Gymbrooke Sports News

Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin were named to the team Sunday after finishing first and second, respectively, in the weighted results of the trials and last month’s nationals. The balance of the team won’t know where they stand until the end of the final selection camp July 16-20, about two weeks before the Olympics begin.

Alicia Sacramone will be one of 12 female gymnasts taking part in the final selection camp in July.

Twelve girls from the 19 competing at the trials were chosen to attend the selection camp, including Johnson and Liukin, who will train at the camp. Memmel, Peszek and Sacramone will be joined by Jana Bierger, Chelsea Davis, Ivana Hong, Mattie Larson, Corrie Lothrop, Bridget Sloan and Shayla Worley.

Johnson and Liukin brought the star power to the Olympic trials. All Memmel did was deliver stunning routines that should make her the third lock for the U.S. team that will contend for gold medals in Beijing in August.

Not bad for a gymnast whose time was supposed to have come and gone, who might have been best remembered for a televised humiliation that never should have happened.

It was July 2004. Rebounding from a broken foot, Memmel finished fourth at the Olympic trials and was considered a favorite to make the team that would represent the United States in Athens.

Someone had decided it would be a good idea to turn the selection of the team into a kind of reality show. So it was broadcast live on national TV when Memmel was passed over in favour of vault specialists Mohini Bhardwaj and Annia Hatch.

“I think that’s one of the worst ways you can announce a team, on live TV,” said Memmel, who was chosen as an alternate on that team. “It was hard. I had done everything I could to make that team. Making alternate was great, given the [injury] situation, but it was still hard.”

2004 Gymnastics Olympic Team Announcement

This time, there won’t be any TV cameras – good news for this year’s near-misses.