2008 Olympic alternate Ivana Hong placed second at the 2009 U.S. Championships months after moving to Lovejoy, Texas to train at World Olympic Gymnastics Academy in Plano. AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez
The U.S. Championships hadn't been over for more than a few days before rumors began circulating that several elites who competed in Dallas were either looking at or had committed to heading back to Texas to train at World Olympic Gymnastics Academy.
Inside Gymnastics Magazine confirmed earlier today that two promising juniors -- Katelyn Ohashi and Lizzy LeDuc -- have gone to train at the Plano, Texas gym.
Hard to blame them. WOGA has defied incredible odds to produce the last two female Olympic all-around gymnastics champions in Carly Patterson (2004) and Nastia Liukin (2008).
WOGA also trains 2007 Junior National Champion Rebecca Bross, who led the senior U.S. Championships halfway through the competition in Dallas, and Ivana Hong, who moved from Great American Gymnastics Academy in Missouri earlier this year.
Two other WOGA gymnasts -- Briley Casanova, 14, and Madison Kocian, 12 -- are currently on the Junior National team. WOGAites Grace McLaughlin, 13, and Sophia Lee, 14, also competed at the Junior U.S. Championships earlier this month.
WOGA had a stable of elites during the 2000-2004 quad, including Patterson, Hollie Vise, Lindsey Vanden Eykel, Stpehanie Gentry, Kaitlin White, Nikki Childs and Allison Taylor. All were successful, and all with the exception of Patterson went on to compete in NCAA gymnastics.
WOGA montage circa 2002: Back in the U.S.S.R.:
Olympic champions aside, the full effect of what WOGA can do for a gymnast seemed apparent in Dallas with Hong, who transferred to WOGA earlier this year from the gym that was responsible for 2004 Olympic silver medalists Terin Humphrey and Courtney McCool.
Hong's differences with GAGE coach Al Fong were well documented after last summer's Olympic Games, where the injured 15-year-old was the team's first alternate. In Dallas, a rejuvinated-looking Hong placed second to Bridget Sloan and was the only gymnast in the top five not to record a fall.
LeDuc's difficult balance beam routine made the 12-year-old something of a Youtube sensation, but her coaches have been criticized by fans for allowing her to turn elite even though she's not age eligible to compete at the 2012 London Olympics.
Lizzy LeDuc, 2009 U.S. Junior Championships Finals, Balance Beam:
At her first U.S. Championships, LeDuc fell on bars during the first day and struggled with her Yurchenko full vault, but charmed the audience with her showmanship on floor exercise. She finished 21st in the all-around and tied for seventh on balance beam.
Tiny Ohashi, who is also ineligible to compete for the U.S. in 2012, was the only one of the four-member GAGE contingent that competed in the junior division to make the U.S. Junior National team. Ohashi placed 10th in Dallas.
GAGE still has 13-year-old Claire Boyce, who has lovely lines, as well as Brenna Dowell and senior elite Rebecca Clark.
Claire Boyce, 2009 American Classic, all-around:
Comments
Don't forget Hollie Vise! She trained at WOGA too
And I apparently need to learn to read. ;) Sorry you did mention Hollie.
Lizzy going to WOGA was in the works for some time as her dad was transfered and they wanted to be close as a family. If you read the article Valery Liukin was interviewed for about these 2 you will see why Leduc transfered, and Katelyn isn't for sure staying at WOGA, she is still trying out various places before deciding for sure.
ILY madison kocian
She'll be doing her first meet as a Woga-ite this weekend. We'll see how she has adjusted.
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