Tweet
announced her elite gymnastics retirement
Friday, writing she’s been away from the gym for
about a year and confirming a December report
she would not try to make the 2016 Olympic
team.
“Since the age of four, gymnastics was the center
of my entire life,” Wieber wrote. “Deciding to end
that part of my life was one of the most difficult,
emotion-filled decisions I have ever made.”
Wieber, 19, hasn’t competed since she won gold
as part of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team.
Wieber’s career goes down as one of the best in
U.S. history. Wieber and Shannon Miller are the
only U.S. gymnasts to win World Championships
individual all-around gold medals and Olympic
team golds.
At the 2012 Olympics, Wieber placed fourth
overall in all-around qualifying but third among
Americans, behind Gabby Douglas and Aly
Raisman. One nation may qualify a maximum
two athletes for each individual final, meaning
Wieber missed the Olympic all-around final one
year after winning the World all-around title.
Two days later, she helped the U.S. to its first
Olympic team gold since 1996. She later placed
seventh in the floor exercise final.
Medical tests after the Olympics showed Wieber
competed in London with a stress fracture in her
right leg.
“I want to be sure it is known that I am completely
fulfilled and content with my experience at the
Games,” Wieber wrote. “It was difficult to accept
the reality of having an injury at the most crucial
moment in my career. I am grateful that I was
able to compete and be part of winning the
Olympic Team Gold.”
In 2011, Wieber swept the American Cup, U.S.
Championships and World Championships all-
around titles in her first year as a senior gymnast.
She also won the 2012 American Cup and 2012
U.S. Championship before placing second to
Douglas at the Olympic trials.
The other four members of the 2012 U.S. Olympic
team plan to continue competing. Douglas and
Raisman rejoined the U.S. national team in
November and could compete this month for the
first time since the Olympics.
Olympic vault silver medalist McKayla Maroney
won the World title on vault in 2013 but missed all
of 2014 following knee surgery in March.
Kyla Ross, the youngest member of the 2012
Olympic team, competed each of the last two
years. She won silver and bronze in the all-around
at the 2013 and 2014 World Championships
behind the new U.S. star, Simone Biles.
No U.S. women’s gymnast has made back-to-back
Olympic teams since Amy Chow and Dominique
Dawes in 1996 and 2000.
No comments:
Post a Comment