The best gymnast in Brown's history will be heading to Beijing this summer. USA Gymnastics announced Thursday that Alicia Sacramone '10 has been chosen as one of six athletes who will compete for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team for women's gymnastics.
The selection follows a strong showing at the U.S. Olympic Women's Gymnastics Team Trials, which took place June 19-22 in Philadelphia and led to an invitation for Sacramone to participate in a final selection camp.
At the Olympic trials, Sacramone had the highest score on the vault, finishing first with a total of 31.900 after her impressive performances earned scores of 15.900 and 16.000. She also placed fifth both on the balance beam, with a score of 31.150, and in the floor exercise, where her strong routines gave her a total of 31.100.
Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin finished first and second all-around, with respective scores of 127.650 and 125.850, to qualify automatically for the Olympic team. Sacramone did not compete on the uneven bars, leaving her with an all-around score of 94.150, good for 13th overall.
Sacramone and nine other competitors were chosen to participate in a final selection camp to determine the four remaining Olympic team positions and three replacement positions. Sacramone was joined by Jana Bieger, Chelsea Davis, Ivana Hong, Mattie Larson, Corrie Lothrop, Chellsie Memmel, Samantha Peszek, Bridget Sloan, and Shayla Worley at the Women's National Team Training Center in Huntsville, Tex. On Friday and Saturday, the athletes were split into two squads for a mock competition. Worley was unable to compete due to a broken right leg.
Sacramone, known for her leadership skills as well as her talent on the vault and floor, was considered a shoo-in for the Olympic team. At the Olympic trials, women's national team coordinator Martha Karolyi told Inside Gymnastics magazine that she "can't imagine" a team without Sacramone and that the team "definitely would not be the same" without her.
Along with Sacramone, who could not be reached for comment, Memmel, Peszek and Sloan also made the team, while Bieger, Hong and Lothrop were selected as alternates.
Sacramone turned professional last September after an incredible showing at the World Championships that earned her a silver medal on the floor and a bronze on the vault, raising her total to seven medals in world competitions. The oldest member of the team, Sacramone is also one of its leaders, according to her teammates. At last year's championships, she was recognized by her younger teammates for stepping forward with a powerful pep talk when morale was low and China's team was close to victory. The U.S. team later took the gold.
Although she forfeited her NCAA eligibility by turning pro, Sacramone now serves as an assistant coach to the Bears.
Sacramone made the most of the year she spent competing at the collegiate level: As a freshman, she was named ECAC Rookie of the Year and set school records on the vault, floor and all-around.
