Gymnasts Kupets, McCool take step toward Athens

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Forget the standings. All Courtney Kupets and Courtney McCool had to do was look at the big grin on Martha Karolyi's face to know they're well on their way to Athens.

Kupets and McCool grabbed the two almost-but-not-quite-guaranteed spots on the U.S. Olympic team Sunday, finishing first and second at the trials. They still have to prove "readiness" at next month's selection camp at Karolyi's ranch, but it's probably safe for them to start packing their bags.

Kupets, the co-national champion, finished with 75.750 points. McCool was just .125 behind her.

As for the rest of the team, well, that's another question. At least seven other athletes were to be invited to the selection camp, where they'll be put through another two-day competition before the team is named July 18.

Co-national champion Carly Patterson is likely in, despite another rough day. Normally rock-solid, Patterson fell off the balance beam for a second straight day and finished third. Tabitha Yim was fourth and Allyse Ishino fifth.

Local favorite Mohini Bhardwaj continued to make her case for a trip to the selection camp, if not Athens. Though she was sixth, the 25-year-old showed she can more than hang with the youngsters with a monster vault that earned her a 9.6 and a nod of approval from Karolyi.

Tasha Schwikert, the only holdover from the 2000 Olympics, could be on the bubble after finishing eighth. Terin Humphrey was third for almost the entire meet before botching her vault, her final event of the two days. She scored an 8.65, and dropped all the way to seventh.

Kupets hasn't had the best of luck in Anaheim. She blew out her Achilles' tendon during a training session at last summer's world championships here, and she split one of her big toe nails during practice this week.

But Sunday night's performance will leave her with plenty of good memories. She was clearly the class of the field, not scoring anything below a 9.225. She's at her best on the uneven bars, gliding so effortlessly she appears to be floating.

Her floor exercise is more like performance art. Done to a heavy drum beat, she mixes unusual dance steps with powerful tumbling passes. Though she sailed out of bounds on her second pass, she had Karolyi nodding in approval when she finished.

Karolyi was practically jumping out of her seat watching McCool. The 16-year-old sprite competed as a junior last year because she didn't think she was ready for the step up in competition, but she's shown she's more than capable of handling the pressure now.

She won a test event at the Olympic venue in Athens earlier this year, and after trials, it looks like she'll get the chance to try for another medal there.