All WAG Teams Named (Finally)!!

All of the Women’s Gymnastics Teams have been named! See below for the FULL listing!

Australia- Ashleigh Brennan, Georgia Bonora, Daria Joura, Lauren Mitchell, Shona Morgan, Olivia Vivian. Alternate: Emma Dennis.

Belarus- Natassia Marachkouskaya

Belgium- Gaelle Mys

Brazil- Jade Barbosa, Claudia da Silva, Daiane dos Santos, Ethienne Franco, Daniele Hypolito, Lais Souza.

Bulgaria- Nikolina Tankoucheva

Canada- Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs, Nansy Damianova. Alternate: Alyssa Brown

China- Cheng Fei, Deng Linlin, He Kexin, Jiang Yuyuan, Li Shanshan, Yang Yilin.

Colombia- Nathalia Sanchez

Croatia-Tina Erceg

Czech Republic-Kristina Palesova

Egypt- Sherine El-Zeiny

France- Marine Debauve, Laetitia Dugain, Katheleen Lindor, Pauline Morel, Marine Petit, Cassy Vericel. Alternate: Eliandre Bellemare.

Germany- Katja Abel, Daria Bijak, Anja Brinker, Oksana Chusovitina, Marie-Sophie Hindermann, Joeline Mobius. Alternate: Kim Bui.

Greece- Stefani Bismpikou

Hungary- Dorina Boczogo

Italy- Francesca Benolli, Monica Bergamelli, Sara Bradaschia, Vanessa Ferrari, Carlotta Giovannini, Lia Parolari. Alternates: Lorena Coza, Federica Macri.

Japan- Mayu Kuroda, Yu Minobe, Kyoko Oshima, Yuko Shintake, Koko Tsurumi, Miki Uemura

Lithuania- Jelena Zanevskaja

Mexico- Marisela Cantu

Netherlands- Suzanne Harmes

North Korea- Hong Su Jong, Hong Un Jong

Poland- Marta Pihan

Romania- Andreea Acatrinei, Gabriela Dragoi, Andreea Grigore, Sandra Izbasa, Steliana Nistor, Anamaria Tamarjan. Alternate: Daniela Druncea.

Russia- Ksenia Afanasyeva, Svetlana Klyukina, Yekatarina Kramarenko, Anna Pavlova, Ksenia Semyonova, Darya Yelizarova. Alternate: Ludmila Yezhova-Grebenkova

Slovakia- Ivana Kovacova

South Korea- Jo Hyun Joo

Spain- Laura Campos, Lenika de Simone

Slovenia- Adela Sajn

Switzerland- Ariella Kaeslin

Ukraine- Alina Holenkova, Anastasia Koval, Alina Kozich, Irina Krasnyanskaya, Marina Proskurina, Daria Zgoba. Alternate: Olga Scherbatykh

United Kingdom- Imogen Cairns, Rebecca Downie, Marissa King, Elizabeth Tweddle, Hannah Whelan, Rebecca Wing. Alternates: Hannah Clowes and Kayleigh Cooke.

United States- Shawn Johnson, Nastia Liukin, Chellsie Memmel, Samantha Peszek, Alicia Sacramone, Bridget Sloan.  Alternates: Jana Bieger, Ivana Hong, Corrie Lothrop.

Uzbekistan- Luisa Galiulina

Venezuela- Jessica Lopez

Vietnam- Thuong Di Thi Ngan

Brazil, Russia Name Women’s Teams

Brazil and Russia, the last two countries to name their Olympic Teams have finally done so!

Brazil-
Jade Barbosa
Claudia da Silva
Daiane dos Santos
Ethienne Franco
Daniele Hypolito
Lais Souza

Russia-
Ksenia Afanasyeva
Svetlana Klyukina
Yekatarina Kramarenko
Anna Pavlova
Ksenia Semyonova
Darya Yelizarova

Alternates: Ludmila Yezhova-Grebenkova (Russia). Brazil did not name any alternates.

Chinese Women’s Team Announced

And it is as many people have expected.

Cheng Fei
Deng Linlin
He Kexin
Jiang Yuyuan
Li Shanshan
Yang Yilin

No Alternates were announced.

Darling Hill to Recover, Continue

In an interview given to NPR, US National Gymnastics Team member Darling Hill has stated that she intends to recover from her shoulder injuries and then continue in the sport of gymnastics.

To listen to Hill’s interview with NPR, click here. When the new page/window opens, click on “Listen Now” to hear the interview. It lasts roughly 10 minutes.

“I don’t feel old or beat down, I feel like I’m just beginning.” -Darling Hill

Chinese Men’s Team Named

The Chinese Men are:

Chen Yibing
Huang Xu
Li Xiaopeng
Xiao Qin
Yang Wei
Zou Kai

No alternates were named.

The full article can be read at International Gymnast.

According to the article, the final Chinese Women’s Roster will be released on Friday.

Team Italy

Has been announced!

According to the Italian Gymnastics Federation’s website, the 2008 Italian Olympic Women’s Gymnastics Team is:

Francesca Benolli
Monica Bergamelli
Sara Bradaschia
Vanessa Ferrari
Carlotta Giovannini
Lia Parolari

Alternates: Lorena Coza, Federica Macri

The full story can be found here (in Italian).

 

The Men’s Team was also named.

Matteo Angioletti
Alberto Busnari
Igor Cassina
Andrea Coppolino
Matteo Morandi
Enrico Pozzo

Alternate: Paolo Ottavi

USA OLYMPIC TEAM NAMED

The United States has named its Women’s Olympic Gymnastics Team!

Shawn Johnson
Nastia Liukin
Chellsie Memmel
Samantha Peszek
Alicia Sacramone
Bridget Sloan

Alternates: Ivana Hong, Jana Bieger, Corrie Lothrop

In Alicia We Trust?

Exactly.

Myself, and a bunch of other posters over at the International Gymnast Magazine have decided that Alicia Sacramone (A-Sac, Mommy Alicia, Mother Hen, etc.) should be team captain, and have adopted the phrase “In A-Sac We Trust.” In short, we trust her to lead the USA Team to a GREAT result in Beijing by being the loving, motherly figure we so often see. Her love for the sport and her constant cheering for her teammates and fellow competitors puts her on top of the POTENTIAL CAPTAINS list.

IN A-SAC WE TRUST

Chasing the Dream: Imogen Cairns (GBR)

Imogen Cairns is a long-time member of the British Women’s National Team. Im, as she is lovingly known in the British Gymnastics world, was two-time British Junior National Champion (2003-2004), and finished 4th All-Around at this year’s Senior National Championships, also taking the titles on Vault and Floor Exercise.

2006 and 2007 plagued Imogen with injuries, leaving her out of top international events such as the World Championships. Before her injuries in 2006, Cairns finished 4th All-Around at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia, as well as 1st on the Vault and 2nd with the English team. Her 4th place All-Around finish was higly debated in British Gymnastics circles, as a long wait followed Hollie Dykes’ final routine, which British Gymnastics officials claim was needed for the judges to figure out what score to give Dykes to ensure a Bronze medal finish. Making matters worse, Imogen was solid on every piece of apparatus, where Dykes fell on ALL pieces.

In 2008, Cairns made a serious comeback to Elite level gymnastics. She made tentative appearances at the Maribor World Cup in Slovenia, counting falls and missteps all along the way, but redeemed herself at a dual meet between Great Britain and Romania, nailing a beautiful Balance Beam routine.

Also in 2008, Cairns won the Vault and Floor Exercise at the British Senior National Championships, performing a unique and beautiful Floor Exercise routine.

Initially named First Alternate to the British Olympic Team, this week Imogen was named to the team after the withdrawal of Laura Jones, who had to pull out due to injury. This gives Imogen her first Olympics apperance, with a chance to get into the finals on the Vault, and perhaps maybe even the Floor Exercise if she hits.

Imogen Cairns- I wish you the best of luck in your quest for Olympic Glory.

Russian Men’s Team Named

Russia has named their Men’s Team for the 2008 Olympics.

Maksim Devyatovsky
Anton Golotsutskov
Nikolai Kryukov
Sergei Khorokhordin
Aleksandr Pluzhnikov
Yuri Ryazanov

Worley Out, Memmel Questionable

Shayla Worley’s dreams of making the 2008 Olympic team ended today. While warming up on the Balance Beam for today’s All-Around competition at the Karolyi National Training Center, Worley felt something “pop” in her right leg.

X-Rays show a fracture in her right fibula (the smaller of the lower leg bones).

Also, 2005 World All-Around Champion Chellsie Memmel stopped her Floor Exercise routine after her second tumbling pass, citing pain in her upper back/neck. She sat out the next two rotations (Vault, Uneven Bars), but was well enough to compete well on the Balance Beam in the final rotation.

More information can be found from International Gymnast Magazine.

Jones Out, Cairns In

Olympic Team Member Laura Jones has been removed from the British Olympic Team and has been replaced by Imogen Cairns.

Jones has been unable to fully recover from an ongoing back injury, and because of this, decided to give up her spot on the squad just days before the team leave for their pre-Olympic traning camp in Macau.

First alternate Imogen Cairns has stepped in, and will give Britain strong performances on the Vault and Floor Exercise.

Spain’s 2007 World Championship Team goes to Beijing

The Spanish Men’s team, who finished in sixth place at last year’s World Championships in Germany is the EXACT same team that will be competing next month in Beijing.

Team members include two-time Olympic Vault Champion Gervasio Deferr along with Isaac Botello, Manuel Carballo, Rafael Martinez, Sergio Munoz and Ivan San Miguel.

Spain is looking for a better result in Beijing than their 10th place finish in Athens.

The full story can be read here.

Romania Tops Germany, France

This past weekend in Schwäbisch-Gmünd, Germany, the Romanian team beat Germany and France to win the last major international competition before the Beijing Olympics next month.

Romania got off to a rough start, according to International Gymnast Magazine, having some issues on the Vault and falling behind Germany in the first rotation. It took the next three rotations for Romania to take out Germany. The German Team’s downfall came on the Vault when Uzbek-transplant international superstar Oksana Chusovitina pulled out of the event with a mild Achilles injury. Romania overcame solid, though uninspiring Floor routines to win the meet, scoring 231.250 to Germany’s 230.150 and France’s 225.800.

France fell to the bottom after Cassy Vericel, the 2007 World Championship Bronze Medallist on the Floor Exercise landed awkwardly on her second tumbling pass on the Floor Exercise and was rushed to a local hospital, revealing a sprained ankle.

The full article can be read here.

Team Canada

The Canadian men’s Olympic Team has been announced!

The team:

Nathan Gafuik (Calgary, Alberta)
Grant Golding (Calgary, Alberta)
David Kikuchi (Fall River, Nova Scotia)
Brandon O’Neill (Edmonton, Alberta)
Kyle Shewfelt (Calgary, Alberta)
Adam Wong (Calgary, Alberta)

Alternate: Ken Ikeda (Abbotsford, British Columbia)