Vanessa Atler - 1999 Worlds Team Finals - Balance Beam

[2345678902345671]

She was still recovering from her injury here. She shouldn't have gone, I'm sure she was pressured into it because it was the first time she was age eligible.

[LMA629]

what was her score for this?

[awezoeme]

@LMA629 she scored 8.025

[nsyncchick8877]

This was the biggest red flag of them all that she couldn't handle the pressure. And to defend the media here, @trashywilma, yes they are just kids but the media puts the spotlight on someone all the time and it doesn't matter the sport. Moceanu, Zmeskal, Phillips, and more recently, Carly, Shawn, and Nastia. Vanessa couldn't handle the pressure, simple as that. Vanessa was an amazing gymnast but when the team needed her the most, she didn't deliver.

[marieked]

@nsyncchick8877 turns out that before France she left her coaches, so she was really in limbo at this meet. Cannot have helped her nerves here.

[BravesGurl1983]

@nsyncchick8877

I think that's an unfair assessment. If she were competing in today's format where people can be specialists, she would have been fine. She would never have had to attempt bars. She would just compete on the other 3 appratuses like Alicia Sacromone

[PoorPublicSchoolKid]

she is one of the biggest disappointments ever to come out of USA gymnastics.

[BravesGurl1983]

@PoorPublicSchoolKid

seriously? the girl won several medals in the American Cup, Goodwill Games, and US National championships. I'd hardly call that "one of the biggest disappointments" from USA gymnastics...

[saulyboy09]

@mrpatriot83 ...Ghent 2001

[shawntaylorcassidy]

what was the score?

[fr3ckles]

so was that it for the team then? Was this a 3 up 3 count? I can't remember when I started implementing that...

[saltlakecity2002]

3 up 3 count didn't start till Ghent in 2001 if I'm not mistaken. If not in Ghent, then it was in Anaheim.

[missjpace]

Wow, it's such a shame what happened with her. But she just didn't have a consistent enough record to get to Sydney. Very talented, but couldn't prove herself when she needed to the most...

[kras118]

too bad for Nessa =/

ps I love Bart commentating-- he can say things like "this is hard to watch" without sounding mean!!

[yecatsb]

too bad for the head games - there was so much promise and talent.

Vanessa, we wish you nothing but the best in your life. this was just a phase of it. chin up, we're still proud of you!

[Stella1love]

ouch!!! hate to be her!!

[dragu88]

completamente desconcentrada...que mal por que ella tiene una exelente rutina

[SonyaNatalia]

Some of the most promising gymnasts are those who do not have the most important quality - mental toughness.

Vanessa Atler and Hollie Dykes were two such gymnasts.

[marieked]

And, she left her coaches right after nationals, right before worlds.. she sure was not in the right "head space" (psychologically) for a world team... she didn't even do trials due to injury, but made it based on her Nationals placement.

[hjaidar]

Well you should to know that she was injured

[briaberger]

Beautiful dismount! I'm amazed that she could pull that after that routine.

[Lilia96]

Poor Nessa. What a meltdown..

[FireDannyAinge]

This is exactly why she never should have been near an Olympic team.

Always made mistakes in big time situations and then she quit

[amzluvsgym]

Aw she gave up..

Love the headstand though!!

[gymnastgirl1232]

crazy what she did on her switch leap

[svetaswan]

Karpenko used this music in late '99 and 2000 - so I assume that's her, yes.

[hinginator]

Yes, thats definitely Viktoriya Karpenko on floor in the background

[rfillangi]

She truely gave up. Bizzare.

[raddrobbyy]

way to give up

[trashywilma]

i think nbc's intense pressure did vanessa atler in. i think people forget these gymnasts are just kids.

[smiFromBelarus]

I think she did herself in and her mom did not help either. I think she liek al lthe attention from the media or she would not have gone to that show for everyone to see her problems.

[LCAmarkymark]

@trashywilma She can't hear NBC only the view can..NBC had nothing to do with this...Vanessa was a head case and she even said that in the TV series "Starting Over" She really didn't want to participate in gymnastics after 1998..it wasn't fun for her anymore..her head was not in the game.

[Lnicker]

Vanessa was such an amazing athlete but just couldn't handle everything during the most pressure packed events like the worlds and Olympic trials. :(

[persevereforgold]

what was her score?

[dbhmr]

8.025

[Lnicker]

She couldn't have gotten a 8.025. She fell 3 times which is an automatic 1.5 deduction, plus had at least .5 off for missing connected elements, plus a hop on the landing. Are you sure it wasn't a 7.025?

[Lnicker]

Oops, nevermind. I saw her floor exercise routine from this competition and the comentators said she did indead get an 8.025.

[scatteam]

she gave up

[Prodn2000]

She was hurting bad from an ankle injury/bone chips

[gymman19]

poor usa and vanessa wonder wat went rong!?

[AntoineWalkerFan]

Th US was so lucky this wasn't a few years later with the 3-3