Icon SMIChellsie Memmel, now 23, was the world all-around champion in 2005 and is back in competition with her signature moves intact.Fifteen years ago this summer, the 1996 U.S. Olympic women's gymnastics team won gold -- the first, and still only, team to win the Olympic title in women's gymnastics. Next summer, the U.S. team is once again a front-runner to win and, with two consecutive silvers in 2004 and 2008, is hoping to shed its runner-up status and match the feat of the '96 gymnasts.
The 2011 Visa National Championships, starting Wednesday in St. Paul, Minn., will be chock full of athletes trying to get closer to making the London squad. Rankings from nationals help determine who is chosen for the upcoming world championships and Pan American Games. And being on these teams -- especially the world team -- comes with a major perk: Members are usually on the short list for Olympic selection.
Here are five storylines to watch at nationals:
1. All-around rivals
If defending champion Rebecca Bross, 18, is fully recovered from last year's ankle surgery, she and Jordyn Wieber, 16, could have an exciting showdown for the overall title. Each is a former junior national champion, and this will be the first time they compete against each other at senior nationals. These two are among the best all-arounders in the world, with Wieber's higher-value Amanar vault giving her the edge in overall difficulty. Don't miss Bross' aggressive, almost-reckless style on bars and beam, and Wieber's jam-packed floor routine.
