be on uneven bars, the event where Whitcomb, Davis and Caquatto excel the most. Shapiro, who has wonderful lines, swing and toepoint but sometimes takes deductions for not hittring handstand, might also be a natural fit for the final slot.
Jetter, another first year senior, could be up to the World team standards on vault (she showed a new double twisting Yurchenko at the CoverGirl Classic), bars and floor. Jetter was nursing a strained Achilles tendon in Hartford and did not compete at the U.S. Championships. Smith, a capable all-around gymnast from Florida, has generally been overlooked. She opted not to compete on floor at the U.S. Championships.
UCLA's Vanessa Zamarripa, who finished eighth all-around at the U.S. Championships and unveiled a stunning Cheng vault, announced through coach Valorie Kondos Field that she would not participate in the selection process last week.
Your take: Who would you pick for the 2010 U.S. women's world team? Please leave a comment below.
Photo gallery: See the World team prospects in action below.
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Comments
I think Mattie, Alicia, Rebecca, Mackenzie, Kytra, Allie are going
If Bridget is healthy and in shape, shes going and Allie is the alternate
1) Bross 2) Sacramone 3) Larson 4) Caquatto 5) Sloan 6) Reisman
if Zam was still in the hunt i would choose her, bross, sacramone, larson, raisman, and caquatto, kytras just not top 3 material on any event and we need macko and zam for uneven bars. though now that zam is out i would choose davis to fill her spot
I'd pick Bross, Larson, Sacramone, Hunter, Raisman and either Sloan or Whitcombe depending on whether Sloan is ready or not.
This way they at least have 3 great competitors on each event in the finals and enough all-arounders to have back up for any eventuality. I would pick Bross and Larson for the AA final.
With Sloan I would pick her, Bross, Larson, Caquatto, Raisman and Sacramone...
then without her I would pick all the same above and put probably Davis instead...
I would pick Bross, Sacramone, Larson, Sloan, Raisman, and Caquatto.
Vault: Bross, Raisman, Sacramone
Bars: Sloan, Caquatto, Bross
Beam: Raisman/Sloan, Sacramone, Bross
Floor: Raisman/Sloan, Bross, Larson
This all depends if Sloan can hit all her routines after her injuries have healed.
Vault: Larson, Hunter, Sacramone
Bars: Caquatto, Sloan, Bross
Beam: Hunter, Sacramone, Bross
Floor: Larson, Sloan, Bross
I would pick Larson, Hunter, Sacramone, Caquatto, Sloan and Bross. With Davis as alternate.
It stinks that Zam is not trying for the team. And now we know that it was a UCLA decision. Not from Marta. Marta invited her. This blows. And that Miss Val video was bizarre.
Martha may have invited Zam, but I bet that was just to give Zam the opportunity to show Martha something again. Reading between the lines of what Val said, she made it clear that Martha would not have named Zam to the World team even if she had gone to the selection camp.
Assuming Bridget is healthy
Alicia, Mattie, Kytra, Rebecca, Bridget, Makenzie
Vault- Alicia, Mattie, Kytra
Bars- Rebecca, Makenzie, Bridget
Beam- Rebecca, Alicia, Bridget
Floor- Rebecca, Kytra, Mattie
alternate Aly
If Sloan is healthy
Bross, Sacramone, Larson, Hunter, Sloan, Whitticomb...Rasmien as the alternet
If Sloan is unhealthy
Bross, Sacramone, Larson, Hunter, Whitticomb, Caquatto
That is complete BS from UCLA to say they didn't go cause they were told the would not make the team. She got an invite. She said, no, she wouldn't go. UCLA ....booo! And that self-justifiying Miss Val video was bizarre.
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