Martha's Musings

On Thursday, in a pre-Trials press conference, women’s National Team Coordinator Martha Karolyi talked to the media about the prospects of various Trials’ participants and what she hopes for from the team in Beijing …

Q: What do you think of the match-up between the U.S. and Chinese teams in Beijing?

A: The Chinese team is very strong team, just like we are, so I foresee a very strong competition taking place there. We’re hoping that it will be a fierce competition, and we’re looking forward to matching our strengths with the team from China.

Q: Why do the women and the men choose your teams so differently?

A: I really wouldn’t be able to say why they are different. I know we’ve been using the system we use now since 2000. I know it’s proved itself as very efficient, because we were able to select the teams that would be useful on all the events. We base it most on most readiness for competitions, as close as possible to the major competition dates.

That’s the reason why, besides having the Trials next week, we felt that it was way too early date to decide upon the team, because in six weeks time, which is what is left over until the departure of the team [for China,] a lot of things could happen.

Some people could get in better shape, some people could get out of shape, some minor injuries could happen. We like to make sure to allow the maximum time possible, which we felt like would be at the end of Selection Camp which will take place at the National Training Center [in Texas] on 20 July, and that’s the deadline for the Olympic Committee to submit the team and replacement athletes.

Q: How likely is that you’ll name more than the two automatic all-around qualifiers at Trials?

A: I really can’t say for sure. The decision is made by a committee, that I am a part of, but that has two other members: Steve Rybacki and Kristie Phillips, the Athlete Representative.

It could happen, but so far before this we have never added more names. I really, personally, feel the closer we are to the competition date, is the better [time] to make the final decision.

Q: When you look at selecting the team, are you focused on the three-up, three-count format of team finals or the all-around finals?

A: Well, it’s a combination. Certainly this competition is a team competition. The number one goal is to be successful and get USA at the top of the podium. We also know it is an all-around competition, which is extremely prestigious.

When you put together the team you want some all-arounders that can fight for some medals. We will have a combination of all-arounders and strong individual scores. And you can not totally base it off scores, but what the team needs.

Q: Based on what you saw at USAs, and the fact you want to pick close to the date, how many of the 19 athletes at Trials do you expect to take to the final selection camp?

A: That number is really not decided. It will be depending on the fact of how these girls will be presenting themselves at the Trials. The minimum number must be nine, as the Olympic procedures say that. That would include the six-member team, plus three replacements, but I can tell you it definitely will be more than nine. Just based on my strong belief to leave the opportunity for some gymnasts that have some problem with preparation, like because of smaller injuries, and give the them chances to work to get into optimum competition shape, right up until the final Selection Camp.

Q: You talk about having three alternates: how many will travel to China with the team?

A: The six gymnasts who are on the team will be going and move into the Olympic Village, and, I believe, two of the replacement girls will travel to China. We have separate training facilities for them in Tianjin, [China], which is a little more than one hour away from the Olympic Village. They will be training there and I will be able to do some visits, possibly—not possibly, definitely—and make sure the training going well, just in case something would happen.

The third gymnast will be named as alternate, but would stay home and still prepare there.

Q: Will that final competition at the Selection Camp be open to the public, as it was in 2004?

A: The final Selection Camp will be open for the public but we will have some limitations. I think we kind of got overcrowded last time. I think we will spread out [the invitations], the gymnast’s family and friends will have priorities, then local clubs, and we’ll limit the number of media.

Q: How likely are you to select Alicia Sacramone for this team?

A: Alicia is an excellent gymnast. She is proving herself over and over in competitions. She will be presenting herself at Trials, with some extra [difficulty] over Championships, which will help her.

She definitely is one of the most important members for the team, being able to help the team with her vault score and her excellent other two events.

Q: How did Shayla Worley not competing at Championships affect her Olympic chances?

A: Well, certainly, Shayla was petitioned into the Olympic Trials and it all will depend on what kind of shape she’s in. If she will show she is on the right track and she’s already healing, and she’s able to perform close to her ability, that definitely is what we would look for. And, based on my belief, I’d like to leave the door open for her definitely until the final Selection Camp, which takes place mid-July. That’s the time that everybody must be in the very top shape. If Shayla is, at that time, in her top shape then she will be possibly be selected. After that time I really don’t see sufficient time to heal and get in shape, so she will have to be showing us top [performances by Selection Camp].

I talked with [Shayla’s coach] Jeff Wood. He actually called me two days ago. He updated me that Shayla’s preparation is going on the right track. She is able to compete her routines. She is preparing to compete on all four events at Trials. I was very happy with this news.

He said that her routines are excellent and she is very ambitious. As you know, she came up at Championships and trained until the last day, and went home after we started to compete. I think she started to train and she realized that she did not belong there—all what she has to do to make a good competition shape. I think she has been working on this at home, very [diligently]. That’s what I know about Shayla.

Q: What about Ivana Hong?

A: Ivana is a gymnast with very nice lines and very good technical execution of all her skills, and mentally she’s prepared for every single competition. I think she would be very good at more, like, an opening position for the team, when you want to make a very great impression about this team to the judges.

Certainly, she has to prove she is very confident throughout selection, but I have a very good opinion about her gymnastics.

Q: If Chellsie Memmel continues on the path she started at Championships is she a lock for this team?

A: I think Chellsie’s performance was absolutely excellent at Championships. It proved she is on her way to becoming the Chellsie that led the team to the victory at the [2003] World Championships in Anaheim. She always was an excellent competitor, but you certainly have to match your ability to be a good competitor with preparation and she is totally on track.

She is adding a few tenths here and there, and I think the timing is great for her. I think that’s the way she will be progressing. I saw her three weeks before the Championships at a little international meet here at the training center and her improvement in three weeks is extremely pleasing. If we see the same improving in the rest of the selection, she would definitely be a great asset to the U.S. team.

Q: Can you talk a little about Olivia Courtney, and her chances to make the team?

A: Olivia Courtney I’ve known her for quite a few years. Last year she was still on the junior side and this year she popped into the senior group and we’ve already tested her out a few times, including the competition [last March] in Italy, and she did very nice performance there.

She’s an upcoming and improving gymnast. She is very strong and powerful. Her strengths are vault and tumbling. I think, depending on how her preparation goes, she is definitely right in there, fighting for a way to be selected.

Q: And how about Darling Hill, who is close to a local girl at these Philadelphia Trials?

A: Darling hill is also one of the girls just popping in; one of those gymnasts that is just starting out in international meets. Last year, she went to some World Cup events and was pretty successful. This year, she competed at Pacific Alliance (Pacific Rim), winning the floor exercise.

Floor is really her very best event and she has pretty good difficulty and very nice execution. Also, she is a strong vaulter. She is right in there. Based on her abilities and qualities she was invited to the Olympic Trials.

Q: Mattie Larson had a very good day one at Championships. Is she in the mix?

A: Mattie Larson has two coaches, Artur Akopian, who is a former National Team staff, and very, very good technical coach, and Galina (Marinova), who is taking care more of the choreography and beam training.

Mattie Larson is a very technical gymnast. She has excellent, technical execution. Her strongest event is floor exercise and then I would say she has a very good on uneven parallel bars and vault. She definitely would be good complement for a team. She would make a good impression but she would also have to show she is able to compete very consistently and presen, without falls, all her routines every time and any time. Because it’s that consistency we would need to achieve our goals.