The Greatest USA Gymnastics Moments of 2008.

Since 2008 is coming to an end, and y'all are all throwing out your nasty-ass fruitcake (I tried one-They're soooo gross. No offense to anyone who likes them. but yeah. they're abnormal tasting.), and eating all your crimbo cookies (Word copyrighted to Tessaarooni and Cheese), read this...It's The Best USA Gymnastics Moments of 2008.

Nastia Liukin Wins The 2008 Tyson American Cup.

Nastia came back with a vengeance, after a dissapointing 2007 season, except for clinching the world title on beam, to triumph Shawn Johnson and Samantha Peszek, who rounded out the Top Three. Nastia had a step on her Vault, a one and a half twisting Yurchenko, A large, majorly deductible step on her high-difficulty bars dismount, A Blind change to Double Front with a half twist. Beam had very few errors, with only a hop on the dismount, Roundoff, 2.5 twist. Moving on to floor, Nastia stepped out of bounds on her first pass, but recovered quickly, to secure her spot as 2008 Tyson American Cup champion.

Shawn Johnson Defends Her National Title.

Shawn Johnson, the heavily favored sweetheart from West Dies Monies, IA., won the title of 2008 USA Champion for the second year in a row. In a leotard that looked like somebody had puked all over, she began on vault, looking nervous to perform her Amanar, the hardest vault in the world, which is a 2.5 twisting Yurchenko. Shawn landed the difficult vault, with a large step on the landing. Rotating to bars, with a solid performance, Johnson was ready to go to beam. With an almost no error on her beam performance, Shawn was in the position to win..all she needed to do was to stay on her feet on floor. There was a mishap with her music, which was the *BEEP* that usually comes on before a gymnast's floor music did not play for Shawn, leading her to walk off the floor. Starting the floor routine again, Everybody thought after the mishap, Shawn would not perform well. But, Johnson showed the world the true champion she is, and gave an all-out routine, with only a medium-sized error on her whip, Triple Twist. The deal was sealed. Shawn Johnson won her second consecutive National Championship and was ready to bring it on at Trials.

Chellsie Memmel Places Second All-Around at the 2008 US Olympic Trials.

Chellsie may have gotten silver, but to her, it felt like Gold. Coming back from a shoulder injury which required surgery, Chellsie gave her all at the Trials, with a rewarding second. A stuck vault, stuck bars dismount, and a stuck beam dismount, combined with a hit floor routine basically gave Chellsie a right to call herself a "Lock" for the 2008 US Olympic Team.

The USA Women's Gymnastics Team Obtains Silver.

It wasn't what the reigning team world champions were hoping for, but after injuries and mishaps, they came back to earn their right on the podium. Everyone basically knows that everyone did what they could do, but just lost focus at times. But a silver medal is something to be proud of.

Shawn Johnson Smiles Her Golden Grin, At Last.

After making a habit of winning silvers, and swallowing her disappointment, Shawn Johnson only had one more chance for a Olympic Gold medal until The Gymnastics Olympic Flame cartwheeled away. Johnson was under the weather, with stomach craps and a headache, but persevered anyways, forgetting about her ailments. Her prize: Her dream wrapped in a tiny gold circle. Extra special because it was this one shot, hit or miss. With a barely visible error on her flight series, and standing tuck full, and a small step on her dismount, Shawn Johnson gave the performance of a lifetime. Maybe she needs to get headaches more often?

And the Number One moment issssss.....

Nastia Liukin Is Crowned Queen Of Gymnastics.

To come back from multiple injuries, and win the Olympic All-Around gold exactly 20 years after her Father, Valeri Liukin had received two golds in his Olympic moments, made the Medal more oh-so-sweet than it already was. A disastrous 2007 national championship made people start to count her out, but she fought, and came back to become the Belle of the Beijing ball. The win overcame her so much, that she started to cry out of happiness, and created a tear-jerker for all Nastia fans who had been with her the whole time.

Congratz, Nast!

Look forward to another trimuphant year for USA Gymnastics in 2009 with new seniors, Rebecca Bross and Samantha Shapiro, not to mention nearly all of the Olympians back in action!

-Mere ♥