Tomorrow marks the official start of the 2013 Secret US Classic as the Junior and Senior Elites take to the Sears Centre arena in Chicago, IL for podium training. While the athletes work out the kinks and adjust to the new equipment, do some training of your own and learn just what lies at stake for the gymnasts participating in the competition.

Who's Showing Up



For many athletes, the 2013 Secret Classic serves as a debut of sorts. With the closing of the 2012 Olympics, 2013 denotes the start of a new Olympic cycle and a new chapter in USA Gymnastics. Consequently, many fresh faces enter the elite ranks and the elite playing field. Gymnasts Kennedy Baker, Lacy Dagen, Maddie Desch, Ariana Guerra, and Abigail Milliet will all make their debuts in their first major Senior competitions of the 2013 season at this year's Classic. For Dagen, Desch, and Guerra this marks their debuts as Senior Elites as they move on from the Junior ranks. Similarly, of the 47 entrants in the Junior Division, over thirty of them compete as first-year Junior International Elites. The Secret Classic ushers in the newest competitors who are already thinking ahead to not only this year's World Championship Team, but to the 2016 Rio Games.

Maroney's Anticipated Return



The Secret Classic also debuts Gold medalist McKayla Maroney's in her first competition since the London Games. Although a proven opponent, Maroney returns to the gymnasium after undergoing three surgeries over the course of three months. This weekend's competition acts as the first in a series of high-profile competitions to come that will test Maroney's preparedness and if she possesses the longevity to continue in the sport. Known for her vaulting aptitude, Maroney also sets out this weekend to prove herself as an all around competitor. With talented vaulter Simone Biles on her heels, Maroney likely needs to impress on the other three events as well for a shot at the World's Team.

Maroney joins London teammate Kyla Ross who will also compete in the Secret Classic. 

Changes to the Code



The final anticipated unveiling of this year's Secret Classic is the 2013 code of points. The most notable changes to the code will appear on beam and floor. Expect a plethora of front + front and front + side aerial skills such as front aerial, front aerial or front aerial, side somi as well as variations on leap to acro combinations. On floor, new rules regulate the amount of time athletes spend in the corners of the mat preparing for tumbling passes. Gymnasts will now dance directly into their tumbling skills in hopes of creating routines that express cohesive and continuous movement.

Ticket to the Championships



Perhaps most importantly, the Secret Classic stands as the last chance for gymnasts to qualify to the 2013 P&G Championships held August 15-18 in Hartford, CT. Immediately following Championships, Martha Karolyi and the National Committee will announce which gymnasts earned a spot on the National Teams thus moving them forward to the National Team Camps. Based on their performances at the Classic, Championship, and National Camps as well as a myriad of other factors, the National Committee will select the World Championship Team. Of the Seniors competing at this weekend, seven still need to qualify to Championships, most notably Kennedy Baker of Texas Dreams, Lacy Dagen of San Mateo Gymnastics, and Madison Desch of GAGE. On the Junior side, seventeen athletes eagerly await this weekend's competition to see if they will progress to the next round of competition. The Classic is the first step for many to catch Karolyi's watchful eye and hopefully help their chances at snagging one of the four coveted spots on the World Championship Team.


For the entire list of the 2013 Secret US Classic entrants and information about Gymnastike's event coverage click HERE.

For information regarding how entrants qualify to elite, to the Secret Classic, and to P&G Championships click HERE.