Athletes - Tasha Schwikert

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	Athletes - Tasha Schwikert

Tasha Schwikert (born November 21 1984 in Las Vegas, Nevada) is an American gymnast who is a 2000 Olympian, a World Gymnastics Championships gold medallist, and the 2005 NCAA all-around national champion. She is being watched within gymnastics circles as one of the United States' world class atheletes and a prospect for the U.S. team at the (2008) Summer Olympics.

Early life and career to 2000

The daughter of Shannon Warren and Joy Schwikert, she trained with coach Cassie Rice at GymCats club in Las Vegas. She was a member of USA Gymnastics' TOPS developmental team in 1994 and 1995, and when only thirteen years old, earned her first national team berth in 1998. Her first international meet was the 1998 City of Popes competition in France, where she won a silver medal on the floor exercise in the junior division.

Schwikert first came to prominence as a member of the U.S. team for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Her presence on the team was controversial: she placed ninth at the Olympic Trials, was not originally been named to the team at all, and joined the squad in Sydney later as a second alternate. When team member Morgan White was injured in training, Schwikert was named as her replacement, passing over first reserve Alyssa Beckerman. Despite the questions over Schwikert's qualification, she performed without serious error under pressure while some of her more illustrious teammates made mistakes. Following the Olympics, Schwikert would become arguably the most visible and noteworthy gymnast in America.

USA Gymnastics Online, in their article "", reported on August 28 2000: "Tasha Schwikert (Las Vegas, Nev.), 15, has been added as second alternate to the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team. The decision to name Schwikert as an alternate was made Friday following a conference call with the selection committee. The selection procedures allow for two alternates to the Olympic Team. Alyssa Beckerman (Wyoming, Ohio) is the first alternate. 'Tasha has demonstrated a great deal of consistency this year in both domestic and international competition', said Bob Colarossi, President of USA Gymnastics. 'Her poise and performances are considered to be very reliable and her desire to support this team is a valuable asset to the group.' Schwikert had competed in seven competitions in 2000 prior to the Olympic Trials, including all three events in the Visa American Cup Series in January and February. She was also a member of the 2000 U.S. Spieth Sogipa team that won a team gold medal in April. She is coached by Cassie Rice at GymCats in Las Vegas."

Career from 2001

Schwikert led the U.S. team to a surprise bronze medal at the 2001 World Championships in Ghent and was the USA's highest finisher in the all-around, placing fifth. She qualified for the floor exercise and balance beam event finals. A medal was a possibility in the floor finals (her all around score on this apparatus would have been high enough for bronze) but she fell on her final tumbling pass.

Later in 2001, Schwikert surged with three solid wins: winning her first US National Championships, the American Classic competition, and the all-around title at the Pan American Championships. Injury prevented Schwikert from competing in the 2002 World Championships. However, in 2002 she did win the Pacific Alliance all-around title, her second Nationals, and the American Cup. (The event is not related to yachting, but of similar name.)

Schwikert tied for second at the 2003 US Nationals. She was the captain of the 2003 World Championships team in Anaheim, supporting her younger teammates throughout the competition and demonstrating leadership and good sportsmanship. In the team finals, she only competed on vault and uneven bars but performed both of her routines cleanly, posting the highest scores of the American team on both events. Her scores helped the American women win their first team gold medal in World Championships competition.

In the following year, she suffered an injury that greatly disappointed what had become a widespread following. At the 2004 National Championships she won the uneven bars title, but placed off the all-around podium for the first time since 2000. Despite being hampered by an ankle injury, Schwikert was named as an alternate on the 2004 Olympic team. She flew to Athens with her two fellow reserves, Chellsie Memmel and Allyse Ishino, but was not called upon to compete.

College career and current activities

2004–2005 season

Schwikert began attending UCLA in autumn 2004 on a full athletic scholarship. In her first year of competition for the UCLA Bruins gymnastics team, she won the NCAA National all-around title. She was the only gymnast in 2005 to earn first-team All-American honors on all four events.

2005–2006 season

Schwikert was sidelined for most of the 2005–2006 season, due to a shoulder injury requiring surgery, but remained a student at UCLA and a member of the team. As one tip of the cap indicating her ongoing prominence, she was employed as an analyst alongside Bart Conner and Nadia Comaneci as a commentator at the 2005 World Championships in Melbourne. Schwikert returned to the UCLA lineup on March 25, 2006, competing vault and floor exercise at the Pac-10 Championships.

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