American Cup an Olympic steppingstone

NEW YORK — No pressure, gang. The American Cup is the first gymnastics meet of the season, and the Athens Olympics are still about six months away.

Just remember that everybody is watching this one. Win Saturday's international competition, and you'll be the front-runner for Olympic gold. Fall on your face and, well, let's just say it's not the best way to start the trip to Athens.

"It's pretty big," Chellsie Memmel, a two-time gold medalist at last summer's world championships, said Friday. "It's the starting point of the year. Any meet can help your self-confidence and your reputation."

Just look at the event's history. Nadia Comaneci was a relative unknown when she won the first American Cup in 1976. Six months later at the Montreal Olympics, she captivated and dazzled the world with the first perfect 10, a feat she repeated six times.

Mary Lou Retton won her first American Cup title in 1983, the year before she became the first — and so far, only — American to win the all-around title in the Olympics.

And the list goes on. Bart Conner, Kurt Thomas, Peter Vidmar, Vitaly Scherbo, Shannon Miller and Kerri Strug were all Olympic gold medalists. All were American Cup champions, too.

"The American Cup champion, that's going to be the one who's the front-runner for the Olympic Games," said renowned coach Bela Karolyi. "This is the last (big) competition before the major events, the world championships and the Olympic Games, and it always designates the favorite. No exception."

Americans make up half of the 16-gymnast field — eight men, eight women — and they're sending a powerhouse lineup. Memmel is joined by defending American Cup champion Carly Patterson, who won the silver in the world all-around; Courtney McCool, who won gold and silver medals at the Pan American Games; and Terin Humphrey, who helped the United States win a team gold at worlds.

But don't count the rest of the field out. Spain's Elena Gomez, who won a bronze on floor at worlds, is here, as is Irina Yarotskaya of Ukraine, who was fourth in the all-around at worlds. Then there's Monette Russo, part of the upstart Australian squad that was a surprising third at the world championships.

"This is a really big meet in my season," Patterson said. "Every competition counts from here on out. So it's very important I do well."

World champion Paul Hamm and five-time U.S. champion Blaine Wilson lead the men's squad. Joining them are Hamm's twin brother, Morgan, and Jason Gatson, both members of the team that took silver at worlds.

Powerhouses Russia and China didn't send anyone to the American Cup, but four-time world medalist Marian Dragulescu of Romania leads the international contingent.