A Wish List for 2008

Another year has ended, a new one starting. For gymnasts, 2008 marks the final year of another Olympic cycle. So as we forge ahead, it is also a time for reflection.

With that in mind, I offer the following wishes for a more perfect world of gymnastics in the year to come...

1. For Shawn Johnson: a bigger trophy case. I think she's going to need one.

2. For Nastia Liukin: an ankle that stays healthy. She deserves it.

3. For Chellsie Memmel: a clean bill of health during Olympic team selection. After 2004, she REALLY deserves it.

4. For Fabian Hambüchen: that the "high-five" be officially named after him by the FIG, because nobody does it more often to so many different people.

5. For the Chinese women: that their form and amplitude be properly rewarded.

6. For Jade Barbosa: another shot at the all-around in Beijing (and maybe an extra box of tissues).

7. For Oksana Chusovitina and Jordan Jovtchev: continued health as they prepare for their FIFTH Olympic Games!

8. For Morgan Hamm: a chance to show the "Airflare" in competition.

9. For Justin Spring: complete recovery from his torn ACL.

10. For Catalina Ponor: to find peace in retirement.

11. For Yekaterina Kramarenko: to find peace in competing by making the Olympic team and sticking her vault in the team final.

 

12. For Vlasios Maras: to make the Olympic high bar final he deserved to make in 2004 at home in Athens.

13. For Elsa Garcia: the motivation to continue competing for Mexico.

14. For FIG Men's Technical Committee President Adrian Stoica: that all the numbers add up correctly at the Olympics.

15. For Paul Hamm and Yang Tae Young: to tie for the gold in any event at the Olympics.

16. For Cheng Fei: to overcome the tremendous expectations of competing at home at the Olympics.

17. For Yang Wei: see No. 16.

18. For Judges: to always score the routine and not the uniform.

19. For the Code of Points: to find a better balance between difficulty and execution.

20. For the Beijing Olympics: that sportsmanship and performance share center stage.

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