Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Tasha returns to form

MILWAUKEE -- Olympic gymnast Tasha Schwikert had the experience and the know-how.

The desire, well, that was another matter.

She was mentally exhausted through 10 months of battling injuries, and Schwikert, an 18-year-old from Las Vegas, had lost her willingness to train at a high level. After finally being kicked out of the gym by her coach four weeks ago, Schwikert knew it was time to get serious.

She rebounded with a stunning second-day performance in the all-around on Saturday, claiming a share of second place at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships.

Schwikert called her runner-up showing, achieved in the manner it was, more satisfying than her back-to-back national all-around titles in 2001 and 2002. She scored 9.35 or better in all four events in the finals, posting the best finish of anyone in the field.

"Just coming back from sixth to second, and being that far down, it was exciting," Schwikert said.

A third consecutive all-around title was within her grasp in the final event, but she fell just short when Courtney Kupets posted a clean balance beam routine and scored 9.65, while Schwikert scored a respectable 9.45 on the floor exercise. Schwikert finished just 0.225 behind Kupets' winning all-around score. "We were all so close," said Schwikert, who tied for second with 15-year-old Hollie Vise of Dallas. "I'm happy for Courtney. She deserved it. I'm really excited for Worlds this year."

Kupets, Schwikert and Vise clinched automatic berths on the U.S. team that will compete in the World Championships Aug. 16-24 in Anaheim, Calif.

Just a few weeks ago, none of this seemed a likely scenario for Schwikert, a member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic team that placed fourth in the Sydney Games. A lingering left ankle injury had drained her desire, and her frustration mounted earlier this year when pain returned in the ankle, despite surgery in December.

Her lackadaisical attitude angered her GymCats club coach, Cassie Rice, and national team coordinator Martha Karolyi wasn't certain about Schwikert's commitment to the sport.

"I felt like it was a death in the family type of thing, but I really believed it was over," Rice said.

Rice told Schwikert not to come back to the gym, and the gymnast gradually understood that her coach wasn't kidding.

"She said, 'I'm not going to put up with you being average,' " Schwikert said. "It was about five days where I didn't train, and then I came in and it was basically four hours of begging.

"It was difficult. I said, 'I'll do anything to prove to you that I want to do this.' "

Rice finally relented and told Schwikert to come in the next day for an extra-long workout. The gymnast returned with a new attitude and trained for 10 consecutive days to regain her coach's confidence.

"I'm happy with what she did," Schwikert said. "It helped me change as a person. Now that I look back at it, I wasn't really working like I wanted to be a champion or win."

Schwikert said she didn't feel right in the all-around preliminaries on Thursday, perhaps due to her long layoff from competition. But when she stuck her vault on Saturday, as the first person to compete in the first rotation, her confidence soared. She scored a 9.425 in the event, two-tenths higher than her performance on the apparatus two nights earlier.

"I fully got into the zone, like I usually do," Schwikert said. "We didn't get a warmup, and I was first in the rotation. It definitely got me motivated. I saw the score and I was like, 'Wow, I can move up.' "

Schwikert then scored a 9.575 on the uneven bars, and the crowd at the U.S. Cellular Arena cheered her every move. She also posted a 9.35 on the balance beam while finishing with a four-event total of 37.800, the best score in the finals. The combined preliminaries and finals scores (eight events) were counted in the all-around total.

"She's ba-a-a-ck," said Kelli Hill, who coaches Kupets and admired Schwikert's comeback effort Saturday night.

Schwikert's lights-out performance took the pressure off entering the team selection camp, to be held during the first week of July at the Karolyi ranch in New Waverly, Texas. Instead of fighting for one of three remaining spots on the World Championships team, she is assured of one.

"It is a relief, so you don't have to hope and pray that they'll take you," Schwikert said. "Even though you think they would have, anyway, there's no guarantee."

National team coordinator Martha Karolyi hinted Saturday that fourth-place finisher Ashley Postell and fifth-place finisher Annia Hatch would be strongly considered for spots on the Worlds team. Other contenders include Carly Patterson and Tabitha Yim, both of whom missed nationals due to injuries but are expected to be granted waivers to participate in the camp.

Schwikert believes the U.S. will have a strong chance for a team medal in the World Championships. And it's clear her attitude has been transformed from a down-in-the-dumps feeling to an up-tempo, positive outlook.

Yes, the old Tasha is back.

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