BIRMINGHAM, England – Two more events. Two more gold medals. The self-evident depth of the U.S. program was proven again on Saturday when Alicia Sacramone and Chellsie Memmel both won gold at the 2004 FIG World Cup Final in Birmingham, England.
Sacramone, 17, of Winchester, Mass., demonstrated that she will be a force to be reckoned with in years to come by winning the vault gold with a 9.481. In the process, Sacramone held off ’04 Olympic champion Monica Rosu at 9.456, Olympic bronze medalist Anna Pavlova at 9.418 and former Olympic champ Elena Zamolodchikova at 9.412.
Sacramone celebrated her 17th birthday on Dec. 3 by winning the vault and floor titles at the 2004 Pan American Gymnastics Union Individual Event Finals in Maracaibo, Venzuela on Dec. 5. Sacramone, who has now won three gold and two silvers on vault in international competition since March, is coached by Mihai Brestyan of Brestyan’s Gymnastics.
Memmel, 16, of West Allis, Wis., scored a 9.625 to capture gold on the uneven bars. Memmel was the 2003 world co-champion on bars, and topped ’03 world bronze medalist Beth Tweddle of England at 9.612. The victory caps a golden month for Memmel, who also won gold on bars and beam at the 2004 PAGU Individual Event Finals in Venezuela.
After helping the U.S. Team to team gold plus winning a bars gold of her own at the ’03 Worlds, Memmel missed most of the 2004 season with a broken bone in her left foot sustained on April 8. She completed a remarkable comeback to serve as an alternate to the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team. Memmel is coached by her parents at M&M Gymnastics in West Allis.
The World Cup Final is the culmination of a two-year series of events in which athletes earn points for placement in FIG level A and B events. The top eight points-winners at the end of the season are invited to the World Cup Final.