U.S. CLASSIC NEWS

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Veterans advance to U.S. nationals

Chow, Moceanu, Phelps looking for return to Olympics


TULSA, Okla., July 8 � Three members of the Magnificent Seven are one step closer to making another U.S. Olympic gymnastics team. Amy Chow, Dominique Moceanu and Jaycie Phelps all had a few missteps Saturday night, but each performed well enough in the U.S. Classic to keep alive their hopes of making the Olympic team.


ALL THREE QUALIFIED for the national championships July 26-29 in St. Louis.
The top 12 at that meet will advance to the Olympic trials.
       

       �It�s a good start. I�m positive,� said Moceanu, who hadn�t competed since the 1998 nationals. �I wasn�t really that nervous. I�ve been training from January until now to get in shape. I�m looking forward to the next competition.�
       Chow fell twice on the uneven bars, the event on which she won a silver medal in the �96 Olympics. But she received a score of 8.4 and was solid on the other three events, including a 9.750 on the floor.
       Phelps fell out of bounds on her last tumbling pass in the floor exercise and received an 8.250. She scored at least 8.775 on her other three events. Moceanu was given an 8.30 after falling early in her balance beam routine but otherwise looked confident, including scoring 9.450 on the uneven bars.
       �I would have liked to hit all my routines, but this was just to get everything out. I�m pretty pleased,� Chow said.
       Phelps returned to the gym in January after giving up competition for three years. This was her first meet since beginning her comeback.
       �To hit three of four events after being out so long, it�s a good feeling,� she said. �I don�t have any doubt that it�s possible� to make the team.

Another member of the 1996 team, Shannon Miller, was scheduled to compete but pulled out after suffering a hairline fracture in her right tibia during practice Thursday. Miller is expected to recover in time for the national championships.
       A fifth member of the �96 team, Dominique Dawes, skipped the meet to concentrate on training for St. Louis. As former Olympians, Miller and Dawes can petition for spots at nationals.
       The top 12 finishers here were to advance to nationals along with those who had already qualified at a previous meet. But only six of those who hadn�t already qualified scored the mandatory 34.50 points Saturday night and will advance to St. Louis.
       Vanessa Atler, U.S. co-champion in 1997, looked strong in finishing first overall with 37.937. She is coming back from two surgeries to remove bone chips from her left ankle.
       Fellow national team member Morgan White finished second at 37.775.
       Two-time defending U.S. champion Kristen Maloney competed in all but the floor exercise and performed well. It was her first major meet since the world championships in October; she has been recovering from shoulder and shin surgery.
       Atler, White and Maloney had already secured spots at nationals.