U.S. Gymnastics team comes to Assembly
Hall
Michael Matney The
Daily Illini |
| Russan olympic gymnastics gold medalist Svetlana
Khorkina dismounts from the beam during the Tour of World Gymnastics
Champions, on Thursday Night at the Assembly Hall. |
In perhaps one of the most bittersweet
performances of her career, gold medalist Dominique Moceanu joined
16 other Olympic stars in a stellar performance at Assembly Hall on
Thursday night.
The 31-city T.J. Maxx Tour of World Champions is more than halfway
finished, and when it ends in early December, 19-year-old Moceanu
will retire from the sport she has given her all to for most of her
life.
"As soon as I'm done with the tour, I'm done with gymnastics," said
Moceanu, who has recently faced numerous injuries. "The body can only
take so much, and it's time to move on. My body's just taken its toll."
Moceanu, however, will leave on a high note, turning in a show in
Champaign with a blend of American gymnasts from both the 1996 and
2000 squads, including Shannon Miller, Vanessa Atler, Blaine Wilson
and twins Morgan and Paul Hamm. International medalists from the Sydney
Games Alexei Nemov and Svetlana Khorkina also performed.
The gymnasts turned in both group and boy/girl numbers, as well as
individual performances.The show combined special effects, such as
lighting and popular dance music, with performances on the balance
beam, bars and floor. The newer events of power tumbling, trampoline
and rhythmic events were also incorporated.
One of the highlights of the night occurred when All-Around Olympic
champion Nemov performed on the high bar. He played up to his popular
nickname, "Sexy Alexei," performing to Right Said Fred's "I'm Too
Sexy," and taking off his shirt.
The crowd joined in with applause and screams of "I love you, Alexei!"
The men gymnasts performed several dance routines to music including
the Backstreet Boys, and the women danced to Britney Spears and Mandy
Moore. The groups also joined together for a flirtatious number to
Ricky Martin's "Livin' La Vida Loca."
Team T.J. Maxx, comprising Champaign Special Olympic athletes, performed
their own show to a standing ovation.
Moceanu said shows like these are less stressful than competitions
because there are no judges or pressure.
"You don't have to worry about making mistakes, it's more of a performance
for a crowd," she said. "They're a lot more fun. It's a different
state of mind when you're competing and performing."
Legendary gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi said the tour has done a lot
to unite the gymnasts.
"I can't believe how molded together they all are," he said during
a Champaign stop early last week.
Moceanu, who had previously never been to Champaign, echoed her former
coach's thoughts.
"It's going really well, and we're all having so much fun," Moceanu
said. "It's a great group of people, and we're becoming closer and
closer."
Moceanu said the gymnasts don't have a lot of time on the month-and-a-half-long
tour to sightsee, but try to "chill and hang out" as much as possible.
"Sometimes we'll go to the mall or out to eat together," she added.
"But we're always on the road."
Moceanu has grown a lot — both physically and emotionally — in the
past few years. While America fell in love with the 4-foot-6 gymnast
in Atlanta, she's now grown about 10 inches and added 20 pounds to
her previous 72-pound frame. And her personal life has been anything
but smooth since winning gold in the 1996 Games. Shortly after, the
tabloids pounced on stories of Moceanu asking to be declared a legal
adult and accusing her parents of squandering her money.
Numerous injuries have also added to Moceanu's problems. She said
she shouldn't even be performing on tour, and will undergo surgery
for both her knee and shoulder in January. She had to withdraw from
the Sydney Olympic trials after discovering a bone chip in her right
knee, although she went to cheer on her teammates.
"It was a lot of fun watching, but it killed me not to compete," Moceanu
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