AARHUS, Denmark, Oct. 18, 2006 – 2005 all-around world champion Chellsie Memmel of West Allis, Wis., Jana Bieger of Coconut Creek, Fla., Guillermo Alvarez of Denver and Alexander Artemev of Morrison, Colo., will compete in the all-around finals at the 2006 World Championships in Aarhus, Denmark, on Oct. 19.
Memmel and Bieger finished first and third, respectively, in the all-around preliminaries. At the 2005 World Championships, Memmel became the first U.S. all-around world champion since Shannon Miller in 1994. Memmel, who had the highest all-around score in the prelims, has the opportunity to become just the second U.S. gymnast to win back-to-back all-around world titles. Miller was the first in 1993-94.
The United States also has five gymnasts competing in the individual event finals, with the opportunity for six medals, on Oct. 20-21: vault—Alicia Sacramone of Winchester, Mass., who in 2005 won the USA’s first vault medal since 1989, Oct. 20; uneven bars—Nastia Liukin of Parker, Texas, and Memmel, who were one-two in this event at the 2005 World Championships, Oct. 20; pommel horse—Artemev, Oct. 20; and floor exercise—Memmel and Bieger, Oct. 21. Scores from the preliminary rounds do not carry over to the finals.
2006 World Championships schedule
Oct. 19
Men’s all-around finals (USA—Alvarez, Artemev)
Women’s all-around finals (USA—Memmel, Bieger)
Oct. 20
Individual event finals
Men—floor exercise, pommel horse (USA—Artemev) and still rings
Women–vault (USA—Sacramone) and uneven bars (USA-Liukin, Memmel)
Oct. 21
Individual event finals
Men—vault, parallel bars and horizontal bar
Women—balance beam and floor exercise (USA—Memmel, Bieger)
WCSN is carrying the finals of the 2006 World Championships live on WCSN.com. For just $4.95, fans get a front row seat at gymnastics’ premier international championships for the finals for the team, all-around and individual event competitions. In addition to seeing it live, fans can also watch the competition at a time most convenient for them through WCSN’s on-demand archive. The live webcast schedule is (all times are Eastern): Oct. 19, 9:30 a.m.-3:35 p.m., men’s and women’s all-around finals; Oct. 20, 1-4:15 p.m., individual event finals (men—floor exercise, pommel horse and still rings; women–vault and uneven bars); and Oct. 21, 8:30-11:45 a.m., individual event finals (men—vault, parallel bars and horizontal bar; women—balance beam and floor exercise). For more information, go to wcsn.com.
Based in Indianapolis, USA Gymnastics is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States. Its mission is to encourage participation and the pursuit of excellence in the sport. Its disciplines include men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling, and acrobatic gymnastics. For more information, log on to www.usa-gymnastics.org.