Holly Moon and 11 other gymnasts I wish hadn't retired so soon

The retirement of Holly Moon, one of New Zealand's most promising young gymnasts, comes as a surprise. Moon, who trained at the Christchurch School of Gymnastics, is all of 16. According to an article published in The New Zealand Press, Moon plans to continue pole vaulting, something she took up last summer.

• 1. Natalia Laschenova, USSR: An instance where geography and politics ruined a very promising career. Laschenova, one of the younger members of the 1988 Soviet Olympic team, seemed poised to be a favorite at the 1992 Olympics. But Laschenova was Latvian, and after the breakup of the Soviet Union, Latvia chose not to participate as part of the Unified Team at the Barcelona Games, effectively ending Laschenova's chances of participating at the Games. She retired in 1991. Watch her on floor at the 1989 World Championships here.

• 2. Olessia Dudnik, USSR: The 1989 World vault champion's career was ended by injuries sustained the next year. Watch her gold-medal winning vault at the 1989 Worlds here.

• 3. Nadezhda Ivanova, RUS: A lithe wunderkind who might have been a serious rival to Nastia Liukin during the 2005-08 quad had she continued. Unfortunately, a bone disease, combined with the death of her coach from cancer, contributed to her decision to retire from the sport at the ripe old age of about 15. She moved like nobody before or since. Watch her on floor at the 2005 Letnaya Spartakiada here.

• 4. Hollie Dykes, AUS: One of the prettiest gymnasts ever to compete internationally, Dykes's retirement six months before the 2008 Olympics was shocking. Losing Dykes deeply weakened the Australian team as it prepared for Beijing. Watch her on floor at the 2006 Pacific Alliance Championships here.

• 5. Maike Roll, GER: This young German was just beginning to emerge as a force on the World Cup scene last year when she announced that she would be stepping away from elite competition. Too bad -- she had exceptional lines and grace, and could have been a big help to the German effort at the World Championships. Watch her on beam at the 2010 Cottbus Cup here.

• 6. Catalina Ponor, ROM: As impressive as she was in 2004, my favorite Ponor moment was her winning balance beam routine at the 2006 European Championships. Ponor was in better shape after coming out of retirement in 2007 to compete at the World Championships, but her combinations on balance beam in particular in 2006 were the most extraordinary of her extraordinary career (Onodi to front aerial to Kotchetkova to bhs, layout to two feet? Amazing). What might have been in Beijing...watch the 2006 European Championships beam routine here.

• 7. Mina Kim, USA: A kind of precursor to Dominique Moceanu, Kim was the smallest, cutest gymnast you ever saw when she made her senior international debut at the age of 13. Unfortunately, despite a very impressive skill set, she was not age-eligible for the 1996 Olympic Games. Staring down the barrel of another four long years of training in 1996, Kim found it hard to resist giving up the sport in favor of cheerleading and that prize that completely alludes the very best gymnasts: a normal teenage life. Watch her on beam at the 1995 International Mixed Pairs meet here.

• 8. Sabina Cojocar, ROM: The surprise winner of the last Goodwill Games was one of the most supertalented youngsters ever to come out of supertalented Romania. Sadly, she was forced to give up the sport due to health problems associated with Hypercholesterolemia. Cojocar returned to the gym in 2004 in an attempt to make the Olympic team, but was not successful. Watch her on floor at the 2001 Goodwill Games here.

• 9. Carly Patterson, USA: The 2004 Olympic champion could throw every trick in the book and make it look easy. It would have been amazing to see what she could have done with the 2004-2008 code of points. Watch her Olympic silver medal-winning performance on beam here.

• 10. Courtney Kupets, USA: The elite comeback she flirted with in 2007 and 2008 never happened. It would have been exciting to see how far she could have gone. Even today I think it's possible to find gymnastics fans who think Kupets, who has looked fit and prepared at exhibitions since graduating from her NCAA eligibility, might have a legit shot at 2012. Watch her beam performance from the 2010 Skating and Gymnastics Spectacular here.

• 11. Jennie Thompson, USA: Much to the disappointment of U.S. gymnastics fans, the 1999 American Cup champion retired later that year after being injured at the Pan American Games. Thompson's retirement was doubly disappointing -- not only did she have a good shot at making the 2000 Olympic team (which could have used her steadiness on beam) she also never got another opportunity to shine as an individual the way she might have otherwise. Watch one of the best performances of her career, on beam at the 1999 U.S. Championships, here.