Alicia Sacramone
© John Cheng

BEIJING, Aug. 9, 2008 — The 2008 U.S. Olympic Team for women’s gymnastics begins competition at the 2008 Olympic Games with the qualification round on Sunday, Aug. 10. The USA is in the second of four subdivisions and will compete at 1:30 p.m. local Beijing time (1:30 a.m. ET) at the National Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China. The qualification round determines which countries and athletes advance to the team, all-around and individual event finals.

The members of the U.S. Olympic Team for women’s gymnastics are: Shawn Johnson of West Des Moines, Iowa/Chow’s Gymnastics; Nastia Liukin of Parker, Texas/WOGA; Chellsie Memmel of West Allis, Wis./M&M Gymnastics; Samantha Peszek of Indianapolis, Ind./DeVeau’s; Alicia Sacramone of Winchester, Mass./Brestyan’s; and Bridget Sloan of Pittsboro, Ind./Sharp’s. The three replacement athletes are: Jana Bieger of Coconut Creek, Fla./Bieger International Gymnastics; Ivana Hong of Blue Springs, Mo./GAGE; and Corrie Lothrop of Gaithersburg, Md./Hill’s.

Subdivision 1 includes Olympic Games host and 2007 team world silver-medalist China, 2007 team world bronze-medalist Romania and two mixed groups. In addition to the USA, which is the reigning team world champion, Great Britain, Italy and Japan also will compete in subdivision 2. Subdivision 3 features Australia, Germany, Russia and the Ukraine. Rounding out the women’s teams in subdivision 4 are Brazil, France and two mixed groups. The mixed groups include gymnasts whose countries did not qualify for the team competition but are seeking berths in the final rounds for the all-around and/or the individual event finals.

Competition in subdivision 1 begins at 10 a.m. local Beijing time, followed by subdivision 2 at 1:30 p.m., subdivision 3 at 5 p.m. and subdivision 4 at 8 p.m.

The top eight countries advance to the team finals. The top 24 gymnasts in the all-around with a limit of two per country move on to the finals. The top eight athletes in each event with a limit of two per country advance to the individual event finals. The countries and athletes who advance to the various final rounds will not be determined until the conclusion of the final subdivision. Scores from the qualification round do not carry forward to the finals.

The women’s team finals are Aug. 13 (10:15 a.m.), with the all-around finals on Aug. 15 (11:15 a.m.). Individual event finals are Aug. 17-19 (6 p.m.).