WOMEN’S ARTISTIC
PREVIEW
By Scott Bregman
T
he 2011 Visa Championships women’s competition will highlight the current depth of Team USA as defending Visa Champion and two-time World Championships allaround medalist Rebecca Bross and 2011 AT&T American Cup champion Jordyn Wieber compete for the title. Joining Bross and Wieber will be 2010 World Championships team silver-medalists Mackenzie Caquatto and Alexandra Raisman. Raisman won last month’s 2011 CoverGirl Classic all-around title in Chicago, debuting an exciting two-and-a-half twisting Yurchenko vault en route to the title. Additionally, four members of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games silver medal winning team will be on the competition floor in Saint Paul, including 2010 World team members Alicia Sacramone, who is also the 2010 World vault champion, and Bridget Sloan, the 2009 World all-around champion. Sloan, who is recovering from an injury, will be in Saint Paul but may not compete. Chellsie Memmel, who placed second in the all-around at the CoverGirl Classic, and 2008 Olympic balance beam champion Shawn Johnson, who is returning to competition after a nearly three year layoff, join their Olympic teammates. The 2011 Visa Championships will also see the emergence of first-year senior competitors Bridgette Caquatto, Gabrielle Douglas, McKayla Maroney and Sabrina Vega. The four newcomers, in addition to Amanda Jetter, were part of the U.S. contingent at the 2011 City of Jesolo Trophy competition in Jesolo, Italy. Team USA won 16 medals in Italy including Maroney’s all-around gold medal. Grace McLaughlin, who won the American Classic all-around title, and junior National Team member Mackenzie Wofford will also compete in their first Visa Championships as seniors. Two former collegiate standouts, Casey Jo Magee, who finished second all-around at the 2010 NCAA Championships for Arkansas, and Anna Li, a member of UCLA’s winning 2010 NCAA Championships team, will also compete in Saint Paul. Magee and Li won the balance beam and uneven bars titles, respectively, at the 2011 American Classic. The junior competition will showcase many talented up-and-comers, including two-time defending Visa Championships junior women’s allaround champion Kyla Ross and Katelyn Ohashi, whose beam routine contains a layout back flip with a full twist and a standing Arabian, making it one of the most difficult exercises in the world. Junior National Team members Sarah Finnegan, Ericha Fassbender, Ariana Guerra, Lexie Priessman, Elizabeth Price, Kennedy Baker and Brenna Dowell are also ones to watch in Saint Paul.
REBECCA BROSS
All photos © John Cheng
8
2011 Visa Championships