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Elise Ray, U.S.
| | | | Destination: |
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Tom Gannam/AP
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2000 Sydney Olympics gymnastics competition |
| Traveling from: | |
Columbia, Md. |
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Personal: | | Age: |
18
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Elise Ray had never finished better than fifth at the U.S. Gymnastics
Championships until this year, when she won the all-around and floor exercise
events. Ray's win was not altogether surprising, as she finished a team-best
eighth at the 1999 World Championships. She also won the all-around title at the
2000 Senior Pacific Alliance and the 2000 Aussie Haircare
Invitational.
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| Achievements: |
| 2000 | U.S. Championships, all-around, uneven bars, floor exercise, 2nd;
balance beam,
3rd |
| 2000 | Senior Pacific Alliance, all-around, floor exercise, 1st; balance
beam, uneven bars,
3rd
|
| 2000 | Aussie Haircare Invitational, all-around, floor exercise, vault,
uneven bars,
1st |
| 1999 | World Championships, all-around, 8th; uneven bars,
7th |
| 1999 | National Championships, all-around, vault, 6th; floor exercise,
1st; balance beam,
5th |
| 1998 | Goodwill Games, uneven bars,
2nd |
| 1998 | U.S. Championships, all-around, 5th; uneven bars, 1st; floor
exercise,
6th |
| 1997 | U.S. Championships (Junior Division), all-around,
4th |
| 1992 | Olympic Games, champion |
| 1991 | World Championships, champion |
| 1991 | Pan American Games, champion |
| 1990 | Goodwill Games,
champion |
| 1989 | World Championships, champion |
| 1987 | Pan American Games, champion
|
| 1996 | U.S. Championships (Junior Division), all-around,
3rd
|
| Currently: | |
Ray's first-place finish at nationals does not yet guarantee her a
trip to Sydney. The combined, weighted scores from nationals (40%) and the
Olympic trials (60%, August 17-20) are used to rank women gymnasts. The
six-woman team will also be based on selection by a committee headed by Bela
Karolyi. But with a performance like she had at nationals -- when at the
last minute she decided to do a vault she had never tried in competition and
then nailed it -- Ray is as good a bet as any to make the
team.
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