We hit a few milestones this week for the elite gymnastics world: On Monday we were 50 days out from the 2011 Visa Championships in St Paul, then Tuesday we were exactly one year out from the start of the 2012 USA Gymnastics Olympic Trials! Time flies.  

 

What many people forget about, because they simply don't see it, is the intense work that gymnasts put in every day in preparation for events like these. As you saw in the Workout Wednesday video with the CGA Elites, the hard preparation doesn't begin right before these events - it's been going on for months now. 

 

Right now, the USA women's national team plus a few extra invitees are down at the Karolyi Ranch for a training camp. This is their final training camp before the summer meets and World Championships selection. My favorite time of year is about to begin.

 

Just three weeks from now I'll be in Chicago, along with the top American female gymnasts for the first big elite meet of the summer, the CoverGirl Classic. I can not wait. On a side note, that weekend also happens to be the three year anniversary of gymnastike!

 

Today, International Gymnast shared some updates on a few of the top USA girls, and I have a few tidbits to share as well. Most importantly, we learned that Shawn Johnson will in fact be making her competition debut in Chicago, competing two events. Johnson's new teammate Gabrielle Douglas, sounds promising and will compete an Amanar vault this summer, as will Alexandra Raisman. Reiging World Vault Champion Alicia Sacramone will be adding floor this summer, planning to compete all three of her specialities in St. Paul. She was also seen in this video throwing a handspring front double full vault. That would be incredible if competed. 

 

Defending US All Around Champion, Rebecca Bross, is still easing her way back into things after the surgery she had in November following the World Championships. 2009 World and US Champion Bridget Sloan likely won't be a contender this summer as she had surgery on her biceps just four months ago. She does, however plan to defer at Florida until 2012 in hopes of making her second Olympic team. 

 

The two gymnasts to move into the senior ranks with a shot at taking this year's US title are Jordyn Wieber and McKayla Maroney, though IG reported that Maroney has recently developed a back injury to which the severity is unknown. 

 

The two gymnasts to defy age and qualify to the Classic after concluding their college careers are Arkansas alum Casey Jo Magee and UCLA alum Anna Li. Li is now training under her parents and alongside the Caquatto sisters at Legacy Elite. She earned her qualifying score to the Classic today at camp. And for those who haven't heard, Macko Caquatto is at camp and will jump back into the elite scene this summer even though she has begun college at Florida. Her younger sister Bridgey Caquatto, now a senior elite, is healthy and will be one to watch on uneven bars. 

 

Who will be greatly missed in St. Paul? Chelsea Davis, Samantha Shapiro, and Ivana Hong, who will begin college gymnastics in the fall. Davis will be a Georgia Gym Dog while both Shaprio and Hong will add insane depth - and artistry- to the already talented Stanford team. 

 

On the men's side, Jonathan Horton, Steven Legendre, Danell Leyva, Alexander Naddour, and John Orozco will be competing in the Japan Cup in Tokyo this weekend which should be a very competitive event. This will be Orozco's first competition back since tearing his achilles at last year's Visa Championships. 

 

Next weekend, Brandon Wynn will lead a 6-man team at the Puerto Rico Cup where Sam Mikulak plans to debut his new skill on parallel bars. 

 

So gymnastics fans, the wait is almost over! Who are YOU most exciting to seeing in action this summer, and why?