Vanessa Atler Vault - 2000 US Olympic Trials Day 2

[kubrickfan]

Atler is one of the most talented athletes to ever compete for the US. Her demise was due to a system so obsessed with reclaiming the glory of Atlanta, it was willing to sacrifice everyone. Vanessa still ranked sixth after bad performances and having no space to care anymore. USAG ruined the athletes from this quad, because they could not match the talent of the mag 7. They rarely competed internationally and were not prepared when they did. Atler (pre-ankle injury) and Ray were the exceptions.

[MANMARTRE]

She needs to assume her lacks and that she didn't have enough time at WOGA to really make the US Team.

[BravesGurl1983]

Vanessa wasn't happy. Anyone could see that. After watching her on "Staring Over" and the things that went on at WOGA... geez, no wonder she looked like she didn't care

[nsyncchick8877]

What all of you seem to forget is that Vanessa had one of the biggest meltdowns that I've ever seen at that '99 World Championships. She couldn't handle the pressure, simple as that. On one of her best events, she didn't score well at all. That's not good.

Vanessa is one of my all time favs and it's a shame she didn't make the Olympic team. I completely understand why Vanessa wasn't chosen.

[iTumbleToo]

What a cruel sport.

[desglacons]

News flash Tim ..there was no medal round in Sydney because they didn't send gymnasts with the talent that Vanessa had..

[intldawn]

Huh? I think Tim was speculating how well she could handle the pressure if a team medal were on the line if she couldn't deal with it at the Trials.

[desglacons]

I fully understand what Tim was speculating.

I was just commenting on what the future brought for the US ladies' Sydney team....nothing...Vanessa more probably than not would not have "damaged" a team that did nothing. In fact, I betcha if she'd competed she would have done really quite well...but of course no one will ever no that.

Vanessa should have gone..she earned the spot...even though it is ancient history.

[intldawn]

Fair enough. You're right, our team probably wouldn't have been worse off with her there, especially with the competitive format. I understand why they left her off the team, though, but it was like Kristi Phillips all over again.

[1Timoteo41]

hi, i am agree with you, she earned that spot, she could do it better then Dominique Dawes for sure, Dawes had a vault with a start value of 9.5, and Vanessa 9.9, so if they needed vaulters they had one right there. They could take her but not letting her compete on bars, just like Catalina Ponor did not compete on bars on 2004.

[desglacons]

Thanks Timoteo...exactly my point! Who knows what happened behind the scenes...we will never know but Vanessa was ripped off in my opinion....I am sure she has moved on...but still leaves me with a bad sense of what happened at that time.

[mydogwearsacape]

i agree. USAG ruined vanessa, and she was the only way the US could have won any medals whatsoever in sydney

[gymnast768]

pause at 2:05. wow.

[tmwalkerm]

she choked.....brutal.

[gymnast768]

yup. in gymnastics, when you choke, you get hurt or the skills sucks from bad form. she was lucky and got points taken off instead of brain cells (by thta meaning she didnt get hurt like she could have)