Who Made the 2008 Olympic Gymnastics Team?

The US women are the defending World Champions, and one of the favorites to win team gold in Beijing. Here's who made the squad.

Meet the Olympic Gymnastics Team

• Shawn Johnson
  Johnson was the 2007 World All-Around Champion, and racked up a steady stream of all-around wins in her first year as a senior competitor: at the American Cup, the Pan American Games, and USA Nationals. She defended her all-around title at the 2008 Nationals, and won the Olympic Trials as well.
  Her Biggest Strengths: She does some of the hardest routines being performed in the world, and almost always hits them cold. She also has the enviable status of coming into the Olympics as the reigning world champion.
  Shawn Johnson Photo Gallery

• Nastia Liukin
  Liukin has won the all-around at four national championships (two as a junior in 2003 & 2004, and two as a senior in 2005 & 2006). She finished second all-around at the World Championships in 2005 (losing to teammate Chellsie Memmel by the slimmest margin possible [.001 points]), and has won a total of nine medals at Worlds.
  Her Biggest Strengths: She can bring in enormous scores on uneven bars and balance beam, and is known for her beautiful artistry throughout all her routines.
  Nastia Liukin Photo Gallery

• Alicia Sacramone
  Sacramone has won a world title on floor (2005) and medaled three times on vault at Worlds (2005-07).
  Her Biggest Strengths: She’s been a rock for the USA team on vault and floor, and more recently on beam as well. She can be counted on to do a great routine when the team most needs it.

• Chellsie Memmel
  As mentioned earlier, Memmel was the 2005 World All-Around Champion, and has an impressive medal tally on the other events as well: a gold (2003) and silver (2005) on bars, a silver on beam (2005), and a gold (2003) and silver (2006) from team competition. After battling a shoulder injury throughout 2007, she placed third all-around at the 2008 Nationals and third again at the Olympic Trials.
  Her Biggest Strengths: She’s known for having big tricks and risky routines, and being a tough-as-nails competitor.

• Samantha Peszek
  Peszek was also a member of the 2007 world team, and helped the USA team win gold at the Pan American Games as well. At the 2008 American Cup she finished 3rd all-around, and she ranked fourth all-around at 2008 Nationals and Olympic Trials.
  Her Biggest Strengths: She is a very good vaulter, and proved at the American Cup and Nationals that she can put up solid scores on every event. She also has some of the most difficult tumbling in the world in her floor routine.

• Bridget Sloan
  Sloan was named the alternate to the 2007 world team, in just her first year of competition at the senior level. She also placed third all-around in the Beijing Olympic Test Event at the end of 2007.
  Her Biggest Strengths: She’s good on all the events and could compete on any one of them if need be. She's also improved her bar routine recently, and placed third on bars (behind Liukin and Memmel) at the 2008 US Nationals. She can vault a solid double-twisting Yurchenko if the team needs her on that event.

The Alternates

These gymnasts will be counted on to fill in if a member of the team gets injured.

• Jana Bieger
  Bieger was a member of the 2006 world team, as well as the World All-Around Silver Medalist in 2006.
  Her Biggest Strengths: She is solid on all four events, and can be counted on to hit her routines.

• Ivana Hong
  Hong was a member of the 2007 world and Pan American teams.
  Her Biggest Strengths: She is accomplished on all four events, and does her gymnastics with incredible form that the judges love.

• Corrie Lothrop
  Lothrop proved herself to be a consistent competitor at both the Olympic Trials (8th all-around) and US Nationals (9th all-around).
  Her Biggest Strengths: It's been rumored that Lothrop has been training an Amanar vault, which could really help the team out if they end up needing another vaulter.

  
  

  
  

  Poll: Who's your favorite US gymnast?

  • Jana Bieger
  • Ivana Hong
  • Shawn Johnson
  • Nastia Liukin
  • Chellsie Memmel
  • Samantha Peszek
  • Alicia Sacramone
  • Bridget Sloan
  • Shayla Worley
  • Another gymnast!

  
  View Results