By Luan Peszek
Photo by John Cheng

Alicia Sacramone, 21, claimed the team silver medal at the 2008 Olympic Games, and just missed winning an individual medal by placing fourth on vault. She has won seven career world medals, including two gold, three silver and two bronze. At the 2007 World Championships, she helped the U.S. women win just their second world team title in history, and the first held at a World Championships outside the United States. Sacramone and her world championships teammates were named the U.S. Olympic Committee's Team of the Year for 2007.

Sacramone won four consecutive U.S. vault titles from 2005-08, as well as two U.S. floor exercise crowns in 2005-06. She was named USA Gymnastics' Sportswoman of the Year three times (2005-07). Her 9.9 for her final floor routine at the 2005 Visa Championships was the first time a score of 9.9 or better had been awarded in the women's division at a U.S. Nationals since 1996. In 2004, Sacramone qualified for the World Cup Final as a wild card and won the vault gold medal ahead of the 2004 Olympic gold and bronze medalists. Sacramone retired after the 2008 Olympic Games but announced her comeback to the sport and is targeting the 2010 Visa Championships. We caught up with her when she was visiting gym clubs in the Hartford, Conn., area to promote the 2010 Visa Championships on behalf of USA Gymnastics. Here's what she had to say:

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USA Gymnastics: What are you doing these days? Where are you living now?
Alicia: I'm living in Boston with my parents and looking for an apartment. I'm back in the gym and trying to get back in shape. I train a couple of hours a day.

USA Gymnastics: Are you still planning to make a comeback to the sport?
Alicia: Yes, I am. I can't compete until April because of USADA rules. I retired after the Olympic Games and now that I've returned, USADA requires athletes to be in the drug testing pool for 6 months before they can compete again.

USA Gymnastics: How is training going?
Alicia: It's good. It's hard getting skills back. Mentally I feel like I can do it, but physically my body is not ready yet. I'm working beam and vault and slowly working on floor. That won't be for a while though.

USA Gymnastics: What do you think will be the toughest event/skill to get back?
Alicia: Getting my endurance back for floor will be the toughest thing for me.

USA Gymnastics: How's your body feeling?
Alicia: It's not too bad. My body is getting used to training again.

USA Gymnastics: Are you enjoying Boston after being in L.A. for a while?
Alicia: I love Boston. It's one of my favorite cities. New York, Boston and Chicago are my favorite cities. L.A. was not my scene.

USA Gymnastics: Are you planning to go back to school?
Alicia: I am planning to go back to school. I'm waiting on some transfer stuff to come in before I decide where I'm going to go.

USA Gymnastics: I understand that you are helping USA Gymnastics promote the Visa Championships in Hartford. Are you hoping to compete in this event?
Alicia: I'm hoping the Visa Championships will be my first big competition back. That's what I'm striving for.

USA Gymnastics: Are you coaching or helping out with gymnastics these days?
Alicia: I'm traveling around and doing choreography for gymnasts at different clubs. I love it. I love working with the kids. It's very entertaining working with kids!

USA Gymnastics: I hear you've been attending a lot of Cleveland Browns football games lately. Can you talk about that?
Alicia: Yes, I have become a football fan. I was always a football fan but never into it too much until now. I'm dating Brady Quinn (the quarterback for Cleveland) so I travel to Cleveland on Sunday afternoons for home games.

USA Gymnastics: Has Brady visited you at the gym?
Alicia: No, but he said he's excited to come to a gymnastics meet.

USA Gymnastics: How did you two meet?
Alicia: We met at a charity event through a mutual friend.