Published: July 23, 2008 03:44 pm            

Local gymnast makes Olympic team

PITTSBORO — Over a four-day span, Pittsboro gymnast Bridget Sloan, 16, worked tirelessly at a selection camp in Texas in an effort to seize one of the remaining four spots on the U.S. Olympic women’s gymnastics team.

Saturday night she heard her name called and was officially a member of the team, headed to Beijing to represent her country.

“I was very excited — very, very thrilled,” Sloan said. “I was crying … tears of joy of course. It was just an honor to have them call my name.”

Sloan hit every routine during her final two days at the selection camp.

“The U.S. Olympic Committee was looking for consistency and luckily I showed that,” she said. “It was very nerve-wracking when I was there because I didn’t know what was going to happen. A lot of the girls had been to big meets and selection camps and I hadn’t been to a lot of them.”

Less than five months ago, Sloan suffered a knee injury prior to a meet in Italy and was forced to undergo surgery. She had been slowly working her way back to full strength, and hadn’t competed in all four events during recent meets.

“With my knee injury it was just so awesome to be back, compete in all four events, and do so well in the all around,” Sloan said. “When I hurt my knee I was very worried, but at the same time everything happens for a reason.

“The injury pushed me much harder because I knew I had to recover and get back to 100 percent; that kind of drove me the whole way through this journey. It was kind of a speed bump in the past.”

Sloan spent the week at home, but heads back out to the site of the selection camp today. From there, it’s off to San Jose, Calif. for processing before the flight to Beijing.

In 2007, Sloan competed in a pre-Olympics meet in Beijing and finished third all-around.

“This will be my second time going to the venue and competing,” she said. “I can’t think of it as an advantage, I still have to treat it like my first time and make a good first impression.”

Joining Sloan on the Olympic team is fellow Hoosier Samantha Peszek, 16, from McCordsville. For years, the two gymnasts have competed in events together around the state and country.

“Almost every meet I’ve been to, she’s been there with me,” Sloan said. “It’s really good to have someone to talk to that knows what you’re going through.”

Sloan’s family will also accompany her to Beijing.

Chellsie Memmel, Nastia Liukin, Alicia Sacramone, and Shawn Johnson are the other four team members. After winning the world championships last year, many have labeled the U.S. Team the favorite in this year’s Olympic competition.

“We have a very good shot; we’re a strong team,” Sloan said. “We’re a very supportive and aggressive team. We’re ready to win.”

        

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