Home > Event Coverage >

2008 U.S. Olympic Trials, Day Two Coverage

Friday, June 20, 2008 By Amanda Turner and Christian Ivanov

Print version

Comment

E-mail This Article to a Friend

Welcome to day two of IG Online's live coverage of the U.S. Olympic Trials in Philadelphia! The women's competition begins at 7 p.m. local time.

We apologize as the comment system is currently down. We will fix this as soon as we can.

IG Live Update: 6:01 PM: The gymnasts are warming up for tonight's competition. The gymnasts are all wearing red and violet national team leoards, with the exception of Nastia Liukin, who looks stunning as usual in white, and Shayla Worley, who is wearing a pink and white leo. IG Live Update: 6:59 PM: The gymnasts are have finished their warmup and are leaving for march in. Interestingly, last night after the men's competition, the floor AAI floor was dismantled and a Janssen-Fritsen floor was put in. (The equipment in Beijing will be all JF, and the women's program insists on using it in competition). However the blue AAI carpet was rolled over the JF floor so it looks like it is AAI. The uneven bars are also JF, but they have been painted blue and "AAI" was painted in white on the side! They will dismantle the floor exercise again tonight for Saturday's men's finals, and once more for Sunday's women's finals. IG Live Update: 7:12 PM: The gymnasts are being introduced to the crowd, which is massive. Darling Hill, from nearby New Jersey, got the biggest applause along with world champions Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin. 2000 Olympian Kristen Maloney, a Pennsylvania native, is one of the escorts with the team. IG Live Update: 7:18 PM: The gymnasts are warming up for their first event. Click to download a start list.
Rotation 1
Chelsea Davis	VT	Yurchenko 1 1/2 - high and stuck.	14.700
Olivia Courtney	UB	Maloney, Jaeger, free hip to bail to toe shoot; toe Stalder to Gienger, giant-full to a stuck full-twisting double tuck. 5.6	14.400
Jana Bieger	VT	Yurchenko 1 1/2, low and with a small hop. Solid and better than usual. 5.5	14.600
Mackenzie Caquatto	UB	Maloney to bail to toe Stalder to toe shoot; blind to Jaeger, Tkatchev, toe-on half to giant full; stuck full out. Nice routine with nice form. 5.9. Big spread on B-Panel scores - 8.20 to 8.80.	14.450
Samantha Peszek	VT	double-twisting Yurchenko with one step. She should upgrade to 2.5 - it looks easy for her. 5.80	15.100
Britney Ranzy	UB	Toe Endo half; Maloney to bail; giant full to Tkatchev; double pike with a step forward; a bit heavy on the giant full and the casts. 5.4	13.700
Darling Hill	VT	Yurchenko 1 1/2 - beautiful form but not that much height.	14.650
Chellsie Memmel	UB	Hindorff to Pak, Stalder to Shaposhnikova to bail to toe hecht; toe-on Stalder giant full to Tkatchev, blind, jam to stuck double front. Nice routine for her now. 6.8	16.150
Amber Trani	VT	crashed Yurchenko double full. Very high on the table, same as warm ups.	13.250
Alaina Johnson	VT	Yurchenko full	13.800
Mattie Larson	UB	Endo half, Maloney, Stalder to bail to toe hecht, Stalder full, off line a bit, to Tkatchev; toe Stalder, double arabian dismount with a step forward. Good routine for Mattie - she fell on the dismount in the warmup. Coach Artur really worked to help her get through. 6.1	15.100
Nastia Liukin	VT	Stuck Yurchenko 1 1/2 - very nice. 9.5 B panel.	15.000
Shayla Worley	UB	Maloney, toe-on Tkatchev; Hindorff; clear hip full-late; to bail to toe hecht; toe on full to Tkatchev, blind change front giant-awkward looking, cowboyed double front with small hop. 6.7	15.400
Ivana Hong	VT	Yurchenko double-full - a little high on the table but still made it.	14.800
Randy Stageberg	UB	free hip to toe hecht; Gienger, blind to front giant half - bent arms and saved; Pak - extra cast; straddle shoot up hecht; giant-full crooked, double Arabian.	13.450
Corrie Lothrop	UB	toe on Stalder, blind change, toe Endo to piked Jaager; straddle Jaeger; free hip to bail to shoot up; giant full to Tkatchev; stuck full-in. Short casts and legs apart a bit on several occasions.
S. Johnson	UB	Jaeger, free hip half; to giant full to Gienger; free hip to toe on full to bail to toe hecht; layout double-double with a big step back. Three of her handstands looked short. 6.4	15.700
Rotation 2
Peszek	UB	giant 1 1/2 to Jaeger; clear hip half to high Gienger; clear hip to Bail to stalder shoot up; giant full, stuck full-twisting double layout;	15.300
Caquatto	BB	Yurchenko mount. Switch leap, back pike. full turn with leg up. Sheep jump. Back tuck. Korbut. Split leap, wolf. Ro ff 2 1/2 - stepped off the mat. 5.6	13.800
Memmel	BB	barani. switch leap back tuck. Standing Arabian, stuck. Illusion. Punch front, ff layout. Front aerial. Side aerial. Double pike with the smallest hop. Hit routine but lots of form problems and no grace. 6.9	16.000
A. Johnson	UB	Maloney to bail to toe hecht; straddle staldder blind; Endo half; toe on Stalder, Tkatchev; Stalder full late; double Arabian very close to the bar.	14.100
Larson	BB	front aerial two feet; switch ring; standing Arabian - needs to fix her technique on this; front aerial to flick layout; full turn in attitude; front aerial to scale; RO double tuck;. good routine for Mattie - this is a very nervous event for her. 6.6	14.400
Sloan	UB	toe blind to Endo half; toe hecht; pir Stalder full to Tkatchev; inside Stalder to toe-on Tkatchev; toe stalder to bail to Stalder hecht; full twisting double layout; with step forward. Very badly flexed feet on releases. 6.7	15.600
Worley	BB	split jump, straddle jump. Onodi. Switch leap. Kochetkova to sheep jump. Onodi to two feet. Illusion. Front aerial, ff layout. Slightly off. Russian Rulfova. Double tuck. 6.1 - .1 neutral deduction	14.800
Liukin	UB	hecht shoot; inside Stalder half to El; Endo in el; Ono full, Ono full, Ono full with a half (form break) to Gienger; inside Stalder to Tkatchev; Pak; toe hecht; double front half out close to the bar; froggie form and poor landing. Should be about 8.5 execution - given 9.00 from generous judges. 7.7	16.700
Stageberg	BB	straddle planche mount. Back tuck. Fulll turn with leg up - wobble. Front aerial. Sheep. Wobble. Ff, back pike. Switch leap, switch side. Side somi. Ff, ff double pike - fell backward.	13.900
Hong	UB	inside stalder blind to Endo half - had to muscle to save it; hecht; toe Stalder to inside Stalder full to Tkatchev; Stalder to bail to shoot up; toe-on Stalder; stuck full out. 6.6	15.200
Lothrop	BB	1 1/2 turn... Aerial roundoff. ff layout; front tuck; back tuck; switch to gainer layout; side arabian; double pike; step.
Davis	UB	Jaeger, free hip to Pak; Toe-on stalder to toe hecht; giant full to giant half to Bail to straddle shoot up; full out stuck	15.000
S. Johnson	BB	ff, ff two-foot layout. Standing full. Switch leap, layout, layout two feet. Switch side. She is nailing everything. Split leap, pike jump, back tuck - long. Full-in. Amazing tricks, but where is the elegance? 6.9	16.250
Bieger	UB	Endo half to hecht; Stalder full to Tkatchev; Stalder half to Ricna; Stalder full to bail; to hecht; full-in. Loose foot form throughout. 6.6	15.650
Sacramone	BB	front pike mount; back tuck; switch full; front tuck; ff layout two feet; turn with leg up; front pike, layout stepout; switch leap sissone. Ff ff stuck double pike. 6.5	15.650
Courtney	BB	fell on front aerial to sit mount - didn't make it over.	13.550
Rotation 3
Trani	BB	ff layout - small wobble. Switch side, short. Front aerial to two feet. Split jump, sisson. Front tuck. Double pike with a step.	14.400
Memmel	FX	very high piked Arabian double front. Double layout. Very powerful. 2 1/2 punch layout - stepped out of bounds. Double twist. The way she holds her hands and wrists should be a deduction. Stuck double pike. 6.1	15.300
A. Johnson	BB	Front aerial. Back tuck. Full turn. Sheep jump - poor. Front tuck. Front aerial to arabesque - big break. Very cowboyed double tuck.
Larson	FX	Arabian double front. Gorgeous triple full! Triple turn. Ring tour jete. 2 1/2 punch layout front. Really nice movement to the music, shows real elegance and style. This is how floor exercise should be! Double pike - low landing. Ran out of gas at the end but every pass was so high. 6.00	15.250
Sloan	BB	front aerial. Side aerial. Full turn wih leg up. Punch front. Ff layout step out. Switch leap, back tuck. Hands and wrists need work. Front aerial to one foot - had to save. Double pike, slightly low. 6.1	14.850
Worley	FX	scratch	0.000
Stageberg	FX	double arabian piked; full-in pike; double full; 2 1/2 front layout; switch ring switch full; double pike. Great tumbler	15.200
Liukin	BB	Press mount. Front aerial, ff layout. Full turn with leg up - beautfiul. Switch half. Sissone, sheep jump. Side somi. Onodi, wolf full. She's really on. Kickover front to arabesque (Nistor). Switch ring - well oversplit. 2 1/2 with a big hop forward. Nice routine. 6.6	16.100
Lothrop	FX	2 1/2 layout front. Tucked full-in. 1 1/2 to Rudi. Double full. Double pike.	14.950
Hong	BB	McCool mount. Front aerial, ff layout - slightly off. Onodi. Side aerial. Switch leap, back tuck. Sheep jump. Ff ff double pike with a step back. 6.7	15.700
Davis	BB	straddle press mount to double stag planche. Full turn with leg up - nothigh enough. Ff layout. Side aerial. Punch front. Back tuck. Korbut. Side somi. Switch leap. Back pike. Weird hurdle into her double pike dismount. Looks still like a junior.	14.750
S. Johnson	FX	Double-double. Whip triple full - barely around. Switch full; swich ring switch side half; turn leg up; Front full to Rudi. 1 1/2 staddle jump Double full. Tucked full-in. Nice tumbling. That is a big routine. The music doesn't seem to really fit however. 6.6	16.100
Bieger	BB	removed her planche mount. Barani - slightly off. Front pike. Full turn. Front aerial, ff layout. Switch leap, back pike. Punch front. Double front. 6.5	15.250
Sacramone	FX	Double turn with leg up. Tucked full-in. 1 1/2 split jump; Arabian double front. Front full. 2 1/2 punch layout - out. Lots of jumps and posing with attitude but no dance to speak of. Double pike. She landed half an inch from the corner on every pass except for the one she landed out.. Tumbling is high but tricks are standard - same as Carly Patterson four years ago.	15.400
Peszek	BB	standing full, back pike. Solid. Front aerial, ff layout. Front pike - a bit low. Full turn with leg up - not held. Switch leap to gainer layout. Double pike with one step. Very solid with not one wobble. 6.6	15.800
Courtney	FX	1 1/2 to Rudi, full-in tuck; switch full; full twisting split jump; double Arabian; double pike	14.750
Hill	BB	switch leap, back pike with a wobble. Fall on ff layout. Standing front tuck - wobble. Double front.	13.000
Caquatto	FX	Tucked full-in - OB. Triple twist - very nice. Double turn leg up; swith ring switch full; layout to front full; front double full; double pike - landed in a deep squat.	13.900
Ranzy	FX	huge double layout. Arabian double front - step back. 2 1/2 layout front. Front full. Double turn. Terrible music for floor exercise. Double pike - out of bounds.	14.300
Rotation 4
Worley	VT	Yurchenko 1 1/2 - close to sticking but had to step back.	14.600
Sloan	FX	1 1/2 to triple full - gorgeous but stepped out. Piked full-in - out again. Front double full. Triple turn, a bit off. Double twist. Double pike. Some problems on her landings but she is 3 months out of meniscus surgery. She would be a great addition to this U.S. team - clean gymnast and puts emotion into her routine.	14.550
Stageberg	VT	Yurchenko double full	14.900
Liukin	FX	front layout full, front double full, stuck. Nice. Handspring double front, one step back. Great jumps. 1 1/2 to Rudi. Double turn with leg up. 2 1/2. Just beautiful. If she can fix her bars dismount, she can really challenge for all-around gold in Beijing.	15.700
Lothrop	VT	Yurchenko double full
Hong	FX	handspring double front - legs together, nice. 2 1/2 front half very low; great form on the leaps. 1 1/2 to front full. Double pike. Great ending pose. Nice upgraded routine.	15.150
Johnson	VT	Yurchenko 2 1/2 with a step forward. Overrotates it - looks like she can do a triple.	15.950
Davis	FX	piked full-in - locked legged landing and skidded backward out of bounds. Front full to double full. 1 1/2 Rudi. Double pike.	14.850
Sacramone	VT	stuck layout Rudi. Not great distance from the horse, but probably the best she's ever done that vault!	15.900
Bieger	FX	Layout half-in half-out - out of bounds. Double layout - not completely straight. Front full, Rudi - sloppy. Double pike. Has all the tricks, but if she doesn't make this team it will be because she lacks polish and her B-Panel scores reflect that.	14.600
Courtney	VT	Yurchenko double-full - messy legs in the air	14.700
Peszek	FX	tucked double-double - higher than Johnson. 2 1/2 front full. Triple turn. Arabian double front - cowboyed and hop forward but stayed in bounds. 1 1/2 twist. Double pike. The fourth lock for the team after Johnson, Liukin and Sacramone.	15.650
Caquatto	VT	Yurchenko double full	14.950
Hill	FX	Switch half. Split jump full. Piked Arabian double front - so high. Handspring double front. 1 1/2 front full. Double pike - tucked down. Very good dancer.	14.950
Ranzy	VT	Yurchenko double full - high and far.	15.100
Trani	FX	tucked full-in; 1 1/2 front full; Rudi; double pike	14.250
Memmel	VT	stuck Yurchenko 1 1/2 - bent knees but much better than warm up	14.800
A. Johnson	FX	Tucked full-in. 1 1/2 front; RO double full; double pike with two quick steps forward.	14.250
Larson	VT	Yurchenko double full - good form but with a big hop.	14.800
IG Live Update: 10:17 PM: Top seven after one day (Click here to download full results): 1 Shawn Johnson 64.000 2. Nastia Liukin 63.500 3. Chellsie Memmel 62.250 4. Samantha Peszek 61.850 5. Ivana Hong 60.850 6.Jana Bieger 60.100 7. Mattie Larson 59.550 Top performances of the night according to the commentators: Christian Ivanov, 2000 Olympian from Bulgaria Vault: A tie between Johnson and Sacramone - 6.5 and 6.3 difficulty and 9.4 and 9.6 execution, respectively Uneven bars: Memmel – An on-the-edge routine; every release move had the maximum amplitude, she hit every handstand and stuck the landing Beam, floor: Shawn-routines full of big tricks and well done; potential medalist at the Olympics on these two events Best dance on floor: Ivana Hong Amanda Turner, IG Online Editor Vault: also a tie between Shawn Johnson and Sacramone - Shawn's vault looks like she's ready to pull out the triple, and Alicia did one of the best Rudi vaults of her life with a stuck landing. Uneven Bars: Memmel knows the U.S. team needs bars and she delivered here - she caught each release move like she was holding on for dear life. Balance Beam: Liukin has fewer tricks than Johnson, but she has the elegance on this event that Johnson lacks. Her leaps on this event are breathtaking. A beautiful routine tonight worthy of the world champion. Floor Exercise: Mattie Larson showed tonight that floor exercise is more than tumbling - though she had that too with a beautfiul triple full. A lot of coaches would do well to notice the attention to detail that the All Olympia coaches put into their athletes. Mattie would be a smart choice for an alternate to this team. See you again tomorrow afternoon for the men's finals!