The youngest member of the 2008 US Olympic Team, Bridget Sloan had a banner year in 2009. She won the US National Title and was selected for the four-member team for the 2009 World Gymnastics Championships in London 🇬🇧, where only the individual events would be contested.
Bridget qualified to the AA Final in fifth place, where she didn't have her best beam or floor routines.
She had a steady performance during the AA Final, and appeared set up for the silver medal with only teammate Rebecca Bross left to go on floor. Bross needed just 12.950 for the gold, and had scored 13.950 in qualifications.
But the pressure got to Rebecca and she failed to properly connect the layout barani out of her 2 1/2 twist on her final pass, putting both hands down. She nearly still won, but her score of 12.875 gave her the silver medal.
Bridget Sloan is often forgotten about as a World AA Champion, but she had some nice qualities as a gymnast. She was the first (and perhaps only?) World Champion to perform a Randi, or front 2 1/2 twist. She was also the first World AA Champion to compete in the NCAA. She had an incredible career at the University of Florida, winning two NCAA all-around titles in addition to several other accolades.
Lately she has taken up broadcasting as well as podcasting, and I have enjoyed listening to her podcast. She frequently has legendary Kathy Johnson Clarke as a guest and they have a terrific rapport.
26 авг 2024
