Previewing some big events
After a crazy week (Houston to Jacksonville to Houston to Indianapolis and back to Jacksonville) I get a short break at home for the holiday. Today I’ve been catching up on the gymnastics scene. This is the time that things really start getting exciting. We are a little over a year out from the 2008 Olympics.
The big competitions leading up to the Games start in August with U.S. national championship. From this competition the national men’s and women’s teams will be selected, as well as, the world championship team member. World championships are at the beginning of September. This year’s corld championships are critical because the top 12 countries get a ticket to compete at the Olympic Games next year.
The 2007 U.S. championships will be very exciting this year. On the women’s side we have some great athletes, but many have been battling injuries like Nastia Liukin, Chellsie Memmel, Shayla Worley and Jana Beiger. We also have a new hotshot, Shawn Johnson, who is competing at the national championship for the first time as a senior elite. She is incredibly powerful and has already taken the title at one of the most prestigious international meets, The America Cup, earlier this year.
On the men’s side we have more great athletes like Guillermo Alvarez, Jonathan Horton and Sean Townsend vying for positions. However, they’ll have to face off against a few veterans. Three-time Olympian Blaine Wilson, Olympic gold medalist Paul Hamm and Olympic silver medalist Morgan Hamm are all back from retirement and hoping to prove they are ready to face some tough competition.
It should be an exciting competition and I get to sit ring side and do the in-house radio broadcast for the 4 days of competition (Aug.t 15-18) at the HP Pavilion at San Jose. See you there!