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Alternate on the 2008 German Olympic team, Kim Bui told IG she looks forward to Saturday's American Cup in Chicago as "good preparation" for other major events in 2009, including April's European Championships in Milan.  Kim Bui (Germany) "After the last big competition last year I started to learn new acrobatic elements and connections for 2009," said Bui, who turned 20 on Jan. 20. "So very early I decided already what I would present in my exercises, in terms of new acrobatic elements and connections. This was a new experience for me to perform routines so early! But I think it is good practice. I want to take part at the European Championships, so I think the American Cup is a good preparation for this event." Bui said she is still inspired to stay in the sport, although she did not make the line-up of the German team that placed 12th at the 2008 Olympic Games last summer. Bui travelled to Beijing as the team's alternate. "I really like gymnastics, so why not continue with training and competing?" said Bui, the daughter of a Vietnamese mother and Laotian father. "After the Olympics I resumed training and asked myself, 'Why I should stop?' I think I will continue doing gymnastics and participate in competitions as long as I have fun and time." Following the Beijing Olympics, Bui won a total of three medals in two World Cup competitions held last fall. She took the silver medal on vault and the bronze medal on uneven bars at the Glasgow Grand Prix; and tied for the bronze medal on floor exercise at the DTB Cup in Stuttgart. Bui trains at the TSG Tuebingen club near Stuttgart. Bui will be accompanied in Chicago by Robert Mai, one of her two coaches. Her main coach, Tamara Khokhlova, is unable to attend. A native of Russia, Khokhlova previously coached Russian Olympians Yelena Dolgopolova and Anna Chepelyova. Two-time Olympian Fabian Hambüchen will represent the German men in Chicago. In addition to Bui, the women's field will include Becky Downie (Great Britain), Youna Dufournet (France), Kristina Goryunova (Russia), Jessica Lopez (Venezuela), Amelia Racea (Romania), Brittany Rogers (Canada), Bridget Sloan (U.S.), Koko Tsurumi (Japan) and Jordyn Wieber (U.S.). "I don't have big specific goals," Bui said of her aim for the American Cup. "My goal is to present myself in good shape and to test what I learned lately. I aim to perform a new routine on uneven bars. The elements are the same, but the order is different." At TSG Tübingen, Bui's training partners include 17-year-old Olympian Marie-Sophie Hindermann, who placed fifth on uneven bars and 14th all-around at the 2007 World Championships. Bui said their relationship is mutually beneficial. "Marie-Sophie motivates me very much in how she performs her exercises," Bui said. "She hardly ever gives up and is a strong fighter, even if things don't go the way she wants. I admire her stamina. And sometimes I talk to her about my experiences as young girl, because I also started as a young girl and know what is important to do in certain situations, such as usual failures." Bui, who plans to enroll in a university this fall, said she in unsure about her status for the 2009 World Championships (Oct. 13-18 in London) or other competitions leading to the London 2012 Olympics. "That's a difficult question," Bui told IG. "If I'll start my studies in autumn, I think it won't be so easy to accommodate training, but I will just see in the future. Step by step!" IG Magazine Related Features To subscribe to IG Magazine or order back issues, click here. Comments (0)
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