USA Gymnastics announced this morning that the 2012 American Cup will be held in New York City's Madison Square Garden, keeping a now quadrenniums-old tradition of hosting the Cup in the Garden during the Olympic year.
Historically, winning an American Cup in the Olympic year has been a great indicator of future success in the Olympic year. That goes back to Nadia Comaneci, who won the inaugural American Cup -- at Madison Square Garden -- in 1976. There, several months before the Montreal Olympics, Comaneci showed a glimpse of what was to come, stunning commentators with her perfect 10 on floor exercise. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone get a 10," one said at the time. That wouldn't last.
In 1996, Kerri Strug won her first and only American Cup title, though that year the meet was held in Fort Worth, Texas. IN 2000, Russian powerhouse Yelena Produnova held the Cup. Produnova would go on to win silver with the highly talented Russian team in Sydney, and nab a bronze on beam, despite competing on a broken foot.
Carly Patterson won the 2004 American Cup at Madison Square Garden, and went on to become the Olympic all-around champion. Ditto Nastia Liukin in 2008.
Not winning an American Cup title has also been an indicator of, well, less than success. Vanessa Atler was the favorite for three straight American Cups from 1997-1999, and did not win any of them. Though she was the media darling of her quadrennium, Atler did not make the 2000 Olympic team.
So who will take the 2012 American Cup? American women have won it for the past three years. My guess is that if she's healthy, 2009 and 2011 American Cup champion Jordyn Wieber will get the nod to compete, as will one of the promising youngsters already on the cusp of making the Olympic team -- first year senior to be Kyla Ross, or McKayla Maroney or Gabrielle Douglas.
On the men's side the American Cup has drawn deeper, more prestigious fields for the past several years, though an American has most often come out on top.
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