USA Championships in Indianapolis is approaching, Aug. 10-13. I can't wait to see how the meet goes without the Hamm twins competing. Anyone from here going? Need to get out and support some of our gay gymnasts. I don't think Graham Akerman is competing, but Minnesota has two guys, Clay Strother and Guillermo Alvarez. Always good to see openly gay athletes at big competitions like Championships. I think Sean Townsend might win the men's side. The women's side will be a fight between Carly Patterson, Chelsie Memmel, and Nastia Liukin. Anybody esle have predictions?

I'm going to try to attend the Championships this year, although I may have a tough time making any of the competition during the week because I'm in the midst of writing my thesis.

Nationals are going to be a great competition this year ... especially with the World Championships being an AA/EF competition.

I'd be surprised if Nastia doesn't win the All-Around title. Memmel(oney) is going to be consistent, but I have to go with Nastia, especially if she has the upgrade on vault. I feel badly for the gymnast that places 3rd All-Around because, chances are, she won't be going to Worlds with like likes of Sacramone and Co. vying for the Event Specialist spots. Hopefully, Moceanu does well enough at Classics to add another storyline to Nationals. Usually, the Championships after an Olympic year are pretty blech since there's usually a new COP, but this year has potential to be pretty awesome.

The men's event is going to be wide open ... I really don't even know who is competing at the event, but if Sasha doesn't make the World Team ... something is truly wrong with the USAG. Since the Hamm's are MIA, I'm looking forward to see which guys from the last Olympic cycle are competing this year. IMO, Justin Spring could surprise ... lots of love for my fellow sexy redhead ... but are they even going to show ANY of the men's event this year? Last year's coverage of the "Blaine Wilson show" was sad and pathetic.

Nick

Moceanu is still competing? The last time I heard from her was Atlanta and after that, no more. I've heard good things about Nastia Liukin. She's the daughter of Olympic gold medalist Valery Liukin from the 1988 Seoul Olympics. I wouldn't be surprised if she upset Carly Patterson. I also think the mens competition will get more coverage because of the Hamm/Young story. The only thing good that came out of that fiasco last year was that mens gymnastics has gotten more coverage.

I can't wait. Justin Spring is such a hottie. Jason Gatson too.
I think the women's side is a battle between Chelsie, Nastia, Courtney, and Carly. It depends who hits all their routines.
I'm hoping for more coverage on the men's side. The high def coverage of gymnastics furing the olympic in the men's side sometimes showed them taking off their pants. hopefully we'll see some of that here too.

Personally, I'd like to know if the network who might carry it, assuming NBC, will even put the Men's event on.

Moceanu was planning to comeback for the Championships this year, but she suffered an injury about a week prior to a qualifying event and she's out for the rest of the year. Apparently, she was looking great ... she had a COP friendly floor routine at an Invitational and she was looking uberfit, but ... I'm hoping that she sticks around for 2006.

TMK, Carly Patterson and Courtney aren't competing this year. Kupets is getting ready for College Gym at Georgia and Carly has been doing the various tours and promotions. I don't think that anyone from the previous Olympic team is going to compete at the Championships, on the Women's side, this year.

As for the Men's coverage ... I'm almost positive that they aren't showing any of the action this year. Having said that, I would LOVE to be proven wrong.

Nick

Well they did have men's coverage. Todd looked very good.
Nastia did end up winning the all around. Chelsie 2nd and Jana 3rd. Although Alicia was 4th, she rocked floor exercise and vaults. She got a 9.9 in floor. That's amazing. 3rd place Jana is probably not going to make the worlds unless they just needed someone consistent to cover some appartatuses.
We didn't get to see Sasha due to injury but I hope hope he recovers quick enough to go to Worlds. He's amazing in his exercises.
With that said, the USA team looks very good in the women's side going into Worlds.

USA seems to be doing well in Melbourne. but the most interesting event is the men's high-bar where Russian gymnast Nikolai Kryukov became the first victim of the video-replay rule instituted after the Paul Hamm controversy in Athens 2004.It would have been a perfect 10