WOGA's Greats: Carly Patterson, Nastia Liukin, and Rebecca Bross(?)

  So, in 2004, and 2008, we had back to back Olympic All-Around champion. But, I don't know that you have noticed, both Carly Patterson and Nastia Liukin came from the prestige WOGA club. they were both trained by gymnastics legend Valeri Liukin (Yes, Valeri Liukin is Nastia's father. Anyway, those two were amazing. Valeri was pretty much the most prestigious coach in the World. But, Valeri had another little prodigè, Rebecca Bross. But, she was not as successful as Nastia or Carly. She won no gold medals besides a Nationals. Just like Viktoria Komova of Russia, silver was Bross's story. Valeri only deemed her hug worthy when she won the Visa Nationals in 2010. Not when she medaled silver in nearly every event there was. But, in 2012, when neither Nastia Liukin or Rebecca Bross made it due to mistakes. Valeri still loves Nastia, and will still think of her as his prized all-around gymnast, same with Carly Patterson. And will think of Nastia as her daughter, but having no relation to Rebecca, and Rebecca having only one huge success in her gymnastics life, Valeri does not put Rebecca on his prized pupil podium (PPP) Rebecca wanted so badly to be on that podium, Nastia in first, Carly in the silver medal position so to speak. But Rebecca was replaced by little Katelyn Ohashi, who at the moment is the bronze medalist on the PPP.  Katelyn winning the 2013 American Cup, beating the World Champion Simone Biles.

WOGA Gym: Loses Record of Having All-Around Champions Every Olympics

  WOGA Gymnastics. WOGA is a great gym. WOGA spat out some of the greats, 2004 Olympic All-Around Champion, Carly Patterson, and 2008 champion, Nastia Liukin. Valeri Liukin, (yes, Valeri is Nastia's father, Liukin isn't THAT common of a name, on second thought, no one has that last name). Valeri is a perfectionist. He was a team and horizontal bar gold medalist for the former Soviet Union team. Valeri tried teaching men's gymnastics, but thought he would like torturing girls better. Valeri Liukin soon went to build WOGA, and in bounced little Carly Patterson. In 2004, Carly would make her coach proud when she would win the gold medal over Russia's great, Svetlana Khorkina. And that enough, made the world proud, Carly beat a Russian! Anyway, after Carly won gold, little Nastia, who was training, fixated herself to follow in Patterson's footsteps in 2008, and she did, it was between her and Shawn Johnson for the gold, Chow was hoping for gold, but Nastia knew she couldn't let this escape, she couldn't let the chance to bring pride to WOGA, two times in a row, Olympic Champion coming from that gym. So, when Shawn took a step back on her final pass, Nastia knew that she could do it. "I just have to stick all my landings" Nastia said to her coach, and father, Valeri. "I know you can. I have faith in you, this is what you have been training your whole life for. This floor routine" Valeri said. And you know what? that I know you can, and that I have faith in you was all that Nastia needed to win gold. At the 2012 trials, in California, Valeri's gymnasts had struggled, Rebecca Bross, who had had a horrific knee injury at the 2011 Nationals (A full-blown injury, a dislocated kneecap) and his daughter, Nastia Liukin. Both girls had Valeri's key traits: Perfectionists, determination, and focus. But, something went wrong, and at the end of night two, both girls had three strikes against them. They both decided to specialize on bars and beam. Nastia: a harsh leg bend. face plant from the bars, and a fall on her dismount. Bross: huge leg separation on bars, fall on bars, and what shot her down? The fall on her Patterson dismount. Valeri did have one more shot, a little-known just senior gymnast, but inexperience caught her, and Valeri did not go to London, he had no gymnast to take. But Valeri has a lot of hopefuls up his sleeve for Rio. And I have been watching videos, interviews, and everything, and I know who they are!



1. Katelyn Ohashi
2. Madison Kocian
3. Alyssa Baumann
4. Nadia Cho (Notice her first name, I bet Valeri is excited to have the next Nadia Comeneci watch her in training!)
5. Asia DeWalt
6. Samantha Ogden
7. Lauren Farley


     With seven potentials.......all turning senior before Rio, one or two of them have to make it, I mean that would be really sad if he didn't, I mean he has seven potentials, he might have to close the gym out of shame after this one, and imagine if he didn't qualify anyone into 2020? That.........that itself is a horrific horrific, failure, but if I know Valeri, he will get someone into 2016, and then 2020, and then 2024, 2028, but then again, I am getting ahead of myself. Well Valeri, I hope to see you in Rio with one of these seven girls, maybe even two, three? But, again, I am getting ahead of myself! Go WOGA!

Why are WOGA's gymnasts so dominant?

   Even though the WOGA gymnasts didn't make the team, they still are dominant in this sport. Why? Because they are trained by an Olympic Champion, Valeri Liukin. Valeri is a hard coach, and he trains stellar gymnasts, with stellar form. All the WOGA gymnasts have stellar bars sets, with stellar form. They stick every landing. Why? Because Valeri Liukin is a perfectionist. He wants everything to be perfect. And, I believe they can make it next Olympics. And one of those gymnasts competing at the trials will be Katelyn Ohashi. She has stellar form on bars. She has one of the highest beam scores in the World (Perhaps the highest) She will be at the Trials, unless injury prevents her from doing so.

Who is WOGA's best shot at Olympic Stardom?

   So, WOGA was not represented at the 2012 Olympics. No WOGAans made it. But Valeri has been training some gymnasts. In My opinion, Katelyn Ohashi, newly dubbed senior is their best shot. Ohashi has experience on the international stage, she competed for the US, with Simone Biles, at the AT&T American Cup, and won it. She won over Simone Biles, National and Worlds Champion. When she vaulted, she had stellar form. And not to forget the beam, bars, and floor sets, which were just as good. She stuck every landing, while Simone fell off the beam, and had a sloppy landing on floor. I expect Ohashi to make the team, she is the best of the WOGA family. She has that international look that the judges would love. She has tight form, stellar look, and beautiful tumbling and skills, and not to mention her artistry level is through the roof! So, Katelyn, I guess I will see you in Rio.

Rising Stars: Katelyn Ohashi

  Here we are in 2014, 2 years since the Fierce Five won gold. But, with most of them being retired, its time to look at new gymnasts, the gymnasts who have turned senior in the 2013-14 season. In this article of Rising Stars, I have decided to focus on Katelyn Ohashi, who's gymnastics career soared in just the first year that she turned senior. Both her and Simone Biles were alternates for Elizabeth Price and Kyla Ross, at the 2013 American Cup,  who both withdrew from the competition from injuries, so both Simone and Katelyn were called up. Katelyn was behind going into vault and bars, because she didn't throw big enough stunts, but when she went into Balance Beam, where she had the hardest routine out of the whole field, she dominated, also, Simone fell on her back handspring, back handspring layout, giving Ohashi a colossal lead over Simone. Katelyn was first up on floor, and she delivered a routine of beautiful artistry, stuck landings, and dance. Biles however, did not include enough artistry, and all gymnastics fans know that that is a huge requirement in the current COP, and then she also had a stumbled landing on her Double Arabian. So, naturally, gold at the American Cup 2013. And she had the coach: Valeri Liukin, the perfectionist, to guide her towards gold. And we all know Valeri Liukin as Nastia Liukin's coach, and if you haven't caught on from the last name, her father. Nastia made her father, and coach, when she was up on top of the 2008 All-Around Olympic Podium, and thats what Katelyn is trying to do, and did at the American Cup: Win gold and make her coach extremely proud. She has yet to do it at the Olympic Games, but I have a irking feeling that Katelyn can follow in her gym-mate's footsteps and be in some serious contention for the Olympic Team, and if she makes it, we would definitely see her in the All-Around Finals, come the Olympic Games 2016.

2013 American Cup: Champion.

  Simone Biles, an amazing gymnast, winning the National and World Championships, but surprisingly, she did not win the American Cup, 2013. Another budding, just senior gymnast did. And that gymnast was artistic beauty: Katelyn Ohashi. She delivered amazing vaults, bars, beam, and floor. Her beam routine placed her in front of the pack, after Simone Biles fell, Katelyn aced her routine, and on floor, Katelyn dominated, while Biles came short on a landing, and had a stumbled landing, so, because of all of her aced routines,  and Biles's flunked routines, Katelyn Ohashi of WOGA, made her coach Valeri Liukin very proud.