28. April 2009  
Bergisch Gladbach  
Artistic Gymnastics

USA Women s Team arrived in Bergish Gladbach

The US girls entered the Sports Hotel

The delegation of the US women's  national team arrived in pouring rain, after a long journey over Houston, New York and Frankfurt/M. at the gymnastic school of the Rhenish Gymnastics Federation.
The coach Martha Karolyi declared that the only thing that can fight the jet lag successfully is a motivating training in spite of the tired faces.
And indeed: after only about half an hour you could find the US girls on the apparatus of the Rhenish artistic gymnastic centre in Bergish Gladbach. Impressive was the general discipline and professionalism that each of the girls showed.

First training against jet lag!
Chief coach Martha Karolyi leads the warming up

German coach Ulla KOCH welcomes US coach Martha KOROLYI

Development of good contacts
Though this is the first national competition between German and American gymnasts since nearly two decades: Excellent relations were always to find but these developed further in the last Olympic cycle:
after the shared training camp after the American Cup 2008 that was followed by a training camp of the German athletes in Plano/USA at the beginning of this year.
Thanks to the German coaches and married couple Ulla and Dieter Koch this national competition was pushed forward in this phase of the strengthening of artistic gymnastics. Furthermore likes Ulla Koch the „American system“, „...because of their way of organising gymnastics, of motivating the girls and their way to promote the sport due to good performance to the public“!

Bridget SLOAN, from the 2008 Olympic silver team

At the top of the US team is the 16 year old Bridget SLOAN from the "Sharp Gymnastics Academy" in Indianapolis, the only current participating member of the 2008 silver team of Beijing 2008.
She stood out today with her highly concentrated way of training and her efficiency.

All of the girls have their personal coaches with them - a team of seven coaches is accompanying the team of eight girls. ...and what famous personalities are among these:

So for example Teodora UNGUREANU-Cepoi, who was once part of the legendary Rumanian Olympic team in Montreal 1976. UNGUREANU-Cepoi is coaching the 14 year old Sabrina VEGA who will perform on Saturday at her first foreign competition as a member of the national team.

Matti Larson and coach Artur Akopjan from L. A.

The Olympic bronze medal winner of the Chinese team on 1984 (Los Angeles), WU, Jiani is coaching the two sisters Mackenzie and Bridgette CAQUATTO. Their trainer at home in the Naperville Gymnastics Club is also a former Chinese Star Li, Yueji and he is the husband of WU, Jiani.

...and the former Soviet team and vault world champion from the early 80´s, Artur AKOPYAN is coaching one of the most talented girls on this tour: Matti LARSON, whose family name is from her Swedish father, an immigrant.

The German Coach Ulla Koch thinks much of her. In the beginning of 2009 won LARSON for example the first world Cup event of thisyear, Gymnix in Montreal.

Anja Brinker, factual the 'landlady' here in her RTB center

The USA - girls stayed most of the time amongst themselves.
Tomorrow, Wednesday, April 29, will the Germany gymnasts of the national team join them.
Only the Olympic participant Anja BRINKER who is practically at home there already trained with the guests.
A few of them meet her before at the training camp at the beginning of the year in the USA.
From tomorrow onwards will the two teams participat at a joined training camp for three days, before the „national competition of the year“ will start.
„I am interested the most in how the Americans will deal with the new Code de Pointages...!“ - Ulla Koch.

*Report: E.Herholz, GYMmedia

Team work of the US girls and coaches...!