ITS BEEN ANNOUNCED!! The Offical USA WAG Team Headed to Tokyo is...

[iJaide!]

[h=6]Jordyn Wieber, Alicia Sacramone, Aly Raisman, Anna Li, Gabrielle Douglas, Makayla Maroney and Sabrina Vega! [/h]

 

[Blazing15]

Thanks for the update. This is what I just found on the USAG website.


2011 Women's World Championships Team
Oct. 7-16, 2011, Tokyo, Japan
Gabrielle Douglas, Virginia Beach, Va./Chow's Gymnastics and Dance Institute
Anna Li, Aurora, Ill./Legacy Elite Gymnastics LLC
McKayla Maroney, Laguna Niguel, Calif./All Olympia AOGC
Alexandra Raisman, Needham, Mass./Brestyan's American Gymnastics
Alicia Sacramone, Winchester, Mass./Brestyan's American Gymnastics
Sabrina Vega, Carmel, N.Y./Dynamic Gymnastics
Jordyn Wieber, DeWitt, Mich./Gedderts' Twistars USA
Non- traveling alternate: Shawn Johnson, West Des Moines, Iowa/Chow's Gymnastics and Dance Institute
Head coach: John Geddert of Geddert's Twistars USA
Asst. coach: Jiani Wu of Legacy Elite
2011 Women's Pan American Games Team
Oct. 24-29, Guadalajara, Mexico
Bridgette Caquatto, Naperville, Ill./Legacy Elite Gymnastics LLC
Jessie DeZiel, Rogers, Minn./Twin City Twisters
Brandie Jay, Ft Collins, Colo./GK Gymnastics
Shawn Johnson, West Des Moines, Iowa/Chow's Gymnastics and Dance Institute
Chellsie Memmel, West Allis, Wis./M and M Gymnastics
Bridget Sloan, Pittsboro, Ind./Sharp's Gymnastics Academy
Replacement athletes
Grace McLaughlin, Allen, Texas/WOGA Gymnastics
Hallie Mossett, Los Angeles, Calif./West Coast Elite Gymnastics
McKenzie Wofford, McKinney, Texas/Zenith Elite Gymnastics Academy
Head coach: Marvin Sharp of Sharp's Gymnastics
Asst. coach: Jiani Wu

 

[bribri514]

What a rough go for a lot of these girls, hopefully no one else gets hurt between now and Worlds!! I'm proud of them all (esp. Brandie, she's a friend from competing in CO for years and years, it's nice to see a gymnast from our state make a national team!) and hope they all kick butt!

 

[wandrewsjr]

So, are we really sending 2 world all-around champions to Pan Ams???? I can't believe that Shawn and
Chelsea can be too happy about this assignment.

 

[2gymmies]

I bet Marta put Shawn, Chellsie, and Bridget at Pan Am's so they can compete All Around rather than 1 or 2 events at Worlds. You notice that Marvin Sharp is the head coach for Pan Am's - does that mean Bridget is the #1 AA - I would think it would benefit the girls trying to make a comeback to have a strong AA showing, rather than hit 1 event. And aren't all three of them world AA champions... Chellsie, then Shawn, then the Olympics (Nastia, of course), then Bridget.

I have a bad feeling about this World's line up - seems risky to rely on so many young, newbies... (here's hoping!!!)

 

[Empowered]

I am really excited about the team. With all due respect to the veterans trying to make comebacks, eventually the sport must give way and yield to the new talent. Chellsie and Shawn have had some major injuries in their careers and both are still recovering from recent injures. That coupled with their ages and they could easily end up phyically unable to perform at the Olympics if they tweak something next year.

While they lack the experience, Douglas, Maroney and Vega are young and healthy right now and I think it's much better to get these ladies some experience a year before the Olympics, than to send them out cold for the one competition that really makes history.

Eventually every gymnast must leave the sport and as fans we must let them go and be willing to embrace a new champion.

 

[wandrewsjr]

I agree. If the ultimate goal is building an Olympic team for 2012, than it is better to get the new gals some experience and see how they handle the world stage. BUT if I were a the coach of the world's team, trying to win a team world championship THIS year, I would much rather trust Memmel or Johnson going up as my 3rd score on beam in the final than Vega,Raisman or Maroney.(Assuming Sacramone and Wieber are a lock for the other 2 finals spots).

 

[iJaide!]

So, are we really sending 2 world all-around champions to Pan Ams???? I can't believe that Shawn and
Chelsea can be too happy about this assignment.

FORMER world champs... Not current! Things change, new gymnast rise.. and Shawn and Chelsea aren't ready to take on that yet..

 

[wandrewsjr]

So Shawn Johnson is the non-traveling alternate (pretty good accomplishment for her considering how recently
she started her comback). I assume she must have shown Marta that she was ready or Shawn wouldn't have been chosen for this spot.

Which one of the chosen seven do you think will end up being the traveling alternate? My guess is Weiber, Li,Douglas (3 best bar workers, really only 3 on the team with World's final caliber bars) and Sacramone are locks. Will Maroney,Raisman and Vega be battling for the last 2 spots? My guess is Vega ends up the alternate.

 

[Empowered]

I would have to think it would be Vega. I was honestly surprised she was even chosen to travel. I can't imagine Marta not having Maroney compete vault as she is unquestionably one of the best in the world at that 2 1/2, if not the best.

Between Raisman and Vega... Raisman can score in the 15's on vault, beam and floor when she hits and has more experience having at least been in a couple American Cups. I think the experience of the travel will be good for Vega, but barring an injury I can't see her actually competing.

Of course this is all coming from a completely untrained gymnastics eye

 

[2gymmies]

You gotta believe they will have Maroney vault! She beat Alicia at Visa's.

I think between Raisman and Vega the most consistent will get the spot because we need a strong lead off person.

 

[NGL780309]

I would have to think it would be Vega. I was honestly surprised she was even chosen to travel. I can't imagine Marta not having Maroney compete vault as she is unquestionably one of the best in the world at that 2 1/2, if not the best.

Between Raisman and Vega... Raisman can score in the 15's on vault, beam and floor when she hits and has more experience having at least been in a couple American Cups. I think the experience of the travel will be good for Vega, but barring an injury I can't see her actually competing.

Of course this is all coming from a completely untrained gymnastics eye

Don't forget that Aly competed at last year's worlds, made AA finals and floor finals.

 

[Coacharella]

I love it!! Raisman!! Woohoo

Is Bross still out on injury from Visa's?

 

[bookworm]

I love it!! Raisman!! Woohoo

Is Bross still out on injury from Visa's?

They'll be lucky if Bross is ready for London next year...they're kind of downplaying the injury but it's an issue..

 

[Coacharella]

Originally I heard Bross was out for 8 weeks...

And I really hope Raisman competes...she has a ton to offer that team!

 

[gymnastgets10]

I think this is a good team, although I would probably have taken Memmel instead of Li, but her shoulder might have been more of a problem than they let on. This team gives us a good shot at gold and gives our new seniors the international experience they'll need for 2012. I'm sure Raisman will be on the team, given that she can be used in 3 events in team finals, and I can't see why Vega won't be the alternate - she has very nice gymnastics, but her start values aren't really high enough to contribute. I think Pan Ams will be really good for Shawn - give her some international experience without too much pressure and give her time to regain competition form. But I feel like if Memmel isn't on the Worlds team, she shouldn't compete at all and let her body rest!

 

[Jamie]

Interesting team, i think they'll do well!