© Diane Bidermann

INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 9, 2011 – USA Gymnastics today announced the U.S. Rhythmic Gymnastics Teams for the 2011 World Championships and the 2011 Pan American Games. Shelby Kisiel of Houston automatically qualified for the World Team by winning the 2011 U.S. rhythmic gymnastics all-around title. The balance of the World Team and the entire Pan Am Games Team were determined following the conclusion of the selection camp.

2011 World Championships Team
Sept. 19-25, 2011, Montpellier, France

    Shelby Kisiel, Houston, North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
    Polina Kozitskiy, Fountainville, Pa., Philadelphia Rhythmic Academy
    Julie Zetlin, Bethesda, Md., Capital Rhythmics

    Group (North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics, Deerfield, Ill.)
    Jessica Bogdonov, Brooklyn, N.Y.
    Megan Frohlich, Arlington, Wash.
    Aimee Gupta, Orchard Lake, Mich.
    Michelle Przybylo, Glenview, Ill.
    Sofya Roytburg, Brooklyn, N.Y.
    Sydney Sachs, Deerfield, Ill.

2011 Pan American Games Team (pending U.S. Olympic Committee approval)
Oct. 15-18, Guadalajara, Mexico

    Shelby Kisiel, Houston, North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
    Julie Zetlin, Bethesda, Md., Capital Rhythmics
    Reserve athlete: Polina Kozitskiy, Fountainville, Pa., Philadelphia Rhythmic Academy

    Group (North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics, Deerfield, Ill.)
    Jessica Bogdonov, Brooklyn, N.Y.
    Megan Frohlich, Arlington, Wash.
    Aimee Gupta, Orchard Lake, Mich.
    Michelle Przybylo, Glenview, Ill.
    Sofya Roytburg, Brooklyn, N.Y.
    Sydney Sachs, Deerfield, Ill.

At the World Championships, the team competition for individual rhythmic gymnastics on Sept. 19-22 also serves as the qualification rounds for the individual event and all-around finals. For the individual competition, each country’s team has four athletes and three compete on each apparatus. The top 24 from the qualification round advance to the all-around finals (Sept. 23), and the top eight on each of the four apparatus advance to event finals (Sept. 20, 22); there is a maximum of two per country rule for the all-around and individual event finals. For the group, the top eight groups for each of the two events advance to the finals.

The competition schedule is: Sept. 19-20, hoop and ball events, with the event finals on the evening of Sept. 20; Sept. 21-22, clubs and ribbon, with the event finals on the evening of Sept. 22, when the team medalists will also be announced; Sept. 23, all-around finals; Sept. 24, group general competition (5 balls and 3 ribbons+2 hoops), with awards presented after the final session; and Sept. 25, event finals for 5 balls and 3 ribbons+2 hoops.

The U.S. gymnasts compete in hoop in rotation one on Sept. 19; rotation four for ball, Sept. 20; rotation 5 for clubs, Sept. 21; and rotation eight for ribbon, Sept. 22. For the group, the USA competes in rotation one on Sept. 24.

For the Pan Am Games, the competition features both individual and group gymnastics also. For individual, medals are awarded for all-around and the four apparatus, and for group, the overall and two events. The finals are scheduled for Oct. 15-18. The USA athletes will compete ninth and 25th on the first day of competition. The field of competitors includes athletes from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, Colombia, Guatemala, Venezuela, and the United States. For the group, the United States will compete third against teams from Brazil, Canada, Cuba and Venezuela. The Pan American Games represent the largest contingent of Team USA athletes to compete in an international sporting event, with approximately 650 U.S. athletes gearing up for the 2011 Games.