A Complete List of the Gymnasts Who Made the 2008 Olympic Team

In 2008 the US women were the defending world champions and took silver during the team finals in Beijing. Here's a look at the squad.

Shawn Johnson

Johnson was the 2007 world all-around champion and racked up a steady stream of all-around wins in her first year as a senior competitor: at the American Cup, the Pan American Games, and USA Nationals. She defended her all-around title at the 2008 nationals and won the Olympic Trials as well.

Her Biggest Strengths: She did some of the hardest routines being performed in the world, and almost always hit them cold. She also had the enviable status of coming into the Olympics as the reigning world champion.

Nastia Liukin

Liukin won the all-around at four national championships (two as a junior in 2003 & 2004, and two as a senior in 2005 & 2006). She finished second all-around at the World Championships in 2005 (losing to teammate Chellsie Memmel by the slimmest margin possible .001 points) and won a total of nine medals at worlds.

Her Biggest Strengths: She brought in enormous scores on uneven bars and balance beam, and was known for her beautiful artistry throughout all her routines.

Alicia Sacramone Quinn

Sacramone won a world title on floor (2005) and vault (2010) and won 10 total world medals while competing for the US.

Her Biggest Strengths: She was a rock for the USA team on vault and floor, and often as a leadoff on beam as well.

Chellsie Memmel

As mentioned earlier, Memmel was the 2005 world all-around champion, and earned an impressive medal tally on the other events as well: a gold (2003) and silver (2005) on bars, a silver on beam (2005), and a gold (2003) and silver (2006) from team competition. After battling a shoulder injury throughout 2007, she placed third all-around at the 2008 nationals and third again at the Olympic Trials.

Her Biggest Strengths: She was known for having big tricks and risky routines, and being a tough-as-nails competitor.

Samantha Peszek

Peszek was also a member of the 2007 world team and helped the USA team win gold at the Pan American Games as well. At the 2008 American Cup, she finished third all-around, and she ranked fourth all-around at 2008 nationals and Olympic Trials.

Her Biggest Strengths: She was a very good vaulter, and proved at the American Cup and nationals that she could put up solid scores on every event. She also had some of the most difficult tumbling in the world in her floor routine.

Bridget Sloan

Sloan was named the alternate to the 2007 world team, in just her first year of competition at the senior level. She also placed third all-around in the Beijing Olympic Test Event at the end of 2007.

Her Biggest Strengths: She was good at all the events and could compete on any one of them if need be. She could also vault a solid double-twisting Yurchenko if the team needed her on that event.

The Alternates

These gymnasts were counted on to fill in if a member of the competing team got injured.

Jana Bieger

Bieger was a member of the 2006 world team, as well as the world all-around silver medalist in 2006.

Her Biggest Strengths: She was solid on all four events, and could be counted on to hit her routines.

Ivana Hong

Hong was a member of the 2007 world and Pan American teams.

Her Biggest Strengths: She was accomplished on all four events, and performed with an incredible form that the judges loved.

Corrie Lothrop

Lothrop proved herself to be a consistent competitor at both the Olympic Trials (8th all-around) and US nationals (9th all-around).

Her Biggest Strengths: It was rumored that Lothrop trained an Amanar vault, which could have really helped the team out if they ended up needing another vaulter.