Since there has been so much going on in the gymnastics world this year, we thought we would give you a Top 10 list of things we are thankful for! Gymnastike has traveled to countless new places this past year, all in an effort to bring YOU the best gymnastics coverage! From awesome Workout Wednesdays, to club competition, to NCAA Nationals to the Trials and even on to Olympics, the year is coming to an end. We are very excited to begin the new season in just over a month but first, we would like to step back and list a few of the many things we are thankful for this year. 

1. The Fierce Five- Gabby Douglas, Jordyn Wieber, Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney, and Kyla Ross- bringing the team gold medal back to the USA! Of course this has to be #1. These girls have been absolutely incredible to watch. Their years of tireless effort and determination have not only allowed them to make their dreams come true, but they have motivated thousands of young gymnasts to follow in their foot steps. Thank you, Fience Five, for being such great examples to the younger gymnasts who aspire to be Olympic Champions as well!



We are also very thankful that all of the stars aligned for Olympic All Around Champion, Gabby Douglas! Her name will forever be in the history books as the third American in a row to win the title, and being the first African American to do so!

2. The luck that Danell Leyva's towel has brought him this year! Since 2007, Danell has made a habit of hiding under his towel to focus when he is on the sidelines, . Because of this towel (and quite a bit of hard work in the gym) Danell was able to become the 2012 American Cup AA Champ, the US Parallel Bars and High Bar Champ, and win the silver medal in the AA at Visas. But most importantly, this towel traveled to London with Leyva where he won the bronze medal in the All Around and was the only member of the US Men's Team to bring home a medal. Congratulations Danell! The towel even had it's own twitter this summer... even with all this fame, we hope that Danell washes the towel every once in a while!



3. Aly Raisman's gold medal winning floor routine at the Olympics. Aly was faced with two tie-breaker performances before this flawless routine. She tied for 3rd place in the individual AA and the Balance Beam final. Luckily, the latter fell in her favor (with some frantic charades from the US Team Coordinators to Mihai telling him to file and inquiry). During her floor routine, her final performance of the Games, Aly added the front layour to her first pass for the first time at the Games (1.5 twist, Double Arabian, Front Layout). She left the last skill out in the Team Final and Individual AA Final. It was not necessary for her gold in the Floor Final, but we are so glad that she went out with a bang! Aly left London as the most decorated US gymnast- Team Gold, Floor Gold, and Beam Bronze. In this Workout Wednesday, Aly showed us the new pass in a February training session! 

4. The legacy that Chellsie Memmel has provided to USA Gymnastics. Just last week, Chellsie announced her official retirement from the sport and she deserves the utmost respect from everyone in the sport- not many resumes compare to her longevity on the elite scene. She began competing elite in 2000- that's right 12 years ago! So, while Olympic Champ Gabby Douglas was just learning how to walk on a balance beam at 6 years old, Chellsie was already competing as an elite. 



Memmel was alternate for the 2004 Olympic Team in Athens. Though favored to be a member of the team, a broken bone in her foot at a training camp prevented her from full training. In 2005, she battled back to become the World AA Champion- beating Liukin by just .001. Memmel again qualified to the 2006 World Team but was forced to withdraw from AA and event finals due to a reaggrevated shoulder injury. Memmel competed in 2007 but with watered down routines as she was recovering from injuries. Memmel made the 2008 Olympic Team, as expected but was again ridden with injury- she hurt her ankle during training in Beijing. Luckily, she was still able to compete on uneven bars. Memmel took some well-deserved time off but come back to the sport in 2011 at the CoverGirl Classic. She was named to the Pan-American Games team but withdrew so that she could continue rehabbing a shoulder injury. Chellsie's last gymnastic routine was at the 2012 CoverGirl Classic on the balance beam.

Showing her commitment to the sport, Chellsie was a timer on beam at the 2012 Visa Championships because she was not able to compete. She was also a particiapnt in the Kellogg's Tour this fall. Thank you for your commitment to the sport, Chellsie!

5. Dare we say it- Twitter! How else would we have kept up with the day-to-day lives of gymnastics super stars?! The media of this generation has allowed the athletes to share pictures, thoughts, quotes, funny stories, and incredible moments with us. Their tweets, in 140 characters or less, made us feel like we were at the Games and on the Kellogg's Tour. Thanks for the constant updates! 


Photo from Jordyn Wieber's Twitter

6. Alexander Alexandrov now being available to coach in the US! Come on, you know you want to. And bring the talent of Mustafina and Komova with you! Alexandrov was dismissed as the head coach of the Russian team after the London Games. Alexandrov was also the personal coach of 2012 Uneven Bars Champion and AA Bronze medalist, Aliya Mustafina. His coaching contract with Mustafina will expire December 30.

Before accepting the Head Coach position for the Russian team, he spent several years in the US coaching top gymnasts (Carly Patterson, Dominique Moceanu, Mohini Bhardwaj and Kim Zmeskal, to name a few) at the Houston Gymnastics Club. Do you think Alexandrov will be returning to the US for a fresh start?

7. The composure of Jordyn Wieber in London. We all (most) were expecting her fairy tale to come true and were in complete disbelief when she was not even given an opportunity to make thsi dream come true. I cannot even begin to imagine how crushed Jordyn must have felt the evening of the qualification competition. However, Jordyn rose above this disappointment and supported her teammates in the most difficult of situations. She could have been bitter, she could have been angry, but Jordyn showed us her true self- a team player. During the games we saw an incredible new side of the mature, and respectful Jordyn Wieber.She had a lot of growing up to do when one of her teammates and best friends, Aly Raisman, took her spot in the Individual AA Final and she handled it will class. Great job Jordyn, you will always be remembered. Thank you for setting an amazing example of what sportsmanship looks like.



8. The Flying Dutchman! Epke Zonderland blew us all away with his high bar routine at the Olympics. Zonderland won the 2012 Olympic High Bar title in style- three huge release moves in a row and a stuck dismount! We now know he can do even more. Check out this video with 24 release moves in a row! How is that even possible?!

9. McKayla Maroney's vault. The reigning World Champ and Olympic silver medalist has done pretty well for herself after the games. Her 'not impressed' face has even spread to the White House! This stardom came from her gymnastics, of course. McKayla is the 2010 and 2011 US Vault Champ, 2011 World Vault Champ, and 2012 Olympic Trials Vault Champ. Her vault in the Team Final at the Olympics was thought by some to be absolutely perfect. No one's Amanar compares to McKayla Maroney's Amanar- we are very impressed!

10. The upcoming NCAA season! Only 4 NCAA teams have ever won the National title- Utah (9 times), Georgia (10 times), Alabama (6 times), and UCLA (6 times), and we could possibly see a fifth team added to the mix this year! Florida has been a strong contender for the title in several recent years. With the new, first-class talent of freshmen Bridgette Caquatto (3- time US National Team member), Bianca Dancose-Giambattisto (2-time Canadian National Team member) and Bridget Sloan (2008 Olympic Team member and 2009 World AA Champ), the gators will be 'chomping' to take the title. See what Coach Faehn has to say about the training habits of Bridget here! And don't forget, the reigning NCAA All Around Champ, Kytra Hunter, is a Gator!


Photo courtesy of GatorZone.com

Stanford, Utah, Nebraska, and Oklahoma are also all in the hunt. The talent in the NCAA is incredible this year! Gymnastike will be at as many NCAA meets as possible to bring you the best coverage of routines and interviews with the athletes.


What do you think about our list? What are you most thankful for in the sport of gymnastics?