Inside USA Gymnastics

Bob Colarossi
March/April 2003

The Visa American Cup, one of the most prestigious international competitions on the gymnastics calendar, took place in Fairfax, Va., March 1, to a near capacity crowd. Congratulations to Blaine Wilson who won his fifth Visa American Cup title and to Carly Patterson who won her first. The level of competition was outstanding. On the women's side, the U.S. athletes swept the all-around with Patterson, Courtney Kupets, Ashley Postell, and Annia Hatch claiming the top four positions. In addition, the women won 11 out of 12 event medals. For the U.S. men, the focus was performing upgraded and more difficult routines at this competition in preparation for Worlds 'o3. Brett McClure finished second, Sean Townsend was fourth and Guard Young was sixth. I want to thank the USA Gymnastics staff for all its hard work leading up to and during the Visa American Cup.

The Visa American Cup served as the kickoff for this very important year with the World Championships taking place this August in Anaheim. Each meets leading up to the World Championships is important for the athletes as they pave their way towards earning a spot on the World Championships team. Plans are well underway for this world event and if you have not yet purchased your tickets please log on to www.worlds03.com for all the details.

Also online you will find details of the Longines Perfect 10 Moments in Time campaign. We want to know which of the medals and memorable gymnastics moments of the past 30 years are your favorites. Fans can log onto www.usa-gymnastics.org to vote and winning moment will be announced at the 2003 World Championships.

Several USA Gymnastics re-ranking events took place in the last few weeks for national team members. The Rhythmic Challenge showcased the top rhythmic gymnasts in our country in Lake Placid, N.Y. Congratulations to Mary Sanders and Rebecca Terzian who won the Senior and Junior titles, respectively.

For the men, the Winter Cup Challenge took place in Las Vegas, Nev. Congratulations to Brett McClure who won the all-around title and earned a spot to compete in the Visa American Cup.

In the Trampoline and Tumbling program, athletes from 25 states and three foreign countries competed in Tampa, Fla., at the USA Gymnastics Winter Classic. The team from Belarus took first place in the individual trampoline and synchro events. Jennifer Parilla and Ryan Weston were the top finishers from the USA. Jamar Young and Krista Mahoney won power tumbling while Young and Drew Rentfro won the double-mini event. The junior and senior elite athletes were vying for points to make the national team in 2003.

As we look at the upcoming events calendar, the U.S. Gymnastics Championships will take place in Milwaukee, Wis., June 19-22. This is the most prestigious national gymnastics competition of the year, featuring the top stars in the sport vying for the coveted national title. The event will showcase men's and women's gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics and sport acrobatics. Men's and women's competition will take place in the U.S. Cellular Arena, while rhythmic and sports acrobatics will be held at the Midwest Airlines Center. Tickets are available at participating gymnastics clubs (a complete listing is available at www.usa-gymnastics.org), through Ticketmaster @ 414.276,4545 or ticketmaster.com. Good seats are filling up fast, so don't delay in buying your tickets.

USA Gymnastics is sending an official delegation to Lisbon, Portugal in July for the Gymnaestrada. Plus, National Congress is also on the horizon and will take place August 21-23 in Anaheim, in conjunction with the World Championships. The host hotel is Anaheim Marriott and National Travel Systems is ready to help you coordinate your travel needs. Call 1-888-603-8747.

It's going to be an exciting six months for our sport and I look forward to seeing all of you at our upcoming events.

Bob Colarossi

This article is reprinted from the March/April 2003 USA Gymnastics magazine, Vol. 32, No. 2.

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