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The information below is a summary of the official selection procedures, which are posted in their entirety on USA Gymnastics Web site. This is not an official document, but is intended to give the media a quick look at the procedures for naming the U.S. gymnasts that will compete in the 2008 Olympic Games. The USA qualified for the 2008 Olympic Games through performances at each discipline’s 2007 World Championships.

Women
The U.S. Women’s Olympic Team will consist of six team members.

Athletes will qualify to the Olympic Team in the following manner:

  1. The top two all-around competitors at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials (combined rank order after two days of competition) automatically qualify for the Olympic Team.
  2. The selection committee may name additional team members to the Olympic Team at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials based on discretionary criteria.
  3. At the Trials, a final training squad will be named to meet at a Final Selection Camp scheduled for July 16-20, 2008, from which the remaining balance of the team and the replacement athletes will be named.
  4. The final Olympic Team and replacement athletes must be submitted to the U.S. Olympic Committee by July 20.
  5. Petitions to the Final Selection Camp will be considered from among athletes who have legitimate injuries, and who have demonstrated a high level of international potential within the last year. Athletes are not eligible to petition directly to the Olympic Team.
  6. Athletes must be at least 16 years old by Dec. 31, 2008.

Men
The U.S. Men’s Olympic Team will consist of six team members.

Athletes will qualify to the Olympic Team in the following manner:

  1. The top two all-around competitors at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials (based on combined results between the Visa Championships and U.S. Olympic Team Trials) will automatically qualify for the Olympic Team so long as they have placed in the top three in three of six events using the combined results from the two selection events.
  2. In the event that the top two all-around competitors did not meet this additional standard, the selection committee will immediately name two athletes to the Olympic Team following the conclusion of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials competition.
  3. Within 24 hours of the conclusion of the men’s competition at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, the men will name the balance of the Olympic training squad including replacement athletes, from which the final Olympic Team members will be named by July 1 and submitted to the U.S. Olympic Committee. At the Trials, the selection committee may choose to name more athletes directly to the Olympic team than just the two automatic spots.
  4. Petitions directly to the Olympic Team may only be submitted by athletes who were on the 2004 Olympic Team or 2005-2007 World Championships teams, and/or an athlete who has participated in at least 50% of the selection events and is in the top three of the National Points Standings. Any petitioning athlete must have an injury, illness, or special circumstance that prohibits them from fully participating in the selection process.
  5. Athletes must be at least 16 years old by Dec. 31, 2008.

Trampoline
A man and a woman will represent the USA in trampoline.

  1. The first-ranked male and female gymnasts based on the Olympic Selection Points System will represent the USA in the Olympic Games.
  2. Athletes earn points based on their finishes at the four selection events. Only three of the four competitions count toward the final ranking, with the lowest points being dropped.
  3. The four selection events are: the Grenzland Cup, March 14-15 in Aachen, Germany; the U.S. Elite Challenge, April 18-19; the Visa Championships, May 22-24; and a final selection event held in conjunction with the U.S. Junior Olympic Championships, June 30.
  4. To compete in the final selection event, gymnasts must be ranked in the top eight of the Olympic Selection Points System after three events or a member of the senior national trampoline team who has received points at a minimum of two prior qualifying events. To make the Olympic Team, a gymnast must compete in the final selection event.
  5. To receive Olympic Selection Points at any of the four selection events, female gymnasts must perform 20 skills in the preliminaries and have a 12.0 degree of difficulty in the optional routine in either prelims or finals. At the international competition, athletes will receive points based on their ranking among the U.S. athletes. The final selection event will serve as the tie-breaker in the case two athletes have the same amount of points at the conclusion of the process.
  6. Athletes must be at least 18 years old by Dec. 31, 2008.