Why Did So Many Greats Retire After Worlds 2011, and Olympic Trials 2012?

  We saw some greats retire in 2011, and 2012. But we must ask ourselves. Why?





Shawn Johnson (Retired 2011): Gymnastics sweetheart, Shawn Johnson retired after failing to make the Worlds Team in 2011. It was not a "I didn't make the team, I am so depressed" Kinda retirement, we saw at the Secret Classic that Shawn blew out her knee in a skiing accident, and she guaranteed us at Nationals that if she returned and contended for another Olympics, she would be a different Shawn, but we saw traces of the Shawn we all know and love. But after becoming the 3rd alternate "The Stay at Home Alternate" Shawn realized it was a waste of time, she was really done with the sport and did not want to risk her knee running towards what she thought was a dead dream, I was sad to see her retirement, because it wasn't a dead dream. She could've done it. She could've been in contention to defend her beam title.



Chellsie Memmel (Retired 2011)- Chellsie Memmel had the intention to return to the Olympic stage. She had the best performance on night one of the Visas. She was in 3rd place behind Aly Raisman and Jordyn Wieber. She had some great potential and we all knew that she was going to be at the Trials. Going into Night 2, we said "See you at the Trials process Chells. We knew that she was a contender. But all went awry night two, final rotation: Bars. I watched in horror as Chellsie fell off the bar on a EASY skill. The handstand. We watched as Chellsie's father and coach lifted her back to the high bar, and she went again. We watched as she transitioned with a near perfect Pak Salto. But then, she transitioned back up, hit handstand and fell once again. We then discovered after she saluted, routine half done, that her shoulder injury flared up, and she retired.


Nastia Liukin (Came back Late 2011, Retired after missing the Team)- Nastia Liukin, 2008 Olympic Champion. She was the gymnastics queen. But She wanted more. She wanted to succeed with her team rather than by herself. She told us early on in her comeback that she wasnt all around Nastia anymore she was Specialist Nastia, beam and bars. But after falling too many times to count in the process of selecting the Olympic Team, Nastia was ousted.  She retired out of disappointment that her Olympic Chances were really gone.


Rebecca Bross (Recovery Retired Because of Injury 2011, Came Back With Nastia 2012)- We all remember Rebecca's injury on the double twisting Yurchenko. We remembered that day. But Rebecca was so determined to go to London. She came back. But she struggled on bars and beam, her only two events, and it did not pan out, just like Nastia, she realized her dreams wouldn't come true, and walked away from the sport.


Alicia Sacramone (Retired after Trials) Alicia was the 2010 Vaulting Champion and the 2011 World Team Member. She was a great gymnast, but she, with the rest of  her Olympian buddies, didn't make the team



Bridget Sloan: Bridget never retired, she went to Worlds, won the all around in 2009. She won it ahead of teammate, Rebecca Bross. Bridget had all the intention to go back to the Olympic Scene, but she injured her shoulder when warming up a Tkatchev and had to scratch the Trials. We said goodbye to Bridge as she decided to stop her elite career and go down to the collegiate level.

Why didn't WOGA make the London Team?

  2012, it was a golden year for team USA, but we didn't see a lot of greats on the team. After getting over the amazing shock of the gold medal year for gymnastics, we ask ourselves: Where were the WOGAns? Where were their elites?


Rebecca Bross: Rebecca Bross: 2010 National Champion, 2009 Silver medalist at nationals, 2010 Bronze World all-around medalist, and 2009 silver Worlds all-around medalist. Rebecca has a lot of credentials. She went back home with 4 medals in 2010, and 2 in 2009. Rebecca was definitely exceptional. In 2011 Rebecca dislocated her kneecap at Nationals when she landed wrong on a Yurchenko Double. She then came back in 2012 at the Classic, her gymnastics were effected, she wasn't as great as she was when she won 2010 Nationals. At Trials, she fell off the bars so many times that Valeri just said. "Salute to the judges and be done" That had to be discouraging to 2010 National Champion.


Nastia Liukin: 2008 All-Around Champion, gymnastics' wonder girl, she even had her own competition. Nastia was the best of the best, in the Hall Of Fame. After Nastia quit gymnastics, she had to take some time off to figure just how much she loved the sport. Nastia had to salute for one last competition. Nastia began her comeback at the 2012 CoverGirl Classic, where she only competed on beam, she was really good, we saw hints of the 2005-2008 Nastia. But come Nationals, Nastia fell apart, making mistakes on her best event, bars. and the event that would help her make the team. The Trials were the worst part, she fell off the bars, and had a shaky performance on beam. Not making the team


   Th

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.

Nastia Liukin: Her Events

With Nastia Liukin being an Olympic All-Around Champion, naturally, I have to do a Her Events segment on her.



Vault: Vault was never Nastia's strong event. She only performed the Yurchenko single twist, but as we saw in the All-Around Final, Nastia sticks that vault. I think that Nastia has a secret fear of the vault, just like her teammate Rebecca Bross did after her injury. Nastia did have her fair shares of injury on this event, downgrading her vault one by one. But hey, she won the All-Around right?


Bars: This is where Nastia truly shined in her career, having a astounding 17.2 start value. From her perfect handstands to her high-difficulty-high-flying releasees. And not to mention the dismount. This has always been a strong point for Nastia, even though she flubbed at the 2012 competitions, to get herself back to the Olympics, Nastia will forever be known as the best bar worker in USA history. One of the best in the world, right next to the Chinese and the Russians.


Beam: This is Nastia's second best event, she has a move named after her on this event. She has great artistry, and a decent amount of power on the event.


Floor: Nastia is also good on this event, but not great. She could improve on the power area, but her choreography is amazing.




   In addition to being a great beam worker, a great bar worker, and a typical great all-around gymnast, Nastia is a great cover upper, see this beam routine at the 2006 Nationals, if you haven't seen it already, it is truly a great save.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u483g1-8AYM


    Despite the save, and gripping the beam, Nastia still won the all-around competition, make sure to watch the 2006 Visa Championships, where Nastia won the all-around, the bars competition, naturally, and the beam. She was a phenomenal athlete, and we are going to miss her, but will likely re-watch her competitions which she shined at. Which she won.

Svetlana Khorkina and Nastia Liukin: They proved people wrong

      So,  you know how in gymnastics, we think that gymnasts have to be short to be in the sport? Well thats not true, and to prove it, Nastia Liukin and Svetlana Khorkina were champions. They were both above 5 feet, and at first, judges, fans, and other gymnasts thought that they were too tall, but when these gymnasts started swiping the competitions, winning everything, they were proved wrong, Nastia won the all-around gold at 22 years and she was 5''6. Svetlana placed in the top five, a little less awesome than Nastia, and she won all the other competitions she entered,  besides 2000 Sydney, and 2004, Athens, at the height of 5''7. Wow! So, for those of you who thought that the wonderful sport of gymnastics was only for short people, you are wrong. Many of the greats have been tall. And thanks to Svetlana and Nastia, we now all know that!!!!

Judging Her Gymnastics: Nastia Liukin

   So,  I decided that it would be fun if I judged someone's gymnastics, not so much mean as weighing it out, I will tell you what I liked, what I didn't. But with this gymnast........... It will be hard to do, but I'll try....................Its Nastia Liukin!!!!!!!!!!!

   What I Liked: Ever since Svetlana Khorkina retired, we didn't see a lot of artistry, we saw power, at least in the senior standings, but when Nastia turned senior, she brought a great amount of artistry, with brilliant bar sets, beam sets, and floor sets. She shocked the world when she won four National Championships. She brought artistry back to the sport, she brought grace.

What I didn't like: This section is hard to do, but I guess I would have to say Nastia lacked power in her gymnastics, especially on vault and floor, she threw small skills on floor, and only had a single twist on vault, compared to her "arch-foe" Shawn Johnson who had an Amanar down

     Despite her lacking in the power department,  Nastia was one of the greatest gymnasts, the greatest since Svetlana Khorkina. She was an artistic wonder, all the little gymnasts in the USA want to be like Nastia, and that proves that you are a great gymnast, when others want to be like you. 

Remembering the Greats: Nastia Liukin

 When she first bounced into her first competition as a junior, five years old, we knew that little Nastia had potential. We watched as the little one flourished into a great gymnast. In 2005, Nastia won the Nationals, as well as the Worlds, and went on until Shawn Johnson came into the scene in 2007, won Nationals, but Nastia won the most important title in gymnastics, the Olympic All-Around. She made her father proud, but she decided she wanted to do it again.  She tried in 2012, to make the Olympic team, but she never made the Olympic team, but winning 2008 Olympic gold  was amazing, we all wanted Nastia to make it again, but she missed the cut, and as Nastia waved to the crowd one last time, she gave her bars routine, and left the sport forever. Just like her teammate Shawn Johnson did a year earlier, we know Nastia for her brilliant lines, her grace, her artistry. She was one of the greats, she had the qualities of the greats, Nadia Comeneci and Svetlana Khorkina. We will miss her, and we know that some of the WOGA gymnasts will gain her traits, but they will never replace Nastia in our hearts.

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!

2012: No WOGA Gymnasts Made it to the Olympics: Does that put pressure on Valeri Liukin?

  So, in 2004 and 2008, WOGA was at its peak. Everyone was coming in hoping to train with Valeri Liukin at WOGA because he had trained 2004 Olympic All-Around Champion, Carly Patterson, and 2008 All-Around Olympic Champion, his daughter, Nastia Liukin. WOGA was a very good gym. Business was booming, Valeri was spotting, and it was good. In 2012, he sent two gymnasts to Nationals, both messed up, he then petitioned both to the Olympic Trials, both messed up. In the end. not Rebecca Bross or Nastia Liukin made the team, both were devastated, and Valeri was on the sidelines shaking his head. He watched as the Fierce Five was named, none of his "apprentices" making the team. And no new kids wanted to train at the legendary WOGA gym. Valeri was very sad, and this pushed both of his star gymnasts to retire. Valeri hopes to get someone to Rio. Valeri feels pressure to get a  gymnast on the 2016 team. Valeri wants to relive the glory. He wants to go to the Olympics, he wants to get past the trials.

Nastia Liukin: A Younger Version of Svetlana Khorkina

    I know its a little late, with Nastia being retired and all, but who did she remind you of? Her lean lines? Perfect Form? Loves bars? Ugh really? Its Svetlana Khorkina! Nastia Liukin is a spitting image of her, she is also Russian! I mean seriously guys....... Anyway, they are spitting images of each other. They have the same qualities, basically the same gymnastics, and the same look the international judges love. And the craziest thing? They are the same height! That is cray-cray. Nastia was artistic, powerful, and like Khorkina, she won everything! The only two differences were: She was from the USA (Nastia) and Nastia won an olympic gold medal

Nastia Liukin: What went wrong in 2012?

  Nastia Liukin, 2008 Olympic All-Around Champ, wanted to try to go to London back in 2012. But, some things went wrong, cutting Nastia from the team. But, for all you people who know squat about gymnastics and are always asking this question: What went wrong? I will tell you what went wrong in the events


2012 Classic: Nastia was dressed to impress Marta, but she only competed on beam, and had a shaky routine, not impressing Marta, because she was only competing on one event, and it was not at its prime



2012 Nationals: Luckily, Nastia added bars, or was it lucky? Because, at the Visas, Nastia competed on bars, and had a huge struggle with her Pak Salto transition. She lost the combination, had to take extra spins around the bar, exhausting her, and making her do a simple, elementary dismount.


2012 US Trials: On Beam, Nastia stumbled on her side summie, making her lose balance, stumble around the beam for 20 seconds, and making her rush to catch up in the routine. On bars, Nastia missed handstand, and her legs folded, and because Nastia is not a power gymnast, she does not have as much endurance as that of a power gymnast, so Nastia had trouble handling the dismount, and not to mention that she fell on a Jaegar, and on her dismount.

Shawn Johnson vs. Nastia Liukin: Fighting For First

    Nastia Liukin, at the top for so so so long, winning every event she entered, from the WOGA Championships to the American Cup, she won. But in 2007, in come Shawn Johnson, a fresh senior, just out of the junior league, and Shawn certainly came in with a bang, beating Nastia in every competition both of them entered, there was kind of a subtle rivalry between them.
                                                                                                                                                                                 
 

    VS.         







The competition between these girls was insane, Shawn beat Nastia at the 2007 Nationals, the 2007 World Championships, and Nastia had to deal with second place in both competitions, not to mention the 2008 Nationals, and not to mention Shawn grabbing the first spot to the 2008 team, but Liukin made the team, and flew to Beijing with Johnson. And a few days later, Liukin bested Shawn, winning the All-Around, and Nastia finally won again. But it wasn't the same in beam finals, where it was reversed, and Shawn bested Nastia in that final.

Going Back In Time: Nastia Liukin

Nastia Liukin, the second American girl in a row to win the All-Around gold, for so long, she was fighting for first with Shawn Johnson, but on that one special day in 2008, she was the star, the beauty, of the sport. Nastia always wanted to impress her father, make him cry, but when she was on the highest spot on the podium, she was smiling and waving, and she looked tia over to her father, who was smiling and crying at the same time, he was so happy that his daughter won the highest honor in gymnastics, and Nastia was so happy to impress her father. Nastia gave a little wave to her father and smiled. After pictures were taken, Nastia ran down and embraced her father. So, Nastia's won AA gold, so she's done right? NOT! Nastia took a little break, but made a daring return to the gym in 2011, and decided to start competing in 2012. Even though she didn't make it to the team because of some huge bar mishaps, it doesn't mean that we do not love her! We still go back into the days, every once in awhile, we re-watch the all-around, to relive the glory of Nastia winning the gold medal, and waving to her adoring fans. Relive, relive, relive, relive a moment we will never, ever ever forget, the moment where Nastia was on top. I know Nastia would never forget that momentous moment in her life, and neither will I, and neither will all the gymnastics fans in the World