Danny Sierra Articles

Despite a fall from balance beam in the first rotation, Cincinnati's Lexie Priessman was able to hold off a talented group of juniors and claim her first junior national title, scoring 116.4. Priessman was off on her back handspring-layout series, falling to one side.  Priessman fought through the rest of the exercise, managing only a 12.6 to open the second night of competition.   Priessman came back strong on the remaining events, however, hitting a key Amanar (15.65) that put her back on top in the third rotation.  On bars, h...

Halfway through the final day of the men's competition, it looked as though defending champion Danell Leyva was going to run away with his second Visa Championship title.   John Orozco quietly chipped away at Leyva's lead of over two points, coming back with a near-perfect floor exercise (15.5) to steal the win away from Leyva, 184.85-184.8. Orozco delivered on every routine, scoring 15.0 and higher on every event.  He started the day by posting a team final worthy 15.0 on pommel horse, followed up by an equally impressive 15.35 ring...

Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy's Lexie Priessman holds a strong lead after the first day of junior women's competition at the 2012 Visa Championships, scoring 59.2 across her four routines. Priessman started the day with solid routines on bars (14.15) and beam (14.1), where she showed a standing full and a rare full-twisting double back dismount - nearly stuck.  Priessman didn't look back heading into her two best pieces, floor and vault, where she distanced herself from the other contenders.   On floor, Priessman nailed her tumbling, ...

INDIANAPOLIS, June 7, 2012— 2008 Olympic gold-medalists Shawn Johnson of West Des Moines, Iowa/Chow’s Gymnastics, and Nastia Liukin of Parker, Texas/WOGA Gymnastics, and 2012 Olympic hopefuls John Orozco of the Bronx, N.Y./U.S. Olympic Training Center, who is a 2011 World team bronze medalist, and Aly Raisman of Needham, Mass./Brestyan’s, who is a 2011 World team gold medalist, will appear on CNN’s Piers Morgan Tonight on Friday, June 8, at 9 p.m. ET. On the show, the athletes discuss training, London and aspirations fo...

Donnell Whittenburg (Ultimate) and Marvin Kimble (Swiss Turners) lead their respective age groups after the first day of junior men's competition at the 2012 Visa Championships. Whittenburg is in front of the 16-18 age group, posting a 86.2 all-around score, highlighted by an incredible handspring-double front vault that he nearly stuck (16.05).  Whittenburg continued to impress on the floor exercise, where he mounted with a double Arabian half-out and threw an interesting front layout to double front side pass within his routine (14.45). ...

Renowned collegiate coach Rhonda Faehn's contract has been extended through 2017 by the University of Florida.  Faehn led a powerful Florida squad to a narrow second-place at this year's NCAA Super Six Final, falling to defending champion Alabama by a mere .075 in the last seconds of the meet.  The Gators held the No. 1 ranking for most of the regular season. Faehn is renowned for her recruiting abilities, and top gymnasts she has brought to Gainesville include Corey Hartung, Kytra Hunter, Melanie Sinclair, Marissa King, Randy Stagebe...

Top Canadian gymnast and fan favorite Peng Peng Lee announced via Twitter on Friday that she has given up her bid to make the 2012 Olympic Team for Canada, due to a knee injury that she sustained during training at the Canadian Championships. Lee posted this to her followers: "Due to my knee I've withdrawn from the Olympic selection process but I'm ecstatic to be named honorary team captain for the 2012 Olympic Games." Lee's injury occurred while training a double-twisting Yurchenko vault, and is the second time she has suffered an injury atte...

The controversy surrounding Chellsie Memmel's failed petition to compete at the Visa Championships reached new heights on Thursday, as Memmel and her father, Andy, spoke out about the snub to several media outlets. In an article published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Andy Memmel, who is also Chellsie's coach, revealed that USA Gymnastics president Steve Penny reached out to the Memmels, urging Chellsie to announce her retirement amidst an unexpectedly severe reaction from gymnastics fans around the nation: "He said, 'Why don't you just r...

Kristina Vaculik took home three titles at the 2012 Canadian Championships, winning the all-around crown with a score of 56.7.  In Saturday's event finals, Vaculik also picked up wins on uneven bars and balance beam. Vaculik won the all-around despite a fall on balance beam, recording solid numbers on bars (14.7), floor (14.3) and vault (14.25) to best Victoria Moors and Dominique Pegg, who tied for second place with a score of 56.3.  The win marked the third career Canadian Championship for Vaculik, who aims to make her first Olympi...

2008 Olympian and veteran on the American gymnastics scene Chellsie Memmel will end her run for a second Olympic team after failing to meet the qualification guidelines to compete at the 2012 Visa Championships, the second competition in a series of meets that will decide the London Olympic team. Memmel made a brief comeback to elite competition this year, competing at Saturday's Secret U.S. Classic on the balance beam, her first appearance in 2012.  After looking proficient in warmups, Memmel suffered a disastrous set at the Classic, fal...