Gymnastics Nostalgia: Underrated, underdiscussed, or you left us too soon gymnasts

[RichardL]

Yeah, I went to her Wikipedia page and saw the note about how she's the only three-time junior elite national champion in history, dropped in like a flex when in reality it's an example of gross mismanagement. There is no reason to be competing title-winning elite difficulty three years before your senior debut.

 

[RedBirdie]

In 1998, she finished third in the juniors. Four years as a junior elite! That's on top of level 10 in 1996 and 1997. No question she was immensely talented, but there was no reason for her (or anyone else) to be a ten year old level 10! I hate that USAG even allows that.

 

[RichardL]

In 1998, she finished third in the juniors. Four years as a junior elite! That's on top of level 10 in 1996 and 1997. No question she was immensely talented, but there was no reason for her (or anyone else) to be a ten year old level 10! I hate that USAG even allows that.

I remember her first senior Nationals in 2002 and it just felt so bizarre that she had been competing for so long and that we had been talking about her for so many years. I predicted Postell to be the higher-performing of the two when they were little, though, and of course Postell did win a World BB title making a team that Uzelac missed due to injury, but neither of them did anywhere near as well as I thought they would back in the early aughts.

 

[Passion]

I wish Uzelac didn't break her toe at Nationals and at least could have went to 2002 Worlds.

Who do you think she would have replaced if healthy? So many gymnasts were injured that year between Nationals and Worlds.

The team was:
Kupets UB/BB
Postell VT/BB
Humphrey VT/FX
Sheehan UB/FX

Did she ever have a second vault?

 

[RedBirdie]

At one point she also did a piked Cuervo.

 

[Kara]

I'd have a healthy Uzelac replace Sheehan and do beam instead of Kupets.

 

[Lisaelaine80]

I was such a big Uzelac fan when I was younger.

She never really put it together as a senior, but she had unique and interesting gymnastics on just about every event:
Vault: Khorkina ii
Bars: perfect toe-on 1.5 pirouette
Beam: Bhs + pike full combo
Floor: Only saw her compete this once, but as a four pass routine it was incredible difficulty and very well done: 1) DLO, 2) Arabian double front 3) 2.5 twist punch front full 4) Piked full-in

She broke my heart.

 

[Lisaelaine80]

Brandy Johnson. Just a senior for three years. Made the Olympic team, her first senior international event to finish 10th AA (highest American finish). Placed 5th on vault (would have been silver with new life rules).
Then was one of the top gymnasts in the World in 1989. Inconsistent optional falls on bars and floor left her out of those event finals. She ended up finishing 7th in the AA (again highest American finish). Got the silver on vault tied with Bontas.

1990, Injuries crept up and she retired at the end of 1990.

So much potential. Wonder if she could have continued to Barcelona.

My first heartbreak.

 

[RichardL]

The weird thing that year is that the eventual team would never have been the team at all without a 2024-style slew of injuries plus Hatch not yet being released competitively by Cuba.

https://static.usagym.org/PDFs/Results/nationals_artistic_2002.pdf

(Does that link work?)

The team should have been:

Schwikert UB FX
Yim BB FX
Postell VT UB BB
VT: I don't think Tricase had two vaults, so you would use Humphrey

I'm still not sure why they used Sheehan over Postell on bars in the end. No real reason.

 

[Kittentoes]

I loved Elena Gurova as well. Saw her at Champions' All when she was 12. She had some amazing moves and I've never seen a full twist bhs on bb to match it. However the one team she made - 87 - they gave her a horrible fx.

Ugh, now that music is in my head.

 

[Concorde]

In terms of start value, Uzelac was competitive with the majority of the field.

1. Chusovitina / Zamolodchikova (9.9 + 9.8) = 19.7

2. Ziganshina (9.8 + 9.8) = 19.6

3. Cojocar, Kvasha, Petrovschi, Postell , van de Leur (9.8 + 9.7), Uzelac (9.9 + 9.6) = 19.5

In terms of scoring potential:

- Uzelac’s Khorkina II vault scored as high as a 9.525 during the all around at the 2002 Pacific Alliance Championships.

- Her piked front 1/2 received a 9.2 during event finals of the 2002 Pacific Alliance Championships.

- Using these two scores, would give her a 9.362, which is enough for 4th and very close to Ziganshina’s silver medal winning score of 9.393, and Chusovitina’s bronze medal winning score of 9.387.

- Uzelac’s remaining Khorkina II vaults during 2002 were not nearly as successful. However, assuming she hit to the best of her abilities, a medal was not completely unrealistic.

 

[irichluck21]

The team should have been:

Schwikert UB FX
Yim BB FX
Postell VT UB BB
VT: I don't think Tricase had two vaults, so you would use Humphrey

I wondered why Schwikert gave up the Podkopayeva in 2003 when she learned the Yurchenko 1 1/2, she performed the vault well. The Phelps was eliminate in 2001-20024 CoP yes? That was Tasha's 1st vault in 2000. I wonder if she could have managed a Tsuk Full.

Yeah Tricase was not doing two vaults. Her DTY was booming though, so even showing up with a front pike half vault or Podkopayeva could have had her in contention.

 

[Concorde]

I wondered why Schwikert gave up the Podkopayeva in 2003 when she learned the Yurchenko 1 1/2, she performed the vault well. The Phelps was eliminate in 2001-20024 CoP yes? That was Tasha's 1st vault in 2000. I wonder if she could have managed a Tsuk Full.

Yeah Tricase was not doing two vaults. Her DTY was booming though, so even showing up with a front pike half vault or Podkopayeva could have had her in contention.

Per an International Gymnast interview with Todd Gardiner, she showed a Podkopayeva and a Lopez at the selection camp where she got injured.

(Revised 11/6/24 to correct earlier info about Tricase not performing a second vault at Nationals.)

 

[Annie]

I don't think anyone mentioned Ekaterina Lobazniuk. Apart from her 2min set up for her beam Arabian, she had many wonderful qualities. But that knee injury just ended it all for her.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

I don't think anyone mentioned Ekaterina Lobazniuk. Apart from her 2min set up for her beam Arabian, she had many wonderful qualities. But that knee injury just ended it all for her.

I quite enjoyed the wait. Sometimes it's helpful for an athlete to build in time during the routine so you can check your phone, get a drink, briefly engage with your children etc.

 

[KorbutFan]

I don't think anyone mentioned Ekaterina Lobazniuk. Apart from her 2min set up for her beam Arabian,

IIRC it was even longer when she added the bhs.

I really miss the Sydney generation at times.

 

[irichluck21]

@Concorde

Thank you. Once I read what you posted about the second vault, I do remember that interview now!

IIRC, no one did two vaults at Nationals because only one was required and Liz Tricase was the national vault champion that year. Did anyone do two vaults??

 

[Hatsumomo]

I quite enjoyed the wait. Sometimes it's helpful for an athlete to build in time during the routine so you can check your phone, get a drink, briefly engage with your children etc.

At least we got a beautiful Arabian after the build-up. Imagine spending an entire TV episode + commercials to do a skill and it's Skinneresque.

 

[RedBirdie]

@Concorde

Thank you. Once I read what you posted about the second vault, I do remember that interview now!

IIRC, no one did two vaults at Nationals because only one was required and Liz Tricase was the national vault champion that year. Did anyone do two vaults??

If anyone did do two vaults, the scores aren't online and no video exists.

Based on what I could find, event titles were awarded based on night 1 scores.

 

[Concorde]

@Concorde

Thank you. Once I read what you posted about the second vault, I do remember that interview now!

IIRC, no one did two vaults at Nationals because only one was required and Liz Tricase was the national vault champion that year. Did anyone do two vaults??

No second vault scores available, but per IG QuickHits:

Hatch: Double Twisting Yurchenko and Double Twisting Tsukahara
Humphrey: 1 1/2 Twisting Yurchenko and Podkopayeva
Miles: 1 1/2 Twisting Yurchenko and round off 1/2-on to Front Layout
Postell: Layout Podkopayeva / Lopez and Full Twisting Yurchenko
Jordan and Tasha Schwikert: Podkopayeva and Full Twisting Yurchenko
Tricase: Double Twisting Yurchenko and Omelianchik