Thursday, September 24, 2015

2012 Olympic Hopefuls: Where Are They Now?

Ever wondered what happened to the girls who competed at the trials in 2012 but didn't make the team? Stick around to find out!

The Alternates 

Elizabeth Price (Parkette's)
Then:
Known for her power tumbling and vaulting (plus a solid bar routine), Ebee placed fourth at the trials but was only named alternate.

Now:
Following the trials, Elizabeth returned to training and competed at the American Cup and Pac Rims, winning both. Despite this success, she decided to retire from Elite in April 2014 and go on to compete NCAA at Stanford. In spring 2015, Ebee helped Stanfod to a 3rd place finish. Additionally, she came in first for uneven bars and was named specialist of the year. Go Ebee!

Sarah Finnegan (GAGE)
Then:
Sarah had some ridiculous difficulty on beam and a super unique floor exercise. Seen as Kyla Ross's direct competition at the trials, she had a rough first day on bars but managed to finish up in 6th place and was named alternate.

Now:
An elbow injury took Sarah out of competition for 18 months. After getting back into training, Sarah competed at an invitational in Hawaii with teammate Brenna Dowell and subsequently some leven 10 meets. Sarah is now at LSU to compete NCAA alongside other familiar faces Lexie Preissman and Mckenna Kelly.

Anna Li (Legacy Elite)
Then:
After competing in college, Anna did things backwards and then became an elite. She finished 12th at trials but with impressive bars scores which likely would have been her only contribution to the team. She appeared very happy to be named alternate (see above) but an injury in training would have kept her from the Olympics even if they needed her.

Now:
Anna participated in several gymnastics tours and then retired from the sport. She currently judges at UCLA and national competitions.

The Rest

Kennedy Baker (Texas Dreams) 
Then:
Kennedy had a rough first day of trials but scored solidly during finals. She finished in 8th place.

Now:
Kennedy continued on as an elite after London, competing at the 2013 Nationals and placing 7th in the All-Around. She competed as a level 10 in 2014 after announcing her retirement from Elite. She is now a NCAA athlete for the Florida Gators.

Brenna Dowell (GAGE)
Then:
Aww baby Brenna was just a first year Senior at the trials and she finished in 9th place.

Now:
2013 was Brenna's year but after getting screwed over at Worlds, she took some time away from international competition and rested. She was back in 2014, filling in for the injured Kyla Ross at the American Cup and coming in 2nd. Later that year she was named as non-travelling alternate for Worlds. Afterward, she retired from elite and went on to compete for the University of Oklahoma where she found individual and team success. In late spring, Dowell announced her return to Elite. She is currently training and listed on the tentative roster for this years Worlds, go Brenna!

Sabrina Vega (GAGE)
Now: 
Sabrina had a rough two days on the uneven bars and the 2011 World Team Member placed 10th at Trials right behind teammate Brenna Dowell.

Now:
Vega was out of training in the year following London but returned to the gym halfway through 2014. Her comeback meet was this years Secret Classic where she did not score high enough to advance to nationals but had a solid competition. Keep it up Sabrina!

Alicia Sacremone (Brestyan's)
Then:
There is still some controversy over Asac not being named to the team despite two days of outstanding competition. Never the less, she was left off and finished in 11th place, just competing VT and BB.

Now:
Alicia retired from gymnastics directly after Trials and married former football player Brady Quinn in Spring 2014. She currently coaches young gymnasts AND has her own fashion line, Short Girl Couture. According to recent videos, Asac is still in great shape so, you know, she should feel free to come back at any time ;)

Nastia Liukin (WOGA)
Then:
After major errors on UB both days, the two event specialist and '08 AA champ finished up in 13th place.

Now:
The Trials was Nastia's last competition. From there she participated in several tour and expeditions but retired from competitive Elite gymnastics. She has since competed on Dancing With the Stars and is engaged to longtime boyfriend Matt Lombardi. Liukin is also in school at NYU and runs her own agency called Shine.

Rebecca Bross (WOGA)
Then:
Poor Rebecca had issues on beam during day one and major falls on bars day two. She finished in 14th.

Now:
When Rebecca isn't hanging out with Jordyn Weiber, she's coaching at a gym in Dallas. She never officially announced her retirement but she hasn't competed since trials and it would seem that her time as an elite is done.


Well, that's it folks! If you liked this post, let me know what other "Where Are They Now's?" you'd like to see!


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