By Luan Peszek and Sam Kilgore
Photo by John Cheng

Spring 2010 has been busy for 2009 world all-around silver-medalist Rebecca Bross, winning two all-around titles: the 2010 Tyson American Cup and the 2010 Pacific Rim Championships senior all-around title. Now living in Plano, Texas, she moved from Ann Arbor, Mich., at age 9 to train at WOGA with coach Valeri Liukin and has steadily climbed the ladder of success in gymnastics.

Bross, who won the junior Pacific Rim all-around title and three-event titles in 2008, led the U.S. women's team to an event-sweeping team title on April 30. She also won two individual event titles (balance beam and floor exercise), along with her all-around gold medal.

"Pacific Rim in Melbourne went well," said Bross, whose medal haul included four gold and one silver. "I didn't have the exact competition I wanted. I made a few mistakes, but it was a good competition to have this year, to help me get ready for Visas and Worlds."

When asked about Bross, Liukin said, "Rebecca is such a hard working gymnast. She never makes a face or gives an attitude. She just works. She's what every coach wishes for. This 'Code of Points' is tough and there is no other way but to work hard day in and day out. Talent is only one little part of the equation. No matter how much talent you have, you still have to put in the work. I look forward to coming to the gym every day to work with Rebecca because she always gives 110%."

Bross began her elite career in 2005 at the Visa Championships. As a 12-year-old junior, she finished 16th in the all-around and made her first U.S. Women's National Team. A year later, she earned the silver medal on balance beam and finished fourth in the all-around. Based on that performance, Bross earned a spot on the Junior Pan American Championships team, where she took home the individual gold medal on vault and helped the USA win the team gold medal. At the 2007 Visa Championships, Bross won the junior title and three of the four event titles. She and her teammates also won the team gold at the 2007 Pan American Games, where Bross finished second in the all-around and won the floor title.

Bross, after recovering from a knee injury, moved into the senior ranks in 2009. At the Visa Championships, she finished third in both the all-around and balance beam and was second on floor, placing behind 2008 Olympic team silver-medalist Bridget Sloan of Pittsboro, Ind., in all three. After the World Team Selection Camp, Bross secured an all-around spot with Sloan on the World Championships team, joining WOGA teammate Ivana Hong of Allen, Texas, and newcomer Kayla Williams of Charleston, W. Va.

At the 2009 World Championships in London, Bross was leading all-around after three events, just ahead of teammate Sloan. Heading into one of her strongest events, floor exercise, Bross held the title in her grasp, but had an uncharacteristic mistake and fell on her last tumbling pass. Fellow American Sloan moved into the top all-around spot, and Bross settled for the silver. In the individual event finals, Bross tied for the bronze medal on bars and tied for fifth on floor.

Although disappointed, she didn't let it get her down. Immediately going back to the gym, Bross trained harder than ever and that hard work has paid off for her in 2010.

Bross admits she would love the opportunity to go back to London in 2012 for the Olympic Games and take another shot at that floor routine and the all-around title, just like her WOGA teammates Carly Patterson and Nastia Liukin did successfully in 2004 and 2008.